Tmobile please join the 21st Century

[osofast240sx]

You are lucky as you are now using their latest LTE offering which is very fast as you outline. I do see very fast LTE speeds here in NJ where they have a good LTE signal and sometimes it's even fast than AT&T which is cool. What's not cool is that overall their network in NJ is still poor. I mean lets look at one particular scenario. Iphone5S main road LTE service good signal, enter a small lot with small stores and you have a 4G signal outside, enter a small barber shop and as soon you sit down (close to the door) you have no service. Play with your phone (airplane mode, or reboot phone) and you now have 1 bar and an unstable 4G signal with slow or no data connection. Things like this really bother me. Also you read a lot of scary stories about indoor coverage specially in buildings in a major city like NY. I'm sorry but this is not Afghanistan, Tmobile you are not trying prove service up in the isolated mountains.

This was my third try, I just cancelled today, tested for 6 days. I do see improvements overall but right now they have a big issue with iPhones specially the 5S where the signal bounces and fluctuates all over the place (only happens on their network, AT&T is rock solid everywhere). Maybe I will try them again in a few months if I hear they have made real investments and implemented those proposed MIMO antennas and migrated the remaining old EDGE towers but I think all those things are going to take a long time to implement.

On the money issue, right now they appear to be having money problems. That is why they were looking to sell some stock recently, they were also trying to buy some spectrum from Verizon which will cost a lot of money. The failed AT&T merger gave them a boost with all that money they got from AT&T but it appears they already spent it all and what you see now might be what you get for a while.

I want them to succeed but they also need to make some changes to help themselves. Build a damn application and a platform like AT&T has (Mark The Spot) where customer's can easily report services issues from anywhere at any time and send Tmobile valuable/accurate data they can use to better their network. There are many small little things they can do without having to spend a lot of money but right now they just don't have the systems in place and perhaps Engineers with the experience necessary to make things happen.

-Mike




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I get LTE also and see it in a lot of areas in NJ (Parkway, Turnpike), it's just the other areas where the iPhone just locks onto the EDGE signal that really sucks or the areas that have very poor signal and you can't get usable service. With AT&T everywhere I have been I have either LTE or 4G, even underground in basements!

-Mike

No issues in NYC with T-Mobile, there is pleanty Of T-Mobile work going on in the tri-state area lots and lots of overtime( most are working 7/10s) T-Mobile is far from running out of money.
ATT sprint and Verizon are are slow, work may pick up in the spring. Although att is doing lots of in building cell infrastructure in NYC.

 

[parseckadet]

I didn't find the Mark the Spot app useful at all when I was with AT&T. The whole neighborhood I live in is a weak area for them, and I reported it multiple times over the course of two years. I even called, and was told multiple times over those two years that a new tower was being built "soon." Every time I talked to them they said it would be six months. Six months later and they would say it would be another six months. After two years of being lied to I had enough and switched to T-Mobile. Couldn't be happier.

 

[JackieInCo]

I didn't find the Mark the Spot app useful at all when I was with AT&T. The whole neighborhood I live in is a weak area for them, and I reported it multiple times over the course of two years. I even called, and was told multiple times over those two years that a new tower was being built "soon." Every time I talked to them they said it would be six months. Six months later and they would say it would be another six months. After two years of being lied to I had enough and switched to T-Mobile. Couldn't be happier.

This is pretty much my story except I moved to AT&T from Spring for the very first iPhone. When the iPhone 3G came out, it was almost a year before I could get 3G at my house but it was always so slow, that was in 2008.

Now after all these years, nothing has changed, I can't get LTE at my house and my data speeds on 3G when I can get it, usually late at night, is edge speeds. I finally had enough and broke my contract with them last February and moved to T-Mobile where I get super fast LTE at my house and 90% of the area where I go each day. That's all that matters. T-Mobile got it right.

 

[mikefla]

Always happy for those that have good Tmobile service! My experience with AT&T overall has been good, I have LTE or 4G everywhere I have been (I don't go a lot of places though or not often I honestly cannot remember that last time I had EDGE or a non 4G or LTE connection from AT&T. Anyway the only thing Tmobile really needs is a platform, an app like AT&T's "Mark the Spot" so they can get some real data from customers on their network and better adapt to customer needs.

