dkyeager

Maybe one type of firmware causes it to happen more frequently. We have all scattered accross many carriers plus the unlocked version. Maybe also the hardware version?

On 10/1/2021 at 10:55 AM, iansltx said:

Yesterday Boost released the Celero 5G, made by WIngtech. Has a MTK Dimensity 700, a 6.5" screen, a big battery, and is $280 + tax including a year of unlimited Boost service. The current revision of the phone supports T-Mobile NR bands, precisely zero of which AT&T uses at the moment (unless AT&T is using n66 now and I missed it), and two of which (n66, n71) DishNet will use. There will be AT&T and DishNet specific versions of the Celero later.

I took this opportunity to grab my dad a new phone...and this will move him back from US Mobile on VZW on a Moto e4+. If the phone works well, I'll get one for my brother before the intro deal expires, upgrading his Moto G fast. I'll grab the DishNet variant when it's available, assuming that'll be the first phone that can do n70 (I assume it'll be able to do n26 and n29 as well, but we shall see).

You can see a reference to the Celero 5G on their website, but you are redirected if you click on it.

1 hour ago, mdob07 said:

Just found 3 Dish Wireless permits in Louisville! Anyone know much about these radios? I'm curious what they will be broadcasting here. The full site plans are attached to the permit if anyone wants to see them, you'll have to create an account then just search cell tower permits under building permits here: https://aca-prod.accela.com/LJCMG/Login.aspx

Looks like they maybe actual sites, rather than just protection.  Very good.  Of course site density will tell the true story.  Hard not to be suspicious with all the games Dish has played with spectrum over the years.

On 8/9/2021 at 9:03 PM, The_Chemist said:

My girlfriend's S21, does that, my S21 Ultra , does it and my Note 20 Ultra 5G does it. 

I'm thinking it's more of the T-Mobile system rether than all of these phones. 

Sure would be nice to hear from owners of Motorola and LG devices to see if they get the infamous "No Connection" and band jumping that so many of us with Samsung devices are experiencing. 

All the phones that I mentioned above are factory unlocked non-carrier versions. 

Actually, I just remembered, I have a T-Mobile LG V20, which of course is not 5G, but when I put my T-Mobile SIM in it, the V20 jumped bands and also got the "No Connection" message.

It's got to be growing pains of the T-Mobile system causing these sorts of issues. 

Hopefully in a year or so things will start to settle down as T-Mobile takes over the Sprint sites and converts them. 

T-Mobile tends to work rather rapidly on these sorts of things...

My LG V20 gets no GPS in many markets.  Then I pull out my AT&T phone for navigation.  T-Mobile needs to fix the Sprint billing migration, including "free" phones and "free" lines.  Then those of us on the T-Mobile network without serious issues can migrate over.  I don't mind picking a new plan.  The Magenta Max looks like a plausible replacement for my ED1500.

11 hours ago, danlodish345 said:

Volte will be the back bone for phone calls and basic Data coverage for the foreseeable future. And 5G will be for now at least super fast coverage where it's available. So I don't see really any need for voice and data to be on 5G anytime soon.

As a LG V20 owner (first Sprint phone with VoLTE in its FCC cert but never used), I am well aware that the Vo5G in the S21 may never be used (but their is always hope).

18 hours ago, clbowens said:

I was actually able to get to that with whatever is built into the system already, thru the SCP app.  I forced it to all N bands (41, 71, 66).  I locked onto SA N71, I had data, but phone calls failed.

Others have also tried this with their S21s. No luck yet on Vo5g.

On 7/27/2021 at 10:29 PM, iansltx said:

So...they'll have areas with >100 MHz? Certainly possible, but would be rather surprising.

In a number of markets TMO effectively controls all 194MHz of band 41. Now I think n41 greater than 100MHz would need 5g CA.

