Has anyone else noticed that T-Mobile’s coverage map is misleading and flat out wrong? Part of the reason we joined was due to their claim of having full coverage in a part of Wisconsin. First time we were there we had zero service through T-mobile, and we ended up on a AT&T network. That then treated our service as roaming and did not allow for us to use data. I proceeded to call T-mobile and they confirmed their map is wrong and they use a roaming partner (AT&T) there and “appreciated the feedback”. Despite that, they haven’t corrected the issue. Seems like a false claim T-Mobile should be held accountable for. Anyone else come across this? And did they report this to any regulatory authorities?
False Coverage Map
Userlevel 3
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I am having coverage problems in NC, when their Map show T-Mobile is covering the area but I get NO SERVICE and even when I am looking at cell phone towers. Went to a local T-Mobile store in Norfolk, Va and they just told me that if I had my phone set for roaming it would not work with T-Mobile
Userlevel 1
I'm in Texas and I'm having the same issue. The coverage map is a lie. I haven't reported it because I haven't figured out who I need to report it to. Customer support is zero help and I don't think tmobile has any plans to correct their map. The just continue the lie because it brings in customers.
Userlevel 1
Just switched from AT&T to T-mobile. I thought T-mobile would be better, but I was wrong. I have had more dropped calls and lack of service from T-mobile than I ever did with AT&T (I do not like AT&T so please don't think I am defending them). All 4 of us on my plan are feeling the same way. If I don't have WIFI calling enabled, I cannot make a call from inside any building. If I don't have WIFI - no phone, no texts. Pretty much ridiculous as an actual phone. I am currently sitting next to a window in my house, cannot make a call. I literally have to go outside - THEN I can make a call.
EVerywhere we used to have service with AT&T - does not with T-Mobile. The coverage map is a lie - or at a minimum extremely stretching the truth.
Onalaska-Livingston Texas - same thing. We have ZERO service around this area, even though the coverage map shows solid pink (checked before we migrated from Verizon). Ridiculously, cannot send text messages most of the time when we are not at home... Very bait-n-switch.
Anything that is showing as 'light' magenta (fair coverage) is typically 'You will be lucky outdoors to find ANY usable service'.
I've been through many states, and even locally, where T-Mobile claims '4G LTE Verified' there is 'No Service' to be found from T-Mobile.
Network scan outdoors - in the open brings up... AT&T 3G/LTE, Verizon LTE and Firstnet LTE. T-Mobile is nowhere to be seen.
I've escalated this issue MANY times with T-Mobile and their 'Office of Executive Management' through BBB and emails to last CEO.
Their OEM is exceptionally hostile and does nothing to resolve anything, except ask 'Why are you using T-Mobile where it doesn't work' ? Which brings me to legitimately respond: Why doesn't T-Mobile have working service where they claim ? I'm paying for the service, but not receiving.
5 years later... still no service in an area John Legere and Neville Ray claim... 4G LTE verified service.
Response: T-Mobile claims that a 'verified' marker only means that their network received a 'ping' from someone's device. I.e. An attempted connection - may not have even shown up on your device.
T-Mobile does actually have little hexagons on their map where customer's phones connect to their network. It's not a lot of data but it's better than none. There are differences between phones so some people can connect where other's can't.
I tend to run CellMapper whenever I go to a new area or an area where I suspect there's recently upgraded service. Sensorly is another one. RootMetrics.com also has coverage maps and does reports on how the carriers compare in urban markets. Apps like this run only on Android phones because iOS doesn't expose signal information in the API.
Take those hexagons with a grain of salt. There are a few areas nearby where service doesn't exist (never has), and 6 months before Band 12 existed in the area, T-Mobile magically painted the area with service and hexagons... that was in 2015. Service still doesn't exist, and they still paint it.
Cell mapper recorded 1 dot over the +5 miles of community of 'No Service' - possibly during the one time that I saw T-Mobile in a network scan, and couldn't register. Yes - my phone(s) support all T-Mobile bands, and this was outdoors in a clearing.
Take some of their coverage with a grain of salt.
Userlevel 1
Don’t trust T-mobile and their coverage maps at all.
I would recommend ‘Cellmapper.net’ for a valid (but techy) map. Similarly, Opensignal isn’t bad, but has less data. Note: cellmapper.net works on Android, PC. You might be able to use the browser version on iOS
In Oregon I check coverage maps before we go camping and more than half the time we are disappointed with the accuracy. Maybe time to start a lawsuit. I have stayed with TMobile because of pricing and service, the latter has diminished in recent years... I will not refer any more because they screw it up and don't pay up, reaching somebody that cares enough to help with issues has become a thing of the past. I have lost trust in TMobile
Same situation here in North East Texas. Map shows full pink even with 5g but I get 1 bar of LTE with .10-.26 MBs. What is really frustrating is that before 5g was introduced I was able to get about 12 MBs download speeds on T-Mobile at home. I even had the first round of home internet. Signal has degraded severely over the past year to year and a half.