Tmobile does have impressive LTE speeds in SOME areas. Personally I prefer coverage everywhere versus coverage in some places with fast LTE in some places. I'll give Tmobile another ride in a few months to see where they are at.

-Mike

Ironically i live in a city where Tmobile has LTE coverage and ATT doesn't. Also i always get fast HSPA "4G" speeds on Tmo 10+ Mbps, while ATT i was lucky to get 2-3Mbps.

i do see "E" on Tmobile a lot, but that's only when im taking long 3-4 hour roadtrips on the highway.

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Good for your guys! I can't speak enough about the "Mark the Spot" app. They just updated it today again to make it even better! I have used the app many times in the past and areas where I have reported issues improvements were made. I didn't have to call anybody, post on the Internet or go on the chat. And I really love the fact that the app gathers so much data that the carrier can use to look into the issue (GPS coordinates, connecting tower, phone info, etc). The darn thing even runs a diag test if you like after your submission! Of course no carrier is going to make an investment for 1 person or a few people. However I can't praise AT&T enough for having a great nationwide network overall and even more for having the Mark the Spot application. Don't get me wrong they are not perfect but what carrier is? When is Tmobile going to implement a platform and build an application like that?

I think Tmobile is great if it works where you use the service most, but don't get out of your comfort zone or travel around the US because you are going to learn the hard way and you are not going to be happy! If they can't provide reliable service in NY/NJ I can only imagine what their service is like in rural areas, etc.

I think Tmobile does have a lot of potential but they do need to get with the times. And I wish them the best, I would love to have reliable service and use them one day.

-Mike

This is pretty much my story except I moved to AT&T from Spring for the very first iPhone. When the iPhone 3G came out, it was almost a year before I could get 3G at my house but it was always so slow, that was in 2008.

Now after all these years, nothing has changed, I can't get LTE at my house and my data speeds on 3G when I can get it, usually late at night, is edge speeds. I finally had enough and broke my contract with them last February and moved to T-Mobile where I get super fast LTE at my house and 90% of the area where I go each day. That's all that matters. T-Mobile got it right.

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Keep in mind that a lot has changed both on the Tmobile and AT&T end. You may want to give AT&T another try if you are not happy or just curious

-Mike

This is pretty much my story except I moved to AT&T from Spring for the very first iPhone. When the iPhone 3G came out, it was almost a year before I could get 3G at my house but it was always so slow, that was in 2008.

Now after all these years, nothing has changed, I can't get LTE at my house and my data speeds on 3G when I can get it, usually late at night, is edge speeds. I finally had enough and broke my contract with them last February and moved to T-Mobile where I get super fast LTE at my house and 90% of the area where I go each day. That's all that matters. T-Mobile got it right.

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Sounds like you work for them or are a tower contractor. Well from what I hear (I have not confirmed this myself) there are many buildings/homes in NY where Tmobile has no service! I have yet to use a GSM carrier that has better indoor coverage than AT&T. I just tried Tmobile for the 3rd time this year in the NJ area. Sure I see improvements and I applaud them for them (for the same of their customers they really needed them). But overall the service is not good enough for real World use.

Hmm, I'm not sure about the money situation. I mean they were trying to sell some stock so they could come up with the money to make a bid for the Spectrum Verizon may be selling. They are talking about implementing MIMO antennas on their towers to make up for the shortcomings of their frequencies/coverage. I would really like to see that happen but it does happen it will likely take another year or longer before we see the benefits of that.

-Mike

No issues in NYC with T-Mobile, there is pleanty Of T-Mobile work going on in the tri-state area lots and lots of overtime( most are working 7/10s) T-Mobile is far from running out of money.
ATT sprint and Verizon are are slow, work may pick up in the spring. Although att is doing lots of in building cell infrastructure in NYC.

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One thing I tell you about AT&T, they are smart. Look where they are putting their money! And besides they are even smarter by leveraging their customer base and using them to receive quality data they can use to determine areas of their network that need work

-Mike

No issues in NYC with T-Mobile, there is pleanty Of T-Mobile work going on in the tri-state area lots and lots of overtime( most are working 7/10s) T-Mobile is far from running out of money.
ATT sprint and Verizon are are slow, work may pick up in the spring. Although att is doing lots of in building cell infrastructure in NYC.

