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Backstory: I moved to a pretty rural area a few months ago. After spending a few days with Cellmapper. I realised that Telia had by far the best coverage in the area, much better and more consistent coverage of 4G+ than DNA or Elisa.
So I grabbed a post-paid SIM plan from Telia. Details in the picture
Speeds are tested on a 450/150mbps 4G+ router.
About a month into the plan (late-ish last year) I started noticing horrible speed fluctuations. My average was about 90-120mbps but I was seeing as low as just 10-15mbps in the afternoon on week days. Evening speeds were also bad, but still better.
Towards the end of the year speeds were all over the place and I could only get 100mbps after midnight. This caused me to have to modify the way I used the net and how I downloaded and set up scheduling.
I don't know why it took so long for me to change but lately I've been seeing constant speeds around 10-15mbps and I got fed up so I called DNA and asked them for a deal. They gave me their 300mbps plan for 22 euros a month (29 if you get it off a contract). But I plan to get off the contract when I move to Sweden later in the year (will have to take Telia again for the unlimited data but that's okay I guess).
Speeds on DNA were instantly almost 3 times higher. I did these tests one after the other, within about a minute. This was the average of 5 tests on each ISP.
tl;dr - DNA gives me a consistent almost 3 times faster speed on download and about 25% faster on the upload, despite having only a single cell tower in my area, and Telia having 3 within my location.
P.S. Telia might be suffering such bad speeds because they allow portforwarding from pretty much any port, so I assume a lot of people host websites and other services publicly which will make speeds vary a lot.
Run both Cellmapper and Sensorly while you drive. Make sure you plug in!
Try running some cellmapper. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en
That would at least show what bands are on the towers in that area...nobody has run anything in your area for a long while.
Here is the current beta map https://www.cellmapper.net/testmap/map/310/260/LTE?lat=42.38739520612153&lng=-82.91759490966797&z=14
The unlocked varient might be preferring a certain LTE band over your TMO varient. Download Cellmapper: Link, and see what LTE each phone is using while running a speed test.
T-Mobile is building out band 71 LTE, but it won't be completed until late 2020. So between now and 2020, coverage will improve slowly if you're patient enough. The OP6T is compatible with band 71 as well. If you can't wait, then switch carriers, and come back later?
If you drive around with Cellmapper app running it will calculate approximate location of the towers. Towers/sites will appear on the web map and in the app. Then if you drive closer and closer it can pin point site location down to 100-200 feet accuracy. Note that some sites are rooftop so you can barely see them and some sites are stealth sites (you cannot even see them even if you stare at them).
Taking advantage of this situation to spread the word about CellMapper. It's wholly user-sourced. If you have an Android phone, you should consider downloading the app and running it during your commute/walks/runs/adventures/day to day life. I haven't found any other service that provides real life coverage data, but would be happy to hear about any others.
VoLTE is indicated by staying on LTE during a call.
CellMapper shows the Band number,
Network Cell Info too, more visibly.
On the G6, *#546368#*873#
Field Test / Modem Settings / Engineering Mode
Press Previous for LTE info, including Band, bandwidth, RSRP (dBm signal strength), RSRQ (quality).
Save the Field Test dial code to your contacts, enter *#5 on the dialpad to bring it up.
(a speed dial or contact shortcut would send a MWI code to the network, not what you want)
CellMapper will tell you what band. You don't have to participate in the mapping function to look at the band. I just recommend it because the devs have certain fixes for an Android bug and B66/B71.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
I've also heard many times that Motorola phones have really really good signal. But, signal bars aren't "standardized" so it depends on what phones you're looking at. Finding the signal strength dbm would be the more precise comparison. That can usually be found in the phones settings menu under "Status" or "Sim Status"...or CellMapper.
Yes, it's called prepaid phones and network diagnostic apps. No, I'm not kidding. It's really the cheapest and quickest way to do it. The best part is that you usually don't even have to activate them to do the tests (AT&T being the exception).
Stay away from Samsung devices (they tend to report inaccurate data and/or not support the 4.2+ Cell ID API in Android). I picked up the LG Spree for Cricket (AT&T) and the LG Optimus Zone 3 for Verizon for $20 each. Both work well with CellMapper. Sprint has the Moto E for $30 right now.
I remember you, very cool! If you have a battery pack you should run cellmapper too for even more crowdsourced data!
ps Great username too!
