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$39 Billion is a lot of scooby snacks... and though I am aware that there are several regulatory hurdles to clear (SEC and FCC at the moment), I assume these beeeeches will lawyer up and find a way.
So from what I understand (which admittedly is very little) the existing Tmob towers will be re-purposed for rolling out Ma Bell's LTE coverage (within 12 months). As we all know, Ma Bell and Tmob use different broadcast frequencies for their Mobile broadband. So essentially, within a years time... those whom own a Vibrant, Vib + or any other 3g enabled Tmob smartphone... will have a very expensive edge capable device... ewwwwwwww, really !?!?!?!?!?!
Has there been any other word on this... as in compensation, grandfathering of packages (AT&T data plans blow money-wise) etc...
I know we have some Tmob sources on this board... any whispers???
Vibrant supports GayT&T bands, im unlocked.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
tng222 said:
Vibrant supports GayT&T bands, im unlocked.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Umts and hsupa ????
droppin the know...
Vibrant is supports some AT&T's 3G bands. Most of the time, you'll be on AT&T's 3G, but you can also get kicked down to edge if the area you're in doesn't support Vibrant's 3G bands.
Nope, it does 850mhz and 1900mhz, all bands. However, I will admit the phone has issues switching between GSM and WCDMA, so I set it to WCDMA only.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Read today that AT&T may have to divest part of T-Mobile to Sprint
http://www.tmonews.com/2011/03/analysts-say-att-will-have-to-divest-part-of-t-mobile-possibly-to-sprint/
T-Mobile is becoming a rag doll...
This is going to be more fun than the Sprint Nextel fiasco.
I don't think there is much mystery as to what will happen. This is AT&T we are talking about, after all.
While a nice bonus, the additional subscribers to AT&T's user base is really a secondary concern. AT&T's prime target were the (leases for) T-mobile's frequencies.
AT&T's network is already overloaded (thanks in part to weak infineon radio chipsets). They need to start the roll out to LTE to compete (verizon is already ahead of them), and they know that customers will cry foul and leave if their LTE and HSPA+ phones do not get service any faster than current 3G phones (see: Motorola Atrix).
So, what will happen to T-mobile users? Simple... AT&T will honor existing contracts and arrangements *for 2G/3G service* (T-mob does not have 4G, despite the marketing), and they will issue T-mobile users new phones (some discounted, I am sure) for use on AT&T's existing network.
What does this mean for T-mobile customers? Say good-bye to being able to answer a phone call at a concert or college football game. Being on the largest network means having to share bandwith/frequency with the largest number of users. They will fight for service with all those people with sh*tty iphone antennae.
Slower data, locked down Android phones, and higher rates for service if you want to sign a new agreement are what will inevitably happen. Current AT&T customers probably won't notice a difference unless they get an LTE phone (in which case they will get the faster data and non-overloaded service that T-mobile customers are used to).
T-mo 3G coverage will get better in smaller towns & cities, but this isn't much of an advantage for me since I live in a large city.
I hope that if that happens and I can't use my phone in their network, I'm given the option of just cancel my contract...
tng222 said:
Nope, it does 850mhz and 1900mhz, all bands. However, I will admit the phone has issues switching between GSM and WCDMA, so I set it to WCDMA only.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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Really don't think so. FCC documents only say 1900MHz for 3G. Who knows though?
I just hope we can continue to use smartphones on prepaid plans. That's really why I left Ma Bell.
Tarzanman said:
I don't think there is much mystery as to what will happen. This is AT&T we are talking about, after all.
While a nice bonus, the additional subscribers to AT&T's user base is really a secondary concern. AT&T's prime target were the (leases for) T-mobile's frequencies.
AT&T's network is already overloaded (thanks in part to weak infineon radio chipsets). They need to start the roll out to LTE to compete (verizon is already ahead of them), and they know that customers will cry foul and leave if their LTE and HSPA+ phones do not get service any faster than current 3G phones (see: Motorola Atrix).
So, what will happen to T-mobile users? Simple... AT&T will honor existing contracts and arrangements *for 2G/3G service* (T-mob does not have 4G, despite the marketing), and they will issue T-mobile users new phones (some discounted, I am sure) for use on AT&T's existing network.
