AT&T More Seriously Refarming 2G, 3G Networks For LTE Friday Nov 08 2013 08:41 EDT AT&T has ramped up their refarming of 2G and 3G spectrum assets in order to fuel the company's growing LTE network. Kevin Fitchard at GigaOM notes that AT&T appears to have turned on a 5 MHz-by-5 MHz network running in the 1900 MHz PCS band in New York City, a year after informing 2G users it was time to get a move on. Band 2 is PCS, previously utilizing only HSPA and GSM signals. While the changes will improve overall capacity for AT&T, users shouldn't see much of a speed upgrade over existing service. |
K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 10:07 am
No Kidding??? Really?They already have their equipment in place for their (1700/2100) AWS-1 (Band IV) acquisition of Cricket.
You probably can't see it on an unlocked AT&T phone yet, but my unlocked T-Mobile Sammy Galaxy S4 already sees the AT&T 310-410 network ID being broadcast.
AT&T doesn't own any AWS spectrum around these parts, but I guess Cricket(pre-buyout) has already handed it over.
Anybody with an unlocked phone, that supports AWS-1 (1700/2100) Band IV, should search to see if they are receiving their 310-410 network ID, which stands for the presence of AT&T's LTE network on AWS. | |
| | tiger72SexaT duorP Premium Member join:2001-03-28 Saint Louis, MO |
tiger72
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 10:17 am
Re: No Kidding??? Really?AWS-LTE has been on ATT in various areas for a good while. San Antonio has had AWS-LTE for at least a year now, for example.
PCS-LTE for ATT is new, however. | |
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to K3SGM
I see the 310-410 network in NJ too on my T-mo phone | |
| | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 11:34 am
Re: No Kidding??? Really?So, you get what I'm Saying, and you can see it for yourself..
AT&T has already taken over Cricket, although the FCC and DOJ hasn't even approved the purchase.
But AT&T has already started using the radio spectrum, even though they don't own it, and the deal isn't done.
And may never been done....
It's not a "deal" or a "merger" , or an "acquisition".
It's nothing but an unregulated "Annexation". | |
| | | | axus join:2001-06-18 Washington, DC |
axus
Member
2013-Nov-8 12:10 pm
Re: No Kidding??? Really?Give AT&T a break, they have to survive next to the T-mobile juggernaut. | |
| | | | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 12:25 pm
Re: No Kidding??? Really?AT&T is so far behind, they'll never be able to catch up at this point.
FWIW, I am a current customer of both, and work for neither.
The T-Mobile coverage is so superior to AT&T, it's laughable. | |
| | | | | | TestBoy Premium Member join:2009-10-13 Irmo, SC |
TestBoy
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 1:08 pm
Re: No Kidding??? Really?Huh? Seriously? Have you looked at their coverage maps lately? | |
| | | | | | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 2:09 pm
Re: No Kidding??? Really?I haven't had a dropped call in years, and everything's LTE here.
Their coverage maps lie, it's far better than what they claim.
And NO, I don't live in a big Metropolitan area, I'm about 30 miles away from one.
I have tried every carrier around her, Sprint easily is the worst, Verizon the second to the worst, AT&T is getting better, but T-Mobile has the best coverage in town, no contest, T-Mobile beats every other carier hands down. | |
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Re: No Kidding??? Really?T-Mobile stock holder! | |
| | | | | | | | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-9 4:17 am
Re: No Kidding??? Really?TMUS stock is approaching unaffordable, I only wish I might have bought some before now, but I don't own any of it today..
Unfortunately, a good deal of my stocks holding are tied up in Bell Atlantic(aka-Verizon), as part of their pension plan, since I used to work there. | |
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to K3SGM
And I am surrounded by excellent AT&T coverage, tolerable Verizon coverage, and I'm nearly 200 miles from the closest T-Mobile or Sprint site (tower) | |
| | | | | | | | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-9 5:20 am
Re: No Kidding??? Really?Well, I guess congratulations are in order for you.
The only AT&T signal I can receive, comes from one of their 3G Microcell devices in my home.
No other carriers, except for T-Mobile, provides any coverage in my neighborhood. | |
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Re: No Kidding??? Really?My point wasn't "bragging" or anything, it was pointing out that everyone is in a different situation. Also, I made a typo. I meant I'm nearly *300* miles from the closest T-Mobile or Sprint site (277.5 mi according to Google Maps from Helena, MT to Coeur d'Alene, ID).
