03-08-2022, 02:00 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-08-2022, 02:02 PM by vap0rtranz.
Edit Reason: accidentally deleted post!
)
rik-shaw wrote:
We're in more agreement than disagreement
but there are some important points to re-state.I do like US Mobile, but my cell signal while at home sucks. If anyone is to blame, it's me for living way out in the backwoods 
My big beef with the 5G rollout --
-- the assumption that everyone everywhere is now covered by 4G/LTE is just fabricated myth. If I were wearing a TinFoil Hat, the myth originates with BigTelco who want to push new sales of 5G devices on everyone, regardless of silica waste. Not wearing a TinFoil Hat, an apologist would say 4G/LTE has been around for 10+ years, so get with the program! But ...
... this forum (and Reddit) show that fallback to UMTS/GSM or CDMA is. still. happening. In 2022. These folks aren't (always) using flip phones that pre-date 4G rollout, though it is nice to sweep them under the rug with the pithy: "upgrade your device". Well, the PP is LTE capable, and anyways I'm not going to upgrade it.
The bigger point is several 4G devices are not always on LTE networks so fallback is still happening. To be comedic: If everyone just picks up and moves to living next to new / upgraded towers, and doesn't travel away from any Big City -- so they teleport between Big Cities?? -- then the fallback "problem" goes away
My guess is: there will be Dead Zones again, like the 1990s -- large but remote areas where 2G/3G towers are not upgraded and simply shutdown. Look at any map of GSM/CDMA vs 4G/5G -- if you overlay those maps and get rid of GSM/CDMA, there. are. gaps. Oh but don't worry: Big Telco will fill it all in all the gaps with 5G, just like they've been doing for 10+ years with 4G! "Let's Do The Time Warp, Again!"
We'll know soon enough if my guesses are right: https://www.pcmag.com/news/cdma-vs-gsm-w...difference
Some AT&T customers have very recently suspected their PPs were getting blacklisted, but given the EOL date from AT&T there ^, I wonder if their voice & SMS was actually riding on GSM/UMTS, and they simply don't have an upgraded tower nearby. Just a guess ... because our PP's modem can negotiate LTE service and display "4G" very proudly to Phosh but still fallback during voice calls. https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=14284
Humor aside: the entire PP community can test what's going to happen. A forum member suggested switching to 4G only now. <-- That works in UI for ModemManager + Phosh distros.
Quote: I am using US Mobile as the carrier with the "Black" Verizon SIM, BTW. US Mobile is very friendly to work with, no problems having devices "black listed" etc.
We're in more agreement than disagreement
but there are some important points to re-state.I do like US Mobile, but my cell signal while at home sucks. If anyone is to blame, it's me for living way out in the backwoods My big beef with the 5G rollout --
-- the assumption that everyone everywhere is now covered by 4G/LTE is just fabricated myth. If I were wearing a TinFoil Hat, the myth originates with BigTelco who want to push new sales of 5G devices on everyone, regardless of silica waste. Not wearing a TinFoil Hat, an apologist would say 4G/LTE has been around for 10+ years, so get with the program! But ...
... this forum (and Reddit) show that fallback to UMTS/GSM or CDMA is. still. happening. In 2022. These folks aren't (always) using flip phones that pre-date 4G rollout, though it is nice to sweep them under the rug with the pithy: "upgrade your device". Well, the PP is LTE capable, and anyways I'm not going to upgrade it.
The bigger point is several 4G devices are not always on LTE networks so fallback is still happening. To be comedic: If everyone just picks up and moves to living next to new / upgraded towers, and doesn't travel away from any Big City -- so they teleport between Big Cities?? -- then the fallback "problem" goes away
My guess is: there will be Dead Zones again, like the 1990s -- large but remote areas where 2G/3G towers are not upgraded and simply shutdown. Look at any map of GSM/CDMA vs 4G/5G -- if you overlay those maps and get rid of GSM/CDMA, there. are. gaps. Oh but don't worry: Big Telco will fill it all in all the gaps with 5G, just like they've been doing for 10+ years with 4G! "Let's Do The Time Warp, Again!"We'll know soon enough if my guesses are right: https://www.pcmag.com/news/cdma-vs-gsm-w...difference
- AT&T has already shut down its 2G GSM network and most recently said it will shut down 3G GSM/UMTS in February 2022.
- T-Mobile will shut down 3G GSM/UMTS in July 2022. It has not set a date to turn off 2G, but has greatly reduced its coverage and quality.
- T-Mobile will shut down the 3G CDMA network used by some Sprint and Boost customers on March 31, 2022.
- Verizon will shut down its 3G CDMA network on December 31, 2022.
Some AT&T customers have very recently suspected their PPs were getting blacklisted, but given the EOL date from AT&T there ^, I wonder if their voice & SMS was actually riding on GSM/UMTS, and they simply don't have an upgraded tower nearby. Just a guess ... because our PP's modem can negotiate LTE service and display "4G" very proudly to Phosh but still fallback during voice calls. https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=14284
Humor aside: the entire PP community can test what's going to happen. A forum member suggested switching to 4G only now. <-- That works in UI for ModemManager + Phosh distros.
PPv1.2a running PMOS ... almost a daily driver!