T-mobile Users: What is your experience with T-mobile coverage

How is the 4g Lte coverage? Do you get a lot of calling signal? Do you find yourself with barely any reception most of the time? How is your experience?

I am currently a Verizon customer and my contract has been up for a year or so. Im thinking about switching to T-mobile because its seems a lot cheaper with the unlimited talk and text and data. So Im trying to gather some opinions

I don't think they've done much with their LTE network yet. They do have a real good 3.5G HSPA+ data network.

I used T-Mobile in Chicago for a while. If you're in a major city T-Mobile normally seems to have pretty good coverage.

I would love to switch to T-Mobile, but the coverage just isn't that good in SW Louisiana. Their coverage map is supposed to be fairly accurate, so I can't justify trying them out at this time.

Excellent question! I am in a similar situation. My contract with Verizon ends 17 Dec, and I want to move to TMO so I can keep unlimited data. I am slightly concerned about coverage though. It looks like I should be ok where I live (Philadelphia/New Jersey area), but I travel a lot too.

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Originally Posted by DevilRaiders

Excellent question! I am in a similar situation. My contract with Verizon ends 17 Dec, and I want to move to TMO so I can keep unlimited data. I am slightly concerned about coverage though. It looks like I should be ok where I live (Philadelphia/New Jersey area), but I travel a lot too.

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If you're flying from point to point, it won't be an issue. If you're driving, you get better 3G coverage with AT&T along your route. That's been my experience.

Thanks. Unfortunately, I cannot get unlimited data w/AT&T. If I could, I would probably go with them (even though they are more expensive) and get the 920. The new data limits w/AT&T & Verizon worry me.

Thanks everyone.

Yea Im kinda perplexed on the decision to whether to switch or not. Verizon doesn't even have individual plans anymore and I need to get out of my family's plan, so it's going to be tough decision.

Here in Chicagoland I have absolutely no issues with the service and the speed has been more than fast enough for everything I need to do. If traveling as long as you're on the major highways you should be covered but may still hit a pocket of EDGE here and there.

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Originally Posted by ny_yankees

Thanks everyone.

Yea Im kinda perplexed on the decision to whether to switch or not. Verizon doesn't even have individual plans anymore and I need to get out of my family's plan, so it's going to be tough decision.

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Verizon does have individual plans (at least as of a month or two ago). You just have to know to ask for it since they don't advertise it as much.

Since Sandy in NY some t mobile I know have experienced horrible service ( the ones that reside in the flood zone ) . The get 3 bars max. Most of them dont get 4G anymore. I dont know what's caused this. After they complained, t mobile said its their mobile phones and is denying the existence of this issue. But generally in an urban environment t mobile does a good job.
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Where do you live and work, OP?

If you commute from North Jersey to Manhattan and rarely go to rural areas with little/no population, T-Mobile is a no-brainer. If you live in a mining town of 500 in central Nevada and need coverage in the high desert, I'd think twice.

Check the coverage maps online -- they're generally pretty accurate and will give you a good sense of what to expect.

T Mobile works well in urban areas. In rural areas, they are way behind the curve. Even Tracfone gets better coverage in rural areas.

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Originally Posted by mrmdj31675

T Mobile works well in urban areas. In rural areas, they are way behind the curve. Even Tracfone gets better coverage in rural areas.

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That's a fallacy because Tracfone uses T-mobile or AT&T towers

I just switched from Sprint to T-Mobile so I thought I'd share my experience.

First a little background - I've had Nextel (horrible), switched to Cingular/AT&T, then to Sprint, and then just a week and a half ago T-Mobile. I've lived with people with Verizon, but could never justify the extra price (and they seemed to drop more calls).

T-Mobile's "4G" (not the LTE) is crazy fast compared to Sprint (obviously). I have had NO coverage problems in the city. My lumia 810 is faster than any phone I've come across so far (not saying a lot, but iPhone 4 on Sprint & Verizon were included). I have full signal even in the locker room where I couldn't access internet most of the time with my Sprint Arrive.

I did just take a trip and I had "4G" for about 1/3 of the way, then 2G, and lost service in the hills for a little while (not too long, it was in and out). However, Sprint & Verizon had minimal service as well (they claimed lost service entirely at least once, but I'm not sure).

The bottom line is that what everyone else on this thread has said is true. Check the coverage map. They are great where there's coverage, and the map has been accurate for me so far. The rep that sold me the phone seemed very knowledgable, but who knows. He said he was chosen as a Beta tester and that the next update would bring WiFi calling, and also that he expects LTE to start rolling out here within the next 3 months. He was using a Lumia 810 as well and said he was biased towards Android while Windows Phone 7 was out, but is considering staying with Windows Phone 8.

