T-Mo on the Grow

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.betanews.com/article/TMobile_Plans_for_Growth_3G_in_2006/1134755975' target='_blank'>http://www.betanews.com/article/TMo...2006/1134755975</a><br /><br /></div><i>"T-Mobile USA has big plans for 2006, the company told BetaNews in an interview on Thursday. The carrier intends to complete the rollout of GSM 850, which has boosted its coverage area by nearly 40 percent, and finally establish its long-awaited 3G network. T-Mobile also believes it could top Verizon in Consumer Reports rankings of quality service. The biggest benefit of GSM 850 would be increased coverage, mainly throughout the central part of the United States. However, the rollout would also include rural areas of the Northeast and West. Altogether, nearly 400,000 square miles of new coverage has been added during 2005, according to the carrier. ... Eventually, T-Mobile's coverage map would be practically identical to Cingular's, erasing the advantage its rival and others like Sprint-Nextel and Verizon have over the nation's fourth largest carrier."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-dec05-tmobilecoverage.jpg" /><br /><br />T-mobile is growing faster than anyone would have guessed. When I started with them in late 2002, my coverage map looked pretty much like the one above - just with WAY fewer 'green' spaces and a lot more white. 3G by 2007, GSM 850, seems like they're bound and determined to erase the "Can you hear me now" advantage of their bigger brothers. Go T-Mo ;)

[alabij]

Too late. At the same rate they are loosing their best customers. I for sure will not be renewing my contract in January, after 4 years they've let me down. All I want is a Windows Mobile Phone. That's all.

I already have the Ipaq. It's manageable
I also had the original T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition

Hmmmm...... Those were the days
:(

[Ed Hansberry]

Sweet! Although the 850 towers won't do me any good for my JasJar. :(

[Raphael Salgado]

As long as they come out with interesting, exclusive devices in a good price point, they still have a chance.

Every celebrity out there sports a Sidekick II with all their bling-bling, which is comparatively inexpensive against any Pocket PC Phone Edition. Of course, it hardly has any customizability or expandability, but like the doomed AT&amp;T Wireless Ogo, it did exactly what it was advertised to do, and did well - at least in version II.

I picked up one of the very first Sidekicks and it was a very rough start. Lack of support, promised OTA upgrades, SDK for program development, and serious issues out the door left a very sour taste in my mouth.

But like I said, lots of kids and celebrities alike have a Sidekick II. Had they not had that device plus their comparatively inexpensive voice and data plans, they wouldn't have made it past 2005, let alone be looking for bigger and better things in 2006.

[rickmahn]

All I want is a Windows Mobile Phone. That's all.

I do share your sentiment on that Alabij, but all I can tell you is to keep the faith as it were - 2006 will be more rewarding than the past few. I've been with them since '99, and in the past 6 mos. was getting the same feeling that I should start investigating another carrier. I'll hang on a little longer, just to see what happens - guess I'm one of those "glass half full" people. :D

[entropy1980]

Too little too late.... after being a T-mo customer for 3 years I bailed when my contract ended 3 weeks ago and went to Sprint to snag a PPC-6700. The best decision I have made! extremely fast EV-DO access, coverage in all sorts of places T-Mo didn't have. T-mo should have never said they were going to take their time rolling out 3G, oh and getting a decent selection of phones wouldn't hurt them either. The customer service was tops but to me that meant little if my phone never worked where i needed it to :(

[DaleReeck]

Sweet! Although the 850 towers won't do me any good for my JasJar. :(

I fear that the days of buying cool - but tri-mode only - phones available only from Europe is coming to an end. Unless you are willing to put up with limited coverage. My JasJar has been relegated to laptop-replacement duty mainly. My I730 on Verizon is my actual phone.

For a device costing almost $1000, the JasJar really should have had quad band and cover both 1800 and 2100 UTMS bands.

[Lex]

Wow, check out Virginia. T-Mo is barely there. It's a Verizon &amp; Sprint stronghold I guess.

