Question

Coverage - what is the plan for my area?

  • 29 September 2023
  • 11 replies
  • 141 views

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I’ve been suffering with very poor T-Mobile/Sprint coverage for years in Byron, MN.  The cellspot T-Mobile sent me helps me make calls, get data and send text - using my wifi router to provide the connectivity.  However, if I leave my home, my cell phone coverage is very poor.   My Verizon work cell phone works great!    I’ve called T-Mobile customer service and have to use my Verizon cell phone to complete the calls!  What is the plan to improve coverage in zip code 55920 so I can use my cell service without being connected to my cellspot?    I’m so frustrated that I am going to switch to Verizon if there is no plan to improve coverage.


11 replies

Userlevel 7
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no carrier tosses out info like this. to many variables can change up their time frame.

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Thanks, I guess that answers my question.  Off to Verizon I go.  

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

out of curiosity though do you know anyone else around you with a TMO phone? and if so are they seeing the same thing or does their phone work fine? could end up being a sim issue or something and not so much network related.

 

have you contacted TMO and put in a network ticket?

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Our family has three phones all with the same poor coverage.    it's been this way for a very long time, even with new sims.  Have spent hours with support, they gave us a cell spot but that only works when we are at home.  If go for a run/walk, go to the school or down the block, my phone turns into a brick.

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

out of curiosity if you pull up the coverage map and zoom into your area whats it showing for you? im seeing a lot of zero coverage spots which would be im guessing due to terrain. and a lot of areas that look to be 4G only..

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From the coverage map, looks like almost full coverage with 4G LTE.  All around the city (in the corn/farm fields) it is 5G - doesn’t make sense.  There are far more areas in the city with no coverage than what the maps shows.  

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Welcome to T-Mobiles coverage maps.  The maps that are shown are more for ... sales than they are for actual service.  Many 'No Service' areas are shown as 4glte or 5g.  If you call and get 'Advanced technical support ', they can verify the service, or lack of, in your area.

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

From the coverage map, looks like almost full coverage with 4G LTE.  All around the city (in the corn/farm fields) it is 5G - doesn’t make sense.  There are far more areas in the city with no coverage than what the maps shows.  

not that theyre accurate but i did notice quite a few blips of white on the map as well which are dead zones.

Userlevel 7
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Sadly, the former maps which showed ‘Excellent / Good / Fair / No Service’ has been primarily converted to ‘5G UC / 5G / 4G LTE / No Service’

With the former maps, much of what was listed as ‘Fair’ typically really meant “You_might_ get service outdoors” if all conditions are ideal (no clouds, trees with leaves, you’re facing the correct direction ‘and’ all the planets are in alignment).  Good typically meant you have service indicator, can make calls/text, and “might” have data service that is usable.

Since there’s no differentiation between what as ‘fair’ (service if you’re lucky) and excellent (standing within ~1000’ of the tower), the maps become much less useful for consumers, but much more important for …. sales.

The ‘actual’ tower is east of Byron, MN  The one that shows in ‘red’ is a ghost (i.e. bad geo-tag or not properly triangulated).

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0216365,-92.5990489,3a,60y,26.39h,95.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1so_bPjqTfMCVQ540gAbvoTg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Verizon appears to be the only carrier with a site the Byron

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0327086,-92.6283635,3a,15y,82.06h,104.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sj6oAsyYAYv9eFkE9hAMpow!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

 

 

 

Userlevel 7
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As a note… You would have to file tickets to find out ‘what is the plan’.

In the rural area just north of me, T-Mobile still doesn’t know what their plan is .. and that’s after 8 years of tickets and a handful of their Office of Executive Management - Executive Response Team calls, along with FCC/CPUC filings.  Don’t hold your breath.

Userlevel 7
Badge +16

agreed..in this scenario it looks like V would be your best bet in that town.

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