On 7/27/2021 at 10:56 PM, mdob07 said:

Also I wonder when/if AT&T will flip any of their 2nd and 3rd PCS/AWS carriers to NR. In Louisville it's 20x20 and 5x5 for PCS, and 10x10, 10x10, and 5x5 for AWS. South of Louisville PCS goes to 10x10, 5x5, and 5x5. No phone that I know of can aggregate that many carriers at the same time plus all of the other bands. 

How does Dish spectrum align with those frequencies? Perhaps they will get wider bands better suited for 5g. Of course horse trading with other carriers and speculators also possible.

7 minutes ago, RAvirani said:

Yes. If AT&T broadcasted B26, they could run a 15x15 carrier. B5 is limited to 10x10 per 3GPP spec. 

Using the old Sprint spectrum plus their existing B5 I assume.  Any complicating factors that would require FCC approval?

On 7/19/2021 at 12:59 PM, PedroDaGr8 said:

First one: https://permitsearch.mybuildingpermit.com/PermitDetails/PUB21-04351/Kirkland
This one has been returned to T-Mobile for correction and resubmission. That being said, first time I have seen a permit for an outright decommission of a Sprint site rather than a conversion.

Just spotted my first decommission in Columbus (Norwich Township or Hilliard - neither have permits online for the public).  It was a co-location near Cemetery Road and I-270 at Lyman Ct.

On 7/20/2021 at 1:14 AM, RAvirani said:

B26 supports up to 15x15

Is that what you meant to say?

This is the new free phone from T-Mobile. With turning in a working old phone of 2000+ vintage and $16.20. $9 charge and credit for 2 years. Gets both NSA and SA 5g.  Picture quality can be poor in low light without adjustments or different camera software.  Max speed I have seen so far with this budget phone is 310.

16 hours ago, Jeff68005 said:

Maybe it is me, but I wish Samsung Band Selector had a way to deselect all Band Selector choices.  Goal is to be in same mode a most Samsung phone users.

Two presets for only T-Mobile and Sprint bands would be nice

The merger of the two networks is like Covid -- every few weeks something changes.  Therefor having maximum flexibility with selecting bands is idea [until T-Mobile puts Sprint out of its misery]. 

Rather than torturing us at this point, I wish T-Mobile would concentrate on a limited number of markets and get the T-Mobile side finished up in those markets and move to the next set of markets.  Basically just leave the band 26 and 1x800 up for the remaining local and traveling Sprint users.

Of course it can be said T-Mobile is working on the engine of a car moving 80MPH.

On a T-Mobile OnePlus n200 5g, the Mobile Data:active etc always changes as it should but the screen below does not always change while stationary. Android 11. Diagnostic sent.

Also *#*#4636#*#* is the closest to diag screens.  Thanks.

The dividing line for TNA appears to be band 66 support.  VoLTE not required (Sprint LG V20).  Just additional 700Mhz service by the phone still prefers usual triband (Sprint LG G4 and G5) but will roam on 700Mhz.

On 5/29/2021 at 12:37 PM, DerekKY1980 said:

 

I don't even know where to look  lol  but I live in Somerset, KY  if that helps

You could always try walking into your town or counties building permit office and asking.  They likely track at least new sites.  Make certain you tell them you like 5g and are trying to see when you will get it.

Has anyone here bought an unlocked S21 (Ultra 512GB), loaded T-Mobile firmware, and then been whitelisted for T-Mobile roaming on US Cellular? My understanding is this is possible and that T-Mobile firmware is required to be whitelisted.

Columbus Sprint conversion site to T-Mobile update: tower hands arrived before sunset and unloaded. Said Sprint stuff will be demoed first, but Microwave and b25 will remain. Will only be adding AWS. Said no n41, 600 or 700.  So I took pictures of antennas but not a big pile under tarp. Personally think they are not allowed to admit and 5g equipment. Lots of wackos out there.

