T-Mobile Mobile Broadband/4G

[manlymatt83]

I have a Verizon Wireless blackberry that I currently use to tether to my laptop. Quite happy with it, but I've been considering getting a T-Mobile broadband plan so that I can keep my phone separate and not have to tie it up to phone usage. If I get rid of the $15/mo tethering plan with Verizon, I'll actually only have to pay $25/mo extra to get T-Mobile's $39/mo 5 GB 4g plan. To me, this is a huge win.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is Verizon's network REALLY that much better than T-mobile? I only tend to use mobile broadband on the train or in good areas of service such as sitting in a coffee shop that doesn't have wifi. And of course, I'll still have my Verizon Blackberry for email, etc. when I'm on the go without my laptop.

 

[Cuda1447]

Verizon's footprint is a large larger, so they have coverage in those really rural areas. T-Mobiles internet speeds blow Verizons out of the water though. What city will you mainly be using this in? That makes a huge difference. Also, something to consider. You could move your phone line over to T-Mobile and tether with the phone without tying it up. On T-Mo's network you can do data and voice at the same time. So if you are tethering and get a phone call you can answer it.

 

[manlymatt83]

Boston. Is it good there?

 

[Bateluer]

Boston. Is it good there?

According to T-Mobile's map, there should be fast mobile data there. I think there's HSPA+ there as well.

http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx

 

[Oyeve]

Boston. Is it good there?

you should be fine there. I use tmo in nyc and my only issue is when I hit 6gb they throttle down the speed for the rest of the cycle and it is horrible. i wish they wouldn't throttle down but they all do it. also, i have vzw mobile broadband and tmo is at least three times faster.

 

[manlymatt83]

you should be fine there. I use tmo in nyc and my only issue is when I hit 6gb they throttle down the speed for the rest of the cycle and it is horrible. i wish they wouldn't throttle down but they all do it. also, i have vzw mobile broadband and tmo is at least three times faster.

Thanks for the input. I don't download much so I very highly doubt I would hit 5 GB in a month. I use it for mostly email, web, and SSH.

So you're saying that even with Verizon's new 4G LTE, T-mobile is still faster?

My plan is to keep my Verizon Wireless Blackberry (without tethering, but still with the data package) + get T-Mobile broadband. This way, if I'm in a place without Verizon, but T-Mobile is working, I can always skype. Furthermore, if I'm in a place without T-Mobile service, I'll still have the Blackberry to send/receive email, and worst comes to worst, I can always call them up and temporarily re-enable tethering (such as if I'm going on a trip or something - not worth spending the $15/mo otherwise).

Anything wrong with that picture?

 

[SSSnail]

Why don't you just get the unlimited T-Mobile data plan and get rid of everything else? It's quite fast, depends on where you are. I can play games with no lags...