dewbertdc

6 hours ago, Trip said:

Was just poking at the Montgomery County, MD tower list and observed that T-Mobile is installing strand-mount gear.  See, for example:

https://montgomerycountytfcg.s3.amazonaws.com/Applications/MC2022031709.pdf

- Trip

 

Good find - I saw someone near me in NE DC posted this on the cellmapper Reddit, too:  

On 11/25/2021 at 8:25 AM, dkyeager said:

You also have the flip for T-Mobile accounts. A Revvl in a poor traditional T-Mobile signal area could not see the band 25 of a nearby converted Sprint site. The Revvl V+ 5g can and prefers it.

Oh good - maybe this will mean my T-Mobile iPhone 13 Pro will prefer the Sprint signal on the DAS in my office building now.  I'll have to check that out next time I'm in.

1 hour ago, schmidtj said:

Possibly of interest:

SEC Filing regarding the CyberAttack Event:

https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0001283699/e2d145e6-b8bb-4bd5-b78a-a9a7858a1ab2.pdf

e2d145e6-b8bb-4bd5-b78a-a9a7858a1ab2.pdf 151.33 kB · 1 download

It's unfortunate that T-Mobile's lax security got them to this point, but it does appear that they've hired some of the best outside consultants to help them get to where they ought to be.  Let's hope they mean what they say here.

There's another security issue that needs tightening up, too... store employees are often all too willing to make changes to an account without properly checking ID or account PIN information.  That should become an immediately fireable offense.

1 hour ago, RedSpark said:

Hopefully this comes to the DC Area at some point.... because Fios still isn't available for me in D.C.

Google Fiber never showed up either.

Verizon offers 7.1 - 15 Mbps D/L speed DSL.

So I have a choice of Xfinity or RCN.

T-Mobile should consider striking a deal with RCN for access to fiber network, which serves Boston, Chicago, Washington DC Metro Area, NYC, Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia.

RCN is owned by a telecom holding company that also owns some other regional broadband providers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astound_Broadband

It would be interesting if T-Mobile bought them.  T-Mobile has already shown they're not interested in being a video provider with their ditching of T-Vision in favor of YouTubeTV/Philo; I could see them shutting down the video service and just running a pure-play broadband/voice network.

I was a happy RCN internet-only customer here in DC until Fios came to the neighborhood.  Can't beat $39.99 for 300Mbps symmetrical service.

T-Mobile has updated their coverage maps to include 5G Ultra Capacity (N41) coverage.  Shows how quickly they've added it to towers in the DC area.

55 minutes ago, RedSpark said:

Finally!

https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2021/07/montgomery-county-votes-in-favor-of-5g-cell-towers/

https://www.localdvm.com/news/maryland/montgomery-co-passes-5g-wireless-amendment-some-residents-raise-safety-concerns/

https://dcist.com/story/21/07/26/montgomery-county-council-to-vote-on-5g-zoning-bill-amid-pushback/

This has been a long time coming.

How could this affect T-Mobile's build around here?

Given that this mostly affects small cell mmWave deployments like the ones that Verizon and AT&T are using, I don't see much changing for T-Mobile.  They're mostly focused on adding mid-band 5G to their existing T-Mobile and Sprint-keep macro sites, which have been happening in this area pretty quickly.

Looks like the Shentel deal is finally closed. 
 

https://www.lightreading.com/5g/shentel-finishes-sale-of-wireless-biz-to-t-mobile/d/d-id/770617

2 hours ago, RedSpark said:

It's still got to be better than Sprint's 800 MHz was, right? 🙂

Sure, but it didn't matter how Sprint's 800 MHz was down there, since we have 1900 MHz LTE on the DAS.  I'd rather my T-Mobile iPhone used the Sprint Legacy 1900 MHz LTE signal that's available down there than the 600 MHz 5G/LTE macro network, which is congested as we share it with a major transit hub in the area.  My phone will hop over to the Sprint signal when it loses the T-Mobile signal entirely, but it's a hard transition to "Roaming," not seamless like the Sprint "keep" sites are around here.

53 minutes ago, RedSpark said:

You're welcome! Curious what you hear back from the DAS people or T-Mobile about this. T-Mobile's 600 MHz via TNX has really improved my indoor coverage/speeds vs. Sprint's 800 MHz coverage.

