T-Mobile Backtracks, Will Offer Truly Unlimited Data > Data Coverage is weak outside of mid to large cities

Data Coverage is weak outside of mid to large cities

Wdoa, a lot of that problem can be due to your phone. They have good 3G coverage everywhere they have Edge but if you phone is only 4G and doesn't work on 3G you will be left high and dry since there is very little 4G coverage. I bought a Samsung Galaxy Exhibit 4G phone in January and was disappointed to find that I couldn't get any 4G data coverage hardly anywhere in the Phoenix, Mesa or Scottsdale area and the phone can't get 3G. I tried a 3G Samsung Vibrant and it worked better and had pretty good coverage in most places. The data speed was generally higher too. They tend to only have 4G at T-Mobile stores which are mostly located in major shopping malls while 3G is available in more highly populated areas where people live and work like near libraries, govt. buildings and downtown areas as well as out along the freeways. I "upgraded" my Samsung Exhibit 4G only phone to a Samsung Galaxy S that gets 3G and 4G both and now I get good coverage just about everywhere. If you check the coverage on OpenSignalMaps T-Mobile actually has better coverage most places than anyone else does on 3G! OSM also has a handy Android app so you can see what towers are around you.
»opensignalmaps.com/coverage-maps/US/

I have an HTC Sensation, so I'm not using an old phone, and with T-Mobile all of their 3G/4G at this point is really just HSDPA. In Central Massachusetts T-Mobile does not have 3G everywhere that they have EDGE, plus there are numerous areas where all they have is GPRS.

> In Central Massachusetts T-Mobile does not have 3G everywhere that they have EDGE..
Actually that's not true if you go by the OSM map. They seem to have 3G in more places than they have 2G. It doesn't show Edge service specifically but the 3G coverage seems to be pretty good.
Your problem may be using the wrong phone though like I mentioned before. The HTC Sensation 4G gets HSPA+/GSM/EDGE on 850/900/1800/1900MHz while T-Mobile uses 1700Mhz for 3G and 4G!
3G uses HSPA+ while 4G uses WCDMA.
The HTC Sensation might work OK for AT&T but not for T-Mobile unless you have the 3G version that's supposed to get HSDPA 900 / 1700 / 2100.
OSM doesn't list Boston specifically but you can go to Philly and scroll up. »opensignalmaps.com/coverage-maps···delphia/

reply to wdoa

Yup, I know it well. I'm to the West of Worcester. If you travel to the North West of Worcester good luck getting any signal no matter what the map says.

reply to ArizonaSteve

reply to wdoa
I was thinking the same thing. Major shopping malls having great 4g? Don't get me wrong, im never in 2g, but its kinda iffy. I place malls on the "places with low signal" along with rest stops in Illinois. God knows i have a hard time getting a signal on any rest stop in IL! (Well, except the tollways).

He's mistaken. Clearly doesn't understand.

No matter what he does or what exorcism he performs on his samsung, his phone will NOT download more than 10Mb or so, and NOWHERE near 20Mb, EVER.
--
The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult. The day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.
Alden Nowlan

Yeah, I have to throw my phone into 2G mode to actually get a decent signal and/or battery life at work, or else it attempts to stay locked onto a 4G tower outside of the mall I work in.

The only difference in the phones I listed is the fact that they utilize more advanced, better forms of 4G connections (HSPA+), but I've watched my Galaxy S2 (and prior phones, such as the Amaze, Sensation and others) bounce between UMTS and HSPA while sitting at my house... or waiting somewhere for an appointment and stuff. Both are nice, valid forms of 4G (and I think mine just downgrades from HSPA to UMTS for battery reasons, as I've noticed when I kick in something that requires faster connections, it'll kick it up to HSPA+ even if only listing UMTS at the time I looked in the menu... gotta love Cyanogen based ROMS).
--
"He's on that Jazz, man"...

I don't really pay any attention to the network mode in the menu. I'll be downloading at 20Mb while the rom network info shows umts.

But, my one s and amaze lets' me put it on wcdma only and even with no bars, my downloads are unaffected. But each area depends.
--
The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult. The day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.
Alden Nowlan

Where I work, with all the metal and such of being in a mall based location, it drastically effects the use of a phone.

Our tower was taken offline one day, and if you went into the back of the store, you would lose signal completely, hence why the tower is in place.

It's just something I've noticed with my phones... (I really do want to get into the One family... but I'm being tortured with having to wait...)

So ya, each area is different :P
--
"He's on that Jazz, man"...

I'm waiting for the rumored HTC One X+

Looks like it's gonna be a fun little phone. After getting used to my Galaxy S2 (and rooting it so I can get rid of the bastardized UI that is touchwiz), I'm kinda used to larger screens (but prefer a phone that does crazy stuff naturally... like have folders on the bar at the bottom of the screen, which TouchWiz just doesn't do...)

Supposedly it comes out a few weeks after my discount kicks into play.
--
"He's on that Jazz, man"...

reply to Bahamut X
Exhibit II 4g is

2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (quad band)
3G Network HSDPA 850 / (1700 / 2100) / 1900 (triband)

»m.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-pho···MB#specs

ah. musta bounced between it and the exhibit 4g (first version) when snagging the numbers from gsmarena. Consider it corrected.

For comparison purposes though, really the only point is the fact that all phones in that list have access to the AWS spectrum that T-Mobile uses, from the G1 to the Galaxy S3. So aside from modems built into the phone that allow access to UMTS/HSPDA/HSPA/HSPA+ networks, they all access the same AWS network for the 4G service (and the same EDGE/GPRS for 2G service).

(changed one word to better signify what I'm leaning towards).
--
"He's on that Jazz, man"...

not for long..

T-mobile redeployment plan

Proposed Spectrum redeployment

T-mobile is redeploying their 1900 Mhz PCS band + At&t's (breakup spectrum contribution) to enable additional HSPA+ so it can support existing Iphones and LTE.

In the last few days, I believe I've been seeing the effects of this redeployment in my area. My Exhibit II 4g acting somewhat weird.

Some sites throttled to 2g speeds.. Some full speed.. data usage counters are zero'd out!! for whatever reason.

I'm quite familiar with the redeployment plans for that spectrum, which will make it very nice, not only for those with iPhones, but anyone using unlocked Eurospec imported phones, to be able to use them on the network.

I wonder, if they're pounding a nail in the coffin of Edge... if they'll come replace our tower along with it... I'd like to pound a few nails on those boxes.... (but to do so right now would be murder on the bills. I'd imagine Engineering wouldn't exactly be too happy about it.)
--
"He's on that Jazz, man"...