8 ms·

Another win for T-Mobile. I have to say, for all the negative things I've heard about them in past years, the more I hear about the company the harder I think

Another win for T-Mobile. I have to say, for all the negative things I've heard about them in past years, the more I hear about the company the harder I think about switching from Verizon. No contracts for service, they separated phone subsidies from phone service, and reasonably priced data plans. Does anyone use T-Mobile? How is their network?

anonymoushn 13y ago
In the peninsula where many Hacker News readers probably reside, their network is pretty great. In Austin, using T-Mobile is a lot like not having a data plan and having a phone with only moderately high probability. People who call you will sometimes get some message saying that your number doesn't exist. The opt-out process for T-Mobile's DNS hijacking is not satisfactory: > Note: In order for opt-out to work properly, you need to accept a "cookie" indicating that you have opted out of this service. If you use a program that removes cookies, you will have to repeat this opt-out process when the cookie is deleted. The cookie placed on your computer will contain the site name: "http://tmob.search-help.net http://tmob.search-help.net.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- sdkmvx 13y ago
  > > Note: In order for opt-out to work properly, you need to accept a "cookie" indicating that you have opted out of this service. If you use a program that removes cookies, you will have to repeat this opt-out process when the cookie is deleted. The cookie placed on your computer will contain the site name: "http://tmob.search-help.net http://tmob.search-help.net. Do you have more information about how this works? I cannot imagine how a cookie would affect whether the DNS server returns NXDOMAIN. The site could possibly do it by IP but then the cookie wouldn't need to exist. If opting out just changes the ads to a 404 that is still DNS hijacking. The DNS server needs to return NXDOMAIN if a domain does not exist. Nothing else.
  - anonymoushn 13y ago
    I hadn't actually tried using the opt-out, but I did think it was impossible for it to work as described. I tried it just now, and it just replaces the ads with a 404. So it would be more correct to say "There is no opt-out for the DNS hijacking."
    - dangrossman 13y ago
      Sure there's an opt-out -- don't use their DNS servers. Throw Google's or OpenDNS's into your device's settings.
      - dylz 13y ago
        All port 53/80 traffic is proxied through Harmony anyways...
      - anonymoushn 13y ago
        I guess. It looks like I need to jailbreak my phone to change the DNS server, so if I get around to it I can opt out. It will work as long as the DNS hijacking just returns incorrect results from T-Mobile's DNS server, rather than replacing any NXDOMAIN response from any DNS server.
- bbwharris 13y ago
  I had tmobile in Austin for years and its was always superb. I only switched for an incentive I definitely regret.
- TylerE 13y ago
  To play devil's advocate, how exactly do you propose they store such a user preference? And keep in mind cellphones don't have stable IPs.
  - 30thElement 13y ago
    Unless you're telling me the text message, minutes, and data usage numbers on my bill are all made up, I'm pretty sure the carriers have a way to track whose phone belongs to who. Or, if they can't provide a working opt-out, it should be opt-in only (using the cookie).
    - anonymoushn 13y ago
      It can't really be opt-in using the cookie, as nobody should be touching any cookies in the process of a DNS lookup. Otherwise I agree completely; the carrier obviously knows that this is my phone or they couldn't tell me how much data I'm using.
  - TheCraiggers 13y ago
    I propose they remove this horrid practice which is annoying, breaks spec, and potentially intrudes on my privacy. Problem solved.
LandoCalrissian 13y ago
I have had T-mobile for almost a decade and never had any problem with them. They are a GSM network so you can just swap out your sim card if you want a new phone, without having to jump through any hoops. They even went so far to correct problems that users were having with jailbroken iPhone on their network when they were still relatively new, which is pretty incredible. I have never had any problem with coverage in major cities, if you get out of populated areas you will see that you are typically bouncing off partner towers, so you may lose data service, but will almost certainly have cell service. Basically as long as you live in a large city you will be fine. I never have had any problems (at least noticeable enough for me to remember) with dropped calls, or flaky service where I live. I assume other peoples experiences may vary, but I think they are hands down the best cell provider.
lallysingh 13y ago