Checking on the visible antennas, there are three Nokia VBNAEHC-01, which are AirScale MAA 64T64R 192AE B41 320W AEHC (AAEHC) capable of 5g.  There will also be larger racks with plenty of room for them to stand on.

18 hours ago, jreuschl said:

I'm finally going to TNX.  Does the S21 boot in T-Mobile mode after this, or should I flash T-Mobile firmware? (or even unlocked..)

Are you able to flash T-Mobile firmware to unlocked without breaking knox (being rooted)? My understanding is T-Mobile firmware is required to be able to roam on US Cellular (in parts of WV, WI, IA, OR etc) and even then you likely need to be whitelisted?

At least with the unlocked you can also get more ram and storage.

21 hours ago, jakeuten said:

In the last few days, T-Mobile shut down PCS UMTS in the Duluth, MN region. Areas on the outskirts of town have been widened to 15 MHz using EARFCN 874 (formerly 851 when 10 MHz). This becomes their first wideband LTE channel in the area. The other thing I noticed is they’re broadcasting LTE on EARFCN 1150, which is C block C4 and C5 and belong to Nsight / Cellcom. C3 remains untouched. This block of spectrum has never been deployed in the region as Nsight does not offer native coverage here. I can’t find any evidence of a lease agreement or sale to T-Mobile. Does anyone know how / why T-Mobile is using this spectrum?

 

I haven seen another case like this in Cincinnati. It took several months before it showed up on the FCC website.  This might basically be a test period, which is what the CEO in the above case later acknowledged iirc.

Others should also be watching out for Starry taking over Sprint co-location sites:   

Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio;

Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada;

San Antonio, Brownsville, Lubbock and El Paso, Texas;

Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Florida; 

Indianapolis, South Bend, Fort Wayne and Bloomington, Indiana;

Nashville, Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee;

Richmond and Virginia Beach, Virginia;

Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana;

Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin;

Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile, Alabama;

Fayetteville, Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; 

Buffalo, Albany, Syracuse and Rochester, New York;

Little Rock, Arkansas;

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania;

Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, Colorado;

Louisville, Kentucky;

Tucson, Arizona;

Springfield, Massachusetts;

Albuquerque, New Mexico;

Charleston, South Carolina;

Jackson, Mississippi;

Decatur, Illinois;

Wichita, Kansas;

Spokane, Washington;

Boise City, Idaho

plus some addition in places where they already exist:

Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Denver

 https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2019/06/24/boston-based-isp-eyes-expansion-of-50-per-month.html https://dyajmw2sca9cs.cloudfront.net/press/pdf/Starry+Auction+102+Results+-+FINAL.pdf

18 hours ago, dkyeager said:

Converting of stand alone Sprint sites has begun in Columbus Ohio. Sprint cabinet placed on pallet, metal flooring removed. Concrete poured and set, two new T-Mobile cabinets placed, ice bridge work started. Electricans have been working on the ground even during the last two days of rain.   Permit says remove and replace, so 60 Mbps Sprint service likely will rapidly deteriorate soon, but 8/0.25 daytime T-Mobile service should drastically improve.

Talked to the electricians today.  They have at least done another site in Columbus.  They started first in Cincy and Cleveland.  They are also doing the conversion of many of the Sprint co-locations to starry.com WISP.  My feeling that the Starry.com conversions were related is now confirmed.  They have also done a few greenfield sites.  They also used the term "keeper sites" without my using it.

Converting of stand alone Sprint sites has begun in Columbus Ohio. Sprint cabinet placed on pallet, metal flooring removed. Concrete poured and set, two new T-Mobile cabinets placed, ice bridge work started. Electricans have been working on the ground even during the last two days of rain.   Permit says remove and replace, so 60 Mbps Sprint service likely will rapidly deteriorate soon, but 8/0.25 daytime T-Mobile service should drastically improve.

Can bands be turned off?  How is SCP performance?

Noticed my Magic Box is using PLMN 311490.  Wonder if they might actually retain some of them into the T-Mobile only network.