[SML] (Sort of semi-OT) The Un-Carrier

[NODEraser]

I've been on T-Mobile for around 12 years now, no major complaints but
I will echo that their coverage area is less than some of the others,
especially Verizon. I've had the $50 "unlimited" plan since shortly
after they introduced it... I was on a cheaper ($34-ish) plan before
that, but I was using my phone as a WiFi hotspot a couple of times a
year, and the $50 everything plan was only a few more dollars than my
average expenditure with the extra data charges. I think the base plan
includes 2 GB of "high speed", anything after that is throttled down
to around 256 Kbps, which is still sufficient for most things that I
do on the go. In the city, 4G speeds are pretty damn good if that's a
metric you require; at my house, Speedtest reports around 20 Mbps
while my DSL is only 11 Mbps.

Regarding rural coverage, I notice a huge improvement when I upgraded
to a "quad band" phone some years ago, but I'm pretty sure that most
GSM phones are quad these days.WiFi calling/text is a real saver
because I frequently work in areas with poor cell coverage, although
call quality/stability is directly linked to the quality of your
internet connection which can be a problem with busy hotspots.

I've not had much need for customer service, but I did have a good
experience at a T-Mo store when I needed a new SIM card. I was getting
errors about SIM authentication on my phone, I dropped into a local
store and they gave me a free replacement, copied my old data onto it
and sent me on my way in short order.

One oddity (to me) about the new no-contract plans, is not having the
subsidized phone purchase... I suppose that's not as odd to people who
have been using prepaid plans or always need the newest device. If you
can't stomach the full purchase price of a new shiny, they do have
no-fee payment plans that get tacked onto your monthly bill. I haven't
done an upgrade since moving onto the new plan, but will likely do
that this winter. I'm also keeping an eye on the new Google Fi
service, have already put my name in for an invitation, which will use
a combination of T-Mobile and Sprint networks, and WiFi.

--
[Greg Bennett]
-Independent Carpenter, Electrician & Lighting Designer
-Purveyor of Classic Apple & Macintosh Gear
http://www.hsiprodsvcs.com/
http://www.macshack.us/