I've been with them for 3-4 years in NYC/NJ. I've been nothing but happy, and in Jersey City, they've got better coverage than AT&T and Verizon (anecdotal, but repeatable, data). Their phone support has always been fantastic for me. Right before they switched to no-contract mode, I called in to cancel a USB data card I wasn't using much anymore. I have a phone (no contract, unlocked nexus 4) as well as that card, that had finished its contract some time ago. They gave me ~40% off of my entire bill if I agreed to a 2 yr contract. Then again, when I go out into some parts of the country, I get almost no signal. There was an HN post some time ago with a map of comparative cell-coverage.
danielweber 13y ago
I switched from AT&T to T-Mobile because AT&T just pissed me off with mandatory data plans. T-Mobile's network is nowhere near as good for me as AT&T's was. I hope that it improves. The biggest problem is looking at my phone and seeing "0 bars." Also, the data plan doesn't work with one of my phones. Ironically, the same phone AT&T forced me to have a data plan for. Maybe it would have never worked.
- joelrunyon 13y ago
  I did the same thing. No issues as far as service goes unless I go someone in the middle of nowhere Indiana. TMobile isn't perfect, but they don't have me swearing at them every month like AT&T did. The fact that I can bounce anytime is a huge bonus in my opinion.
- ScottWhigham 13y ago
  As someone on AT&T now but whose contract has expired, I read stuff like this with great interest. I tested my friend's iphone 5 last week here and he was getting 22mb d/l and 10mb u/l. I could swear at AT&T a whole lot but still enjoy those speeds.
  - fady 13y ago
    are you in SF? i live in cole valley and have terrible at&t service. its been terrible ever since i moved here, though, at&t has given me discounts, credits, even a microcell (requires highspeed internet). now i get full bars in my house, though,as soon as i step outside its back to one little bar. i wonder if my microcell will work with tmobile? i'm out of contract and have been thinking about switching.
    - snsr 13y ago
      > i wonder if my microcell will work with tmobile? It will not. Instead of a dedicated unit T-mo uses UMA to allow phones to make calls via any wifi connection. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_Access_Network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_Access_Network I believe it had previously been implemented in hardware (BB Curve etc.), these days it's implemented via software for Android handsets. Not yet supported on iphones.
andre 13y ago
TMobile in Portland OR, Seattle WA, SF/Bay Area I tested around 16-20MG/s, in other areas (Reno NV, Boise ID) of western US, "4G" runs between 4-8MG/s. OpenSignal and SpeedTest are the apps that I used.
- jff 13y ago
  What is an "MG"?
  - meepmorp 13y ago
    > What is an "MG"? Probably a typo. G is near B on QWERTY keyboards.
abrowne 13y ago
Never had a dropped call in Minneapolis. My girlfriend is getting lots of LTE on an unlocked iPhone even though Minneapolis isn't one of the officially announced markets yet. (Our apt is still EDGE, but that's what wifi is for, right?)
nostrademons 13y ago
I've used T-Mobile for the last 4 years. Generally pretty happy with them - their customer service is unobtrusive and generally pretty good, website is solid, plans are reasonable. I think I did accept a 1-year contract when I upgraded to unlimited voice + data + texting, but the initial plan wasn't contract-based. Coverage in the Bay Area is great. Out east it tends to be a bit spottier than most of the other networks - in rural areas or inside certain malls my relatives on AT&T or Verizon might get service but I won't. They're generally fine in major urban areas and around major highways, but somewhat sparser on the long tail.
nivla 13y ago
I have had great experience being on T-mobile for about 5 years. Their customer service is exceptional and they also allow you to unlock your phone after 3 months. However there are a couple of things that do irritate me: [1] They sniff the header of every web-request looking for desktop browser string. If found they sent you a warning text threatening to cut off your service. It sucks especially when you move to a new home with no immediate internet service and want to tether for a few days. [2] Non-existent domains redirect to a page with ads (Similar to OpenDNS). Sucks on a mobile since you have to wait for it to load to find out while adding to your data usage.
- fencepost 13y ago
  Is the browser sniffing still an issue? What sort of plan are you on? T-Mobile changed some things last month (http://www.tmonews.com/2013/04/t-mobile-will-begin-bundling-unlimited-plan-and-tethering-feature-on-wednesday/ http://www.tmonews.com/2013/04/t-mobile-will-begin-bundling-...). You may be able to shift to a plan that includes (limited) tethering at no real cost. The default includes only 500MB of "high speed" tethered data, but you can add higher amounts.
  - nivla 13y ago
    I had my contract renewed back in Jan and it din't include any tethering option. So I guess I am stuck for the next 1 1/2 years. However its great to see the new bundling option being offered. It really comes in handy when you are on the move or on vacation.
    - unsignedint 13y ago
      When I inquired the rep about how accounts that would still be under their contract plans -- what they told me was you'll still have locked to contract for full-term of the contract, however, adjusting rate plan / service (probably with some limitation -- like reducing lines) won't affect your remaining contract -- so you may want to check to see if there's any way you can make adjustments without any consequences.
