A read got in touch from Springfield, MA to inform us that T-Mobile’s 700MHz LTE network is – at the very least – being tested in the city. We were sent a screenshot of the Galaxy Note 4’s Service Mode screen which shows all the indicators we’d normally require to confirm that this is, indeed, a T-Mobile band 12 site. Check it out below:
As with every sighting we’ve been sent so far, this is a 5+5MHz network running on band 12 LTE. T-Mobile’s 700MHz LTE network has been deployed gradually over the past few months and has been spotted in a number of markets in the U.S. Other things we look for include the MCC-MNC and EARFCN values which indicate which carrier’s network it is.
Using reddit user DanRant’s interactive map as a guide, we see that Springfield is nicely placed in between two no-go areas where TV stations currently have license to broadcast using interfering spectrum. More importantly, it should mean that customers in the Springfield area should see improved indoor coverage in the coming weeks and months as T-Mobile rolls the network out more fully.
So, while T-Mobile’s network has experienced quite severe outages recently, it has also been expanded and improved. So far, we’ve seen evidence of 700MHz LTE networks in Long Island, California and Waco, TX among others.
Thanks to the reader who sent this in.