 

[Truefan31]

Can someone explain how mimo will help in building penetration?

 

[megamanbnmaster]

The main problem isn't with T-Mobile's network but the underlying technology they're using. T-Mobile uses AWS Spectrum (1700mhz/2100mhz) for 3G/4G AND LTE and they received the 1900mhz spectrum for the failed merger with AT&T. Now compare that to AT&T or Verizon's spectrum. AT&T uses PCS spectrum (850mhz/1900mhz) for their 3G/4G, LTE Block B (700mhz) and AWS for their LTE blocks.

Basic physics dictate that the lower the frequency, the better the building penetration as the wavelength is longer. Shorter waves (higher frequency) will get absorbed and/or reflected by obstacles instead of being wrapped and continuing on.

As AT&T's 3G/4G network uses mainly 850 mhz, they give better signal as it penetrates buildings more. Unfortunately T-Mobile's frequency is double that, thus it has less service. In addition, T-Mobile is pushing for more 3G/4G usage on the 1900 mhz to free the bandwidth for AWS.... thus without full LTE rollout T-Mobile's 3G/4G will always have building penetration problems.

In comparison, Verizon Wireless's 3G/4G is also 850/1900 mhz while Verizon's LTE is 700mhz Block C and 1700/2100 mhz AWS. Sprint uses 1900 mhz for it's 3G/4G AND LTE, thus it's the weakest of all the network in terms of building penetration.

Also, Edge (2G), Sprint used 800mhz and Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all use 850mhz, thus they will always have building penetration.

I believe they're pushing more power to the LTE buildout and then increasing power amplication so that T-Mobile's LTE matches both AT&T and Verizon, since they're all primary bands on AWS.

EDIT: I would like to clarify, that once LTE buildout is complete, AT&T and Verizon will always have better service at places where T-Mobile can't reach, just because they have the 700Mhz Blocks (underground, buildings that absorb waves like nothing etc etc). I know for a fact that in my university, the computer science and engineering basement T-Mobile (LTE and 3G/4G), Sprint and AT&T 3G/4G gets no service but AT&T LTE and Verizon 3G/4G AND LTE does.

 

[parseckadet]

I can't speak enough about the "Mark the Spot" app.

You keep harping on the Mark the Spot app as if it's some panacea for reporting coverage issues. But in my experience it's just a black hole. Not once was a single issue that I reported to AT&T through that app ever addressed. When I canceled my plan in October I had reports from three years prior which still hadn't been corrected. And I'm not talking about reports out in the boonies either. I'm talking about reports in one of the fastest growing suburbs in the Houston area. An area where T-Mobile and Verizon have no issues at all (no experience with Sprint).

As for T-Mobile getting a similar app, remember that they haven't even had the iPhone for a year yet. Heck, I'm not sure if they've even had it for six months yet, whereas AT&T has had it for six years now. So of course they're going to have more apps and better apps than T-Mobiles does.

 

[mikefla]

It's not really about the app but the purpose of the app. Tmobile nationwide is a true mess for lack of better words. And what do their customers have, nothing. I mean you can call Tmobile and report the issue all you want, how stone age is that? What exactly is a customer service person going to do with the info you give them and what exactly are they going to gather from you when Tmobile has the equivalent of nothing for tracking issues on their network. During the 3 times I tried Tmobile this year I wasted my time reporting issues to them and following up, they did absolutely nothing! The only thing you can do is go on their web site and look at all their customers cry about everything because they are such a mess of a company. At least with AT&T they are out of the stone age, the damn app is perfect and all carriers should have something like this! Who has time to waste reporting service issues over the phone that will accomplish nothing. The problem I think is that not enough people use the application or known about it. Any problem that I have or ever had, I simply use the application to report it. I don't have to waste my time calling anybody or chatting with someone that has no way of gathering the information that I am providing in order to do something about it. And best of all I can gather the information about the issue on the spot and submit the report later if the issue is service related and I have no signal.