pkulak 13y ago
I'm on T-Mobile, but I'm not going to lie: Verizon has a superior network. All that 700mhz LTE is amazing. However, T-Mobile's network is fine for me (their DC HSPA network really does approach LTE speeds at times), and they more than make up for it with things that I also care about that you mentioned.
- rjv 13y ago
  DC you say? I'm in Arlington/Alexandria, any info about their coverage there? I'm definitely interested in switching from Verizon soon.
  - SeanLuke 13y ago
    I am a T-Mobile user in Alexandria. Coverage in Old Town is zero in many places.
DanBC 13y ago
Eh, in the UK they have / had a package of "unlimited" 3g, £30 for 90 days. Unlimited means they do weird stuff to prevent some content from working after one gigabyte per month - flash videos don't work, for example. They throw up interstitial warning pages which break forms and the back button, which can be annoying. They have fierce image compression proxies, but the Windows client (if you chose to use it, you don't have to) allows you to turn it off. I carefully checked that it was unlimited, and I gave them fair warning that I consider myself a heavy internet user, and I made sure they knew before they took me on that I'd be hammering the bandwidth. And I do.
- ig1 13y ago
  You can negotiate with them to get proper unlimited.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    I did 18058 MB yesterday. I'd feel cheeky if I asked them for proper unlimited.
Moto7451 13y ago
Indeed, T-Mobile seems to be turning things around a bit between the new pricing the the LTE Network rollout. I'm considering switching from their other half (MetroPCS) after I ran a DSLReports speed test on my buddy's iPhone 5 and saw 22Mbps. I was floored.
brackin 13y ago
I just moved to the valley and I love that they offer $10/m unlimited international calls and texts. They also offer free tethering up to 2.5GB's and unlimited data (w/o tethering). They claim not to slow you down at a certain point with unlimited data.
dwc 13y ago
I signed up with Voicestream, later bought by T-Mobile. I've been with them more than a decade. A couple of times they've called to inform me I need to switch plans because they're phasing out the one I was on. It's been a total win, no extra money, more stuff every time. I'm in Arizona, and coverage is fine here. Traveling in the US sometimes I get T-Mobile and sometimes I roam. A visit to Europe a few years ago I saw solid coverage, mostly T-Mobile. Yeah, it was $1/minute to call home. So I called every night for only 5 minutes to talk to my wife and daughter. Compared to hotel and restaurant expenses? Whatever. I never think T-Mobile is especially good until I hear others bitching about their carriers.
PeterBB 13y ago
T-Mobile is great in Chicago. The network goes to shit as soon as you try to go downstate, though.
MarcParadise 13y ago
It's adequate in their mapped service coverage areas - but if you go into any kind of sizable building, expect reception to go way down. There are plenty of businesses nearby where I'll have a full signal outside, but once I'm indoors it drops off to Edge network. There are also blank spots of little to no data coverage that have no reasonable explanation. That said, I'm aware of this and think it's worth the trade-off. I'm not going to another network anytime soon.
nsxwolf 13y ago
Using an unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 in the Chicago area. Many places have not completed the "refarming" effort of switching the 1700 MHz towers to 1900 MHz, so most of the time I am on Edge (2.5G). When I happen to be in an iPhone 4 compatible cell, the 3G is pretty solid, often 6mbit down, 2mbit up. Waiting for the 5S to upgrade - hoping the LTE and HSPA+ is good.
untog 13y ago
I use them in NYC, and I'm never looking back. I pay $30 a month for unlimited data, unlimited texts and 100 minutes of calls. I bought my phone (Nexus 4) outright for $350. I even tried out hacking LTE to work with it, and I get T-Mobile LTE in Brooklyn (though not in Manhattan). In summary; it's awesome. However, when I leave the city, coverage is definitely limited. I do so very infrequently, so it's fine for me.
skittles 13y ago
Be careful with T-Mobile. I live in a fairly small town (about 12,000 people) that is practically a suburb of a bigger town (over 200,000). I have 18 MBps Internet from AT&T Uverse, and the local cable company just started offering a much faster connection. T-Mobile? I can't even get a signal at my home. No signal.
Spooky23 13y ago
TMobile is great until it isn't. I had them for years with a $19.99/4ever plan grandfathered from Omnipoint many years ago. Unfortunately for you, that means that you can't make a phone call 30 miles from your city center (or in remote locations like Brooklyn, NY or the state of Maine) , or in the back of your home, or 1000 ft from the interstate, etc.
idont 13y ago
I was in nyc manathan. Data Network was often unavailable. I had the 4g unlimited dataplan but only using 3g (iphone 4).

