Yes! You're not limited to just your home and office. You can check your friend's house, vacation destinations, and anywhere else you might want to use your T-Mobile phone. To check international coverage, go to the
International Roamingpage.
Yes! The coverage map depicts places from where you can make or receive calls. However, you can call any phone number anywhere from your T-Mobile phone.
We currently offer 3G coverage in many major metropolitan areas. To see if our 3G coverage is available in your area,
go to the Personal Coverage Check page, click the Data Coverage tab, and enter an address.
If you plan to access the Internet extensively on your phone, 3G network coverage may serve you best. 3G is best for viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing), viewing YouTube and other video files (they will play on EDGE, but require loading time), uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites, and downloading large files from an e-mail or a website.
Using one of today’s 3G-capable devices in a 3G market, you will experience faster browsing response and content downloads.
Our EDGE network offers moderate-speed data service, and many of the applications on our 3G phones will work well on EDGE or 3G, including: E-mail, instant messaging, and texting; downloading ringtones, Caller Tunes®, wallpaper, and light data files; and sending photographs via e-mail or picture messaging.
A wireless network operates on a grid that’s divided into geographic areas or cells. Within each geographic cell is a wireless facility or cell site that contains low-powered radio equipment required to send and receive calls.
A cell site uses transmitters and receivers, connected to antennas, to provide service within its coverage area. Ideally, the areas covered by each cell site overlap, so calls pass seamlessly from one cell site to another as a caller moves around.
When you make a call, your mobile phone sends your voice or information via radio signals to the cell site serving your area. Your call then goes to a central facility, called a switch, that identifies the destination for your call and forwards it via the public telephone network, the same infrastructure landline calls use. Your call will go directly to a landline phone or if it’s headed to another mobile phone, it will travel to another switch, a cell site, and then be delivered via radio signal.
Once we determine that a new cell site is needed in a specific area to provide reliable coverage and handle call volume, a T-Mobile team visits the area to identify possible locations. Potential sites are evaluated from several perspectives:
- Scientific analysis: Engineers identify which location offers the best technical solution to address coverage gaps and service needs.
- Zoning and permitting: Zoning specialists ensure that all local zoning, permitting, and building codes, plus all state and federal regulations, can be met at a location.
- Real estate: Site acquisition specialists look for viable leasing arrangements, such as an amenable landlord and round-the-clock site access for technicians.
- Construction: Construction managers ensure that the proposed site can be constructed safely and will meet all municipal building codes and safety standards.
Once the location that best meets all the above criteria is selected, T-Mobile works with local officials to obtain all required permits and negotiates a lease with the property owner.
Once permits have been issued by all local, state, and federal agencies, T-Mobile builds the facility, staying in close contact with the landlord and local building department through the construction process.
850 MHz roaming allows T-Mobile postpaid customers to access roaming service in areas that previously were not accessible. Currently 850MHz roaming is not available for T-Mobile Prepaid customers.