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MetroPCS: LTE In Late 2010
Including a dual-mode LTE/CDMA smartphone
Like Boost Mobile and Cricket, Prepaid cell phone carrier MetroPCS has seen some early success in the mobile market by offering discount unlimited prepaid wireless plans with no contracts. The company enjoys injecting disruptive pricing into the wireless market, and now serves more than 5.4 million subscribers. According to a statement from the company this morning, they plan to offer LTE wireless broadband service next year. "We anticipate to begin offering our 4G LTE services and a dual-mode LTE/CDMA smartphone in our major metropolitan markets in late 2010," says the company, which also notes they've chosen Ericsson as their primary gear vendor.
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FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5

Premium Member

MetroPCS coverage skimpy and roaming costly

If you live in a covered area and rarely travel, MetroPCS can be a good deal. But if you don't live in a major population center, you can't get their service. And if you do travel, it will cost you in roaming fees($.19/min on calls).


Gbcue
Premium Member
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA

Gbcue

Premium Member

Re: MetroPCS coverage skimpy and roaming costly

Wow, that coverage is so good...

del ftl
@algx.net

del ftl to FFH5

Anon

to FFH5
It's more than just saying "if you travel" since metro has coverage or extended coverage in almost all major or semi major metro areas in the USA.

It's more to say:
If you travel to areas outside of major metro areas and need to use more than say a half hour to an hour or two of voice minutes a month in those areas then it's not a good deal for you. Texting is generally free roaming on verizon/sprint. So it's the answer to how many voice minutes you use while traveling outside of a major/semi major metro area.

The average metro plan is about $40 a month for unlimited everything, except voice minutes roaming.

SterlingJ85
join:2000-11-19
Austin, TX

SterlingJ85 to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
And that's not even just Metro's coverage. The majority of that map is actually Cricket.

Cricket and MetroPCS roam on each other for free, they made an agreement to share each others networks for free for both of their customer bases.
Samsonian
join:2007-06-15

Samsonian

Member

meh

There won't be much LTE deployments in 2010. And as I've mentioned before, the client side is at least as bad.

LTE handset in 2010 a longshot despite 4G iPhone hopes [telephonyonline.com]
quote:
"We would expect multi-mode LTE data cards in the market in later 2010, with multi-mode LTE handsets in 2011," Qualcomm CDMA Technologies senior director of product management Peter Carson said in an e-mail interview. Qualcomm claims it will have the first multi-mode LTE chipsets in the market, which puts it on target to deliver the first LTE phones. While a handset maker could use a single-mode platform to make a device, Carson said there would be little point.


It might be possible to get a multi-mode LTE handset in 2010. But it'll bigger, bulkier, expensive, and power hungry with lower battery life.
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt

Member

Will MetroPCS offer Data Cards?

DSL and Cable Broadband service is very spotty in this area. Consumers living North of Orlando Florida will benefit if MetroPCS offers data cards with high usage limits. For many customers in this area the only choice for broadband service is via satellite or national wireless carriers with low CAPS.

lkviewguy
join:2004-02-13
Chicago, IL

lkviewguy

Member

MetroPCS is not for travelers

MetroPCS primary responsibility is to provide (here in Detroit) coverage for people with horrid credit and can not under any circumstance get service through anyone else. This is not for business folks, travels or anyone that can get service through other providers. These people do not have laptops and are in no way interested in laptop data cards. They are only filling a void for the poor. They are a last resort provider, period!
BigJames523
join:2007-09-07
West Palm Beach, FL

BigJames523

Member

Re: MetroPCS is not for travelers

I disagree.. I have went with them for quite a long time, even when I could walk into all other phone stores with no deposits, and found the service was pretty good. Many people said its even gotten better. Its a matter of priority. Alot of Metro PCS Customers are Police officers around my area, because I work with them, and its their "Mobile Office" in their car, so they need alot of anytime minutes. No, the department doesnt provide cell phones to most of the officers, so a 40/month unlimited is a great alternative to using up their expensive Contract minutes.

Also, I gave them up because of the dropped calls, but my sister has them in Hollywood, Fl and has no problems what so ever, and her credit is good enought for most phone places too.. for her its a matter of a budget... and not worrying about going over minutes..
Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL

Mr Matt to lkviewguy

Member

to lkviewguy
It depends how much traveling one does outside of Metro's service area. Those people that I have spoken with where I live in the Central, Florida, are very satisfied with their MetroPCS service.

MetroPCS is for those people who are tired of being forced to sign long term contracts or pay through the nose for handsets and additional services.

The addition of LTE to Metro's offerings will make their service far more desirable to customers. If Metro offers Wireless Modems for laptops that would just be icing on the cake.

Davis
@qwest.net

Davis

Anon

Metro for the Poor? What?

I'm currently on Cricket, I had Verizon/Tmobile/At&t.. I don't travel I go to school and conduct business in the city. I just see more sense in paying 40 dollars for Unlimited everything and then 40 dollars for wifi broadband for my laptop. I also get extended coverage from metro towers around the US. Im not contract bound. When Cricket and Metro merge, look for 8 percent annual growth in prepaid compared to 2 percent growth in contract. According to wallstreet.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4

Member

Re: Metro for the Poor? What?

Cricket and MetroPCS won't merge. Cricket actually has SOLD off a good share of their Midwest market, MI and Ohio and IN. They sold it to either Metro as part of the "roaming agreements" or to Revol Wireless.

Revol is more likely to take over Metro or Cricket, Especially since Revol is a private company they can do pretty much anything.
Samsonian
join:2007-06-15

1 edit

Samsonian

Member

Re: Metro for the Poor? What?

Whoever does the acquiring doesn't matter as much.

They have almost exact the same business model, and a largely non-overlapping network footprint.

The point is they should merge already, consolidate operations, and keep doing what they're already doing, but bigger.

They could be the 5th national carrier.