T-Mobile has mostly covered their bases ‘legally’ with buried disclaimers about ‘no guarantee of coverage - anywhere’.
The ONLY true way to get this ‘fixed’ would be to have either competitors (AT&T/VZW) shame them (doesn’t help a lot these days, but the old “Can you hear me now” made Verizon. The alternative is having media (News AND company like Ookla/Root Metrics) to pour some sunlight on this issue. I’m doubtful, but you never know.
Userlevel 2
T-Mobile has mostly covered their bases ‘legally’ with buried disclaimers about ‘no guarantee of coverage - anywhere’.
The ONLY true way to get this ‘fixed’ would be to have either competitors (AT&T/VZW) shame them (doesn’t help a lot these days, but the old “Can you hear me now” made Verizon.
Are VZW/ATT maps any more reliable? Saw similar complaints on the VZW forums
Reliable.. not sure. Accurate, and not as over hyped.. yes. For years, starting around 2015 with band 12, T-Mobile pushed coverage maps with “4G LTE coverage verified” in areas that have no 4g , or even service. Last fall, until this spring, all of the coverage maps were updated to reflect something more accurate . Then in May, it reverted. , Yet still the same coverage.
Continuing on an old post/thread, as TMobile still has not updated its ‘No Service ‘ areas as ‘No Service ‘, which now former Sprint customers will probably notice.
What makes this more frustrating, is that TMobiles “internal” coverage maps claim service where there is none. This makes calls to TMobile support useless, as they also claim service where there is none. You will spend quite a bit of time with your “team of experts “, to be be told to …
- Reboot your phone
- Reset.your network
- Replace your SIM
- Factory wipe your phone
- Tell you that the site is being upgraded/undergoing maintenance (always!)
- Offer a compromise ($30 off your bill this month, tell you to get a prepaid VZW card)
- Finally get to. “Advanced technical support “, where they'll claim its “marginal” coverage, and shouldn't be on the coverage map to begin with, and they'll port you out to Verizon/At&t.
This is not the way for a multi billion dollar corporation to operate, especially when. It was John Legere who took issue with At&t coverage maps and said we have ‘Verified ‘ coverage… yeah, right. 7 years later and still “No Service “ in those “Verified “ locations
Userlevel 2
Yes. We had T-Mobile two years ago and it was almost useless in our house. Switched to Verizon and coverage everywhere was clearly better.
Last week I fell for the T-Mobile hype, marketing and promo’s. Switched back after the sales guy showed me the coverage map of my house and promised it would be excellent. Not significantly different than it was two years ago. ONE BAR and NO 5G!. T-Mobile needs to take some of that marketing budget and spend it on their infrastructure. Must be hard for sales to keep promising coverage that does not and may never exist.
T-Mobile’s sales people will sell whatever they can - ABCD = Always Be Closing Deals
T-Mobile (except advanced technical support) will ‘guarantee coverage’ in places where T-Mobile’s coverage map shows 5G/4G LTE … but there is no service.
I’d recommend for a better result coverage map:
https://maps.t-mobile.com/pcc.html?map=mvno-roamd-5
This at least comes closer to reality than the generic 5g/5g UC coverage map for usable service.
Similarly, I’ve been in many areas where its shown ‘5G UC’, and I’m getting 1 bar 5G (no UC). and service is unusable .. outdoors.
I find that in my case I am told completely conflicting stories on anything that I ask or read. To say T-mobile plays fast and loose with the truth is an understatement IMHO. I am disgusted by this company. Really I am.
Absolute WORST service EVER!!! When I had Sprint I got service everywhere I went. I never had an issue except for maybe one time. Since having to switch to T mobile, I'm lucky if I get service without having to stand on the roof holding an antenna. I live in the same house, drive the same roads, go into the same stores etc.. As I did with Sprint. Nothing on my end has changed. My phone will be laying on the table, nobody touches it but all of the sudden it says "Emergency calls only" which btw is a joke too. I have missed a few emergency calls because of the crappy service. One of which was a sudden death in my family. Add on to that I get a message at least 10 times a day that says "voice service disabled by carrier"
Customer services answer is ALWAYS turn off your phone and turn it back on. Smdh... Really?
