You know, I’m a fairly patient guy. However, I’m just about at my wit’s end with the constant delays in T-Mobile rolling out 3G data services. I use mobile data services, and really need to have a faster connection than the ~150kbps that my current T-Mobile EDGE service allows.
Sure, I’ve got the plan that includes all their WiFi Hostspots, which is nice, but trying to use EDGE when in motion gets a bit old. Quickly. The only “nice” thing I can say about it right now is that it’s reasonably “cheap” compared to the pricing all-you-can-eat data plans from AT&T and Verizon (sorry – Sprint doesn’t count in my book).
The shitty thing is that I like the phone service and the company. Customer service has been great. Coverage for me in my area has been great. Coverage for me when traveling has been great. Other customers may have had a different experience, but overall, I’ve been very satisfied with T-Mobile – even with EDGE.
However, now that it’s 2008, and knowing that the spectrum they licensed in 2005 has yet to be opened to their customers in two years, I’m growing tired. Yet, it’s not all T-Mobile’s fault. The biggest problem for T-Mobile and their customers is that the spectrum they licensed is still in use by government agencies in many cases. And there may be up to 4 years in some cases before that spectrum is vacated by these agencies. They’ve been slow to roll out 3G, sure, mainly because they know that value and service is what’s going to win them customers. If they could’ve been the first horse out of the gate 3-4 years ago with 3G, they could’ve been the speed/tech leader. But, instead, they’ve become the value leader. Yeah, that “you get what you pay for” phrase does come to mind.
So, what should I do? Wait for the 3G service to launch, or skip on over to AT&T or Verizon and pay at least double for the unlimited data I have today? The other part is nearly all of my family, and a number of friends, are on T-Mobile making efficient use of my unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes and allows me to have a lower-minute (lower cost) plan.