Even phones with no sim card will still connect to cell towers to get some basic info like time and to allow 911 calls. It's possible that the phone without service connected to a different carrier than the one with service and the tower it connected to just happened to be in the other county (exactly how far/close are you to the other county?)
On Android there's an app called CellMapper which will let you see what tower your phone is connected to if someone else has mapped it out.
Option 1: Download CellMapper. Find a basement or cover the phone with your hands and put it in a clothes dryer so the signal drops a ton. See if it switches to B71. This will only work if the tower you are connected to already, has B71 panels on it.
Option 2: Root and try Network Signal Guru. When you go to the Overflow menu and select Lock LTE, you'll get a list. See if B71 is on there. You can also try to lock B71 only by unchecking B2/B4/B12 (may not work, and I'm not responsible if it breaks your phone, though I don't expect it to).
Option 3: '*#800#' dialer code. I've never used it but heard it's some kind of hidden menu for OnePlus phones. May be similar to what I had on the V30.
Otherwise I can report back Tuesday/Wednesday when I get my OnePlus 6.
I live in a B71 area and have already confirmed it is live here with a V30. However, the only way it latches on is if B2/B4 hits about ~115dbm then it will finally switch to B71. So it's set up as a last resort kind of.
Cellmapper and NetMonitor display true band number without root on Android N.
If you drive around with the app in north-south direction it will be able to pinpoint the towers much better. Currently it used data from people driving on the freeway east-west. Here is what we collected in Los Angeles. You can see all towers placed with a few hundred feet accuracy.
> what i don't understand is i get decent couple mbps hspa in some spots where i can't get any lte
Map your neighbourhood with Cellmapper app. Drive north-south and east-west along major streets and it will estimate tower locations for you. You are probably getting band 12 and hspa from different towers.
I'm not sure what CellMapper's versioning scheme is, but it says 5.5.3 was released in August on apkmirror. I'd check in the Play Store to make sure you're on the beta, it should fix the issue you're seeing.
Just browse to here on your phone and click "Join Beta"
i can't run Cellmapper on an Iphone. :p https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en_US&gl=US
You might try using some apps like CellMapper or Network Cell Info Lite to get more detailed info on your signal.
You could use this map and look at your address and it will give you a general idea of bands in your area.
https://maps.t-mobile.com/pcc.html?map=mvno-roamd-34l
You could also use Cellmapper to see what bands are being used at your location. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
>Are you suggesting my phone stores a location where there's no service and later sends that to T-Mobile? Unlikely, but I'd like to hear more about why you think this happening in case I'm wrong.
How is that unlikely? If you have a phone, you probably run across cellular connection at some point, and if not, you have wifi, or else why do you even have a phone?
And if you have internet access one way or another, why shouldn't you be able to imagine such a scenario? Your phone caches this and that as you go about your day, why shouldn't it cache results of T-Mobile coverage?
Believing that as soon as you lose coverage your phone blacks out and has no idea what's going on until you get coverage again is absurd.
Now, as ~~the other guy~~ u/snn555 said: I don't know what the app does and does not do, but it's hardly unlikely that such a feature exists.
For the record, this app does cache connection data for later upload and isn't the only one. T-Mobile may do something similar. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
I use CellMapper on a rooted Pixel 3. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en_US I use Network Signal Guru to see bandwidth of frequencies, carrier aggregation, and use band locking. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qtrun.QuickTest&hl=en
Yeah I guess you're just in an area with poor T-Mobile coverage.
You should install the app CellMapper and go into map mode to see where the nearest towers are. You might be enough miles away to prevent LTE.
Do you have an Android phone? If so, try running this app called CellMapper while you drive out and around town. With enough data points, it can triangulate cell phone tower locations. It's all crowd-sourced data though, nothing official.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
Very much liked by /r/tmobile at least.
It is not always easy to detect a Stingrays. One way is to drive by and watch your cell phones signal immediately drop from LTE or 4g down to 2g or Edge. The connection happens quite fast and you might miss it.
Also if encryption has been turned off is a good tell tell sign but most phones do not display cipher information. US android users have been trying to push google to add support since 2012 but they will not. https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=5353&q=cipher&colspec=ID%20Status%20Priority%20Owner%20Summary%20Stars%20Reporter%20Opened
Also you can use a tool to grab nearby cell towers information and if the stingray is not displaying identifying information it most likely is a stingray.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
Can you map it with Cellmapper? It estimates where the towers are.