What does this mean for T-mobile customers? Say good-bye to being able to answer a phone call at a concert or college football game. Being on the largest network means having to share bandwith/frequency with the largest number of users. They will fight for service with all those people with sh*tty iphone antennae.
Slower data, locked down Android phones, and higher rates for service if you want to sign a new agreement are what will inevitably happen. Current AT&T customers probably won't notice a difference unless they get an LTE phone (in which case they will get the faster data and non-overloaded service that T-mobile customers are used to).
T-mo 3G coverage will get better in smaller towns & cities, but this isn't much of an advantage for me since I live in a large city.
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Click to collapse
i think t-mobile does a great job in coverage, i get full service in my neighborhood but i dont get 3g service, maybe this will help? if not i just want to cancel my contract and switch to verizon
After the merger is done and the network has switched over...Worse case, I hope to unlock, pop in a AT&T SIM continue to use my Vibrant mostly like nothing has changed. I don't know what effect flashing a Captivate modem would have. I'm not worried...yet.
I think AT&T might make a transitional phase (2-4yrs) for T-mobile existing customers(no new AWS phones) before switching all T-mobile network to AT&T frequencies.
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-20048020-85.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0
I hope sprint gets it! I never had and never will have at&t.... I price checked with at&t a few days ago.. 210 dollars for 2 unlimited lines!?!? Data capped at 2Gigs.. And 10 bucks for every gig used after!? I pay 140 for two fully loaded vibrants. . Fack at&t
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
nate420 said:
210 dollars for 2 unlimited lines!?!? Data capped at 2Gigs.. And 10 bucks for every gig used after!?
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Unlimited...
gamikzone said:
i think t-mobile does a great job in coverage, i get full service in my neighborhood but i dont get 3g service, maybe this will help? if not i just want to cancel my contract and switch to verizon
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Same Here. I have been with T-mobile for 7 years now and even though I moved from a "4G" area to an area where I only get Edge, i still have stayed with T-Mob, but I am hoping we get the option to cancel our contracts because that Thunderbolt from Verizon is looking good. My co-worker has one and let me mess with it and it is nice.
Tarzanman said:
I don't think there is much mystery as to what will happen. This is AT&T we are talking about, after all.
While a nice bonus, the additional subscribers to AT&T's user base is really a secondary concern. AT&T's prime target were the (leases for) T-mobile's frequencies.
AT&T's network is already overloaded (thanks in part to weak infineon radio chipsets). They need to start the roll out to LTE to compete (verizon is already ahead of them), and they know that customers will cry foul and leave if their LTE and HSPA+ phones do not get service any faster than current 3G phones (see: Motorola Atrix).
So, what will happen to T-mobile users? Simple... AT&T will honor existing contracts and arrangements *for 2G/3G service* (T-mob does not have 4G, despite the marketing), and they will issue T-mobile users new phones (some discounted, I am sure) for use on AT&T's existing network.
What does this mean for T-mobile customers? Say good-bye to being able to answer a phone call at a concert or college football game. Being on the largest network means having to share bandwith/frequency with the largest number of users. They will fight for service with all those people with sh*tty iphone antennae.
Slower data, locked down Android phones, and higher rates for service if you want to sign a new agreement are what will inevitably happen. Current AT&T customers probably won't notice a difference unless they get an LTE phone (in which case they will get the faster data and non-overloaded service that T-mobile customers are used to).
T-mo 3G coverage will get better in smaller towns & cities, but this isn't much of an advantage for me since I live in a large city.
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Click to collapse
T-Mobile has a better "4G" than AT&T does. Their HSPA+ is faster than AT&T's.
dligon said:
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-20048020-85.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0
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Completely agree with the article.
They are allowing AT&T to be a monopoly again,after all the work it took to destroy the monopoly.The FCC should shot down this deal period.
Long story short, I'm selling my S3 (US Variant) for the Nexus 4 (my first owned nexus device). It supports HSPA+ 42mpbs (AT&T and T-Mobile here in the states) and where I live, LTE in my area is a dream and won't be coming for awhileeee. Sure the cities have LTE and all that, but 90% of the time in my general area it doesn't offer LTE. Would you, personally, sacrifice the use of LTE for the Nexus? If they are aiming to be future proof devices then do you think that they will pull off an LTE version a couple months in the year and I'm stuck with the HSPA+ version? Or do you think Google will wait until its next Nexus to have LTE.
