[Chinocop]

So I'm out in downtown Bellevue this morning and I notice that I'm getting 3g. Has anybody else notice this with Tmobile?

[speedtouch]

Well, if you have a Lumia 800 on T-Mo I don't know how you're getting 3G anyway. Should you only be getting 2G?

[Chinocop]

Well, if you have a Lumia 800 on T-Mo I don't know how you're getting 3G anyway. Should you only be getting 2G?

I get EDGE almost everywhere I go. But the few times I have been in downtown Bellevue, WA, I've noticed that my signal changes to H/3G. I do know that Tmobile is opening the 1900 band for 3g. Anyways, it's exciting to see.

[speedtouch]

I get EDGE almost everywhere I go. But the few times I have been in downtown Bellevue, WA, I've noticed that my signal changes to H/3G. I do know that Tmobile is opening the 1900 band for 3g. Anyways, it's exciting to see.

Very cool! Well, I do know T-Mo is going to be refitting their towers with radios that are compatible with the iPhone, which would also be compatible with the Lumia line on AT&T. Your city might be one of the first benefiting from this refitting. Great news!

[SteelSteve]

Dont know if this is true or means anything, but the wife and I were in a T-mobile store the other day and my wife asked about T-mobile getting the iphone. The sales rep told her she could purchase an Iphone somewhere else and use it on the T-mobile network. At that point I jumped in and said, but wouldn't it be only edge and she stated that it would get 3G. Again don't know if that was just an unknowning sales rep, or if T-mobile / ATT are starting to share frequency spectrum.

[speedtouch]

Dont know if this is true or means anything, but the wife and I were in a T-mobile store the other day and my wife asked about T-mobile getting the iphone. The sales rep told her she could purchase an Iphone somewhere else and use it on the T-mobile network. At that point I jumped in and said, but wouldn't it be only edge and she stated that it would get 3G. Again don't know if that was just an unknowning sales rep, or if T-mobile / ATT are starting to share frequency spectrum.

Sounds a little fishy to me. T-Mo hasn't announced full support for the iPhone yet, so I doubt it.

[SteelSteve]

Agreed, however I brought up the iPhone as its largely an att device like the 800 the originator was talking about. Is it possible that att and t-mobile are somehow sharing frequency now? Would that explain how he was able to get 3g?

Sent from my Lumia 710 using Board Express

[speedtouch]

Agreed, however I brought up the iPhone as its largely an att device like the 800 the originator was talking about. Is it possible that att and t-mobile are somehow sharing frequency now? Would that explain how he was able to get 3g?

Sent from my Lumia 710 using Board Express

Could be, could be. I'm not sure how it's working, but it seems to be! I think it portends good news for all of us T-Mo users.

[alpinestars1z]

Basically this is what T-Mobile is trying to do:



For 3G, iPhone has support for 850, 900, 1900, and 2100. For 2G, iPhone supports 850, 900, 1800, and 1900.

Right now, T-Mobile's 3G (pink) is on AWS (1700/2100), so no 3G for the iPhone. Instead, the iPhone runs on 2G (blue), because T-Mobile's 2G is on 1900.

So what T-Mobile is trying to do, is reduce GSM capacity on 1900, and put some 3G capacity on the 1900 band. That way, an iPhone on T-Mobile would get 3G (because iPhone supports 3G on 1900). Also, since part of the 3G capacity moved from AWS (1700/2100) to PCS (1900), that frees up some AWS spectrum so T-Mobile can deploy LTE (green) on that freed spectrum.

Furthermore, as many know, AT&T deploys some of it's 3G on 1900. Also, AT&T plans to deploy some of it's LTE on AWS. So hopefully in the future, you can take an unlocked AT&T phone to T-Mobile and have both LTE (on AWS) and 3G (on PCS) working, and vice versa.

[speedtouch]

Fantastic. Thanks, alpinestars1Z.

[alpinestars1z]

Fantastic. Thanks, alpinestars1Z.

No problem.

[lildrgn]

Interesting. Any way to test this? I work in downtown Bellevue.

Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

[alpinestars1z]

Interesting. Any way to test this? I work in downtown Bellevue.

Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

I would think that it would just show up, but I'm not entirely sure. Also, I wouldn't know if they did all of downtown, just part of downtown, or if T-Mobile turned it on only temporarily to test a few things.

Chinocop, could you tell us exactly where and when you saw 3G on your Lumia 800?

[speedtouch]

This is big news and may very well explain Chinocop's experiences: T-Mobile To Show Off Refarmed 1900MHz Network iPhone At WWDC Next Week? Maybe. | | TmoNewsTmoNews

Faster, T-Mobile, faster!

[alpinestars1z]

This is big news and may very well explain Chinocop's experiences: T-Mobile To Show Off Refarmed 1900MHz Network iPhone At WWDC Next Week? Maybe. | | TmoNewsTmoNews

Faster, T-Mobile, faster!