Right now there is no data in Terminal Island
I was wondering the same thing, but no response yet. I searched for "cell phone tower locator" and found a few. However: some are non-English only, some use only publicly disclosed data to show tower locations (not actually pinging them), and many have reports of being very buggy. Still, one looked like it might be more detailed than the others:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
But, I haven't used it yet and can't vouch for it.
Well that was a question for you.
How many bars do see on the signal strength indicator? Better yet (as this may be inconsistent from one carrier to another), what do applications like CellMapper show?
Licenses are for spectra (frequency ranges), not frequency ranges. n7 is a subset of n41, and would technically be "licensed" to T-Mobile.
But you are right, this is most likely an issue with LTE Discovery. It would be interesting to see what another app (say, CellMapper) has to say about this.
Careful with your terminology here. By "real" 5G, do you mean standalone?
Fi uses the T-Mobile network, which uses these 5G bands and indicators
- n71 (~600 MHz, NSA): "5G" indicator
- n41 (~2.5 GHz, NSA): "5G UC" indicator
- n258/n260/n261 (~24-39 GHz, SA): "5G UC" indicator
That said it may be different indicators for unlocked phones. My Sony Xperia 1iii shows "5G" also when on n41.
You can install CellMapper to see what 5G bands (also in NSA mode) is being used.
> Data can sometimes be slow,
You mean as affected by signal strength? Or even with strong signal?
Another factor is what LTE band you're on, and how much bandwidth is allocated. (One way to see this is in the CellMapper app). If you have a 20 MHz band, good signal strength, and still see slow speeds it's probably due to congestion, and this is where it gets interesting. In this case RP will have lower priority than AT&T postpaid customers. If this is a common occurrence then I'll definitely consider other alternatives.
Thanks for your reply!
To get the ID, I use Cellmapper. Walk/drive/ride the train with the app open and recording data, and then upload it for processing to display on a the map for everyone to see.
For all of the sites listed, I saw IDs starting with 8xxxxx on the map unconfirmed (red dots on the map) and when I went to Philly, I went to those areas to look for and visually confirm them (changing them from red to green on the map), checking for T-Mobile's antenna equipment.
Since I band lock, if I'm finding a brand new site, I lock each band that is active so that Cellmapper records a bit of data for each band, so when the tower shows up on the map it has all active bands on the map instead of a select few.
What plan do you have? Only old grandfathered Unlimited All plans and the new Unlimited Premium plans have access to mmWave. All plans have access to C-Band but unlike Verizon or those on Unlimited Premium, it will not show UWB logo if on C-Band on US Mobile plans that don't get mmWave. I recommend getting CellMapper app which will tell you the band you are on as well as show the towers and bands in your area and what you should get, as it uses crowd-sourced data from other users of the app.
If you use an app like CellMapper, you can get a better idea of where your cell tower is (based on the site eNB).
NSA (Non-Standalone) 5G works by aggregating a mid-band (B2 or B66) LTE anchor with a 5G band, like N71. Even if only N71 5G reaches your house, I think it's likely that there's a closer 4G tower that it's getting the 4G half of the connection from. This is why I mentioned inter-cell EN-DC.
I don't know what they could possibly have done to your phone that did that - do Discord and game software still work when you disable 5G? If they do, I'd disable 5G when you need to use hotspot at that particular location.
It's also worth noting - are you using the default hotspot functionality, or a third party app? If you're using the default, it's possible that you went over the hotspot cap on your plan. Most plans have a soft cap on hotspot, after which speed will be throttled to 512kbps (which may be too low for games or Discord, I'm not sure of their bandwidth requirements).
Download Cellmapper, it will give a you a better idea of towers and locations.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en_US&gl=US
CellMapper is generally pretty useful for finding locating sites. If you have an Android phone you can install the app to contribute.
If you don't already know about it, you should. Try cellmapper
It helps me pinpoint the local towers and get the best signal from the area. It maps out where the tower is.
So I just looked it up, seems their 5G network is launching this month
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/mtn-is-launching-its-own-5g-network-by-the-end-of-the-month-2020-6
Though they will likely keep expanding
You can use CellMapper to check if there are any 5G towers nearby
Thanks for posting rethcork. Cellmapper is under-used and under-appreciated.. invaluable for sussing out new sites. And for band deployment mapping.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en_US
When your phone boots up, does it have the T-Mobile, Verizon or Samsung boot screen?
