gringo

I use T-Moble as well. Absolutely sucks in the US; signal reception is amazingly shoddy. I pull into ORD, get one bar. Pull into FLL, one bar.

But when I pull into City Bar in Campinas? Full bars. Fast enough to Skype home, and usually fast enough to Netflix (when I'm not too busy enjoying the view, anyways)

Their domestic coverage seems to be getting better, but I still find myself wanting to throw my phone against a wall when I can't get a decent signal in major metropolitan areas domestically.

Also, nice to be able to just dial out a US number when abroad and know I'm not getting raped over the coals with excessive roaming charges. Still get a hit, but significantly lower than other carriers I've used. And no need to do the SIM Swap Shuffle.

Rocket Man

Do yourself a favor and give T-Mobile a test run for a month or so before you port your number. Everyone has a different idea of what "good service" means, so don't rely on what others say or those coverage maps. Try it out for yourself. This is especially true if you have family and are happy with your current service at home. It will be a bit of a hassle and additional expense, but it may prove worthwhile in the long run. Obviously you'll need an unlocked phone as it's just a matter of swapping out sim cards.

My story... I was pretty happy with AT&T but I thought I would give TMO a try last year, mainly for the international stuff. I started to regret switching within an hour of walking out the door. We immediately started to notice weak or no service in many areas of town that was solid before. After a few weeks, I could no longer convince myself their service was good, in spite of all of the hype, when in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't. You know those old sayings... you get what you pay for, happy wife happy life, etc. The benefits abroad wasn't worth the aggravation at home, so we ended up going back to AT&T after about a month.

I will note that TMO's customer service was willing to work with me to try to improve my experience. They did offer a signal booster for my home, which I declined, because that does no good when I'm out and about. Simply put, you can't change the laws of physics with respect to signal strength, building penetration, etc without adding more capacity where I live, which obviously was insufficient to meet my needs.

Free wifi is just about everywhere these days, so now I get by just fine with that and wifi calling when abroad. On those rare occasions where I absolutely want or need more, I'll use AT&T's day pass for $10/day.

Bottom line - you want good service where you spend the majority of your time. If TMO works well at home, make the switch. If not, stick with who you have.

whalesurfer

Very good advice.

The coverage might or might not be better than what you're used to. ..or maybe it'll be about the same?

In my case, for 2 years I used AT&T domestically and when overseas I'd switch the sim card in my iPhone to a T-Mobile account. I'd signed up for their cheapest plan at the time (~$40?).
I didn't want to give up my "unlimited" data plan with AT&T which is why I dragged out the switching process for so long.. I also used that time to try out T-Mobile's coverage in different areas of the US..

Finally, about a year and a half ago I took the plunge and switched from AT&T to T-Mobile and I haven't looked back.

I was with AT&T for 10+ years and was fairly pleased with their service (except for the price) but internationally they're very expensive even with the different promotions they have every now and then.

I found T-mobile's coverage to be about the same in most areas. Initially they seemed to be more spotty in very rural areas but at the house I used a free signal booster they'd offered and it worked great. The coverage seems to be getting stronger every month though and now I get good signal in areas where my AT&T reception used to be weak.

Also, iPhone 6S improved the reception even more as one of the bandwidths it uses penetrates walls better than the previous frequencies. The apple techie told me it was a band frequency previously used for analog TV signals (think rabbit ears indoor TV antennas). Not sure how accurate her info was but she seemed very knowledgeable AND I do get two more dots now compared with my previous iPhone 5S.

Internationally T-Mobile is fantastic.

TrashToad

I currently live overseas and I signed up with Tmobile for free data in most countries. Two years ago, coverage was good enough to get emails, whats app and texts but lately I have been getting 4G in most places we visit - that being big metropolis types. Now, I can whats app video and google maps without any problem. Of course, wifi calling keeps you in touch but the data is the carrot on top.

Cant validate the States issues but the places I go. No problem. Have recommended Tmobile to new hires without fault.

whalesurfer

Word of caution - T-Mobile plans are meant for people who live in the US and happen to travel extensively.

In the past they'd cancel people's accounts when, in their view, the customers roamed "too much."

No one seems to know what "too much" means but make sure you travel to the US from time to time and use your phone while there. It'll "reset" the roaming clock for lack of better term.

..and by the way, in the past the same applied to those who lived in Alaska; T-Mobile uses GCI's and sometimes AT&T's cell towers for roaming..
T-Mobile would cancel people's accounts if they roamed "too much". The key was to fly out to lower 48 or Hawaii from time to time and to use the phone there.

Not sure if that's still the case BUT if you try to open a new account with an Alaska mailing address the process will come to a screeching halt. You'll need an address in any of the other 49 states or you'll need to share your line with someone who lives outside Alaska.

From their Conditons of Use:
"...Not for extended international use; you must reside in the U.S. and primary usage must occur on our U.S. network...

T-Mobile doesn't exist in Alaska (roaming only) and therefore one cannot open a new account using an Alaska address.

...Device must register on our U.S. network before international use. Service may be terminated or restricted for excessive roaming or misuse..."

Read more at https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/1...cZS9KaEXOHm.99

bluto13

AT&T for over a decade but switched to T-Mobile about 6 months ago. Generally speaking, ATT still has slightly better coverage in the US, but not better enough to warrant their prices (for me almost double what i pay for tmobile now). T-Mobile international blows ATT away, not even comparable. If you fly international, I'd highly recommend trying T-Mobile (and on Delta, you get free wifi on GoGo on our flights) and see how your local area coverage compares. For me, it was an easy choice, but I live in a metropolitan area where most carriers have decent coverage.