Hope this helps!

I used T-Mobile for almost a decade. It has good speed and good general coverage in more populated areas. I really only had 2 gripes with T-Mobile: 1. Rural data coverage was painful. I was lucky to get GPRS in less population dense areas. Wouldn't have been so bad if my girlfriend's Verizon phone wasn't getting full bars on EVDO.
2. Building (and tree) signal penetration is bad. My parents live in a bigger suburb with cell towers everywhere, but I could barely get any signal at all in their house because of the trees in the neighborhood. Walking in to a building causes your signal to degrade.
These are the things I look forward to leaving behind now that I'm with ATT.

I have been a t-mobile customer for about three years and I love them. They have great customer service , and their plans are cheap. I just upgraded to a Lumia 810 from a HD7. The 4g is awesome, on a good day I get about 10 - 12 down speed, and that's with the truly unlimited 4g plan.

Here in Austin, been enjoying 4G LTE coverage on Windows Phone 8x with T-Mobile.
For me, it has been simply great, especially having come from using iPhone 4 on T-Mobile (Edge).
Call quality has been great, not a single dropped call either.

No issues in Metro Boston only issue is choice of WP8 devices. we need the ATIVs or the 920

Mine is fine in Charlotte, NC though we don't have LTE yet so far as I know. What kind of data speed are you getting?

I'm on Tmobile btw.

I don't know about the rest of the country, but here in Miami it depends on what neighborhood you're in. The coverage is very spotty in some areas and phenomenal in others. Their coverage map is very accurate BTW. My biggest gripe is that with AT&T you can get 3G if HSDPA falls off, with T-Mobile it's either HSPA or EDGE, no middle ground. As I stated, this is Miami, Flori-duh!

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Originally Posted by ny_yankees

Thanks everyone.

Yea Im kinda perplexed on the decision to whether to switch or not. Verizon doesn't even have individual plans anymore and I need to get out of my family's plan, so it's going to be tough decision.

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Do yourself a favor and switch to T-Mobile (if you're in an area where you're getting coverage). My guess is that you're near a big city so you should be fine in terms of coverage. Thing is, their coverage is only going to get better while they continue to price their plans lower than the other three.

If you're struggling with spotty reception in the house they will provide you a cel-fi repeater free of charge.

I'm in San Diego and I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile Value plan and have been loving it so far (mainly due to the 50% lower bill). I did have terrible reception in my house but they provided me with a cel-fi repeater.

I know I sound like a salesperson but I have no affiliation to them whatsoever. They have a solid number of ways to cut the price on the bill as well and it allows me to save more money to spend on WP8 handsets!

TMO sucks in Central Texas...

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Originally Posted by sravanv

Do yourself a favor and switch to T-Mobile (if you're in an area where you're getting coverage). My guess is that you're near a big city so you should be fine in terms of coverage. Thing is, their coverage is only going to get better while they continue to price their plans lower than the other three.

If you're struggling with spotty reception in the house they will provide you a cel-fi repeater free of charge.

I'm in San Diego and I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile Value plan and have been loving it so far (mainly due to the 50% lower bill). I did have terrible reception in my house but they provided me with a cel-fi repeater.

I know I sound like a salesperson but I have no affiliation to them whatsoever. They have a solid number of ways to cut the price on the bill as well and it allows me to save more money to spend on WP8 handsets!

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be advised: tmo has suspended the cel-fi signal booster program, citing supply issues. They are on backorder until summer and they aren't taking requests. I talked with them last week.

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Originally Posted by jgbstetson

be advised: tmo has suspended the cel-fi signal booster program, citing supply issues. They are on backorder until summer and they aren't taking requests. I talked with them last week.

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Oh wow! Looks like I grabbed one in time...that definitely sucks then. It's kind of a pain to have one so I'm hoping I can get rid of it relatively soon...especially once the San Diego refarm is complete...

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Originally Posted by sravanv

Oh wow! Looks like I grabbed one in time...that definitely sucks then. It's kind of a pain to have one so I'm hoping I can get rid of it relatively soon...especially once the San Diego refarm is complete...

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sucks indeed. I wouldn't get too hopeful. My coverage at home was the same before and after....1 bar 4G. To be fair, I live on the edge of Scottsdale, next to a reservation.