Techs & Trends
How Crucial is the 800/850 Band
In this forum's Latest News the article about AT&T's network improvements said the following:
"The new hardware and software lets callers with compatible GSM/GPRS devices use the 850-megahertz band of the radio spectrum, which generates a stronger signal than the 1900-megahertz band, travels over larger areas, and penetrates walls better, the company noted."
1.- How badly will AT&T 900/1800/1900 telephones be affected after this improvements?
2.- Does this mean that AT&T customers will be required to have the 800/850 band?
3.- How will this affect Cingular and T-Mobile users 900/1800/1900, if at all?
4.- Does this mean that AT&T users with 800/850 will have better service than Cingular and T-Mobile customers?
Thank you.
"The new hardware and software lets callers with compatible GSM/GPRS devices use the 850-megahertz band of the radio spectrum, which generates a stronger signal than the 1900-megahertz band, travels over larger areas, and penetrates walls better, the company noted."
1.- How badly will AT&T 900/1800/1900 telephones be affected after this improvements?
2.- Does this mean that AT&T customers will be required to have the 800/850 band?
3.- How will this affect Cingular and T-Mobile users 900/1800/1900, if at all?
4.- Does this mean that AT&T users with 800/850 will have better service than Cingular and T-Mobile customers?
Thank you.
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If you have access to the lower band your signal strength will be greater. You wont be forced to get a new phone or anything. However if you have a phone that only works off 1900 like the Panasonic GU87, it does not pick up as strong of a signal in some areas where as a phone that picks up the lower frequency + the 1900 frequency will work much better. So i hope that answers your question
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cai said:
1.- How badly will AT&T 900/1800/1900 telephones be affected after this improvements?
It depends on how AT&T is doing it.
If they are going to use BOTH bands, then 900/1800/1900 units will see no benefits, while phone with 850 will have additional coverage and penetration.
If they are REPLACING 1900 coverage with 850 coverage, that the 900/1800/1900 phones, which cannot receive 850 signals, will get no service.
cai said:
2.- Does this mean that AT&T customers will be required to have the 800/850 band?
Almost certainly. They will certainly be ENCOURAGED to do so, if they aren't already.
cai said:...
3.- How will this affect Cing
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Myth said:...cai said:
1.- How badly will AT&T 900/1800/1900 telephones be affected after this improvements?
It depends on how AT&T is doing it.
If they are going to use BOTH bands, then 900/1800/1900 units will see no benefits, while phone with 850 will have additional coverage and penetration.
If they are REPLACING 1900 coverage with 850 coverage, that the 900/1800/1900 phones, which cannot receive 850 signals, will get no service.cai said:
2.- Does this mean that AT&T customers will be required to have the 800/850 band?
Almost certainly. They will certainly be ENCOURAGED to do so, if they aren't already.cai said:
(continues)
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cai said:
...1.- How badly will AT&T 900/1800/1900 telephones be affected after this improvements?
In most cases, coverage should not get worse for those with 1900-only phones. It wouldn't make sense for AT&T to stop using valuable spectrum they have a license to and already have the equipment in place for.
BUT, as AT&T starts to deploy UMTS/WCDMA later this year, that may change. They may start devoting most or all of their 1900 spectrum to that technology, leaving GSM running only in 850. Keep in mind though that initially, this will only be in 4 cities.
2.- Does this mean that AT&T customers will be required to have the 800/850 band?
All new customers, yes. Nearl...
(continues)
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Hi
I have ATT GSM and also an account with T Mobile. There are no T Mobile phones with the 850 MHz band. The T Mobile customer service rep said T Mobile has roaming agreements with ATT and Cingular ( soon to be one company) Obvoiusly the 850MHz is important to ATT/Cingular but if T Mobile phones do not have this band, then we can't roam on those towers that utilize 850.
So what about using a T Mobile SIM card in an unlocked phone that also has the 850 MHz band?? Like the Motorola V600 etc. Or another brand with 850/1900 or 850/1800 ( Europe)/1900?
Do you think the coverage would be better? T Mobile said there are no longer any roaming charges in the US so could this be a better way to get more coverage, and as T Mobile offe...
(continues)
I have ATT GSM and also an account with T Mobile. There are no T Mobile phones with the 850 MHz band. The T Mobile customer service rep said T Mobile has roaming agreements with ATT and Cingular ( soon to be one company) Obvoiusly the 850MHz is important to ATT/Cingular but if T Mobile phones do not have this band, then we can't roam on those towers that utilize 850.
So what about using a T Mobile SIM card in an unlocked phone that also has the 850 MHz band?? Like the Motorola V600 etc. Or another brand with 850/1900 or 850/1800 ( Europe)/1900?
Do you think the coverage would be better? T Mobile said there are no longer any roaming charges in the US so could this be a better way to get more coverage, and as T Mobile offe...
(continues)
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bobby746 said:
So what about using a T Mobile SIM card in an unlocked phone that also has the 850 MHz band?? Like the Motorola V600 etc. Or another brand with 850/1900 or 850/1800 ( Europe)/1900?
Your T-Mobile roaming agreements would only cover you roaming on 1900 MHz.
You would gain no advantage from your phone having access to other frequency bands, as it will ignore them, as long as it is using a T-Mobile SIM.
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