Yeah, we're definitely getting LTE and 5G on 600MHz down in the depths of the building now, but it's slow and congested.  I'd much rather have LTE on PCS, even if there's no 5G on the DAS!

15 hours ago, RedSpark said:

You could try emailing Mike Sievert and asking about that DAS and if they have any plans for it or other legacy Sprint DAS builds. He's shared his email publicly on Twitter:

DerekKY1980 heard back on his email to Sievert about network upgrades pretty quickly. Curious what you hear back on it. Please share if you do!

Thanks, I might do that.  I want to talk to the folks who run the DAS before I engage an external vendor - they're my colleagues and I don't want to step on their toes!  As far as I know, they haven't had any communications from T-Mobile on changes.

Has anyone heard word of how T-Mobile is approaching Sprint's in-building DAS systems?  We've got an older system at work that has the "big three" carriers from the early-2010s on it... so AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.  😜

I've been back to the office a couple of times and I eventually roam onto it when I'm in the bowels of the building, but my T-Mobile iPhone 12 Pro prefers the outdoor macro network, so I assume that they haven't added 312-250 yet.  It's PCS-only for Sprint as far as I can tell.

DIGITS is a mess of a product family.  There are a few different "flavors," as you said:

• The DIGITS App and Website are free and allow anyone to access their phone/text via secondary device(s).   The backend of this is also what enables Apple devices like iPads and watches to receive texts and phone calls from a primary device. (I found out through trial and error that you have to have DIGITS enabled on your line, or this just won't work.)
• The DIGITS Wearable product is a secondary data-only line that is "paired" to a primary line (see screenshot attached for what mine looks like on the T-Mobile account site), and uses the same DIGITS backend to receive calls and texts from the primary line.
• DIGITS Talk and Text is available as an add-on if you want a secondary phone number for whatever reason.  You have to access calls and texts to that number via the DIGITS app or some compatible Samsung phones.  I believe they're offering one free DIGITS Talk and Text line for each account these days.

As far as cancelling, yeah, T-Mobile doesn't make that easy.  I've found the best way to get quick and easy customer care from them is to use Twitter messaging with T-Force (https://twitter.com/tmobilehelp)

4 hours ago, Trip said:

The new system is awful, IMO.  Not that the old one was fantastic either.

https://scout.dcra.dc.gov/login

I've not been watching DC for permits, so I can't really say what might be going on there.

In Fairfax County, they're filed as "T-Mobile" but I've also been searching by address just in case.  I was told by someone in the permitting office that apparently antenna towers do not require antenna permits, but building-mounted antennas do.  Of course, if they're doing massive electrical work like running new circuits, that may require a permit from the electrical side of things, but then that's not an antenna permit.

I've also been searching by address in Alexandria and Arlington for 312250 (or suspected 312250) sites, without success.

- Trip

Oh, this is really terrible.

I had been keeping an eye on the old DCRA site and just searching for T-Mobile... up until the end of 2020 all I had seen were permits to add 2.5GHz antennas to existing sites, which match up with what I had been able to observe in my limited travels around the city.

27 minutes ago, grapkoski said:

I've been stalking DCRA's new permit searching system and nothing yet. Grr.

 

How does T-Mobile usually file permits... I've seem T-Mobile and Tmo before. Not sure if there are any other variations they use.

What is DCRA's new system?  I had been looking at this site but it stopped working at the end of 2020.

https://eservices.dcra.dc.gov/DCRADataConnect/Home/Permits#

1 hour ago, schmidtj said:

Is there such a thing as the Field Engineering app for Cellular capable  iPads?    

Unfortunately, there is not. 

49 minutes ago, mikejeep said:

It works great.. it's my "how does SCP work on older phones" test device, although it is so slow I don't use it for anything else. Would be far more beneficial to have a newer Samsung in the testbed. Next hurdle, would I have to give up my SWAC account..

That's a good question... there's no mention of needing to change plans for this, I would assume Sprint-billed folks are eligible with the same 24 month credits that T-Mobile users are.

1 hour ago, mikejeep said:

Soooo they will take my HTC EVO 4G I have on a free line (not kidding), and give me the Samsung..?!

As long as it powers on and isn't cracked, they will.

