T-Mobile UMTS

[carcomptoy]

We've all been hearing about Cingular UMTS but what about T-Mobile??? First of all, when will EDGE be released? What about UMTS? :confused:

[gromitjc]

No UMTS until 2007.

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000680023247/

[carcomptoy]

GRRRR I'll be so tempted to switch to Cingular...oops did I say that? hehe What about EDGE though...any certain date or month even?

[gromitjc]

June of this year (according to 3GAmericas.org), in 18 major markets.

[TheZodiac]

EDGE later this year from Tmo, summer i think... UMTS as noted before, 2007 :)

Maybe even HCSDMMALMNOP or some other high speed acronym! :)

Hahaha. Ill settle for edge, keeps cost down and tmo has the best mobile plan anyway for my needs. :)

[carcomptoy]

THANK YOU!!! GO T-MOBILE! Hopefully, EDGE will come out later this year...besides, most people won't even adopt UMTS till later because of course this is the US and people don't really care about it, so there'd be no point in having video conference when there's no one to video conference to. Btw, which markets? I doubt my El Paso will be included, but just out of curiosity...

[jmax577]

UMTS with HSDPA will be going in the 100 largest us cities through cingular by this december. I have been using EDGE for about a year now, since it was launched by at and t, and i have been getting it for FREE all this time too! :D i love my employer........ :cool:

[carcomptoy]

How much will it cost though...the UMTS w/HSDPA? And what cities will be fortunate enough to be covered? Btw, is there EDGE in El Paso right now...through Cingular obviously?

[jmax577]

not sure on the pricing yet but i am sure it won't be that bad. i am grandfathered into an unlim data plan so i can use that access point for umts. for new customers i am sure they will price it similar to the gsm plans. the 100 largest us cities will get the service and from what i understand the tower software updates are done, they are just waiting for everything to fall into place to turn the network on. last december cingular swithched to 64k sims and no one really knew why, the answer is umts. for wcdma support the sim needs at least 64k of memory to support the increased bandwith involved with umts. bascially the transformation is occuring, cingular is just being very quiet about it until launch time.

[carcomptoy]

Would you happen to know which cities fall under those 100???

[jmax577]

http://www.citymayors.com/gratis/uscities_100.html

[jmax577]

el paso will be covered.....area you going to turn to the dark side? well have it 2 YEARS before tmob will...........

[carcomptoy]

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!!! I will love you if you're really right...I guess I'm skeptical that way, but if there's an official Cingular press release, I will seriously consider switching. In the end, it all depends on my parents, if they'll spend the additional money for UMTS. In not, hopefully my unlimited GPRS will translate into unlimited EDGE with T-Mobile

[jmax577]

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!!! I will love you if you're really right...I guess I'm skeptical that way, but if there's an official Cingular press release, I will seriously consider switching. In the end, it all depends on my parents, if they'll spend the additional money for UMTS. In not, hopefully my unlimited GPRS will translate into unlimited EDGE with T-Mobile

it will. edge basically is all hardware within the phone, nothing is even labled edge in the handset. the same access points for gprs will work for edge. as for umts, i am serious as a heart attack. keep your ears open, something just might be announced this summer :cool:

[carcomptoy]

Awesome...availability of EDGE will mean a new phone...6630 or 6681 I'm thinking as I won't have need for 6680...yet;)

[carcomptoy]

AGH! There's a good chance Cingular will release 1900MHz UMTS...hope T-Mobile will choose 2100MHz or I'll throw a fit!:mad:

[gromitjc]

AGH! There's a good chance Cingular will release 1900MHz UMTS...hope T-Mobile will choose 2100MHz or I'll throw a fit!:mad:

UMTS uses both 1900MHz and 2100MHz simultaneously, one for inbound signal, the other for outbound. Carriers won't be using just one frequency or the other (at least if they want to be compatible with the rest of the world and thus let us use all those cool 3G phones). Cingular is using 1900MHz only in their test markets because 2100MHz simply isn't available yet. I'm guessing they'll launch on 1900MHz only, then add 2100MHz when it becomes available. Since T-Mobile hasn't even started implementing UMTS, I'm guessing they won't launch it until they've got both frequencies.