While I'm glad it's good in your area, realise that there are entire states Sprint and T-Mobile both completely ignore. That is NOT the case with AT&T (it is with Verizon, they ignore Alaska except for data-only) | |
| | | | | | | | | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-10 12:00 pm
Re: No Kidding??? Really?No problem.
We're all good then.
I live in Southeastern PA, and my travels, 99% of the time, take me from Boston, MA, to Norfolk, VA, with occasional journeys to Texas, Southern California, and Florida
T-Mobile works perfectly for me, everywhere I have to go, and if the exception arises, I can put an AT&T SIM in my existing phones. | |
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| | | | | Cabal Premium Member join:2007-01-21 |
to K3SGM
said by K3SGM:The T-Mobile coverage is so superior to AT&T, it's laughable. LOL whut? | |
| | | | | | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 2:22 pm
Re: No Kidding??? Really?Sorry, AT&T is in Second Best. Sprint is in 27th place. But only if their network isn't down, just like it is most of the time. Verizon is clearly in 5th place, just behind Nextel(which doesn't work anymore) | |
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to K3SGM
Here in SoCal, they had band 17 (700MHz) 10MHz deployed, but now they've added band 4 (1700/2100) AWS 5MHz.
Unfortunately - as its 'only' a 5MHz chunk, speeds on it are ~ 1/2 of that compared to the 10MHz chunk of 700MHz. In this case - its more about adding capacity vs. speed. | |
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Cabal Premium Member join:2007-01-21 |
Cabal
Premium Member
2013-Nov-8 1:18 pm
Also worthy of noteThe Nissan Leaf electric uses AT&T 2G exclusively for its remote control and status app. They continue to sell the care in this state with no path to upgrade, for a network expected to be shut down in 2017 (a little over 3 years). | |
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Re: Also worthy of noteInteresting. Sounds like Nissan is being very shortsighted with their technology. | |
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to Cabal
If worst came to worst they could replace the SIM's with T-Mobile compatible one's. They likely will have their GSM network up and running longer. | |
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dmeyer to Cabal
Anon
2013-Nov-8 6:00 pm
to Cabal
Car2go (basically an on demand Smart car rental service in select US cities) uses AT&Ts 2G for connectivity. You can always faintly hear the GSM transmitter when you are about to end your rental. | |
| | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA 1 edit |
to Cabal
AT&T 2G is already shut down for most people since late 2012 / early 2013. All new activations require a 3G UMTS compatible phone, and if you had their "GoPhone" prepay service, they already cut off their existing customers, and forced them to buy a new UMTS phone. | |
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Re: Also worthy of noteRequiring new customers to use a UMTS or LTE compatible handset when joining the network is far different from your statement that "AT&T 2G is already shut down for most people since late 2012 / early 2013." AT&T is not shutting down its 2G GSM network anywhere, any time soon, and will be leaving it turned up for legacy customers/devices. Taking more and more spectrum away from the GSM network as customers and devices migrate to UMTS or LTE? Of course. But there will be a GSM network in place everywhere for several more years to support the large numbers of GSM-only devices out in the wild - like that Nissan Leaf and other vehicles and systems, many alarm systems, many remote monitoring system, etc. Keep in mind that all of the UMTS and LTE phones sold by AT&T can also fall back to GSM. | |
| | | | K3SGM- -... ...- - Premium Member join:2006-01-17 Columbia, PA |
K3SGM
Premium Member
2013-Nov-11 3:25 am
Re: Also worthy of notesaid by RFGuy_KCCO:Requiring new customers to use a UMTS or LTE compatible handset when joining the network is far different from your statement that "AT&T 2G is already shut down for most people since late 2012 / early 2013." AT&T is not shutting down its 2G GSM network anywhere, any time soon, and will be leaving it turned up for legacy customers/devices. can also fall back to GSM. You don't live around here then. Just put a GoPhone SIM in an AT&T GSM phone around here, and it says, "SOS CALLS ONLY", or "EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY", or in some areas "NO SIGNAL". I had a GoPhone phone account set up for my kids to use, and received a notification earlier this year that I had to go to an AT&T store, and have my phone upgraded, if I wanted to continue service with them, because they were discontinuing their "GSM" service in this area. Access to AT&T's 2G Network, at least for their own Pre-Pay customers, and even MVNO's, was completely turned off in APRIL 2013. Technically it's still "ON" to a limited extent, in some places, but they disabled access to it 6 months ago. | |
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