anonymoushn 13y ago

In the peninsula where many Hacker News readers probably reside, their network is pretty great. In Austin, using T-Mobile is a lot like not having a data plan and having a phone with only moderately high probability. People who call you will sometimes get some message saying that your number doesn't exist. The opt-out process for T-Mobile's DNS hijacking is not satisfactory: > Note: In order for opt-out to work properly, you need to accept a "cookie" indicating that you have opted out of this service. If you use a program that removes cookies, you will have to repeat this opt-out process when the cookie is deleted. The cookie placed on your computer will contain the site name: "http://tmob.search-help.net http://tmob.search-help.net.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
sdkmvx 13y ago
> > Note: In order for opt-out to work properly, you need to accept a "cookie" indicating that you have opted out of this service. If you use a program that removes cookies, you will have to repeat this opt-out process when the cookie is deleted. The cookie placed on your computer will contain the site name: "http://tmob.search-help.net http://tmob.search-help.net. Do you have more information about how this works? I cannot imagine how a cookie would affect whether the DNS server returns NXDOMAIN. The site could possibly do it by IP but then the cookie wouldn't need to exist. If opting out just changes the ads to a 404 that is still DNS hijacking. The DNS server needs to return NXDOMAIN if a domain does not exist. Nothing else.
- anonymoushn 13y ago
  I hadn't actually tried using the opt-out, but I did think it was impossible for it to work as described. I tried it just now, and it just replaces the ads with a 404. So it would be more correct to say "There is no opt-out for the DNS hijacking."
  - dangrossman 13y ago
    Sure there's an opt-out -- don't use their DNS servers. Throw Google's or OpenDNS's into your device's settings.
    - dylz 13y ago
      All port 53/80 traffic is proxied through Harmony anyways...
    - anonymoushn 13y ago
      I guess. It looks like I need to jailbreak my phone to change the DNS server, so if I get around to it I can opt out. It will work as long as the DNS hijacking just returns incorrect results from T-Mobile's DNS server, rather than replacing any NXDOMAIN response from any DNS server.
bbwharris 13y ago
I had tmobile in Austin for years and its was always superb. I only switched for an incentive I definitely regret.
TylerE 13y ago
To play devil's advocate, how exactly do you propose they store such a user preference? And keep in mind cellphones don't have stable IPs.
- 30thElement 13y ago
  Unless you're telling me the text message, minutes, and data usage numbers on my bill are all made up, I'm pretty sure the carriers have a way to track whose phone belongs to who. Or, if they can't provide a working opt-out, it should be opt-in only (using the cookie).
  - anonymoushn 13y ago
    It can't really be opt-in using the cookie, as nobody should be touching any cookies in the process of a DNS lookup. Otherwise I agree completely; the carrier obviously knows that this is my phone or they couldn't tell me how much data I'm using.
- TheCraiggers 13y ago
  I propose they remove this horrid practice which is annoying, breaks spec, and potentially intrudes on my privacy. Problem solved.

LandoCalrissian 13y ago

I have had T-mobile for almost a decade and never had any problem with them. They are a GSM network so you can just swap out your sim card if you want a new phone, without having to jump through any hoops. They even went so far to correct problems that users were having with jailbroken iPhone on their network when they were still relatively new, which is pretty incredible. I have never had any problem with coverage in major cities, if you get out of populated areas you will see that you are typically bouncing off partner towers, so you may lose data service, but will almost certainly have cell service. Basically as long as you live in a large city you will be fine. I never have had any problems (at least noticeable enough for me to remember) with dropped calls, or flaky service where I live. I assume other peoples experiences may vary, but I think they are hands down the best cell provider.

lallysingh 13y ago

I've been with them for 3-4 years in NYC/NJ. I've been nothing but happy, and in Jersey City, they've got better coverage than AT&T and Verizon (anecdotal, but repeatable, data). Their phone support has always been fantastic for me. Right before they switched to no-contract mode, I called in to cancel a USB data card I wasn't using much anymore. I have a phone (no contract, unlocked nexus 4) as well as that card, that had finished its contract some time ago. They gave me ~40% off of my entire bill if I agreed to a 2 yr contract. Then again, when I go out into some parts of the country, I get almost no signal. There was an HN post some time ago with a map of comparative cell-coverage.