[aNiMeMaN14]

Sweet! Although the 850 towers won't do me any good for my JasJar. :(
Argh! Same here!! Then again, I did use my 900 Jam with Cingular's 850 network with no hitches. Hopefully that maintains, even with the GPRS.

[Jon Westfall]

Wow, check out Virginia. T-Mo is barely there. It's a Verizon &amp; Sprint stronghold I guess.

If I remember right, on my trip to Richmond last year, I had fine cell coverage. Stayed in town and near highways though, so that may have had something to do with it.

[ricksfiona]

Times change. I've had Sprint and Verizon in the past and just loathed their service on so many levels. That was 3-5 years ago.

I switched to T-Mobile for their customer service and reception quality. Yes, they didn't have the coverage that others had. Considering where I was going to be, that didn't matter much. At the time, I was still getting connections that AT&amp;T users couldn't get. I was happy.

When T-Mobile said they were going to hold off upgrading their network, that really troubled me. I would probably switch to Cingular since overseas access is important and they had comparable data service. Unfortunately, their customer service isn't the greatest to say the least.

Now Sprint and Verizon have these rockin' data connections. Great if you're a heavy data user and will not want to use your phone outside the U.S. They certainly have a service that is worthwhile.

T-Mobile still provides great reception for my needs and excellent customer service at a good cost. As an individual user, I can wait a year for them to have comparable data services that Sprint and Verizon currently offers AND have better coverage. Since my next phone will have WiFi, it is easy enough to find a free WiFi connection if I really need the speed. By the time T-Mobile finishes their upgrade, I'll be upgrading my PDA to take advantage of it. Timing is pretty good.

Now that T-Mobile is upgrading their service, I can have my cake and eat it too.

[aNiMeMaN14]

Okay, so can anyone explain what this'll do to my 900mhz Jam in terms of GPRS? Will it become useless for internet once T-Mobile makes the move? I'm just curious because I spent $700 on this damn thing, and that was a key feature I got it for, and now that's potentially being flushed down the toilet.

Someone, please help me massage my depression away!!!

[lanwarrior]

That's good news! I like T-Mobile customer service and they've been great so far. Plus, can't beat their EDGE service for $ 19.99 UNLIMITED. Plus, I got 1500 minutes for $ 49.99 (with the usual unlimited night and weekends, blah..blah..).

Regarding 850 Mhz, that's the same like Cingular (if I am not wrong). I had Tribad phone in the last 3 years (Nokia 6600, Nokia N90) and I have no issue with receptions. Of course, I hardly go to any rural areas.

Finally, T-Mobile has been nice in giving UNLOCK code for their branded phone. Based on Howard Forums, Cingular charge or not willing to do that easily.

[TheZodiac]

Omnipoint > Voicestream > T-Mobile. Thats my map. Ive never really had a signal issue unless I was traveling great distances while on a call since 1996 or so.

I have had the sidekick since the orginal in 2002, and never had a real problem.

As with a poster above stated, most celebrities have a sidekick, or most musicians (rappers, etc) and as long as they remain on board, and the sidekick improving its product map (did you see it?) they (tmo) can count on the csk to be their biggest seller.

[DaleReeck]

Okay, so can anyone explain what this'll do to my 900mhz Jam in terms of GPRS? Will it become useless for internet once T-Mobile makes the move? I'm just curious because I spent $700 on this damn thing, and that was a key feature I got it for, and now that's potentially being flushed down the toilet.

Someone, please help me massage my depression away!!!

GPRS won't disappear. You just won't be able to take advantage of the higher data speeds when they become available - you'll still be stuck at GPRS speeds. And incidently, its 1900MHZ, not 900MHZ, in the US. 900MHZ is used mainly in Africa :) Many places in the US won't be accessible with the high data speeds. GPRS will still be needed in many places. In fact, it will probably work like CDMA and EVDO vs. 1X data speeds. On Verizon, if high speed EVDO is not found, it will revert to the lower 1X data speed. The same will probably be true for GPRS. If the high speed data network is not found, it should revert to lower speed GPRS.