Also, I'd recommend installing cellmapper and looking at what signals the towers are broadcasting in your area
Some networks (mine included - EE UK) can tell handsets what indicator to show, even unlocked handsets running a global ROM. This is a bit like how T-Mobile US shows 4G instead of H+ and AT&T shows 5GE instead of 4G+. In my case, I see 4G even when I'm connected to 4G+. You can verify what you're actually connected to using Cellmapper (it'll say LTE-A if you're on 4G+).
> > Are you connected to a 2G network ("E" or "G" icon above the data flow arrows?)
Here's a thing you can do to get me a better idea of what's going on:
Install CellMapper from Google Play Store, open it up, wait a few seconds, and then take a screenshot. Post the screenshot.
Some network/phone combinations don't allow for simultaneous voice and data - let's see what your current network readout is to ascertain the case.
Install something like
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
and see what it tells you.
After that see if this code works in the stock dialer:
##4636##
and under SIM information try to change in turn to each one of the items in the long drop menu (WCDMA, LTE and so on) and then leave it there for a minute and see what cells and signals the first program shows. If with one of those combinations it works don't stop and see which works best (some might only work for voice or only for data and many will not work at all). Keep in mind the setting will not survive a reboot or changing some of the Android SIM-related settings (so you will need to keep in mind the code above).
No changes on here yet, but maybe they don't update for changes to existing infrastructure: http://networkupdates.freedommobile.ca/!
Are you running Cell Mapper? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en
You can use cellmapper app to see estimated distance to eNB. It's "LTE timing advance" on the main screen. It is not calculated using GPS. It's actually estimated by eNB based on the signal propagation delay. If it's not shown push some data through the connection (refresh a website) and it should appear. If you have eNB physically installed in your building you should see very short distance.
The app also shows you eNB id. If you see the same eNB inside your building and outside a quarter mile away you have a repeater. Judging by the price and all technologies (4x LTE, 2x UMTS and 2xCDMA) I'm pretty sure it's just a repeater.
It would be cool if you could download CellMapper one day and turn it on as you drive around. A couple people already did the initial logging but I think haven't done any more since the V30 release. Basically the app will map out towers and the cells/frequencies on them.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en
Not only provides higher resolution information, but allows for side-by-side comparison and you can collect data with coworkers/friends/neighbors and see it within an hour or two on the map. You can also see exactly where 4G service drops off, 3G begins, etc.
Looks like there isn't a ton of coverage data for 4G Tmobile in Longwood, but what LTE data has been collected shows pretty strong signal. Ditto for 3G service.
If you use cellmapper https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en and turn on play notifications on cell id change.would not even have to look at your phone.and on the cell page could see the cell signal strength even not connectedl.then walk out till it drops off the page.just turn off record data if you don't want to upload your site.then you could map some local towers also
What phone do you have?
Edit: Eh, nevermind. Here.
LG:
- Dial
277634#*# - Select Engineering Mode
- Press Previous to land on the 1st LTE Page
- While running a speedtest or downloading a file, press Up to view Carrier Aggregated band info
- Alternative code is
*#546368#*998#where 998 is the last 3 digits of your model number. The Engineering Mode menu is in a couple levels deeper, just be careful what you click on.
Samsung:
- Dial
*#0011# - You should land on this info page, and if you are running a speedtest or downloading a file you can see Carrier Aggregated band info (image from /u/illuminati229)
Apple:
- Dial
*3001#12345#* - Select LTE then Serving Cell Info (thanks /u/EmbeddedEntropy)
Other Android:
- Use CellMapper as this app has some fixes in place for an EARFCN bug in Android relating to B66/B71. This app can not show Carrier Aggregated band info reliably due to API limitations (I believe).
Rooted Android:
If you have an Android device, you should consider running CellMapper on your phone, if you aren't already.
Option 1:
##4636## in dialer then Phone Information, then scroll to the bottom to get the EARFCN. Use this website to put in the EARFCN and see what band it is.
Option 2:
Use CellMapper. Their help docs say the 5x is supported to be able to read bands without root.
Option 3:
Try this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.cellmapper.nexus5xand6pfieldtestmode
Option 4 (root):
Network Signal Guru will give you all the info you'll need including what bands you are connected to for carrier aggregation, MIMO, and modulation.