Remember now.. I'm talking about the US VARIANT of the S3, not the quad core INTL version.
iAndropple said:
Long story short, I'm selling my S3 (US Variant) for the Nexus 4 (my first owned nexus device). It supports HSPA+ 42mpbs (AT&T and T-Mobile here in the states) and where I live, LTE in my area is a dream and won't be coming for awhileeee. Sure the cities have LTE and all that, but 90% of the time in my general area it doesn't offer LTE. Would you, personally, sacrifice the use of LTE for the Nexus? If they are aiming to be future proof devices then do you think that they will pull off an LTE version a couple months in the year and I'm stuck with the HSPA+ version? Or do you think Google will wait until its next Nexus to have LTE.
Remember now.. I'm talking about the US VARIANT of the S3, not the quad core INTL version.
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Click to collapse
I live in Germany, so I couldn't care less for LTE on the Nexus 4.
Once Germany has LTE readily available everywhere for a reasonable price, another 2 or 3 Nexus phones will probably have hit the market.
I'm getting the Nexus 4 on day one!
An emphatic NO.
I live in an LTE enabled area but refuse to pay extortionate rates for minimal usage allowances
inside a particular zone, with the phone dropping back to 3G when 4G is unavailable.
Far easier and much less expensive for me to find a free wi-fi hotspot.
No! It's gonna be a while before my area has LTE service anyway. It's by no means a deal breaker. LTE is a huge battery drainer too.
Even though they offer LTE they don't offer unlimited data. So I would easily switch to HSPA+
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
I honestly use WiFi 90% of the time.
My city just launched LTE. I currently have a Samsung Note which gets 1 bar of LTE or 5 bars of HSPA+. I've disabled LTE.
LTE has been more of a pain than anything, in my case.
Why would it be a deal breaker? if your carrier supports HSPA+ 42 you get speeds close to LTE any way. I had the LG Nitro and The SG2 Skyrocket when i visited St.Louis, MO which has LTE and both phones couldn't give me the speed my HTC Amaze does which use HSPA+ 42. IMO LTE will be a joke until carriers start to support VoLTE.
Hmm of course not, t-mobile hspa+ is as fast if not faster than verizon and att LTE ( not everywhere ik) but at least in south florida my note2 and gs3 are faster than my cousins gs3 on att LTE. just my 2 cents
Why is LTE on a phone even considered necessary by some? LTE is faster than my home internet speeds. Like nearly 10 times faster. So, what do people need that speed for on a PHONE? Downloading 1080p DVD's to your 4 inch phone screen to watch? Torrenting the latest Windows 8 release to your phone? I don't get it.
I can see the use if you use your phone as a hotspot 100% of the time and have multiple devices connected to it. But, what % of the population even does this? 1%? And your capped on data anyways....so again what's the point?
FlukerFlakes said:
Why is LTE on a phone even considered necessary by some? LTE is faster than my home internet speeds. Like nearly 10 times faster. So, what do people need that speed for on a PHONE? Downloading 1080p DVD's to your 4 inch phone screen to watch? Torrenting the latest Windows 8 release to your phone? I don't get it.
I can see the use if you use your phone as a hotspot 100% of the time and have multiple devices connected to it. But, what % of the population even does this? 1%? And your capped on data anyways....so again what's the point?
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I use my phone constantly for work and personal. Anything other than LTE in Pittsburgh has horrible browsing speeds. I tether my tablets through my phone. I DO have unlimited data. Everyone keeps complaining about price but LTE plans are the same price as any other plans.
That being said. I'm still not a fan of VZW and I'll probably get a Nexus 4 and try to find a month-to-month plan to test out for a while. I'm doubting I'll stick with it but who knows.
More than 97% of my data use is over wifi, and I have pretty decent HSPA+42 access averaging 11-13Mbps where I am geographically situated. I'll take longer batter life over faster mobile data speed every time.
itznfb said:
I use my phone constantly for work and personal. Anything other than LTE in Pittsburgh has horrible browsing speeds. I tether my tablets through my phone. I DO have unlimited data. Everyone keeps complaining about price but LTE plans are the same price as any other plans.
