Carrier How far can a tmobile tower reach?

[ross1998]

Hey guys, I was in for a surprise when tmobile lit up my area from regular 3G to hspa+ 1 week ago. Today at night they lit up LTE at my house which was even a bigger surprise considering atnt doesn't LTE here. What surprised me the most is when looking at planetbeing's app signal 2, the LTE tower is 25 minute drive from my house. I'm thinking the app is wrong because at my home I'm constantly getting 35 Mbps but if I drive to the downtown Tacoma in the area of that tower I barley pull 10. Is the app wrong and does the tower really transmit that far?

Ps. The new hspa+ tower is pretty close to my house

Is the app wrong or is the LTE tower that far?

 

[ross1998]

I'm on tmobile btw

 

[ugcop]

Most likely they turned it on at the closer tower. It is an ever changing landscape and their own web sites fail to keep up with the progress.

 

[ross1998]

Most likely they turned it on at the closer tower. It is an ever changing landscape and their own web sites fail to keep up with the progress.

This isn't tmobile app. It's a Cydia app created by planetbeing.
But I'm also starting to think it's coming from the same tower as the hspa+ tower.

 

[rgarjr]

The app is probably not right of course. Phones are usually less than a few miles from cell site.

 

[JoshGlzBrk]

It's most likely a new tower or cell location that isn't on any map yet.

How is the Tacoma smell over there?

 

[869639]

Hey guys, I was in for a surprise when tmobile lit up my area from regular 3G to hspa+ 1 week ago. Today at night they lit up LTE at my house which was even a bigger surprise considering atnt doesn't LTE here. What surprised me the most is when looking at planetbeing's app signal 2, the LTE tower is 25 minute drive from my house. I'm thinking the app is wrong because at my home I'm constantly getting 35 Mbps but if I drive to the downtown Tacoma in the area of that tower I barley pull 10. Is the app wrong and does the tower really transmit that far?

Ps. The new hspa+ tower is pretty close to my house

Is the app wrong or is the LTE tower that far?

I'm positive the app is wrong, there is no way T-Mobile's LTE network can provide that broad coverage. 1700/2100 Frequency cannot travel that far. From what I know, 850MHz [that AT&T uses] can cover up to 4Mile radius, given 1700/2100 AWS higher frequency, I would say it will reach half as far and even less with obstructions in the way such as buildings.

 

[ross1998]

It's most likely a new tower or cell location that isn't on any map yet.

How is the Tacoma smell over there?

Lol, I live in NE Tacoma where it's not ghetto and only smells bad like 2 days a month

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I'm positive the app is wrong, there is no way T-Mobile's LTE network can provide that broad coverage. 1700/2100 Frequency cannot travel that far. From what I know, 850MHz [that AT&T uses] can cover up to 4Mile radius, given 1700/2100 AWS higher frequency, I would say it will reach half as far and even less with obstructions in the way such as buildings.

Okay, that's what I thought too, just making sure,

 

[takeshi74]

How far can a tmobile tower reach?

Depends on a number of variables but probably not that far in an urban environment.

I'm thinking the app is wrong because at my home I'm constantly getting 35 Mbps but if I drive to the downtown Tacoma in the area of that tower I barley pull 10.

That does seem to indicate that the app is incorrect unless the tower somehow has much better coverage at greater distances.

 

[2298754]

I'm on tmobile btw

That app is completely off OP. I have it on my 5S and it says that I'm connected to a tower that is a few miles away. Makes no sense because I know exactly which tower I'm connected to and the signal straight proves that.

I remember reading some technical docs a few months ago about how GSM/HSPA towers do not broadcast their location exactly and these apps just estimate, whereas when you are connected to a CDMA tower, there is tower data (such as location) sent to the phone.

 

[ross1998]

That app is completely off OP. I have it on my 5S and it says that I'm connected to a tower that is a few miles away. Makes no sense because I know exactly which tower I'm connected to and the signal straight proves that.

I remember reading some technical docs a few months ago about how GSM/HSPA towers do not broadcast their location exactly and these apps just estimate, whereas when you are connected to a CDMA tower, there is tower data (such as location) sent to the phone.

Okay just making sure, I think it's using the same tower for LTE as the hspa+ tower

 

[CuriousCell]

That app is completely off OP. I have it on my 5S and it says that I'm connected to a tower that is a few miles away. Makes no sense because I know exactly which tower I'm connected to and the signal straight proves that.

I remember reading some technical docs a few months ago about how GSM/HSPA towers do not broadcast their location exactly and these apps just estimate, whereas when you are connected to a CDMA tower, there is tower data (such as location) sent to the phone.

Also keep in mind you could be connected to 2 towers at the same time using them both. Can't really tell which is connected to which tower and what the different in signal strenght is. For example on Verizon, they are building LTE only towers. Your phone could be connected to the LTE tower for data and a different tower that has 1x for voice. Your phone will show you the LTE signal strengh.