Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Carrier T-Mobile users - How is band 12 LTE?
- Thread starter cchs2014
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm confused about this map. If we live in an area shaded pink but there isn't any indicated cell tower within a few hundred miles, does that mean we have band 12, or does that just mean that area has potential for band 12 but it hasn't been set up yet?
I started a thread about this but didn't get any replies. I live in the DC Baltimore area and I don't have any more bars than I did with my 6 inside my house. One of the reasons I upgraded was for this new band thing, I am wondering though if it requires a carrier upgrade over the air or if it just really isn't that big of an improvement.
I upgraded from a 5s and I live in DC and my bars are the same nothing has changed
My workplace had awful T-Mobile coverage. I just drove by and tested and it was much better. We will see how it does indoors on Monday.
Mine will connect to band 12 on occasion, so I know it can work. It just doesn't prefer a stronger band 12 connection over the weaker (indoors) band 4 connection like I expected it to.
I am still waiting to receive my 6s plus, so I'm not sure yet how it will function on in band 12.
I do have experience with the band 12 network in Kansas City because my S6 Edge supports it. It was activated here in KC about 3 months ago. I knew it was on before it was actually reported as being active. In the lower level of my house I was lucky to get 1 bar of 4g (once in awhile LTE).
One day I looked at it and I had 3 bars of LTE in the same part of my house. I also experienced the same results where I work in downtown KC.
I do believe that they are still tweaking the system because it will sometimes bounce between band 4 and 12. I see the bars go down occasionally. The download speeds at first were pretty poor for the number of bars but it has improved. It will definitely be a big improvement as they continue to improve it.
I do have experience with the band 12 network in Kansas City because my S6 Edge supports it. It was activated here in KC about 3 months ago. I knew it was on before it was actually reported as being active. In the lower level of my house I was lucky to get 1 bar of 4g (once in awhile LTE).
One day I looked at it and I had 3 bars of LTE in the same part of my house. I also experienced the same results where I work in downtown KC.
I do believe that they are still tweaking the system because it will sometimes bounce between band 4 and 12. I see the bars go down occasionally. The download speeds at first were pretty poor for the number of bars but it has improved. It will definitely be a big improvement as they continue to improve it.
Last edited:
That's good to hear! We live in Lawrence on the Kansas side, and it looks like we're included in the KC coverage area (Topeka isn't which makes me laugh XD). My boyfriend is debating about upgrading from his 5 because of that. His roommate just got an S6 on tmo, so we'll have to compare their signal strength.
So, if I'm reading the map right, there's a DTV station that prevented T-Mobile from rolling out Band 12 in Chicago?
Ah, found more info. AT&T still needs to sell the license for Chicago. Final date is March 2016. Looks like I'm waiting for a while.
Ah, found more info. AT&T still needs to sell the license for Chicago. Final date is March 2016. Looks like I'm waiting for a while.
I'm in north Texas and on band 12. It has increased my interior signal strength by a dot. Lower frequency bands are always slower than higher frequency bands at equivalent signal strength but a good signal is always faster than a poor signal.
Where I live my Tmobile phone is now faster than my ATT iPad. When I'm in town, it is much faster than my ATT iPad. I just hope they continue to expand their network as fast as possible.
Where I live my Tmobile phone is now faster than my ATT iPad. When I'm in town, it is much faster than my ATT iPad. I just hope they continue to expand their network as fast as possible.
Tried T-Mobile for the last couple of days on the iPhone 6s but found that instead of getting better signal, it got worse. This is in Miami, a large city where they have band 12 set up. When on band 12, my speed goes extremely low. I had been using T-Mobile for a year on the iPhone 6.
Anyway, I tried it and the coverage just isn't cutting it for my family. Gonna have to put that Lifetime Coverage Guarantee to use and go to AT&T. Sigh.
Anyway, I tried it and the coverage just isn't cutting it for my family. Gonna have to put that Lifetime Coverage Guarantee to use and go to AT&T. Sigh.
I switched to T-Mobile a few weeks ago, and had ZERO service in my home, work, and several other places I frequent. Held out for the 6S for the supposed improved reception...and I was not disappointed. Great LTE service in all the locations I either had no service or edge just a few weeks prior. VERY happy!
Yea the phone seems to prefer B4 over B12 even if on B4 you only have 1 bar. Kinda annoying - but B12 is only 5x5 so you won't get great speeds on it.
Last edited:
It's probably carrier setting related. T-Mobile may not want everyone swarming Band 12 until they know they can handle it.
I have a question tangential to the topic.
We are told that Band 12 is so great because it uses lower frequencies (~700MHz), which penetrate buildings better and travel further than Band 2 (~1900MHz) and Band 4 (~1700/2100 MHz) waves.
Then how come I have never ever had a problem with cellular reception (actually, had a good signal most of the time) in urban areas (in fact anything that can even remotely pass for a town) when I was using carrier 3 in the UK that until recently had service exclusively on Band 1 (~2100MHz)? Is the real problem of T-Mobile lack of cellular towers and/or terrain?
We are told that Band 12 is so great because it uses lower frequencies (~700MHz), which penetrate buildings better and travel further than Band 2 (~1900MHz) and Band 4 (~1700/2100 MHz) waves.
Then how come I have never ever had a problem with cellular reception (actually, had a good signal most of the time) in urban areas (in fact anything that can even remotely pass for a town) when I was using carrier 3 in the UK that until recently had service exclusively on Band 1 (~2100MHz)? Is the real problem of T-Mobile lack of cellular towers and/or terrain?
T-Mobile has experienced a couple of issues. One is the lack of towers. It's expensive in the US to build out and, in urban areas, you often encounter great resistance from residents that reduce the overall effectiveness of the tower. I know that, in Chicago at least, it's expensive to run fiber for towers in the downtown area because of risers and exclusivity agreements. For example, AT&T is the only carrier that provides service within the Sears Tower. Other carriers penetrate from outside. Part of that is exclusivity, part of it is cost of riser and access.
Do I need to use the SIM that came with the 6s to get on band 12? I swapped in the SIM from my 6 and it looks like I'm not getting band 12--I did the test and am on 4. I'm in NYC and according to the map should have band 12 coverage.
Switched from at&t to T-Mobile two months ago in the Tampa Bay area. My reception was the same but my LTE speeds were much faster. Just received my new 6S two days ago and band 12 gives me more bars than at&t ever did. Very satisfied and paying less!!!!
I have the same coverage at home I think (I live in a small town but tmo has had LTE here for about the past year), but my first day at work since getting my 6s plus, I notice I have steady LTE at my desk, deep inside a building in a little cubicle. I haven't run any speed tests or anything fancy but with my 6 I was barely getting 2G in here so I know something is different. Beyond pleased. Thanks Tmo and apple!