T-Mobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

raino

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

I don't think band 12 is in any devices right now? If it was, deployment could be tracked.
 

dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

I don't think band 12 is in any devices right now? If it was, deployment could be tracked.

Correct, I don't think any current devices are band 12 capable, hence why I asked when they will be showing up

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Hiberny

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

I'm guessing it will take 9-12 months to see band 12 on a device. It will probably coincide nicely with the launch of the first markets.

Now that it's obvious T-Mobile needs the rest of the A block, I wonder if the small carriers will make them pay through the nose. If they were smart, the small carriers would give T-Mobile the A block in return for national roaming agreements. Of course, that requires VoLTE, since the small carriers are all CDMA.
 

dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

I'm guessing it will take 9-12 months to see band 12 on a device. It will probably coincide nicely with the launch of the first markets.

Now that it's obvious T-Mobile needs the rest of the A block, I wonder if the small carriers will make them pay through the nose. If they were smart, the small carriers would give T-Mobile the A block in return for national roaming agreements. Of course, that requires VoLTE, since the small carriers are all CDMA.

T-Mobile users could roam on AT&T band 12 once it is deployed.

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yankeesusa

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

Yea, right now that band is not usable by current phones but maybe they'll have it ready for Nexus 6 or galaxy s5 or even THE NOTE 4. Either way it's great news. Especially with the announcement of 14 new LTE markets.

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raino

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

I hope they can still afford to buy significant chunks in the 600 MHz auctions next year.
 

Hiberny

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

If they managed to get all of the A block they might only need a sliver of 600 Mhz. They key will be a nationwide band.

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raino

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

Band 12: 699-716 UL, 729-746 DL
Band 13: 777-787 UL, 746-756 DL
Band 17: 704-716 UL, 734-746 DL

It looks like there's partial overlap between bands 12 and 17. What does this mean in terms of interoperability? Will band 12 phones automatically be band 17 compatible too? Will band 17 phones work in band 12 markets under certain conditions?
 

Hiberny

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

If I understand correctly, band 12 includes 17. Band 12 phones will be able to roam on AT&Ts band 17 LTE (if they ever allow it).

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dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

If I understand correctly, band 12 includes 17. Band 12 phones will be able to roam on AT&Ts band 17 LTE (if they ever allow it).

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Correct. Band 12 includes lower blocks a, b, and c. Band 17 includes lower blocks b and c. The reason why band 17 was created was because of the potential interference between lower block a and channel 51.

Band 12 phones cannot roam on band 17 without modification, however att has indicated that it would modify it's network to work with band 12.

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Hiberny

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

Wow, the incompatibility is even worse than I thought. We just need all unlocked phones to have 12 and 17 I guess.

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dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

Wow, the incompatibility is even worse than I thought. We just need all unlocked phones to have 12 and 17 I guess.

Posted via Android Central App

" AT&T?s current 700 MHz LTE network, which is expected to provide coverage to nearly 270 million consumers in 400 markets by the end of 2013, currently supports only Band 17 devices. Band 12 support on AT&T?s network will require that AT&T deploy a new network technology that will permit simultaneous support of both Band 12 and Band 17 devices. Absent this dual support, millions of pre-existing Band 17 devices currently in use by AT&T?s customers would be stranded. To achieve this, AT&T must develop, implement and deploy throughout its network Multi-Frequency Band Indicator or MFBI capabilities. MFBI will permit AT&T?s network to operate simultaneously as both a Band 12 and Band 17 network and to support devices in both bands. This feature was recently standardized, and as with any new significant feature, deployment will require lab regression testing of the new major software release that will contain it, lab testing of the feature and its functionality, and field testing that includes extensive testing with existing Band 17 legacy devices as well as new prototype Band 12 devices. Additionally, testing of both types of devices with various carrier aggregation capabilities operating simultaneously with the MFBI feature will need to be completed. "

You can read more here if interested

http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/public/mdano/amis/att-interop-fcc.pdf