That being said. I'm still not a fan of VZW and I'll probably get a Nexus 4 and try to find a month-to-month plan to test out for a while. I'm doubting I'll stick with it but who knows.
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If I was paying what people pay Verizon then I would expect the best....but I'm switching to Tmobile and gonna spend about 30 dollars a month. And i just need good data speed for occasional browsing and streaming on spotify. LTE just seems like overkill for what most of the population actually needs.
Also, can't justify spending over 3x more money for extensive Verizon LTE when its just not needed (at least for me)
FlukerFlakes said:
If I was paying what people pay Verizon then I would expect the best....but I'm switching to Tmobile and gonna spend about 30 dollars a month. And i just need good data speed for occasional browsing and streaming on spotify. LTE just seems like overkill for what most of the population actually needs.
Also, can't justify spending over 3x more money for extensive Verizon LTE when its just not needed (at least for me)
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The only plan I've found so far (probably the same one you're talking about) that makes me consider switching is the $30 Web Exclusive. But according to their site it seems to be a limited time thing. If I'm paying $50+ for a plan I'll just stick with my $70 VZW.
itznfb said:
The only plan I've found so far (probably the same one you're talking about) that makes me consider switching is the $30 Web Exclusive. But according to their site it seems to be a limited time thing. If I'm paying $50+ for a plan I'll just stick with my $70 VZW.
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yeah that's the one im gonna start with.
also might try Slovai (sp?) for 49 a month...unlimited everything with 4GB of HSPA+ speed. plus decrease price if you get others to join
Forgot to mention, I am on AT&T's HSPA+ network, and it only supports 21Mbps
Hey guys,
Interested in upgrading to the S4 in the coming months and am currently in contract with Sprint which expires in August (8/13).
Trying to get a better understanding of the S4's capabilities with T-Mobile. With T-Mobile's new unlimited offering of 70/mo and their HSPA+ 4G network, can anyone confirm if the S4 is able to pull HSPA+ 4G speeds on T-Mobile network?
My local Sprint store has S4's in stock, but it became quite the deal breaker when I realized the device was incompatible with Sprint's 4G WiMax network. They anticipate building out to my region (Florida) in the coming months, but my experience with their highspeed coverage has been limited at best. T-Mobile may be now a viable competitor to switch to, and I'm comfortable with absorbing the cost of the phone up front.
Thank you for your input.
Using T-Mobile is very fun, and I love pink and everything, but there is no coverage at my college of choice. ATT has mad heavy LTE down there, and I wish to switch. Any guides/tips for how to do this? The website is pretty difficult to navigate (I think most carriers do this).
Any help would be appreciated!
Imagination is for turbo-nerds who can't handle how kick-butt reality is!
Are you asking how to switch to AT&T, or how to enable LTE?
For AT&T, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2021401
For LTE, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2211618
The Nexus 4 only (unoffically) supports Band 4 LTE (1700 MHz), while AT&T mostly uses Band 17 (700 MHz)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
HSPA+21 on AT&T is your best bet if Magenta T-Mobile (or i wireless) has no service there.
http://www.iwireless.com/
SpookyTunes said:
Are you asking how to switch to AT&T, or how to enable LTE?
For AT&T, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2021401
For LTE, see this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2211618
The Nexus 4 only (unoffically) supports Band 4 LTE (1700 MHz), while AT&T mostly uses Band 17 (700 MHz)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
HSPA+21 on AT&T is your best bet if Magenta T-Mobile (or i wireless) has no service there.
http://www.iwireless.com/
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That was a fantastic post, and I feel bad to not have clarified earlier. I meant hspa+21 instead of LTE.
Right now I'm using the 30 dollar tmobile plan and wanted the ATT equivalent. I just didn't know what plan, or how to even get ATT service. There is very little information on that topic.
upstandingcitizen said:
That was a fantastic post, and I feel bad to not have clarified earlier. I meant hspa+21 instead of LTE.
Right now I'm using the 30 dollar tmobile plan and wanted the ATT equivalent. I just didn't know what plan, or how to even get ATT service. There is very little information on that topic.
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I would start by doing some
Settings > More... > Mobile network > Network operators (phone will search for GSM carriers)
and see what shows up (on campus, dorm, etc.).
