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Some Questions About the T-Mobile Refarming Process

SuperAfnan

SuperAfnan

Android Expert
Hey guys, as you may or may not know, T-Mobile is currently refarming EDGE (2G) on the 1900 band to 3G (HSDPA). T-Mobile is planning on modernizing it's 1900 band to 3g to accommodate iPhone users and people who unlocked their non T-Mobile device (including me :D) and are using it on T-Mobile.

For those who don't know, I have an unlocked i747 AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 and I'm using it on T-Mobile. I updated to the latest firmware and instead of EDGE, I see 4G (I know it's not 4g, just 3g marketed as 4g) in many new areas around Jacksonville, Florida.

There are also many areas that have LTE and are therefore, refarmed since T-Mobile usually adds LTE to areas they refarmed.

But I have a few questions.

1. When will this be finished. In 2014 right?

2. Are they going to refarm 100 percent of their coverage?

3. Right now when I turn on data, it shows UMTS/HSDPA, but it goes back to edge 1 minute later. Are they still in the process of refarming my neighborhood? Or do i have a poor connection? I'm pretty sure they're still refarming it because on my HTC Amaze I get a fairly decent HSDPA signal in my house. :)

Also if you guys want to check or submit reports of the UMTS 1900 refarm go to airportal.de. ;)
 
I'm sure you will want a new phone eventually,
the real question is, will you still be happy with your s3 by the time refarming is complete?

Phone development is moving as swiftly as pc development was during my youth.
Things are gonna be improved big time.
 
7Priest7 said:
I'm sure you will want a new phone eventually,
the real question is, will you still be happy with your s3 by the time refarming is complete?

Phone development is moving as swiftly as pc development was during my youth.
Things are gonna be improved big time.
Click to expand...

Yes (eventually). The S3 is more than what I need. It's a wonderful device, better than any HTC I owned so far. And yes, I have developed ROMs for the HTC Amaze (they're on XDA, sorry people I didn't want to post them here it's too much of a hassle and the Amaze forums here are almost empty:o). Things already have improved big time, but sometimes there are ungrateful people (noobs) that don't get it. :rolleyes:

Anyway,

But does anyone have answers to my question(s)? :D I would like to know, thanks in advance!
 
SuperAfnan said:
But does anyone have answers to my question(s)? :D I would like to know, thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Unless someone here works at t-mobile(in a high level capacity) and is willing to violate their non disclosure agreements, I doubt it.

Anything we might know would be found via a google search.
 
7Priest7 said:
Unless someone here works at t-mobile(in a high level capacity) and is willing to violate their non disclosure agreements, I doubt it.

Anything we might know would be found via a google search.
Click to expand...

Well I'm actually surprised no one knows the answers. Whenever I ask a question I don't get many answers, but I always answer people in need of answers. :rolleyes: That's life for ya' lol.

I guess time will tell then.
 
SuperAfnan said:
Well I'm actually surprised no one knows the answers. Whenever I ask a question I don't get many answers, but I always answer people in need of answers. :rolleyes: That's life for ya' lol.

I guess time will tell then.
Click to expand...
I think the issue with this re-farming question is that not much of the process is public information. They don't do status updates about their progress either.
 
jhawkkw said:
I think the issue with this re-farming question is that not much of the process is public information. They don't do status updates about their progress either.
Click to expand...

Awww, oh well I guess waiting for it to finish is the answer I have to this problem. At least it's going on in my area. We've got LTE and refarmed HDSPA in at least 1/2 of Jacksonville. :D

If they had an official map, rather than the unofficial airportal.de, it would help (a lot!). Airportal shows that your city/town has at least an area that's got a refarmed PCS tower, it obviously can't say the exact data, but you'll still know that refarming does exist in part(s) of your city.
 
SuperAfnan said:
Hey guys, as you may or may not know, T-Mobile is currently refarming EDGE (2G) on the 1900 band to 3G (HSDPA). T-Mobile is planning on modernizing it's 1900 band to 3g to accommodate iPhone users and people who unlocked their non T-Mobile device (including me :D) and are using it on T-Mobile.

For those who don't know, I have an unlocked i747 AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 and I'm using it on T-Mobile. I updated to the latest firmware and instead of EDGE, I see 4G (I know it's not 4g, just 3g marketed as 4g) in many new areas around Jacksonville, Florida.

There are also many areas that have LTE and are therefore, refarmed since T-Mobile usually adds LTE to areas they refarmed.

But I have a few questions.