*gasp* I guess I'll be looking forward to WWDC then.

[Chinocop]

I would think that it would just show up, but I'm not entirely sure. Also, I wouldn't know if they did all of downtown, just part of downtown, or if T-Mobile turned it on only temporarily to test a few things.

Chinocop, could you tell us exactly where and when you saw 3G on your Lumia 800?

So I have my 800 set to connect at 3G. I noticed that I was getting 3G at the HSBC on NE 8th and Bellevue Way and was still recieving it when I took NE 4th to 405.

[alpinestars1z]

So I have my 800 set to connect at 3G. I noticed that I was getting 3G at the HSBC on NE 8th and Bellevue Way and was still recieving it when I took NE 4th to 405.

How did you set it?

And lildrgn, want to check it out for yourself?

[Chinocop]

How did you set it?

And lildrgn, want to check it out for yourself?

Just go to settings->cellular->highest connection speed

[lildrgn]

Just go to settings->cellular->highest connection speed

Cool. I had it set like that but as there's no 3G around, I didn't get signal. Thing is, I wasn't waiting long enough for my phone to connect. It's on E at home. I work at the mall; I'll take a look when I get there.

[lildrgn]

Edge at the mall. :(

[Chinocop]

Edge at the mall. :(

That sucks. I bet they were just testing out the network that day when I was downtown.

[lildrgn]

Interestingly, I did see 3G pop up at lunch at Toy's Café today.

Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express

[kingp]

As was mentioned before, T-Mobile is refarming their 3G spectrum from the 1700 AWS band, to the 1900 PCS band. This will allow any unlocked device, supporting the 1900 spectrum to get HSPA+ (if the device radio supports the +21, otherwise just regular HSPA).

The fact that someone got it in downtown Bellevue, isn't surprising considering T-Mobile is headquarted in Seattle. Logically, I would think they would start the refarm on their home turf and expand by market size after that.

Word on the street is that the spectrum refarm is supposed to be completed by late October, definitely by the start of 2013, as that is when T-Mobile begins deploying LTE on the 1700Mhz AWS band. More markets should begin seeing HSPA+ speeds over the coming months.

I was thinking about signing up with Red Pocket Mobile, because they're an MVNO that uses AT&T. My wife uses it on her Lumia 800 and gets HSPA+, but MMS doesn't work...so I guess I'll stick with T-Mobile EDGE until they refarm Nashville.

[Chinocop]

As was mentioned before, T-Mobile is refarming their 3G spectrum from the 1700 AWS band, to the 1900 PCS band. This will allow any unlocked device, supporting the 1900 spectrum to get HSPA+ (if the device radio supports the +21, otherwise just regular HSPA).

The fact that someone got it in downtown Bellevue, isn't surprising considering T-Mobile is headquarted in Seattle. Logically, I would think they would start the refarm on their home turf and expand by market size after that.

Word on the street is that the spectrum refarm is supposed to be completed by late October, definitely by the start of 2013, as that is when T-Mobile begins deploying LTE on the 1700Mhz AWS band. More markets should begin seeing HSPA+ speeds over the coming months.

I was thinking about signing up with Red Pocket Mobile, because they're an MVNO that uses AT&T. My wife uses it on her Lumia 800 and gets HSPA+, but MMS doesn't work...so I guess I'll stick with T-Mobile EDGE until they refarm Nashville.

The funny thing is that I live about 5 minutes away from T-Mobile's headquarters here in Bellevue, and I only get EDGE. Whereas downtown Bellevue is about 5 minutes away from T-Mobile headquarters. I wonder if the population density of downtown Bellevue is the reason why they're testing 3G there.

[alpinestars1z]

As was mentioned before, T-Mobile is refarming their 3G spectrum from the 1700 AWS band, to the 1900 PCS band. This will allow any unlocked device, supporting the 1900 spectrum to get HSPA+ (if the device radio supports the +21, otherwise just regular HSPA).

The fact that someone got it in downtown Bellevue, isn't surprising considering T-Mobile is headquarted in Seattle. Logically, I would think they would start the refarm on their home turf and expand by market size after that.

Word on the street is that the spectrum refarm is supposed to be completed by late October, definitely by the start of 2013, as that is when T-Mobile begins deploying LTE on the 1700Mhz AWS band. More markets should begin seeing HSPA+ speeds over the coming months.

I was thinking about signing up with Red Pocket Mobile, because they're an MVNO that uses AT&T. My wife uses it on her Lumia 800 and gets HSPA+, but MMS doesn't work...so I guess I'll stick with T-Mobile EDGE until they refarm Nashville.

Isn't the Nokia Network Setup app returning to the marketplace soon? I think it'll let you setup the proper settings for MMS.