The app is a goldmine of information for the carrier, we are talking GPS data, software info, signal info, tower info, etc. You can never gather accurate information like that from someone calling you to report the issue. Yes I love this damn app and can't speak enough about it. And yes I have good experiences with it. At my job I had poor signal, reported the issue a few times and next thing you know I now have almost a full 4G signal (indoors). Tmobile in the same location has 3,4 bars of EDGE service but don't move because as soon as you make any sort of movement everything changes. There is a 4G tower nearby but you can only get one signal bar and you have to keep playing with your phone all day and then again within a few minutes your back on the EDGE! I have reported issues in other areas in the past and I can also confirm they have been resolved. They just updated the app yesterday and now they are going to even add/use more features of the app. The app has nothing to do with iPhone (I believe they also have it for other platforms). But it's not just the app, it's the backend behind the app that's important. Tmobile could benefit so much from an app and a platform like this, it's a shame they don't have something like this.

-Mike

You keep harping on the Mark the Spot app as if it's some panacea for reporting coverage issues. But in my experience it's just a black hole. Not once was a single issue that I reported to AT&T through that app ever addressed. When I canceled my plan in October I had reports from three years prior which still hadn't been corrected. And I'm not talking about reports out in the boonies either. I'm talking about reports in one of the fastest growing suburbs in the Houston area. An area where T-Mobile and Verizon have no issues at all (no experience with Sprint).

As for T-Mobile getting a similar app, remember that they haven't even had the iPhone for a year yet. Heck, I'm not sure if they've even had it for six months yet, whereas AT&T has had it for six years now. So of course they're going to have more apps and better apps than T-Mobiles does.

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Just like MIMO on wireless routers at home, no need to be a mad scientist. More antennas spread in more places more signal in more places. Enough said.

-Mike

Can someone explain how mimo will help in building penetration?

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Genius! And how long do you predict will take Tmobile to complete this LTE buildout? Do they have the money to get this done any time soon you think?

-Mike

The main problem isn't with T-Mobile's network but the underlying technology they're using. T-Mobile uses AWS Spectrum (1700mhz/2100mhz) for 3G/4G AND LTE and they received the 1900mhz spectrum for the failed merger with AT&T. Now compare that to AT&T or Verizon's spectrum. AT&T uses PCS spectrum (850mhz/1900mhz) for their 3G/4G, LTE Block B (700mhz) and AWS for their LTE blocks.

Basic physics dictate that the lower the frequency, the better the building penetration as the wavelength is longer. Shorter waves (higher frequency) will get absorbed and/or reflected by obstacles instead of being wrapped and continuing on.

As AT&T's 3G/4G network uses mainly 850 mhz, they give better signal as it penetrates buildings more. Unfortunately T-Mobile's frequency is double that, thus it has less service. In addition, T-Mobile is pushing for more 3G/4G usage on the 1900 mhz to free the bandwidth for AWS.... thus without full LTE rollout T-Mobile's 3G/4G will always have building penetration problems.

In comparison, Verizon Wireless's 3G/4G is also 850/1900 mhz while Verizon's LTE is 700mhz Block C and 1700/2100 mhz AWS. Sprint uses 1900 mhz for it's 3G/4G AND LTE, thus it's the weakest of all the network in terms of building penetration.

Also, Edge (2G), Sprint used 800mhz and Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all use 850mhz, thus they will always have building penetration.

I believe they're pushing more power to the LTE buildout and then increasing power amplication so that T-Mobile's LTE matches both AT&T and Verizon, since they're all primary bands on AWS.

EDIT: I would like to clarify, that once LTE buildout is complete, AT&T and Verizon will always have better service at places where T-Mobile can't reach, just because they have the 700Mhz Blocks (underground, buildings that absorb waves like nothing etc etc). I know for a fact that in my university, the computer science and engineering basement T-Mobile (LTE and 3G/4G), Sprint and AT&T 3G/4G gets no service but AT&T LTE and Verizon 3G/4G AND LTE does.

 

[mikefla]

Tmobile to buy Verizon Spectrum?