[carcomptoy]

But I don't understand...if they're using both frequencies, then because the Euro 3G phones don't have UMTS support for 1900MHz, won't they not work in the US then? At least not completely?

[gromitjc]

But I don't understand...if they're using both frequencies, then because the Euro 3G phones don't have UMTS support for 1900MHz, won't they not work in the US then? At least not completely?

UMTS, in theory, will use the same frequencies worldwide. So, wherever UMTS is currently deployed (aside from the US) it's operating on 1900MHz and 2100MHz. 1900MHz for incoming signal, 2100MHz for outgoing. In the US, it will need to use 1900MHz for both incoming and outgoing (at least at first). Euro 3G phones don't know how to only use 1900MHz - they'd look for 2100MHz too for the outgoing signal..

[carcomptoy]

So you're saying phones like the Nokia 6630 have UMTS support for 1900MHz? How come it never says that? Only 2100? And what exactly is the point of using two different bands for signals?

[gromitjc]

Well - yes. The 6630 would have to be able to use 1900MHz, or else it wouldn't have any way of receiving an incoming signal. I couldn't tell you why it would only say 2100 - since that alone would be useless. As far as using two different frequencies, I'm guessing it allows more simultaneous users than one frequency alone.

[carcomptoy]

Hmmm...well let's just hope Cingular does get the license for 2100MHz

[gromitjc]

Hmmm...well let's just hope Cingular does get the license for 2100MHz

I'm sure both Cingular and T-Mobile will get licenses in 2100MHz, it's just going to take a little while.

[carcomptoy]

Most especially T-Mobile...WHY 2007???

[gromitjc]

Two factors: time and money. It's going to take a lot of both to get UMTS up and running. Also, I imagine they don't want to get involved in a makeshift 1900MHz only solution like Cingular.

[Michael]

Yeah, I just don't think T-Mobile sees a way to make any real money off of such an investment in new hardware and infrastructure. And they are most probably right, unfortunately.

I'd certainly like to see them offer UMTS, but I just don't think it will happen any time soon.

[Septiembre]

Hito everyone!

This is my question to T-mobile support :
Dear Sheryll,

I called to mentioned international support number and first time they have
contacted me to refill department. They have forwarded me to menu so that I
can make refill and I have cut out. After that I called three time and was
contacted to refill department once again and they told me that I can't make
refill if I don't have credit card from American bank. I was trying to
explain that I am not citizen of USA and I can't have American credit card.
I have master card from Bank Respublika in Azerbaijan and that's the only
way I can make refill on 10 USD. And again they have contacted me to some
other department and then I once again was cut of.
Pls explain me why can't I make refill with my Azeri credit card if I made
purchase of Blackberry by my Azeri credit card and was ensured that we'll be
able to receive SIM Unlock Code in 90 days after account was activated.
I don't understand this situation. Every time I receive different kind of
information, and I think I would have to write Claim


and this is an answer:

I understand that you have a few additional questions regarding your SIM
unlock code and processing a refill. I can certainly appreciate the
importance of having access to your equipment options, Sabina, and I am
more than willing to look into this for you.

You are absolutely correct, Sabina, we are unable to make account
refills via foreign credit cards. As our refill charging system checks
the validity of bank cards based on the registered ZIP code, we are
unable to process foreign cards currently. I do sincerely apologize for
any confusion regarding this. In order to process an online or
over-the-phone refill, you will have to do so via a USA registered
credit card.

Once you have placed a $10 refill on your account, you will then be
qualified to process a SIM unlock and obtain your unlock code. I do
apologize for any confusion regarding this.


Thats all !!! This is a great circle - you can buy T-mobile when you are in US-YES, you can use your credit card - YES, you have a right to unlock - YES if you will refill it, you can refill it using the same credit card - NO. Finish !!