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wdoa
join:2001-10-16
Spencer, MA

wdoa

Member

Data Coverage is weak outside of mid to large cities

I've been a customer with T-Mobile for over 6 years. Unfortunately as I've become more of a data customer and less of a voice customer they have increasingly fallen short of my requirements. If you travel outside of a mid to large city you will find your data coverage falling back to 2G/EDGE or even worse and as often GPRS (It's useless to try to use a modern smartphone on a GPRS connection). In the last month or so I was in 3 locals in Central Mass that I haven't been before. 1 had no coverage at all, 1 had EDGE, and one had GPRS. At my house I have WIFI and I work in a midsize city so as long as I'm in those 2 locations I'm fine. Bottom line is you can offer unlimited, but if network limitations don't allow one a certain level of usability it isn't worth it. I'm starting to think T-Mobile should change their name to MetroPCS V2.0
ArizonaSteve
join:2004-01-31
Apache Junction, AZ

1 edit

ArizonaSteve

Member

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/cover ··· maps/US/

wdoa
join:2001-10-16
Spencer, MA

wdoa

Member

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.
ArizonaSteve
join:2004-01-31
Apache Junction, AZ

ArizonaSteve

Member

> 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/cover ··· delphia/

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska to wdoa

Premium Member

to wdoa
Click for full size
Here is the current 3g/4g map of that area.
More here: »maps.eng.t-mobile.com/pc ··· ault.php

wdoa
join:2001-10-16
Spencer, MA

wdoa

Member

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.

Bahamut X
Premium Member
join:2000-12-09
Fort Worth, TX

2 edits

Bahamut X to ArizonaSteve

Premium Member

to ArizonaSteve
said by ArizonaSteve:

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.

So a question, a comment... and some other stuff.

1. Question: So you're telling me two phones, with two HSPDA radios don't use the exact same spectrum, just more of it? (Phone is only 4G/does not work on 3G comment).

Galaxy Exhibit (aka Exhibit 2, same phone)(14.4 mb/s 4G phone):
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 2100 / 1900

Galaxy Vibrant (14.4 mb/s).
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 2100 / 1900

Galaxy S 4G (21 mb/s 4G phone):
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 1700 / 2100

For gits and shiggles:
Galaxy S3 (42 mb/s 4G phone):
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 850 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100

Even more gits and shiggles, INTO THE PAST!

T-Mobile G1 (7.2 mb/s 3G phone)
2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network HSDPA 2100
HSDPA 1700 / 2100 - American version

So the only difference in the above phones is that T-Mobile has removed the png that says "H" for the fastest data speed available to a phone, and instead of replacing them with a 3G icon, have replaced them with a 4G icon. They all operate on the exact same networks for both 2g and 3-4G (gotta love marketing semantics?) and will SAY either "E" or "2G" for Edge and "4G" for a UMTS/HSPA connection. Depending on connection type will dictate exactly how fast your connection may go, but they're both "technically" of the high speed variety (which is why google replaced all of it with an H, and the carriers usually say either 4G, LTE, or something else to let you know you're on an enhanced network.

(Yes, I know I used more than 2 phones in this comparison.)
said by ArizonaSteve:

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.

Funny you should say this... I don't get 4G in the major shopping mall I work in, but yet I get 4G based services pretty much everywhere else I go (the library, office buildings, downtown Fort Worth...) It's too expensive to put microcells into JUST a T-Mobile store (We're way down on this list to have my stores towers upgraded...) so this statement makes me wonder just where would you draw such an assumption. If anything it would be more economic to run the store phones off of WiFi if in a low/moderate coverage area rather than drop a full fledged tower into the mix.

Oh, and as far as I can tell from the lists I've seen, inline stores (that would be the ones not in a mall) far outweigh the ones in a major mall location.

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska to wdoa

Premium Member

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.

Bahamut X
Premium Member
join:2000-12-09
Fort Worth, TX

Bahamut X

Premium Member

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).

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska

Premium Member

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.

Bahamut X
Premium Member
join:2000-12-09
Fort Worth, TX

Bahamut X

Premium Member

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

djdanska
Rudie32
Premium Member
join:2001-04-21
San Diego, CA

djdanska

Premium Member

said by Bahamut X:

(I really do want to get into the One family... but I'm being tortured with having to wait...)

The HTC One series? I can tell you my Amaze 4G radio is Far better than the One S i have. Far better. It's getting better. My amaze was the same way at first. Now it's awesome. My One S doesn't handle weak signals worth crap.

Bahamut X
Premium Member
join:2000-12-09
Fort Worth, TX

Bahamut X

Premium Member

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.
tkdslr
join:2004-04-24
Pompano Beach, FL

tkdslr to Bahamut X

Member

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/ ··· MB#specs

Bahamut X
Premium Member
join:2000-12-09
Fort Worth, TX

Bahamut X

Premium Member

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).
tkdslr
join:2004-04-24
Pompano Beach, FL

tkdslr

Member

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.

Bahamut X
Premium Member
join:2000-12-09
Fort Worth, TX

Bahamut X

Premium Member

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.)