Lucky Few T-Mobile iPhone Users Get 3G Data in Utah, Nevada, and Pacific Northwest

[Phillip Swanson]

T-Mobile is currently updating a large chunk of its network to support their next-generation HSPA+ 84 technology and as a result some T-Mobile iPhone owners have 3G connectivity.

While T-Mobile hasn’t commented on the situation, this rare 3G connectivity is the result of T-Mobile “rafarming” some of its bandwidth in certain areas to the 1900mhz spectrum compatible with 3G iPhones (3G, 3GS, 4, 4S). So far the areas affected are in Nevada, Northern California, Utah, and pockets throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Sadly, this access to 3G will remain incredibly rare, like leprechaun-riding-a-unicorn rare, for T-Mobile iPhone users.

First and foremost, the area we’re specifically talking about is Nevada as that is where this individual unlocked iPhone owner lives. However, Nevada, parts of Northern California and the Pacific Northwest are also seeing some pockets of 1900MHz spectrum refarming for HSPA+. There are other parts of the country T-Mobile can refarm the 1900MHz spectrum but, the focus is on the Pacific Northwest, Nevada, Utah and California for right now from what we’re told. We should emphasize and emphasize greatly that this post does not mean that all of the aforementioned areas are seeing this refarmed spectrum, just pockets inside those areas. –TmoNews

Hopefully T-Mobile and Apple reach some sort of agreement in the not-to-distant-forever that will bring true 3G connectivity and an official iPhone to the network. However, until then, a few lucky T-Mobile iPhone users sprinkled across the Western half of the country will surf the Internet with 3G speeds while their peers look on with a palpable sense of envy.

Source: TmoNews [via MacRumors]

[Tashawn]

Wow! Lucky them.

[theroyalwe]

Wait.. What? T-Mobile only has the EDGE network? Thats.. Sad.

[delusion950]

Wait.. What? T-Mobile only has the EDGE network? Thats.. Sad.

Tmobile has HSPA aka 4g speeds. Whenever you unlock phone from different carrier such as Att and use it on Tmobile youll have Edge. You should know this.

[A3gOwner]

3G on t-Mo USA now available to some iPhone users.

Beat you to it. It's a good thing for t-mo users. It's just right now out in Nevada, northern California, and the northwest.

[Channan]

Wait.. What? T-Mobile only has the EDGE network? Thats.. Sad.

No.

[Tashawn]

Wait.. What? T-Mobile only has the EDGE network? Thats.. Sad.

No. But that is the case regarding the iPhone. It's a frequency thing.

[jacobzking]

the iPhone, at least the US GSM iPhone, only supports triband 3G. t-Mobile purchased a separate proprietary 3G band set ONLY for tmobile users (1800 and 1900mhz i think). the tmobile spectrum of 3g is NOT supported by the iPhone. thats why iPhone unlocks on tmobile can't use the tmobile 3g.

[louietsang]

i've been on the tmo edge/iphone train since the 1g, now on the 4... lol... im pretty used to it.

[sziklassy]

If this gets more widespread I am actually jump ship for ATT to TMO. Even with an ETF, I'd save that money easily within the first year. And from there, just buy an unlocked phone like I have always been meaning to but could never justify!

[A3gOwner]

the iPhone, at least the US GSM iPhone, only supports triband 3G. t-Mobile purchased a separate proprietary 3G band set ONLY for tmobile users (1800 and 1900mhz i think). the tmobile spectrum of 3g is NOT supported by the iPhone. thats why iPhone unlocks on tmobile can't use the tmobile 3g.

That's about half right. T-Mo USA uses 1700 (and 2100 if i remember right) for the majority of their 3G coverage. What they did here was to start using the 1900 frequency thus allowing the iPhone and a few other phones to connect to their 3G. So 3G on t-mo using an unlocked iPhone is now possible to some.

[duromega]

I'm going back to Simple Mobile Tomorrow (TMobile VMNO) H2O slapped me in the face

[durdan1]

Meh... I have unthrottled 3G service unlimited everything without hassle of unlocking with straight talk on my iPhone 4 for 45/month. The speeds are exactly AT&T speeds.

[Bobotastic]

Hmmm, I live in Oregon. Wonder if this affected me?

[devesstate]

Hmmm, I live in Oregon. Wonder if this affected me?

You're in the Pacific Northwest my friend.

Just a question, if this 3g is enabled for some iPhone users, can we turn on the 3G on the iPhone or will that cause issues?

[Stray]

No don't turn it on until you are supported.

[Orby]

Assuming Twitter is to believed:

https://twitter.com/#!/TMobileHelp/s...08886148136960

We're all in for some UMTS Band II goodness here soon enough.

[A3gOwner]

Orby it's a dead link.