Rumor has it that Tmobile might get the Spectrum they are trying to buy from Verizon. This is good news for Tmo but now with the Sprint possible takeover that might not even happen.

http://www.tmonews.com/2013/12/verizon-and-t-mobile-close-to-spectrum-deal-according-to-bloomberg/

-Mike

 

[Apple Trees]

Rumor has it that Tmobile might get the Spectrum they are trying to buy from Verizon. This is good news for Tmo but now with the Sprint possible takeover that might not even happen.

http://www.tmonews.com/2013/12/verizon-and-t-mobile-close-to-spectrum-deal-according-to-bloomberg/

-Mike

This spectrum is still mostly in urban areas where T-Mobile already has HSPA+ and LTE. It will just help with building penetration in those markets. They need rural low band spectrum in order to cover the highways and smaller towns with HSPA+.

 

[2298754]

Rumor has it that Tmobile might get the Spectrum they are trying to buy from Verizon. This is good news for Tmo but now with the Sprint possible takeover that might not even happen.

http://www.tmonews.com/2013/12/verizon-and-t-mobile-close-to-spectrum-deal-according-to-bloomberg/

-Mike

700A doesn't cover nearly as much area as AT&T and VZW's 700B/C blocks. It basically only helps them in metro areas and areas right outside of them. Areas where they don't need spectrum whatsoever.

Even if they DID purchase 700A, T-Mobile can't instantly deploy LTE in that spectrum. It will take a few years for full buildout, just like AT&T's future WCS spectrum. It isn't "ready" yet.

 

[Mobster1983]

I moved to T-Mobile after 12 years with Verizon in October when the iPhone 5s came out. Bad decision. While it is faster in some areas, the building penetration is horrible. Also, my wife and I both constantly miss calls, only to get a missed call alert several hours later, something that never happened before. Now, after looking at VZ shared plans, the cost savings from tmobile are almost negligible so I will be switching back.

 

[Apple Trees]

I moved to T-Mobile after 12 years with Verizon in October when the iPhone 5s came out. Bad decision. While it is faster in some areas, the building penetration is horrible. Also, my wife and I both constantly miss calls, only to get a missed call alert several hours later, something that never happened before. Now, after looking at VZ shared plans, the cost savings from tmobile are almost negligible so I will be switching back.

Yup. You get what you pay for. T-Mobile is only good for those who have to have unlimited data and are in a good coverage area for them.

 

[standingquiet]

I have loved every minute switching to T-Mobile. I can't comment on the LTE because i had a 4s on AT&T but i'm getting over 30mb download and 10mb upload pretty much everywhere i go in and around Atlanta on my 5c. I even get better signal than my wife does at home on her AT&T and she is about to make the switch too.

We'll be saving almost $100 a month.

 

[2298754]

I have loved every minute switching to T-Mobile. I can't comment on the LTE because i had a 4s on AT&T but i'm getting over 30mb download and 10mb upload pretty much everywhere i go in and around Atlanta. I even get better signal than my wife does at home on her AT&T and she is about to make the switch too.

We'll be saving almost $100 a month.

Must be on wifi because it is impossible to get those speeds on a 4S

The iPhone 4S supports HSDPA 14.4 and HSUPA 5.76 for GSM/UMTS-based carriers

 

[standingquiet]

Must be on wifi because it is impossible to get those speeds on a 4S

See my sig i have a 5c on T-Mobile, I guess i didn't write my post clear enough. I meant in past tense i had a 4s and thats why i couldn't comment on LTE speeds as i never used them on AT&T. Sorry for the confusion.

Matt

 

[2298754]

See my sig i have a 5c on T-Mobile, I guess i didn't write my post clear enough. I meant in past tense i had a 4s and thats why i couldn't comment on LTE speeds as i never used them on AT&T. Sorry for the confusion.

Matt

Oh. wow. My bad.

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I moved to T-Mobile after 12 years with Verizon in October when the iPhone 5s came out. Bad decision. While it is faster in some areas, the building penetration is horrible. Also, my wife and I both constantly miss calls, only to get a missed call alert several hours later, something that never happened before. Now, after looking at VZ shared plans, the cost savings from tmobile are almost negligible so I will be switching back.

What's interesting is that AT&T runs PCS-only networks in some areas, such as PHX and NH. And they have zero problems with building penetration, etc. In fact, in PHX, AT&T is near the top in terms of reliability, network speeds, etc.

Whereas TMo's PCS network seems to have a nationwide issues with building penetration and reliability. It seems that they choose not to build enough sites.