I am planning to make a longer post on exactly this issue (but it WAS discussed a little on the web before) but as a quick start here are some pointers:
the number of bars means NOTHING
what you want to compare is measured signal strength (with real numbers) - which is still of more types - see here for instance; also here where you get info on measurements in ASU
all Android phones show some signal strength number under About phone -> Status -> SIM card status; even that one might be confusing since some brands report RSSI numbers and other seem to show RSRP
on iPhone apparently you can dial * 3001 # 12345 # * (no spaces) but measurements will not come instantly and you need to know where to look
on most phones measurement values will change A LOT, and sometimes very quick
on Android I like a lot (at least for the moment) Cellmapper.net program
IMHO at first you should only compare values "side-by-side", ideally first with very similar phones and using same type of measurements; initially you MUST be on the exact same carrier in the same type of cellular network (2G, 3G, 4G - you can force those "down" from the default 4G/3G/2G mode) and on the exact same cell; in almost all tests I have made in 3G mode the signal is better (sometimes MUCH better, like 20 dBm better = 100+ times stronger!) than in 4G in most phones
from those numbers PocoF1 comes out as excellent antennas/radios and S10e Exynos only comes behind it (but the story is not the same in all bands, S10e has more bands and in some of them seems to be as good or better); however an older S7 had most often better signal than the S10e on my main cell provider :( EDIT: Pixel2XL seems to come last.
in the end it does not matter if in some unusual band S10 is better or worse, what it matters is how good is in the main/strongest band from your home/work, and forcing it in 3G mode instead of 4G might improve things a lot!
- Most Android phones: CellMapper (contains fixes for B66/B71 EARFCN on the PCC - don't worry about neighbor cell bands if reported as Band 3 or Band 7)
- Rooted Android phones: Network Signal Guru (more data, more accurate)
- LG Phones: Dial
277634#*#then select Engineering Mode>Previous (https://imgur.com/a/ZVqON) - Samsung Phones: Dial
*#0011# - Apple Phones: Field Test Mode
Sorry, LTE discovery with EARFCN range does not qualify. Band number in this case is a guess. If your phone runs 7.0 or greater use Cellmapper or NetMonitor without root or Network Signal Guru with root to confirm B12. These apps read band number from modem.
That's near USC, right? Can you run cellmapper app and upload the data?
You should really consider running cellmapper while driving.
I think all the cool kids use CellMapper.
Another option is Netmonitor.
Or a third is G-NetTrack Pro.
G-Net has a free version, but you can't save anything with it. If you have an iPhone, I think CellMapper has something there, but I've got nothing else.
I use CellMapper.
i think this is the app the OP is mentioning: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en
i don't live in the area, or i would do more
Choose your (water) tower. Also try running cellmapper while you drive around.
> If you don't mind - could you ELI5 on your second comment regarding AIR32 boost and 4x4 MIMO?
More capacity.
> Any "tips" on locating these temporary towers with the naked eye (just for curiosity sake)?
Run both apps below to help provide more crowd sourced data.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sensorly.viewer&hl=en
Example results MAP
> The tower location is way off/in the middle of the water/on top of a remote mountain
> Tower locations are based purely on calculations. The reason that towers will show up over water is due to the fact that water usually doesn't contain any object that can block signals. So, to the algorithm, sitting in a building right beside a cell phone tower will appear to be the same as being 5 km away with direct line of sight. Hence, it will calculate an average of the two spots and display a marker there. The most ideal terrain to calculate a towers is a completely flat prairie with tower spaced widely apart. That being said, even that will not guarantee the location is correct if the measurements provided by the phone were not correct. For a tower to be calculated properly, you will need to travel around the tower in at least 1/2 to 3/4 of a circle near the actual location in order to determine the exact location. I have verified this with WIND Mobile in Vancouver, Canada by comparing the locations calculated to the actual licenses given for cell phone equipment to be used.
You can also walk up to them like the the one I linked earlier on top of the parking structure and post your pics here for us arm chair experts to comment on :)
Ah got it no worries. Try running cellmapper to see if you can track down the actual cell site!
There are many options.
- CellMapper
- LTE Discovery
- Network Cell Info Lite | Mini
- NetMonitor Cell Signal Logging
CellMapper has an active notification that shows the current Band, so it is ideal.
I believe the closest tower is near Madison and the other is near Paris. You can confirm by visiting them and checking signal strength in field test mode (*3001#12345#*).
