We have 4 phones on our Verizon plan with 10 shared Gigs of Data. A T-Mobile store opened in Kalispell recently and I can switch these 4 phones to them, with my Veterans pricing, for $100 per month. That's about 60% of what I pay now and gives us unlimited data - not that we ever use the 10GB.

The obvious question is: how's the coverage in the NW compared to Verizon. I assume the use each others towers but I don't really know.

This is the first we have seen T-Mobile in NW Montana.
Thanks,
Mike

Do a search on "T-Mobile coverage map" and see what the coverage looks in your area.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
The obvious question is: how's the coverage in the NW compared to Verizon. I assume the use each others towers but I don't really know.

Bad assumption. Sometimes they do. Often they do not.

Looking at TMO's own coverage map, and keeping in mind two things: Portions of Montana are mountainous and coverage maps tend to be optimistic: I'd say it looks iffy. Then again: TMO has been building-out at a prodigious rate. They claim their coverage is now as good as, or better than, Verizon Wireless' and AT&T Mobility's.

Unfortunately, the only way to know in an area with new coverage is to try it.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
This is the first we have seen T-Mobile in NW Montana.
Thanks,
Mike

Did they possibly buy an existing regional carrier? That's what they did in Northern Michigan. At one point they had almost zero coverage north of the thumb. Then, overnight, they had all of the northern lower and the entire eastern half of the upper covered in one go.

FWIW: Here's a year-old discussion of TMO coverage in Montana on Reddit: T-Mobile Montana Update

We've been with TMO for five years. We love 'em.

quote:

coverage maps tend to be optimistic

Ha Ha, optimistic == lies.

quote:

Originally posted by Paten:
Do a search on "T-Mobile coverage map" and see what the coverage looks in your area.

I already did that and coverage looks as good as Verizon. I guess that may be very optimistic. I also read the reddit post which made it sound like coverage is poor at best.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:

I assume the use each others towers

Doubtful. T-Mobile is GSM, Verizon is CDMA.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
I assume the use each others towers

Doubtful. T-Mobile is GSM, Verizon is CDMA.

They can still share tower space, and often do. Sometimes it's mandated by local government to reduce skyline pollution.

I would buy a cheap TMO burner phone and try it out for coverage before switching.

I got the same plan about 8 months ago, except here in the Memphis area. I also swapped from Verizon.
I get 5 lines, I think it's $120 per month.

As for coverage, we find that their map is optimistic at best. We have a booster in our home that covers the house, but there are 3 or 4 additional drop spots around the area that we've encountered.

Overall, we are saving nearly half on our phone bill, they bought out the old phones from Verizon so we got new phones, and we are generally happy. I do realize it has limited bearing on you in the NW, but that's the field report from the boondocks.

quote:

Originally posted by Rotndad:
I would buy a cheap TMO burner phone and try it out for coverage before switching.

Won't necessarily tell the story. TMO is firing-up a lot of new towers on 700MHz, and, if they're not already, soon on 600MHz. Older/cheaper phones might not have the former and certainly won't have the latter.

In fact: Everything in the new coverage I mentioned above is 700MHz.

Find out more than you ever wanted to know about the rollout of 700Mhz and 600Mhz service for T-mobile right here.

If you switch to T-mobile, make sure your new phones support bands 12 and 71 to take advantage of the new spectrum now being deployed.