EDGE Coverage - TMobile v. Cingular

[geek_riot]

This may be a dumb question (and I did search), but I thought that if Cingular and T-Mobile are both available in a certian area and Cingular has EDGE in said area, that t-Mobile should also have EDGE. I called t-mobile to inquire about this and was told that they don't support EDGE on the blackberry;s. This sounds like bunk, but could anyone confirm/deny this? And back to the first point, If i have had EDGE where I am with Cingular, should I also have EDGE with T-Mobile?

[Texas_Traveler]

Just because you have Edge with one carrier, doesn't mean you'll have it with another. It's really a question if your carrier has implemented EDGE on the tower you are using (and your phone supports it).

I think both Cingular and T-Mobile are in the process of putting EDGE on most or all of their towers, and I think Cingular is further along.

[joginder]

Right now almost all major markets are covered with EDGE on Tmo as well as Cingular network ..so yes they are almost right to say that both providers will have EDGE..
go for tmo to be happy for a longer time.. -)

[shaqinsactown]

On the west coast TMO has been using some of Cingular's bandwith and coverage. Hence when Cingular gets it back, some TMO customers will be sad (n)

[lmlloyd]

On the west coast TMO has been using some of Cingular's bandwith and coverage. Hence when Cingular gets it back, some TMO customers will be sad (n)

Actually, no. Cingular got all of AT&T's towers, which had already been built out on the west coast. As a result Cingular was doubled up, so they sold the towers T-Mobile was sharing to T-Mobile. A lot of those towers still report themselves as Cingular, but they are T-Mobile's now.

[NJBlackBerry]

On the west coast TMO has been using some of Cingular's bandwith and coverage. Hence when Cingular gets it back, some TMO customers will be sad (n)
Very out of date information.
Very...

[MikesTechSvcs]

I'm in Huntsville, AL and my BlackBerry 8700c has the EDGE coverage from Cingular.

It's been that way since I got this new blackberry.
My old one only had the GPRS coverage.

- MTS

[lmlloyd]

Oh, and in answer to the original question, in the US I believe that T-Mobile and Cingular have a wireless data roaming agreement, so technically speaking, yes, if there is EDGE in the area, you should get it. However, I don't know how the internal logic of the handheld deals with the situation if you have GPRS available from your actual service provider, but EDGE available from a data roaming partner.

One would hope that it would choose the EDGE signal. All I can say is that in the month I have had my 8700g (on T-Mobile of course), I have never seen it connect with anything but EDGE.

[geek_riot]

Thanks all for the responses. I've ordered my 8700g and am eagerly awaiting it. In the interm I've been using a Samsung D307 that I purchased to give to my sister, and I must say that once you have push email it is too painful to try anything else. I hope the BB comes before I start to experience the more serious blackberry withdrawal symptoms.

[SWBearHunter]

I have T-Mobile and they definitely have EDGE...at least in Houston.

[mas90guru]

I had an 8700 on T-Mo and swapped to Cingular. I don't think with either carrier I've had more than a few minutes without the EDGE wording showing. I swapped from T-Mobile only due to a few coverage holes in my area. T-Mobile's service was excellent otherwise and I notice zero difference in speed. My new Cingular 8700 is neither faster or slower.

[chapaj]

I live in Wichita Falls, TX. No EDGE on T-Mobile, however Cingular does have EDGE here (former AT&T Wireless market).

[wclyffe]

I had an 8700 on T-Mo and swapped to Cingular. I don't think with either carrier I've had more than a few minutes without the EDGE wording showing. I swapped from T-Mobile only due to a few coverage holes in my area. T-Mobile's service was excellent otherwise and I notice zero difference in speed. My new Cingular 8700 is neither faster or slower.

And I swapped in the other direction (from Cingular to T-Mobile) and I agree, they are the same though I like my deal with T-Mobile far better price-wise.

[geek_riot]

Well I got my 8700g Friday and was dismayed to see GPRS displayed. So TMO doesn't have proper EDGE coverage in Longview.

BUT, (and this doesn't make sense to me) the GPRS speed seems to be just as fast as the Cingular EDGE. To double check this, I went into a Cingular store with live BB8700c/EDGE and tested my device with theirs, the two deviced seemed to load in about the same time.

Also, Opera Mini works great on my 8700g, whereas the two 8700c devices I had, it was very slow.

[Stinsonddog]

TM doesn't have the 850 spectrum, only the 1900 (maybe the reverse), but they only have one, so you tend to roam more, as they have alot of roaming agreements, BUT if you can pull their signal, even if it is weaker than the roaming signal that is what you get, so coverage is not as stable as Cingular for those that travel.

[geek_riot]

TM doesn't have the 850 spectrum, only the 1900 (maybe the reverse), but they only have one, so you tend to roam more, as they have alot of roaming agreements, BUT if you can pull their signal, even if it is weaker than the roaming signal that is what you get, so coverage is not as stable as Cingular for those that travel.

Yeah, I took a different way fo my office this morning, and noticed that I jumped to Cingular w/ EDGE, then back to T-Mo GPRS.

[Senamar]

This weekend I left Atlanta and went to the mountains in western North Carolina. I had T-Mobile coverage most of the ride to the state line (there are still some holes in coverage along Hwy 515). While I was just North (half a mile or so) of the Nantahala River I had coverage there from Cingular's network and I had EDGE. I was able to use Idokorro to connect to the office and unlock a user's account and get news from CNN about the plane crash in Ky. The speed was the same I am used to while in Atlanta on T-Mobile's network.

[geek_riot]

This weekend I left Atlanta and went to the mountains in western North Carolina. I had T-Mobile coverage most of the ride to the state line (there are still some holes in coverage along Hwy 515). While I was just North (half a mile or so) of the Nantahala River I had coverage there from Cingular's network and I had EDGE. I was able to use Idokorro to connect to the office and unlock a user's account and get news from CNN about the plane crash in Ky. The speed was the same I am used to while in Atlanta on T-Mobile's network.

Senamar, do you have EDGE with T-Mo in Atlanta or GPRS?

[Senamar]

Senamar, do you have EDGE with T-Mo in Atlanta or GPRS?

EDGE with T-Mo. (y)

[JSanders]

I just drove from Birmingham, AL up to Boston, Mass. Along my route in various places I had EDGE or GPRS with either TMO or Cingular.

For instance, around Knoxville TN on I-40 and north on I-81, I had Cingular, but no EDGE. In most of western Virginia along I-81, I had Cingular and TMO back and forth at times, but no EDGE on either.

Driving through DC, MD and DE, NY, and CT, RI, and MA, I had EDGE all the time.

On the return trip via Harrisonburg PA, through the rural parts of PA along I-78, and TMO, but no EDGE.

Here in Birmingham, I have EDGE on TMO all the time.

[mobilecontrol]

T-Mob EDGE coverages is right around 70% of the normal GPRS coverage.