N4 and Simple Mobile?

etnpnys

Well-known member
Jul 2, 2010
264
6
0
Visit site
Do you get data roaming with other carriers?

THis says you get limited free data roaming with Tmo, but maybe only post paid monthly: Support: Domestic Data Roaming FAQs

And this seems to infer that data roaming may be more accessible in the future: Verizon Loses Bid to Quash FCC's Data Roaming Rules | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
Haha - yes. With Sprint, I roam onto Verizon's network, which is great for voice, but the data speed drops down to something akin to a 2400 baud modem. ...But it still works enough to give me email notifications and stuff!

So, for you guys on TMo, you don't even get email notifications when roaming? That actually sounds quite bad...
 

minnemike

Well-known member
Nov 29, 2012
861
0
0
Visit site
Haha - yes. With Sprint, I roam onto Verizon's network, which is great for voice, but the data speed drops down to something akin to a 2400 baud modem. ...But it still works enough to give me email notifications and stuff!

So, for you guys on TMo, you don't even get email notifications when roaming? That actually sounds quite bad...

According to my link, you get data roaming with tmo post paid.
 

Citizen Coyote

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2011
1,378
9
0
Visit site
According to my link, you get data roaming with tmo post paid.

Right. If you have a contract, one of the perks is some data roaming (the amount depends on what tier of service you have). If you're prepaid, however, no data roaming for you. It's just one way they keep costs down.

(And yes, Sprint's data roaming on Verizon's network is terrible/next to worthless, and sucks battery. Personally I feel better off without it now!)
 

bobjohnson201

Well-known member
Jul 4, 2011
845
0
0
Visit site
Right. If you have a contract, one of the perks is some data roaming (the amount depends on what tier of service you have). If you're prepaid, however, no data roaming for you. It's just one way they keep costs down.

(And yes, Sprint's data roaming on Verizon's network is terrible/next to worthless, and sucks battery. Personally I feel better off without it now!)

I have great Verizon coverage in my area so I was always stunned when I would roam on Verizon's network and got god awful signal

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
 

saeufer

Well-known member
Nov 9, 2012
85
0
0
Visit site
Right. If you have a contract, one of the perks is some data roaming (the amount depends on what tier of service you have). If you're prepaid, however, no data roaming for you. It's just one way they keep costs down.

(And yes, Sprint's data roaming on Verizon's network is terrible/next to worthless, and sucks battery. Personally I feel better off without it now!)

In a lot of parts of the country, the only other GSM carrier is AT&T, though, and their network is generally barred with a T-Mo SIM. Unless you have a GSM carrier other than AT&T in your area (or there's a roaming agreement still in effect from a GSM carrier now owned by AT&T), there's nothing onto which you can roam.

I had T-Mobile postpaid for years; the only places I saw data roaming were a few oddball spots in northeastern California and somewhere along US189 and 191 in Wyoming. 95% of the time, when you're in an area that T-Mobile doesn't cover but AT&T does, you see the dreaded "emergency calls only".

As for Sprint, I'm not sure what their deal is--my old employer switched from Verizon to Sprint, and my Sprint BlackBerry showed "no service" standing in the very same spot where I'd had fast 3G data with my Verizon BB a couple months prior. It was an area that Sprint's network doesn't cover at all, FWIW.
 

runtmms

Well-known member
Jan 11, 2013
305
0
0
Visit site
The problem I am having is that I am not receiving all the mms being sent to me. Anyone else having this problem or know how to fix that?


I don't know if it is applicable or not, but I just set up my Nexus 4 on Solavei and initially didn't have mms. The SIM card had a generic default T-Mobile APN on it when I put it in the phone. Per instructions I added my own default APN, and a separate APN type:mms instead of one big combined one. I just left the old default APN not realizing it also had mms setting and mms listed as an APN type. Even though I had already added an new default APN - and set it as default, it was apparently taking the mms setting from the old APN. When I deleted the mms settings and type from the old APN everything worked fine. Hope that makes sense.

