Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/6044/tmobile-1900-mhz-wcdma-outside-moscone-center-air-interface-hands-on
T-Mobile 1900 MHz WCDMA outside Moscone Center - Air Interface Hands On
by Brian Klug on June 26, 2012 9:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- HSPA+
- Mobile
- T-Mobile
- iPhone 4S
- Trade Shows
- 3G
I just arrived in San Francisco, CA for Google I/O, which we'll be covering live tomorrow, providing the event's 5 GHz WiFi and backup Verizon LTE or AT&T LTE don't go down. There was much talk a few weeks ago about how T-Mobile had lit up some 1900 MHz WCDMA in time for WWDC and other events, and although I saw a few tech press members post speedtests, we never saw any FieldTest output showing exactly where ol' Magenta is running their 1900 MHz WCDMA.
I just headed over to pick up my badge and couldn't resist the temptation to bring along my unlocked iPhone 4S (how uncouth) with a T-Mobile SIM inside, alongside a pocket full of SGS3s. Anyhow, T-Mobile's PCS 1900MHz WCDMA network was still up inside Moscone Center, and on the sidewalk in front. Coverage is extremely localized however, walk even a hundred feet away from the event center and you'll be dumped back on EDGE 1900 MHz instead of T-Mobile's HSPA+. I managed to run three tests and some FieldTest screenshots. As a reminder, the iPhone 4S is just a Category 10, HSDPA 14.4 device, and results are pretty good for what's likely an unloaded single carrier.
FieldTest shows a DL UARFCN of 612, which corresponds to 1972.5 MHz and UL UARFCN of 212 at 1892.5 MHz. Andrew Shephard (@wiwavelength) beat me to analysis of which PCS block this corresponds to, and tweeted that this is F block PCS. Well, that finally satisfies my curiosity about T-Mobile WCDMA on 1900 MHz for the most part, at least in this region.
@nerdtalker T-Mobile in SF holds PCS B5, E, and F block 10 MHz licenses. UARFCN 612 = 1972.5 MHz center freq. So, W-CDMA is in F block.
— Andrew J Shepherd (@WiWavelength) June 27, 2012