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raino

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

" AT&T’s current 700 MHz LTE network, which is expected to provide coverage to nearly 270 million consumers in 400 markets by the end of 2013, currently supports only Band 17 devices. Band 12 support on AT&T’s network will require that AT&T deploy a new network technology that will permit simultaneous support of both Band 12 and Band 17 devices. Absent this dual support, millions of pre-existing Band 17 devices currently in use by AT&T’s customers would be stranded. To achieve this, AT&T must develop, implement and deploy throughout its network Multi-Frequency Band Indicator or MFBI capabilities. MFBI will permit AT&T’s network to operate simultaneously as both a Band 12 and Band 17 network and to support devices in both bands. This feature was recently standardized, and as with any new significant feature, deployment will require lab regression testing of the new major software release that will contain it, lab testing of the feature and its functionality, and field testing that includes extensive testing with existing Band 17 legacy devices as well as new prototype Band 12 devices. Additionally, testing of both types of devices with various carrier aggregation capabilities operating simultaneously with the MFBI feature will need to be completed. "

You can read more here if interested

http://assets.fiercemarkets.net/public/mdano/amis/att-interop-fcc.pdf

I'm confused by this snippet.

-Why would "millions of pre-existing Band 17 devices currently in use by AT&T’s customers...be stranded" without MFBI? Is AT&T planning to somehow do away with the current band 17 network?

-Let's say in the future I had an unlocked TMO bands 4/12 phone. Then let's say AT&T still hasn't deployed a band 12 network, and I'm in a confirmed LTE (band 17) market. According to this article, I couldn't just pop in an AT&T SIM in my band 12 phone and get LTE on AT&T?
 

dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

I'm confused by this snippet.

-Why would "millions of pre-existing Band 17 devices currently in use by AT&T?s customers...be stranded" without MFBI? Is AT&T planning to somehow do away with the current band 17 network?

-Let's say in the future I had an unlocked TMO bands 4/12 phone. Then let's say AT&T still hasn't deployed a band 12 network, and I'm in a confirmed LTE (band 17) market. According to this article, I couldn't just pop in an AT&T SIM in my band 12 phone and get LTE on AT&T?

Bands 12 and 17 are not interoperable. Your phone must support band 17 support to use band 17.

If your phone only supports bands 4 and 12,then you would not be able to use band 17.

With that said, some tmobile phones currently support bands 4,5,and 17 used by att.I know that the TMobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and TMobile 5s/5c support bands 4,5,and 17.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3
 

raino

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

Bands 12 and 17 are not interoperable. Your phone must support band 17 support to use band 17.

OK. So it sounds like there really is more to it than just UL/DL frequency numbers at play here. Thanks.
 

dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

OK. So it sounds like there really is more to it than just UL/DL frequency numbers at play here. Thanks.

Correct, interoperability depends on the band class, not frequency. Band 4 has blocks a, b, c, d, e, and f, all of which are interoperable. So even though Verizon's band 4 and att band 4 do not have any overlapping frequency, since both are band 4, they are interoperable.

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dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

If they managed to get all of the A block they might only need a sliver of 600 Mhz. They key will be a nationwide band.

Posted via Android Central App

Well, tmobile in conjunction with Verizon is pushing for 35x35 in the 600 MHz auction, which is quite a big chunk.

If tmobile wanted just a sliver, they would keep with the fcc's current proposal of 5mhz blocks.

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Hiberny

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

To me, it doesn't matter if T-Mobile only has band 12 equipment and AT&T band 17. As long as both bands are included on future handsets I (should) be able to use my phone on either network. I'd like to see all unlocked handset have the same bands as the Nexus 5, plus band 12.

For my uses, T-Mobile's network is robust, penetrating deeply into the basement of my office. I have a strong signal in all the places I frequent. I run into 2G service in a couple of places that won't be covered by these licenses, so the roll out will mean little for me. I'm just hoping this will give them momentum for acquiring the rest of the A block.
 

dpham00

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Re: Tmobile buying block A spectrum from Verizon

To me, it doesn't matter if T-Mobile only has band 12 equipment and AT&T band 17. As long as both bands are included on future handsets I (should) be able to use my phone on either network. I'd like to see all unlocked handset have the same bands as the Nexus 5, plus band 12.

For my uses, T-Mobile's network is robust, penetrating deeply into the basement of my office. I have a strong signal in all the places I frequent. I run into 2G service in a couple of places that won't be covered by these licenses, so the roll out will mean little for me. I'm just hoping this will give them momentum for acquiring the rest of the A block.

Att is transitioning to band 12,but would maintain band 17 interoperability. So I suspect that since both att and tmobile will use band 12,that future devices on both carriers would support at least band 12.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro
 

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