1. When will this be finished. In 2014 right?

2. Are they going to refarm 100 percent of their coverage?

3. Right now when I turn on data, it shows UMTS/HSDPA, but it goes back to edge 1 minute later. Are they still in the process of refarming my neighborhood? Or do i have a poor connection? I'm pretty sure they're still refarming it because on my HTC Amaze I get a fairly decent HSDPA signal in my house. :)

Also if you guys want to check or submit reports of the UMTS 1900 refarm go to airportal.de. ;)
Click to expand...

I believe I can help you, I also have the At&t S3 sgh-1747 on T Mobile and with some tinkering I am able to get full lte coverage on T Mobile's network.
 
Mikessv said:
I believe I can help you, I also have the At&t S3 sgh-1747 on T Mobile and with some tinkering I am able to get full lte coverage on T Mobile's network.
Click to expand...

Well I thought that we already get full LTE coverage on the T-Mobile network since LTE isn't locked like HSDPA.

If you're talking about the AWS mods on xda or the fast.T-Mobile.com APN I did that already thank you though. :)

I'm just wondering about the general stuff about the refarm, i guess they don't want to give away their secrets. :p
 
SuperAfnan said:
Well I thought that we already get full LTE coverage on the T-Mobile network since LTE isn't locked like HSDPA.

If you're talking about the AWS mods on xda or the fast.T-Mobile.com APN I did that already thank you though. :)

I'm just wondering about the general stuff about the refarm, i guess they don't want to give away their secrets. :p
Click to expand...

I flashed a t mobile modem, you did that already?
 
Mikessv said:
Nah dude, I already flashed one and it was fine
Click to expand...

Alright I'll try it out. Which one should I use? :)

Should I flash the latest stock AT&T firmware, then a T-Mobile modem? What do you recommend? Thanks in advance bro.

Update : If you mean LTE, it's not locked. That means that if you don't do anything to an unlocked i747 and use it on T-Mobile, you'd still get LTE. AWS however, would be locked. T-Mobile is refarming the PCS band (1900) to HSDPA and some already have their area refarmed. They also build LTE on top of it.
 
SuperAfnan said:
Alright I'll try it out. Which one should I use? :)

Should I flash the latest stock AT&T firmware, then a T-Mobile modem? What do you recommend? Thanks in advance bro.

Update : If you mean LTE, it's not locked. That means that if you don't do anything to an unlocked i747 and use it on T-Mobile, you'd still get LTE. AWS however, would be locked. T-Mobile is refarming the PCS band (1900) to HSDPA and some already have their area refarmed. They also build LTE on top of it.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure my phone is set to auto and I choose which ever is best
 
I had the latest firmware then, flashed the modem and a bunch of other stuff and then flashed the Pac Man nightly
 
zu5ebare.jpg
 
SuperAfnan said:
Hey guys, as you may or may not know, T-Mobile is currently refarming EDGE (2G) on the 1900 band to 3G (HSDPA). T-Mobile is planning on modernizing it's 1900 band to 3g to accommodate iPhone users and people who unlocked their non T-Mobile device (including me :D) and are using it on T-Mobile.

For those who don't know, I have an unlocked i747 AT&T Samsung Galaxy S3 and I'm using it on T-Mobile. I updated to the latest firmware and instead of EDGE, I see 4G (I know it's not 4g, just 3g marketed as 4g) in many new areas around Jacksonville, Florida.

There are also many areas that have LTE and are therefore, refarmed since T-Mobile usually adds LTE to areas they refarmed.

But I have a few questions.

1. When will this be finished. In 2014 right?

2. Are they going to refarm 100 percent of their coverage?

3. Right now when I turn on data, it shows UMTS/HSDPA, but it goes back to edge 1 minute later. Are they still in the process of refarming my neighborhood? Or do i have a poor connection? I'm pretty sure they're still refarming it because on my HTC Amaze I get a fairly decent HSDPA signal in my house. :)

Also if you guys want to check or submit reports of the UMTS 1900 refarm go to airportal.de. ;)
Click to expand...
off the top of my head

1. Whenever they finish the initial LTE rollout which is when they reach 200 million and within the past week they've said they're at 180+ with LTE

2. No its going to be 37000 of the around 60000 towers that'll be refarmed, 220 million.
 
Gman9831 said:
off the top of my head

1. Whenever they finish the initial LTE rollout which is when they reach 200 million and within the past week they've said they're at 180+ with LTE

2. No its going to be 37000 of the around 60000 towers that'll be refarmed, 220 million.
Click to expand...

Guess what guys? It looks like they refarmed my neighborhood area. :D

So they're basically still rolling out LTE? I hope more of it comes here in Jacksonville especially, it's a huge city (landwise) though so it might take a while. :o
 
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