BTW in the discussions of prepaid plans I think Solavei is a great value at $49 per month for unlimited talk/text/data unthrottled to 4GB - assuming you get good T-Mobile coverage, and you can't make due with one of the $30 T-Mobile plans. The only problem I've had so far is described above and is clearly my fault. If you look into Solavei you'll see they do the affiliate sign up thing.

[post edited by moderator]
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Bratigan

Active member
Dec 10, 2012
44
0
6
Visit site
Sorry for a sidebar but when I checked the Tmobile sight it declared that my zip code was not in a service area. When I went on the Simple Mobile site
they stated that I was in fact in a service area and I could order their service. Seems odd as Simple Mobile uses Tmobiles coverage. I would prefer
Tmobile because of the actual unlimited component. I also question the coverage maps somewhat as I cannot verify the signals when I check them independently.
 

skidmark

Well-known member
Dec 25, 2010
356
1
0
Visit site
Does anyone know of you can cellular roam with either Solvaei or Simple mobile or Tmo as far as voice calls?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
 

Citizen Coyote

Well-known member
Jul 9, 2011
1,378
9
0
Visit site
Does anyone know of you can cellular roam with either Solvaei or Simple mobile or Tmo as far as voice calls?

I know you can with T-Mobile. I'm not sure about the other two.

As for coverage, I would trust T-Mobile's zip code based decision over whatever Simple Mobile told you. You may very well get coverage with either, but it could be awful to a degree that T-Mobile just says don't bother. You might be better off with Straight Talk or AT&T.
 

runtmms

Well-known member
Jan 11, 2013
305
0
0
Visit site
Does anyone know of you can cellular roam with either Solvaei or Simple mobile or Tmo as far as voice calls?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

As far as I know, the Solavei map is the same as the T-Mobile prepaid map. There is a limited amount of service partner "domestic roaming" that is supposed to be 2g/voice.

As an example, I have Solavei and I had a strong service partner signal in Kremmling, CO. You just need to examine the map (while zoomed in enough to see the details. It's important to be zoomed in almost all the way.)

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
 

boparunsxc

Well-known member
Jul 3, 2012
133
0
0
Visit site
If you're considering simple mobile, I'd look at Ptel too. They operate on T-mo's network, have the same plans as simple mobile and it looks like they have more coverage than simple mobile.
 

Attachments

  • Screen Shot 2013-01-30 at 8.07.20 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2013-01-30 at 8.07.20 PM.png
    689.8 KB · Views: 7
  • Screen Shot 2013-01-30 at 8.06.52 PM.png
    Screen Shot 2013-01-30 at 8.06.52 PM.png
    174.6 KB · Views: 7

AtomicFrost

Member
Nov 14, 2012
20
0
0
Visit site
If you're considering simple mobile, I'd look at Ptel too. They operate on T-mo's network, have the same plans as simple mobile and it looks like they have more coverage than simple mobile.

It looks like Ptel is just showing T-Mobile's prepaid 2G/Voice coverage, and Simple Mobile's coverage map is just showing the 3G/4G coverage area for T-Mobile. I'm not sure why both of these MVNO's don't show both coverage maps? :confused:

Here are the prepaid maps from T-Mobile directly: Prepaid Cell Phone Coverage | Pay As You Go Phone Coverage | T-Mobile

I'm not sure why, but T-Mobile splits the 2G and 3/4G coverage maps.
 

skidmark

Well-known member
Dec 25, 2010
356
1
0
Visit site
I know you can with T-Mobile. I'm not sure about the other two.

As for coverage, I would trust T-Mobile's zip code based decision over whatever Simple Mobile told you. You may very well get coverage with either, but it could be awful to a degree that T-Mobile just says don't bother. You might be better off with Straight Talk or AT&T.

Thanks. I was worried about the need to voice roam in emergency if I was out of network since I do a lot of camping.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2