danielweber 13y ago

I switched from AT&T to T-Mobile because AT&T just pissed me off with mandatory data plans. T-Mobile's network is nowhere near as good for me as AT&T's was. I hope that it improves. The biggest problem is looking at my phone and seeing "0 bars." Also, the data plan doesn't work with one of my phones. Ironically, the same phone AT&T forced me to have a data plan for. Maybe it would have never worked.

joelrunyon 13y ago
I did the same thing. No issues as far as service goes unless I go someone in the middle of nowhere Indiana. TMobile isn't perfect, but they don't have me swearing at them every month like AT&T did. The fact that I can bounce anytime is a huge bonus in my opinion.
ScottWhigham 13y ago
As someone on AT&T now but whose contract has expired, I read stuff like this with great interest. I tested my friend's iphone 5 last week here and he was getting 22mb d/l and 10mb u/l. I could swear at AT&T a whole lot but still enjoy those speeds.
- fady 13y ago
  are you in SF? i live in cole valley and have terrible at&t service. its been terrible ever since i moved here, though, at&t has given me discounts, credits, even a microcell (requires highspeed internet). now i get full bars in my house, though,as soon as i step outside its back to one little bar. i wonder if my microcell will work with tmobile? i'm out of contract and have been thinking about switching.
  - snsr 13y ago
    > i wonder if my microcell will work with tmobile? It will not. Instead of a dedicated unit T-mo uses UMA to allow phones to make calls via any wifi connection. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_Access_Network http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_Access_Network I believe it had previously been implemented in hardware (BB Curve etc.), these days it's implemented via software for Android handsets. Not yet supported on iphones.

andre 13y ago

TMobile in Portland OR, Seattle WA, SF/Bay Area I tested around 16-20MG/s, in other areas (Reno NV, Boise ID) of western US, "4G" runs between 4-8MG/s. OpenSignal and SpeedTest are the apps that I used.

jff 13y ago
What is an "MG"?
- meepmorp 13y ago
  > What is an "MG"? Probably a typo. G is near B on QWERTY keyboards.

abrowne 13y ago

Never had a dropped call in Minneapolis. My girlfriend is getting lots of LTE on an unlocked iPhone even though Minneapolis isn't one of the officially announced markets yet. (Our apt is still EDGE, but that's what wifi is for, right?)

nostrademons 13y ago

I've used T-Mobile for the last 4 years. Generally pretty happy with them - their customer service is unobtrusive and generally pretty good, website is solid, plans are reasonable. I think I did accept a 1-year contract when I upgraded to unlimited voice + data + texting, but the initial plan wasn't contract-based. Coverage in the Bay Area is great. Out east it tends to be a bit spottier than most of the other networks - in rural areas or inside certain malls my relatives on AT&T or Verizon might get service but I won't. They're generally fine in major urban areas and around major highways, but somewhat sparser on the long tail.

nivla 13y ago

I have had great experience being on T-mobile for about 5 years. Their customer service is exceptional and they also allow you to unlock your phone after 3 months. However there are a couple of things that do irritate me: [1] They sniff the header of every web-request looking for desktop browser string. If found they sent you a warning text threatening to cut off your service. It sucks especially when you move to a new home with no immediate internet service and want to tether for a few days. [2] Non-existent domains redirect to a page with ads (Similar to OpenDNS). Sucks on a mobile since you have to wait for it to load to find out while adding to your data usage.

fencepost 13y ago
Is the browser sniffing still an issue? What sort of plan are you on? T-Mobile changed some things last month (http://www.tmonews.com/2013/04/t-mobile-will-begin-bundling-unlimited-plan-and-tethering-feature-on-wednesday/ http://www.tmonews.com/2013/04/t-mobile-will-begin-bundling-...). You may be able to shift to a plan that includes (limited) tethering at no real cost. The default includes only 500MB of "high speed" tethered data, but you can add higher amounts.
- nivla 13y ago
  I had my contract renewed back in Jan and it din't include any tethering option. So I guess I am stuck for the next 1 1/2 years. However its great to see the new bundling option being offered. It really comes in handy when you are on the move or on vacation.
  - unsignedint 13y ago
    When I inquired the rep about how accounts that would still be under their contract plans -- what they told me was you'll still have locked to contract for full-term of the contract, however, adjusting rate plan / service (probably with some limitation -- like reducing lines) won't affect your remaining contract -- so you may want to check to see if there's any way you can make adjustments without any consequences.

pkulak 13y ago

I'm on T-Mobile, but I'm not going to lie: Verizon has a superior network. All that 700mhz LTE is amazing. However, T-Mobile's network is fine for me (their DC HSPA network really does approach LTE speeds at times), and they more than make up for it with things that I also care about that you mentioned.

rjv 13y ago
DC you say? I'm in Arlington/Alexandria, any info about their coverage there? I'm definitely interested in switching from Verizon soon.
- SeanLuke 13y ago
  I am a T-Mobile user in Alexandria. Coverage in Old Town is zero in many places.

