Quote:
Originally Posted by PSIM
Dear Sir, as you rightly stated we quickly resolved your Google Voice SMS issue, we did however explain to you that T-Mobile for 3G works on the 1700 MHZ band and that you may have had an issue if your handset did not support the 1700 MHZ service, (we do have a notice on the website stating that a 1700 MHZ handset is recommended when roaming in the US). if your handset does not support 1700 MHZ it will revert to default 2G, which has less coverage than 3G, you have since informed admin that your handset does not support 1700 MHZ, we also explained that T-Mobile were re-farming there 1900 MHZ network to get around this issue and that they are hopeful all works will be completed by the summer 2013. You were given a full explanation regarding the T-Mobile roll out and 1700 MHZ bands. The low balance SMS service (standard in most PAYG services) is there for all users, unfortunately at this time we do not run a bespoke service for individual users.
PSIM
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Wow, interesting that you (and I assume you are a representative of Piranha) decide to reply in a public forum and state the same thing as your email - an email which I replied to and in which I addressed this issue of T-Mobile's 3G bands - and to which I
never got any further reply. But since you seem to have either "missed" it or you just want to revisit this issue in the open, let me copy and paste it for the benefit of you (and everyone else) here:
(Email from me to Piranha Mobile on April 18, 2013)
I'm very aware of T-Mobile's 3G bands and their current refarming of their 1900MHz spectrum. Unfortunately it doesn't apply to me at the moment as my current Android device is 900/2100 only (I live in Europe much of the year). I can tell you though that T-Mobile's 2G network is just as good as their 3G network in terms of coverage in urban areas, and better in rural areas, which I covered many during the time of this outage. Let me explain (and repeat much of what I've already said).
I first noticed that I wasn't getting any service in downtown Chicago at the beginning of a drive northwest to Madison, Wisconsin, on a major interstate highway (I-90). As I was a rider in the car I was able to check my phone throughout the entire 150-mile trip, and at no time was I able to get a working signal -- this despite the fact that I was in an area which T-Mobile clearly shows as having 2G coverage, but more importantly, I began doing manual searches for service during the trip to try to get a working connection. T-Mobile (and AT&T) came up every time, but despite repeated attempts to connect, the SIM was unable to register on the network. I tried AT&T as well (just in case) and upon crossing the border from Illinois into Wisconsin, I even tried connecting to a small regional GSM provider. I tried rebooting the device and re-inserting the SIM card numerous times. Nothing worked. I concluded that either the entire T-Mobile network in this 150-mile stretch was down, or the problem was on the Piranha end of things (my money being on the latter, given my experience with SMS not coming through a couple weeks ago). Upon arriving home, a location that I know has working coverage, I inserted an actual T-Mobile prepaid SIM card into my phone just to see if it was a T-Mobile problem or not. The T-Mobile network came up fine. I began this "conversation" by emailing Piranha, and not long after that, I was able to get service again.
So, on my end of things, it seems quite clear that it was something on Piranha's end. I just want to know what, and whether to expect this kind of service (or lack thereof) in the future. The fact that I'm getting the run around doesn't bode well, and certainly doesn't put me in a position to recommend Piranha's to others. This is why I asked to speak to a supervisor. On paper, I think your service is ideal for a certain group of people, including myself. I can sympathize with small businesses: I know very well that starting out there can be hiccups, and I'd like to see you guys succeed because I like your product on paper -- but right now I'm feeling that I've wasted $20 and a good deal of time on a half-baked service.
Thanks for reading (if you got this far)
(End of email)
Now, just in case that long-worded email wasn't clear enough, let me say it outright:
My extended lack of service with my Piranha SIM had NOTHING to do with T-Mobile's 3G bands. I keep my Android device set to "GSM only" in the US because I
know it doesn't get T-Mobile's 3G network, and I've been using T-Mobile's 2G network
for the past 7 years directly with T-Mobile's own prepaid service. In fact, that was one of my reasons for buying a Piranha SIM: because Piranha uses T-Mobile in the US, and I knew from experience that
T-Mobile's service works for me.