T-Mobile in 2021

It's not so much about finding the ONE TRUE CARRIER as it is about having OPTIONS! I have T-mobile on my phone and tablet BUT I also have a second phone on Visible (Verizon network, unlimited, $40/mo. but as low as $25/mo.) that I can use as a hotspot when needed. I spend less than $100/mo. for the two networks with my veterans discount and have never been unconnected, even over the Rockies, which is a trick all its own.

Unfortunately, Sprint made A LOT of bad gambles over the years (800 Mhz spectrum, WiMax) that put them in a downward spiral. Not enough paying customers and not enough cash to upgrade their coverage or their network. To keep the lights on they had no choice but to oversell their network to MVNO's. This put a huge strain on their network and without enough backhaul to cover their user base speeds slowed to a crawl even for customers on top-tier plans with all the G's. This left them with a huge customer base that was, "value conscious".

The question mark over TMO now is how smoothly are they going to integrate the spectrum they got from the Sprint acquisition and how much of a strain will all the new customers put on their network? I suspect the answer is how many of their bottom-tier customers will they be able to dump on Boost and how soon? Even that relief will be temporary since Charlie makes King Joe look sane and lucid by comparison. It's only a matter of time before Boost blows up and the FCC starts pressuring the remaining carriers to take the povs at discounted rates.

 

I use T-Mobile for data only with my iPad. A while back I was out in the boonies and was able to stream LTE data. Just don't get into the 5G thing right now. It's not worth the extra cost in my opinion!

 

Interesting thought to have two carriers. I left TMobil because they weren't interested in telling me how somebody else paid my bill. Then they entirely goofed up my methods of payment.
I went to ATT. Been happy since. Their support is outstanding. Service as good as any Verizon. Biggest thing I noticed. I used to run to drywall factories. They are always in the boonies. My service was much better with ATT than TMobile.
I could? Might? Give TMobil a second chance as a second carrier? Not sure?
One thing for sure... Verizon can go to H!.... I won't get into it.

 

I use Verizon pre-paid and right now am only paying $30 a month for unlimited talk and text and 5GB of LTE data then unlimited 2G. In about 4 months that will be $25 a month. I could use a post-paid plan but I don't need all that streaming crap!
I use T-Mobile for my iPad for logistical reasons. The primary reason is my device is GSM only. The other reason I can't disclose!

 

I want to address this customer service issue. Over the last 15 or so years, I have heard both good and bad about all the carriers. Right now I could quote someone I know that hates Verizon. Same with AT&T, Metro, and T-Mobile. Same with liking them. Getting in touch with Verizon customer service is actually easy once you learn some basics. Contact them via the internet and have them call you! Every time I have done this I get someone making a callback within 30 minutes. I suspect this is available through the other carriers. Several months ago I dropped my service with Metro. I kind of liked Metro, still do. Since my retirement, I stick generally in places where the cell service was fantastic. As an active OTR driver, I would have NEVER considered using Metro. I finally had to look elsewhere because the tower that delivers my cell service at home was horrid. For some reason, the company always blamed my device. So I went to Wally World bought a Verizon SIM and started a pre-paid plan. My device worked great. Now, because T-Mobile owns Metro my iPad connects to that same tower. Of course, it gives me trouble to this day! Your mileage may vary!

 

funny ...how you feel about Verizon is how I feel about AT&T ....I cancelled my internet and cable with them 2 months after covid started because all deliveries to retail stopped so I wasn't working....and they would NOT work with me and charged me $800 for breaking a contract.....AT&T dont give a hoot about no one but their bottom line....I hope they go bankrupt and Tmobile gets their customers!

 

Update. I switched to T Mobile and it was a mistake. I run mostly in PA and Im not impressed. I seem to only get two bars most of the time. And those two bars won’t let me do anything. I go to Carlisle a lot and can’t conduct business because its always two bars. Saw 5g one time, which I don’t care about. I hardly ever get a full signal anywhere. Even where i was parking the truck it had no signal. Switching back to Verizon or ATT.

 

It might be your phone. I have T-Mo, and just upgraded to an unlocked Pixel 5a(5G) and get good signal, just not the fastest speed I've seen, in fact, I have changed my preferred network to LTE instead of the recommended 5G and it seems to be just as fast and a more stable connection. If it's an android phone, update your carrier services app from the play store.

 

I have an IPhone. Any suggestions for that?

 

Step 1) roll down window
Step 2) throw iPhone out window
Step 3) go to the online Google store and buy an unlocked Pixel 6 (not the 6 Pro)



All kidding aside, I have 5g a lot of places I never expected, even in the little po-dunk town near home that has more Dollar General stores than red lights. Not that their 5g is all that fast...in fact, I think they just reprogrammed their 4g towers to send out a different indicator (how ever they tell phones what g their using)