DanBC 13y ago

Eh, in the UK they have / had a package of "unlimited" 3g, £30 for 90 days. Unlimited means they do weird stuff to prevent some content from working after one gigabyte per month - flash videos don't work, for example. They throw up interstitial warning pages which break forms and the back button, which can be annoying. They have fierce image compression proxies, but the Windows client (if you chose to use it, you don't have to) allows you to turn it off. I carefully checked that it was unlimited, and I gave them fair warning that I consider myself a heavy internet user, and I made sure they knew before they took me on that I'd be hammering the bandwidth. And I do.

ig1 13y ago
You can negotiate with them to get proper unlimited.
- DanBC 13y ago
  I did 18058 MB yesterday. I'd feel cheeky if I asked them for proper unlimited.

Moto7451 13y ago

Indeed, T-Mobile seems to be turning things around a bit between the new pricing the the LTE Network rollout. I'm considering switching from their other half (MetroPCS) after I ran a DSLReports speed test on my buddy's iPhone 5 and saw 22Mbps. I was floored.

brackin 13y ago

I just moved to the valley and I love that they offer $10/m unlimited international calls and texts. They also offer free tethering up to 2.5GB's and unlimited data (w/o tethering). They claim not to slow you down at a certain point with unlimited data.

dwc 13y ago

I signed up with Voicestream, later bought by T-Mobile. I've been with them more than a decade. A couple of times they've called to inform me I need to switch plans because they're phasing out the one I was on. It's been a total win, no extra money, more stuff every time. I'm in Arizona, and coverage is fine here. Traveling in the US sometimes I get T-Mobile and sometimes I roam. A visit to Europe a few years ago I saw solid coverage, mostly T-Mobile. Yeah, it was $1/minute to call home. So I called every night for only 5 minutes to talk to my wife and daughter. Compared to hotel and restaurant expenses? Whatever. I never think T-Mobile is especially good until I hear others bitching about their carriers.

PeterBB 13y ago

T-Mobile is great in Chicago. The network goes to shit as soon as you try to go downstate, though.

MarcParadise 13y ago

It's adequate in their mapped service coverage areas - but if you go into any kind of sizable building, expect reception to go way down. There are plenty of businesses nearby where I'll have a full signal outside, but once I'm indoors it drops off to Edge network. There are also blank spots of little to no data coverage that have no reasonable explanation. That said, I'm aware of this and think it's worth the trade-off. I'm not going to another network anytime soon.

nsxwolf 13y ago

Using an unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 in the Chicago area. Many places have not completed the "refarming" effort of switching the 1700 MHz towers to 1900 MHz, so most of the time I am on Edge (2.5G). When I happen to be in an iPhone 4 compatible cell, the 3G is pretty solid, often 6mbit down, 2mbit up. Waiting for the 5S to upgrade - hoping the LTE and HSPA+ is good.

untog 13y ago

I use them in NYC, and I'm never looking back. I pay $30 a month for unlimited data, unlimited texts and 100 minutes of calls. I bought my phone (Nexus 4) outright for $350. I even tried out hacking LTE to work with it, and I get T-Mobile LTE in Brooklyn (though not in Manhattan). In summary; it's awesome. However, when I leave the city, coverage is definitely limited. I do so very infrequently, so it's fine for me.

skittles 13y ago

Be careful with T-Mobile. I live in a fairly small town (about 12,000 people) that is practically a suburb of a bigger town (over 200,000). I have 18 MBps Internet from AT&T Uverse, and the local cable company just started offering a much faster connection. T-Mobile? I can't even get a signal at my home. No signal.

Spooky23 13y ago

TMobile is great until it isn't. I had them for years with a $19.99/4ever plan grandfathered from Omnipoint many years ago. Unfortunately for you, that means that you can't make a phone call 30 miles from your city center (or in remote locations like Brooklyn, NY or the state of Maine) , or in the back of your home, or 1000 ft from the interstate, etc.

idont 13y ago

I was in nyc manathan. Data Network was often unavailable. I had the 4g unlimited dataplan but only using 3g (iphone 4).