7 hours ago, schmidtj said:

There are no free line promos going on right now but they ran at least 3 last year and one already this year. I find out about them mostly on Reddit but T-Mobile News and Twitter etc. announces them. They usually run for a week.
The stipulation is you hold on to them for a year and they are your free and clear. If you drop a line before 12 month then the free lines left on your account that are less than a year old become chargable. People are creative as to what they use them for. Some rent them to friends others use them for T-Mobile Tuesday benefits. Mine are being held as I said for the grandkids. What's nice is they are usually stackable with promos that require adding a line. Like "Discounted Phone if you add a line". You get the discounted phone but not the monthly charge for the line.

 

Yup, these are crazy deals that I have to assume they offer on quarters where they want to inflate subscriber numbers... but I won't complain.  I've got 8 Magenta Max lines for less than the price of 2 right now - my parents and sister all have free lines, and I've reserved 3 for my niece, nephew and mother in law if they want it.  

This is funny, I just signed up for TVision Live to evaluate it as a Sling TV replacement.  Everything worked OK, but the Android TV wasn't the most intuitive.  I guess I'll be punted to YouTubeTV now. 

27 minutes ago, schmidtj said:

Pretty sure if you’re on magenta plus you will automatically be on Max come February 24.

I asked them that question today on Twitter, and I was told the opposite.  

1 hour ago, greenbastard said:

It says existing promotions can be transferred to the new plan for existing customer. I wonder if they'll honor free lines and 20% hookup? These promos were meant to stick with the plan and not the account iirc.

They'll honor hookup, free line promos from after 6/2/2019 and some others, according to an employee on reddit. I'm on Magenta Plus right now with 7 lines (2 paid, 5 free) and a $15 discount match, bringing my total plan cost to $125.  If I am understanding it correctly, I can switch to Max for no additional cost.  Guess I'll find out on Wednesday.

  I

1 hour ago, ingenium said:

Got some drone pics of a recently upgraded T-Mobile site:

B66/N66 + B25/N25 AHFIG center. AHBOA B71/ N71 right. Nokia Flexi Zone B12 left. Behind AHFIG is network converging box where the hybrid flex splits output and fiber to the RRUs. Gen 2 Nokia M-MIMO (courtesy of lilotimz).

More pics: https://www.joshuajhill.com/s4gru/img/PT43XC804/

This is the coolest thing!  Thanks!

This is interesting. Android Police just published a list of older devices that will no longer work on T-Mobile's network come January 29th due to their inability to receive an update that will allow them to continue working.  According to the article, "T-Mobile confirms the change is not connected to either VoLTE requirements in 2021 or its legacy network shutdown."  I wonder what is going to change then... 

Quote

• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (AT&T model)
• Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (Verizon model)
• Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
• HTC Desire 10 Lifestyle
• HTC Desire 650
• Google Nexus 9
• Huawei Mate 8
• Huawei P9
• Mikrotikls SIA_R11e-LTE6
• Netgear Arlo Security Camera System
• OnePlus 1
• Quanta Dragon IR7
• Samsung Galaxy S5 Duos
• Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
• Sony Xperia Z3
• Sony Xperia Z3 Orion
• Sony D6616 Xperia Z3 Orion
• Soyea M02
• ZTE ZMax

14 hours ago, RAvirani said:

The MFBI spec does not support simultaneously different IBWs/center frequencies.  For example:

15x15 C block carrier could be simultaneously broadcasted as B2 (1125) and B25 (8565) with MFBI.  However, MFBI does not support simultaneous broadcast of 15x15 B2 (EARFCN 1125 in the PCS C block) and 20x20 B25 (EARFCN 8590 in the PCS C+G block) that overlap by 15 MHz.  

Achieving the latter is a much more complex problem due to the fact that guard bands would be of different widths and thus, the physical resource blocks and LTE subcarriers wouldn't necessarily line up.  These challenges require careful timing, real-time PRB blanking, dynamically served handoff parameters, etc. to solve.

Ah, thanks.  The More You Know(TM).

15 minutes ago, RAvirani said:

Keep your eyes open. Rumor has it there's something similar to DSS in the works. It would allow a PCS C+G carrier to be simultaneously broadcasted as a 15x15 B2 C carrier and a 20x20 B25 C+G carrier based on device compatibility. 

That's Multiple Frequency Band Indicator (MFBI) and has been a part of the LTE spec since 2015.  https://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=551

Sounds like it will be primarily a 20x20 B25 carrier broadcasting a 15x15 B2 MFBI so that older or foreign devices that lack B25 support will be able to use part of the spectrum.  I bet they'll do this in all markets where they have contiguous C+G holdings.