In any case, I wouldn't worry too much. By the time the high speed access is rolled out completely, you will be in the market for a new device by then anyways :)

[aNiMeMaN14]

::bows::

:werenotworthy:

[Carlos]

I was a T-Mobile user for six years, and just switched to Sprint for their data speeds and the PPC6700. Can't beat EV-DO speeds, and the price is lower than T-Mobile GPRS. The voice network isn't quite as clear or reliable as T-Mobile, but the compromise is worth it. If T-Mobile improves data speeds, I may go back.

[mvanmeter]

Please remember that almost all of the GSM 850 service is purchased from Cingular and is run on their network. T-Mo is building out a few new towers, but the sudden increase in 850 Mhz coverage is through new deals with Cingular, like much of their 1900 Mhz coverage. The really sad thing is many T-Mo users with older phones will not be able to use the new coverage areas until they get newer quad band phones.

[possmann]

Great (read in the heavy sarcasim please...) Now if they would only get some decent smartphones or PPC phones - like their same named carrier has in Germany - then it could be worth staying. T-mo has always been behind in pushing new and ninnovative phones out. Cing seems to be on the edge (no pun intended) followed closely by Verizon. Frankly I could care less for Sprint.

[aristoBrat]

Wow, check out Virginia. T-Mo is barely there. It's a Verizon &amp; Sprint stronghold I guess.
T-Mobile and Cingular have basically the same coverage in Virginia. For whatever reason, it doesn't appear that any GSM carrier got 850mhz licenses around here, so while GSM coverage is great in the populated areas (and the main arteries connecting them), it's sparse in the rural areas. 8O

[aristoBrat]

Now if they would only get some decent smartphones or PPC phones
Some folks involved beta-testing both a WM Smartphone and PPC have been dropping comments over at Howard Forums, so I wouldn't be surprised if T-Mo had both out by the end of Q1. :)

[bcvc38]

It can't come fast enough for me!
I dropped my 15 month old 6315 on vacation last week and fried the screen. It had been running flawlessly up until that.

I have a 2 year replacement contract with CompUSA, which is good until Sept '06. I am without a phone right now, looking for an unlocked cel to hold me over until I can get a qualifying replacement PPC from Comp that will work on the T-Mo system.

Anyone have any word on what device T-Mo will have out to replace the 6315 and when? I am lost without my PPC!!!! 8O

[Vincent M Ferrari]

I fail to see the great big advantage people talk about with Verizon.

Agreed the data speeds are faster.

And it ends there.

I actually had Verizon for a few days and, while using it in the same places I used my T-Mobile phones, I had the same drop outs, quality issues, and so on.

There may be advantages to being on Verizon, but from my experience, they're seriously overstated. In the end, all services have deadspots, all services have problems, and all services have their advantages.

T-Mobile's phone selection, for example, sucks eggs, and their support of data devices beyond the Blackberry is pathetic.

Sprint, Cingular, Verizon, and T-Mobile are six of one and half a dozen of the other if you're in a metropolitan area and if you're in a rural area, you'll basically buy what's known to work there anyway.

**In the interest of full disclosure, I work for a company who sells mostly T-Mobile as a master agent, not that it influences my opinion, but I don't want to be pegged as some secret corporate shill**

[aristoBrat]

Now if they would only get some decent smartphones or PPC phones
Some folks involved beta-testing both a WM Smartphone and PPC have been dropping comments over at Howard Forums, so I wouldn't be surprised if T-Mo had both out by the end of Q1. :)
http://engadget.com/2006/01/17/t-mobiles-sda-and-mda-on-pre-order-19th/
w00t :)

[Carlos]

Verizon's quality is way over-blown, that is true, unless you need coverage in rural areas. Around Arizona there are still many small towns and roads covered only by Verizon and Alltel (both the legacy carriers here). In general I greatly prefer T-Mobile's voice quality.

I switched to Sprint for the EV-DO speeds.

Verizon has that, but since they are such scumbags in the way they treat their customers and how they cripple phones, I won't do business with them.