LTE indoor signal

[Google_Superuser]

I switched to T-mobile from AT&T a few days ago. My house is basically a black hole for the cell/data signal. Outside the walls it's fine inside it's terrible especially in my office where I spend most of my time at home. On ATT I got 1 bar 90% of the time, but with T-mobile I am basically at 0 in the back of the house. Now I live in an LTE area and I was wondering if LTE is somehow any better at indoor signal penetration?


I am using a Nexus 4 which is hspa+ only obviously. I had planned to wait for the next Nexus phone but if I can get a better signal with LTE I will probably pick up an S4 GE

 

[Almeuit]

I switched to T-mobile from AT&T a few days ago. My house is basically a black hole for the cell/data signal. Outside the walls it's fine inside it's terrible especially in my office where I spend most of my time at home. On ATT I got 1 bar 90% of the time, but with T-mobile I am basically at 0 in the back of the house. Now I live in an LTE area and I was wondering if LTE is somehow any better at indoor signal penetration?


I am using a Nexus 4 which is hspa+ only obviously. I had planned to wait for the next Nexus phone but if I can get a better signal with LTE I will probably pick up an S4 GE

It may but no one can say for sure. You'd have to test it out with a device. I'd personally recommend the T-mobile version of a phone so you can use WiFi calling.. My house destroys cell signal to but using the WiFi calling feature allows it to use my wifi as the cell tower. Resolves my indoor issue.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[Google_Superuser]

Yeah I use grooveip and gvoice for voice and texts but the problem is I need mms and I can't really use anything but cell data or make everyone switch to a third party messaging service which isn't happening.

I have an LTE att phone but I don't have an unlock code and because it used to be on a family plan it's in some kind of limbo where my number exists as neither a former or current att number.

It's kind of ironic that the reception is fine literally everywhere other than my house.

 

[Almeuit]

Yeah I use grooveip and gvoice for voice and texts but the problem is I need mms and I can't really use anything but cell data or make everyone switch to a third party messaging service which isn't happening.

I have an LTE att phone but I don't have an unlock code and because it used to be on a family plan it's in some kind of limbo where my number exists as neither a former or current att number.

It's kind of ironic that the reception is fine literally everywhere other than my house.

It happens. My house kills all cell signal... However the WiFi calling solves that. It allows calls, text (SMS), and MMS. All through your wifi.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[Google_Superuser]

I am going to try and get att to unlock my phone. Then I can give it a try looks like radio ucmc1 for the i727 will work with tmobile lte. Worth a try. I prefer to get unlocked google phones.

 

[21stNow]

It's not really ironic that a cell phone doesn't work well inside your house, since that's not what cell phones were designed for in the first place. Cell phones were originally designed to have an uninterrupted line of travel for the radio waves between the phone's antenna and the tower. Building materials (and trees and terrain) can interrupt the travel path for the radio wave and reduce or prevent the signal from transmitting from the cell phone to the tower. Over time, people have been able to use cell phones inside of buildings but it should not be expected.

This leads to the answer for your original question. T-Mobile's LTE signal is primarily on the 1700MHz band (there is some on the 1900MHz band in the spectrum acquired from MetroPCS). The higher the frequency, the shorter the wave. Short waves do not penetrate buildings as well as longer waves. This is one of the reasons that Verizon Wireless and AT&T work hard to obtain the 700MHz spectrum, because it gives better service inside of buildings. There are other reasons that the 700MHz spectrum is valuable, as well.

So T-Mobile's LTE service probably won't give you significantly better reception than what you are seeing now.

 

[Google_Superuser]

Ok that makes sense. Thank you.

I should have clarified that it's ironic because it seemingly works in most other buildings and houses just fine. Like I said without tmobile wifi calling there is no way to send MMS and I don't want to get a carrier locked phone.

 

[IAmSixNine]

FYI Google_Superuser, unlocking your ATT phone for T-Mobile wont give you LTE unless TMO is using LTE in the 1900 band where you are..
Most ATT phones that have LTE are in the 700mhz and 1900 mhz spectrum.
Most TMO LTE is in the 1700mhz aws spectrum with some in the 1900mhz.

someone feel free to chime in and correct me if i am wrong.

 

[Google_Superuser]

It looked like from threads on xda that radio ucmc1 worked with the 1700 spectrum I do believe the hardware is technically capable of running that spectrum. I could be misunderstanding though

 

[Mellimel22]

FYI Google_Superuser, unlocking your ATT phone for T-Mobile wont give you LTE unless TMO is using LTE in the 1900 band where you are..
Most ATT phones that have LTE are in the 700mhz and 1900 mhz spectrum.
Most TMO LTE is in the 1700mhz aws spectrum with some in the 1900mhz.

someone feel free to chime in and correct me if i am wrong.

Yeah bro u is wrong. Most if not all att unlocked phones will work on lte and hspa+. Because att uses the same bands T-mobile uses plus there own. It's the unlocked. TMO phones that won't work all the way on att network.

Sent from my T-mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mellimel22]

Sent from my T-mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

 

[Google_Superuser]

Got an unlock code from ATT. Going to flash the skyrocket back to stock for testing purposes then give it a try.

 

[Google_Superuser]

RESULTS!!!!

1. With an unlocked skyrocket on the newest att firmware LTE does work though I never got a perfect signal and speeds while better than hspa+ didn't seems to be full lte speeds though ping was low like it should be on lte.
2. Did not get LTE inside the house anywhere.
3. Reception on hspa+ was better though it could simply be the phone...I was able to get 1-2 bars in the worst areas of the house.

 

[IAmSixNine]

Yeah bro u is wrong. Most if not all att unlocked phones will work on lte and hspa+. Because att uses the same bands T-mobile uses plus there own. It's the unlocked. TMO phones that won't work all the way on att network.

Sent from my T-mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

Gee Bro, I guess I Is Wrong and U is Rite..

 

[Mellimel22]

Gee Bro, I guess I Is Wrong and U is Rite..

Hardy har har

Sent from my T-mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

 

[tybo31316]

It may but no one can say for sure. You'd have to test it out with a device. I'd personally recommend the T-mobile version of a phone so you can use WiFi calling.. My house destroys cell signal to but using the WiFi calling feature allows it to use my wifi as the cell tower. Resolves my indoor issue.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

Speaking of WiFi calling and poor reception. I'm considering moving to tmo and one of my concerns is building penetration. I spend a lot of time in grocery stores that has public WiFi. Does tmo WiFi calling work on public WiFi networks? I've tried Google voice with groove IP on those networks and it didn't work the ports were blocked.

Sent from my EVO

 

[Almeuit]

I haven't found a place that it doesn't work yet. I love it for the house so much.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[Mellimel22]

I have all my bars at my house, my girl house, and work. No need for it yet.

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

 

[tybo31316]

Well if one of you could try it out for me that would be great. I live in Jacksonville Florida and waiting for my Sprint contract to end and WiFi calling would be a big deal because I work in grocery stores all around town and most of them are dead zones for most carriers so if tmo is one of them WiFi would extend my coverage.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[Almeuit]

Well if one of you could try it out for me that would be great. I live in Jacksonville Florida and waiting for my Sprint contract to end and WiFi calling would be a big deal because I work in grocery stores all around town and most of them are dead zones for most carriers so if tmo is one of them WiFi would extend my coverage.

Sent from my Nexus 7

Any grocery stores you want me to try? I live in Jacksonville as well.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.