If you have access to an Android phone you can drive around and collect signal data using cellmapper app. It will estimate the location of the towers once you upload the data.
By the way, I don't think that part of Missouri is getting band 12 any time soon. It's going to be band 2. T-Mobile does not own 700 MHz spectrum in that area. US Cellular, AT&T and Chariton Valley each own one 5x5 700 MHz block. Chariton Valley may close the shop the first but AT&T will most likely be the buyer of their spectrum. T-Mobile won't be able to block the transaction because AT&T doesn't own that much low band spectrum in the area.
Background: I've been running CellMapper on my Nexus 6 pretty much all the time for the past few months. It picks up a lot of useful data when I'm just commuting to work, going shopping, or out playing at an Ingress meet-up. In that data, I've been able to find a number of B12 sites on the map, later confirmed by checking them in-person or via Street View.
For using CellMapper, I recommend at the very least changing the Minimum Recording Interval to 1 (sample every 1 second instead of every 5, makes a big difference when driving!). Nexus 6 supports the Cell ID API, so enabling its settings (Use new Android 4.2 Cell ID API, disabling Keep Screen On, enabling Record Neighbour Cells) is also recommended. There's a root-only option for Samsung devices to pull data directly from the Samsung Field Test mode, enabling even more accurate data collection.
If you don't have unlimited LTE, you can disable the Instant Upload option and just batch upload when you're home/at work on Wi-Fi, though even with Instant Upload enabled I frequently have to batch upload every other day or so to keep the app stable.
Google Play Store link for CellMapper: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper (sorry, Android-only)
Please run CellMapper when you are out and about for the benefit of us all.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en
See Mint Mobile FAQ - Updated!
​
Will Mint will work at my location? / What is coverage and expected speed?
...
- https://www.mintmobile.com/coverage/ or https://maps.t-mobile.com/pcc.html?map=mvno-noroam-5 - both have the same data but just a different map look and feel. They are the "theoretical maximum" coverage by T-Mobile engineers, does not accurately reflect interference.
- https://coveragecritic.com - Input your ZIP code and search to see if T-Mobile is 6.5 or higher in your area. Note this sources from the FCC from data submitted by T-Mobile which goes by "if one house in a ZIP code is covered the entire ZIP code is considered covered".
- https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&type=LTE&mapType=roadmap (4G) & https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&type=NR&mapType=roadmap (5G) - Crowdsourced coverage maps that are much more accurate to street and house level. Also shows individual tower and band map, useful if your phone does not support all bands. Only as accurate as users of the CellMapper app so might be more out of date in some areas.
- Get OpenSignal App for crowdsourced data that shows both coverage and speed and is accurate to house level, again might be more out of date in some areas.
Or you could just install cellmapper.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
Use https://www.mintmobile.com/coverage/ which is T-Mobile coverage without domestic roaming. Also for a much more accurate map get the OpenSignal app (Android or iOS) or CellMapper app (android only) which have crowd-sourced data. Or pull up CellMapper website:
4G: https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&mapType=roadmap
5G: https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&type=NR&mapType=roadmap
Aww, yea not working for me either. You can still use https://www.mintmobile.com/coverage/ which works. Also for a much more accurate map get the OpenSignal app (Android or iOS) or CellMapper app (android only) which have crowd-sourced data. Or pull up CellMapper website:
4G: https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&mapType=roadmap
5G: https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&type=NR&mapType=roadmap
Check coverage, bands, and speed maps at these locations - the last two are are a lot more accurate:
- https://www.mintmobile.com/coverage/ or https://maps.t-mobile.com/pcc.html?map=mvno-noroam-5 - both have the same data but just a different map look and feel. They are the "theoretical maximum" coverage by T-Mobile engineers, does not accurately reflect interference.
- https://coveragecritic.com - Input your ZIP code and search to see if T-Mobile is 6.5 or higher in your area. Note this sources from the FCC from data submitted by T-Mobile which goes by "if one house in a ZIP code is covered the entire ZIP code is considered covered".
- https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&mapType=roadmap - Crowdsourced coverage map that is much more accurate to street and house level. Also shows individual tower and band map, useful if your phone does not support all bands. Only as accurate as users of the CellMapper app so might be more out of date in some areas.
- Get OpenSignal App for crowdsourced data that shows both coverage and speed and is accurate to house level, again might be more out of date in some areas.
