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Originally Posted by DRNewcomb
Hmmmm. I have not heard that rumor but I guess we could always start one. Perhaps that would lead to T-Mo prepaid roaming outside the US?
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Perhaps RUMOR was the wrong word. In any event, postpaid T-MO US is expanding its coverage by:
1. Builiding new towers (native coverage applies to prepay also)
2. Roaming agreements (applies to postpay only AT THIS TIME), including 850.
3. Phones they sell on prepay often include the 850 band.
TRUE, I have read or seen nothing official, but one might read between the lines or connect the dots. One way to attract customers is to expand service. T-MO prepaid coverage is not what one might call extensive. Overall T-MO US is growing in terms of customers. They are the low price leader for one and have a good reputation as far as service. At one time not so long ago the T-MO website did not even MENTION the prepay option. It now does. It would be logical to attract prepay customers by expanding coverage. Certainly point 1 applies to prepay. Whether the other points will ever apply to prepay is an open question.
AFAIK T-Mo does not have any licenses for 850 spectrum. Then why the devil are they offering phones with the 850 band if they are not intending to use that feature?
One explanation might be that the manufactures (Nokia, Moto, Samsung) are providing 850 on these phones for Cingular anyway.
I doubt T-MO are thinking of allowing prepay to roam internationally and how much market appeal that would have. First and foremost would be IMHO the improvement of coverage nationally. My impression is that, given US prepay population, not many of those would travel abroad or even to MEX or CAN.
Stan