AT&T has no cheep data options (pre or post paid). Their BIG BLUE, so they DON'T HAVE TO!!
i wireless is a T-Mobile affiliate company, and the maps show excellent coverage in the DesMoines / Ames / Iowa City areas (although maps do not always reflect reality), they do have some better pre-paid plans for data users.
If your set on AT&T, try http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/prepaidplans.html
or you can look into a MVNO like Net10 (Unlocked 850 & 1900 MHz band AT&T SIM).
The main issue with T-Mobile is they hate roaming. They put a few towers in places they don't market to (like Des Moines and Omaha) for business travelers, and even deliberately disable roaming in Iowa City.
One final though, you could tell AT&T you have a Nexus 7 tablet and get the 3GB of data for $30 pre-paid tablet deal.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2024204
Your best bet would be to go to an at&t store so you can walk out with a sim and a working phone. But two issues with that. One IIRC, at&t's cheapest smart phone plan is like 70 bucks a month. And two, I haven't heard if at&t had fixed the issue with not giving the N4 the proper data plan yet (speed wise 3G vs HSPA+)
Good luck!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
gotzaDroid said:
Your best bet would be to go to an at&t store so you can walk out with a sim and a working phone. But two issues with that. One IIRC, at&t's cheapest smart phone plan is like 70 bucks a month. And two, I haven't heard if at&t had fixed the issue with not giving the N4 the proper data plan yet (speed wise 3G vs HSPA+)
Good luck!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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If it is post paid, there is no problem getting hspa+ data speeds on the AT&T network. One just has to enter the proper APN. Prepaid could still be an issue, I'm not sure. But, since AT&T now has a prepaid smartphone data plan, I would think it should be possible.
I'm currently with Verizon but my contract doesn't end until another year and I'm not eligible for an upgrade either, although I'm not so sure if I want to sign another 2 year contract. I want to buy the Note 3 but I'll have to pay full price and I'm not sure if I should go for the Verizon version or the International one since I'm already going to be paying full price... What do you guys suggest? Thanks.
What is coverage like in your area for AT&T and T-Mobile? Try OpenSignal's app to see coverage maps from all the providers and see if a GSM device would be right for you. An unlocked GSM phone will work on either AT&T or T-Mobile. I bought my original Note on an AT&T contract and paid ETF earlier this year, unlocked it, and went to a T-Mobile prepaid plan. It is working out great for me, $30 for 5GB data is awesome but I'm in Kansas City area which is one of T-Mo's LTE areas. Problem is that prepaid plans don't count as acceptable service for discounts on T-Mo devices apparently. I want to get the Note 3 but they said it would be $740 instead of $700 due to having prepaid vs. postpaid. I'm still probably going to buy it after AOSP based ROMs start showing up. Loved the hardware when I played around with the demo unit but the software was just messy...never been a fan of Touchwiz, it lasted all of a week on my Note 1 before CM took its place.
CalcProgrammer1 said:
What is coverage like in your area for AT&T and T-Mobile? Try OpenSignal's app to see coverage maps from all the providers and see if a GSM device would be right for you. An unlocked GSM phone will work on either AT&T or T-Mobile. I bought my original Note on an AT&T contract and paid ETF earlier this year, unlocked it, and went to a T-Mobile prepaid plan. It is working out great for me, $30 for 5GB data is awesome but I'm in Kansas City area which is one of T-Mo's LTE areas. Problem is that prepaid plans don't count as acceptable service for discounts on T-Mo devices apparently. I want to get the Note 3 but they said it would be $740 instead of $700 due to having prepaid vs. postpaid. I'm still probably going to buy it after AOSP based ROMs start showing up. Loved the hardware when I played around with the demo unit but the software was just messy...never been a fan of Touchwiz, it lasted all of a week on my Note 1 before CM took its place.
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Verizon has the best coverage in my area and also the best speeds. I had Sprint before and it was horrible. I also had AT&T before they went LTE but my brother has it and I always get better signal than him or faster speeds. T-Mobile should be below AT&T if i'm not mistaken but I should check their coverage like you said. So International phones are only GSM? The International Note 3 wouldn't work on Verizon?
Yeah, International are GSM phones, Sprint and Verizon aren't compatible I don't think (unless LTE changed this).