Check coverage, bands, and speed maps at these locations - the last two are are a lot more accurate:
- https://www.mintmobile.com/coverage/ or https://maps.t-mobile.com/pcc.html?map=mvno-noroam-5 - both have the same data but just a different map look and feel. They are the "theoretical maximum" coverage by T-Mobile engineers, does not accurately reflect interference.
- https://coveragecritic.com - Input your ZIP code and search to see if T-Mobile is 6.5 or higher in your area. Note this sources from the FCC from data submitted by T-Mobile which goes by "if one house in a ZIP code is covered the entire ZIP code is considered covered".
- https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&mapType=roadmap - Crowdsourced coverage map that is much more accurate to street and house level. Also shows individual tower and band map, useful if your phone does not support all bands. Only as accurate as users of the CellMapper app so might be more out of date in some areas.
- Get OpenSignal App for crowdsourced data that shows both coverage and speed and is accurate to house level, again might be more out of date in some areas.
Please see Mint Mobile FAQ - Updated! for some more tips:
​
>Issues with Network/Calling/MMS/SMS/RCS/iMessage / What are APN settings?
>
>If on Android, try setting APN according to either https://www.mintmobile.com/setup/android/ or https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/not-sold-by-t-mobile/byod-t-mobile-data-and-apn-settings except don’t change MNC from whatever pre-populated (old SIMs are 260, newer ones issued in 2022 are 240). For iPhone you cannot set APN yourself, try Resetting Network Connection, and if that fails contact support to push a manual carrier update.
>
>If you have no signal, seem stuck on 2G, or have a low bars, try turning Airplane mode on and off. Some phones also may need you to Launch Settings > Connections > Mobile networks> Network Mode > [4G]/3G/2G (auto connect). After it connects change it back to [5G]/4G/3G/2G (auto connect). You might have to do either of these two tricks when driving where you are on the edge of one tower/band's range or are on a slower extended range tower/band and it won't connect to a better signal/speed tower/band.
>
>Also try reseating the SIM card by taking it out and back in. As a last resort if you are not connecting at all try the SIM in a different device, and if the SIM does not work in multiple devices it may be bad so you can order a replacement SIM using the Mint site/app, contact Mint support for a free one if it will charge you.
​
>Check coverage, bands, and speed maps at these locations:
>
>https://www.mintmobile.com/coverage/ or https://maps.t-mobile.com/pcc.html?map=mvno-noroam-5 - both have the same data but just a different map look and feel. They are the "theoretical maximum" coverage by T-Mobile engineers, does not accurately reflect interference.
>
>https://coveragecritic.com - Input your ZIP code and search to see if T-Mobile is 6.5 or higher in your area. Note this sources from the FCC from data submitted by T-Mobile which goes by "if one house in a ZIP code is covered the entire ZIP code is considered covered".
>
>https://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&mapType=roadmap - Crowdsourced coverage map that is much more accurate to street and house level. Also shows individual tower and band map, useful if your phone does not support all bands. Only as accurate as users of the CellMapper app so might be more out of date in some areas.
>
>Get OpenSignal App for crowdsourced data that shows both coverage and speed and is accurate to house level, again might be more out of date in some areas.
>VS996
So your phone is missing bands 25, 26, 41, 66 - although does have band 71. Check cellmapper.net/map?MCC=310&MNC=260&type=LTE (preferably on desktop browser) or use CellMapper App and look at/click on nearby towers to see what bands they use.
Might be best to get a new phone =- check Swappa.com for some decent deals.
Just a couple of sanity checks:
- Did you try to disable WiFi calling (within the Fi app)?
- Have you enabled the option to synchronize calls/messages/voicemails with the Messages portal? If so, are you able to make calls from there?
- Is VoLTE provisioned? You can check by dialing
*#*#4636#*#*(*#*#INFO#*#*), then selecting Phone Information. While there, also ensure that Mobile Radio Power is turned on for this line. - What is the MCC/MNC of the network you're currently connected to? It should be 310/260 in the case of T-Mobile (not sure about USC). You can check this with Cellmapper.
If none of the above works, I would try to reset network settings (Settings → System → Reset Options → Reset network settings). You'll need to re-establish your WiFi and Bluetooth connections, and re-pair your web browsers with the Messages portal, etc.
Yes. (I know you're trying a "gotcha" here, but it's true).