Not to mention my bill has been steadily increasing bit by bit. Small increments but now has become about $30 more than what I was paying with Sprint. I was assured, promised and guaranteed my bill would not go up..... Well t mobile, here we are! One line definitely NOT worth $100/month. Maybe on the t mobile Tuesdays they could start giving offering service instead of the ridiculous promos I've seen.
I find that in my case I am told completely conflicting stories on anything that I ask or read. To say T-mobile plays fast and loose with the truth is an understatement IMHO. I am disgusted by this company. Really I am.
T-Mobile is still attempting to get the ‘low fruit hanging from AT&T/Verizon tree’ approach - i.e. urban, and ‘some’ suburban areas on cost, with a claim of having the most ‘5g’ coverage (NOTE: 5g coverage < T-Mobile coverage and much less than others overall coverage). Yes, they do play fast/loose with the coverage.
Written by sales, verified by lawyers … meant to be misleading.
I did warn T-Mobile (through its OEM team) about the loss of coverage that Sprint users would hit where T-Mobile was weak/had no service, and Sprint had roamed on AT&T/VZW in the past. This is where T-Mobile will lose many customers.
Good thread. The longer I’m with T Mobile the more frustrated I get. The coverage map is a joke. Rural travel is most a No Service experience. Sales reps seem jaded by mad customers who believe marketing maps.
But it works well enough for me, and the price beats the competition. With 1 bar of service at the house we still are able to make calls, text, and move a lot of data.
What makes me sad is 15 years ago I remember more reliable data service with a Sprint 3G card in a laptop than I get with a new 5G iPhone.
im a bit reversed. im seeing much faster speeds now that im merged over from Sprint than i did while with Sprint. and actual good 5G speeds when i never had 5G in any of my main areas i frequent.
just did a speed test via speedtest.net app and pulled in 560Mbps down, 34Mbps up and a 17ms ping.
while in a warehouse with just about everything you can think of that’ll block signal.
fastest i could ever get with Sprint via 4G only was 50ish Mbps down..tops. which worked perfectly fine for every day type things.
Best I’ve hit on ‘old Sprint’ 310-120 was a little north of 300Mbps.
It was 20MHz+20MHz+20MHz B41 LTE.
That site has since been rebuilt (last month) and now on n41 its +1Gbps.
T-Mobile still has a ways to go in many areas for rural. In some areas, where Sprint had service, those has been repurposed and new coverage exists.
Some that came to Sprint, depending on location, have lost service, or its ‘not the same’ as Sprint, partially due to lack of roaming, and local service not being the same.
correct. i know when Sprint did all of their network upgrades that took them a few years to fully take care of. I live in a rural area as well as work in said areas..
however my old home town on the other hand has not changed up a single bit so far..same ol full out dead areas or areas that should be dead but has that shred of signal there enough to give you hope..which then turns around and pokes your hope in the eye lol.
Logged in here for the express purpose of echoing the frustrations of the other individuals who were deceived by T Mobile’s marketing lies. Since joining a few months ago I have been UNDERWHELMED--to put it mildly--by the quality of service or rather the lack thereof. Pathetic doesn’t even begin to summarise it. Dropped calls, failed conections, messages not sending /receiving, no internet connection (regardless of the bar count), and the ever buffering wheel of frustration, that’s what I’ve gotten from T Mobile so far. When I called with a question about these issues and FINALLY got through to tech support the suggested “solution” was to replace the R15 SIM cards that are only a few months old with identical R15 SIM cards! The one thing they never fail to do however is debit my account for a payment every month like clockwork.
I am somewhat relieved that it isn’t just me although it likely means I will have to try and find another provider and hope for better results. From having spent time in the UK, I can affirm that cellular service simply sucks in the USA. I can’t say why exactly but the issue has to have something to do with the infrastructure but whether it’s an issue of maintenance, implementation, or both I simply don’t know. Regardless, what customers are forced to contend with at the hands of T Mobile is simply unacceptable.
I noticed there were a few former Sprint customers venting their ire in this thread and rightly so. I am not a former Sprint customer but I work with one and he says that when he was with Sprint he had no issues with coverage or service. Since being forced to become an involuntary T Mobile customer by virtue of the acquisition, he says it has been nothing but one problem after another with T Mobile naturally denying that it has anything to do with them in spite of the fact that the issues didn’t start until T Mobile sent him their SIM card.
I’ve also spoken to a number of other co-workers about my mobile phone woes. When I tell them who my carrier is they all say to a man that that is my problem.
Speaks volumes I think.
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