On the whole, T-Mobile's coverage is sub-par just about anywhere. I have two SIMs in my phone right now: * US Mobile (Verizon MVNO) and * Google Fi (T-Mobile MVNO). I also have an Airalo roaming package (installed on an eSIM adapter) that allows me to switch between AT&T and T-Mobile; I sometimes use this instead of the Google Fi SIM when I want to test/check coverage of all three networks in an area. I've been paying careful attention to the performance of all three networks in my general area (East SF Bay).
My key takeaways are: * In optimal conditions, T-Mobile is way faster than the others. (Well, I only get 5G on T-Mobile and Verizon, because my phone isn't on AT&T's whitelist for 5G). * However, T-Mobile coverage is the most spotty. Verizon and AT&T are just about everywhere. (With a few exceptions to that rule). * Not sure if this is network-controlled, but the signal indicator on my phone consistently shows more bars on T-Mobile's network compared to Verizon where the signal strength/quality is the same (according to cellmapper). In a way, it's as if T-Mobile's signal indicator is more exaggerated than the others. * T-Mobile's coverage map is more exaggerated than those of Verizon or AT&T.
Your latest reply has been automatically filtered by Reddit (only a mod can unblock it) due to the link's address, and it's only visible to others in your profile, so I'll reply here:
I don't trust any carrier's coverage map, but there are a few other maps based on user data:
any chance you can get cellmapper and see if 5g states not restricted: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en\_GB&gl=US
If you download cellmapper https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
Can you see the n78 band locally?
Confirma nesta app as antenas mais próximas de ti:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper
Unfortunately, currently, the Pixels don't reveal any worthwhile info about the NR Cell that's connected through the standard API's. For such specifics, and even greater details on the LTE side, you'll need root and NSG. If you go that route, there's a couple required steps.
Non-root suggestions: CellMapper (beta), NetMonster
Root suggestion: Network Signal Guru
Is that an LG? NSA 5G doesn't show up well for most 3rd party apps, so when you're looking at this app and it shows B66/B2/B71, those are the LTE bands you are connected to. 5G does not currently work in Standalone mean, which means using the 5G band only - the phones "anchor" to the aforementioned LTE band then add in the 5G band.
The quickest way to check is open the Speedtest app and see what it says next to the carrier name: https://imgur.com/a/5mTqO73
Use the instructions below to see if there is a 5G/NR tab instead of "LTE":
- Dial
277634#*# - Select Engineering Mode
- Press Previous to land on the 1st LTE Page
- While running a speedtest or downloading a file, press Up to view Carrier Aggregated band info
- Alternative code is
*#546368#*998#where 998 is the last 3 digits of your model number. The Engineering Mode menu is in a couple levels deeper, just be careful what you click on.
If that doesn't work or you can't understand it, then download CellMapper and see if it ever says LTE+NR or shows an NR cell. You won't get as much info about the NR cell. Also, the devs would probably appreciate if you went into the Settings and send them a debug report so they can make sure their app is working for the LG 5G info.
LG:
- Dial
277634#*# - Select Engineering Mode
- Press Previous to land on the 1st LTE Page
- While running a speedtest or downloading a file, press Up to view Carrier Aggregated band info
- Alternative code is
*#546368#*998#where 998 is the last 3 digits of your model number. The Engineering Mode menu is in a couple levels deeper, just be careful what you click on.
Samsung:
- Dial
*#0011# - You should land on this info page, and if you are running a speedtest or downloading a file you can see Carrier Aggregated band info (image from /u/illuminati229)
Apple:
- Dial
*3001#12345#* - Select LTE then Serving Cell Info (thanks /u/EmbeddedEntropy)
Other Android:
- Use CellMapper as this app has some fixes in place for an EARFCN bug in Android relating to B66/B71. This app can not show Carrier Aggregated band info reliably due to API limitations (I believe).
Rooted Android:
Dang, that's super fast! I was excited about mine and it's not even on 5G. Although this was at 5am https://i.imgur.com/J321cG9.jpg
This is at 3pm https://i.imgur.com/wfdLYbt.jpg
Using the Cell mapper app I was using a tower nearest to my house but close to several hotels and high rise apartments.
This is on the Oneplus 7T Pro 5G Mclaren (I like the phone but don't like typing that long-ass name). Can I just say Oneplus Mclaren?)
You should also install the CellMapper app, which has much better tower location info, in general.
Might want to use something more standard https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cellmapper.net.cellmapper&hl=en