Belgian/Dutch border

[inquisitor]

Since KPN and Vodafone also use the 900MHz-band on their network, while T-Mobile run their network soley at 1800MHz (besides 3G at 2100MHz), which has a shorter signal range than 900 MHz (<36km vs. < 20km) and worse signal dispersion, KPN and Vodafone are likely to have further reaching coverage in Belgium, as their signals get deeper into Belgian territory.

[Ties Brants]

If I remember correctly Orange actually had E-gsm as well. So T-mobile should at least have the possibility to also use (E) gsm 900. But I suppose that testing it where you need it is the only way to find out for sure. But if you want a Dutch number in Belgium the Buurlanden option sounds pretty usefull to me. And then you won't have to worry about signal quality since you will be using a Belgium network.

[Motel75]

Yes, it bears repeating. If you live in a border area, switch your phone to manual network selection (not automatic). That way, if it loses its home network signal for a short time it won't switch to a foreign network.

[Stu]

Or get a Yagi and point it at NL. Look at Wilson Electronics website for some ideas, but you may then want to track a supplier on your side of the Atlantic.

[Ties Brants]

But the last tower won't be exactly at the border and they won't direct the signal in the direction of Belgium. They want to have coverage in the Netherlands, not Belgium. So if the signal stops 1 meter across the border they are okay.

I think the maximum was 35 km normally and 70 when they use 2 time slots.

Wouldn't using the Vodafone option with buurlanden be cheaper? It depends on how many calls you get. But forwarding to a cellphone isn't usually that cheap.

[borjeg]

Originally Posted by Ties Brants

But the last tower won't be exactly at the border and they won't direct the signal in the direction of Belgium. They want to have coverage in the Netherlands, not Belgium. So if the signal stops 1 meter across the border they are okay.

Well... actually no. When planning cells, all operators want to have as muchs coverage as possible (and allowed) in neighboring countries, at least close to border crossing points.

The operators want to pick up the phones of incoming travellers in their own nets. According to GSM 2 standard, the roaming customers are only handed over to others nets when there is no signal at all. So once picked up... the operator gets all the roaming fees.

[Motel75]

Originally Posted by borjeg

The operators want to pick up the phones of incoming travellers in their own nets. According to GSM 2 standard, the roaming customers are only handed over to others nets when there is no signal at all. So once picked up... the operator gets all the roaming fees.

Hah, just like on the German-Polish border. There are extraterritorial towers that allow you to pick up Voda and TMO (or, indeed, for them to pick you up as a roamer) 20 km before the border on the Berlin-Warsaw railway and road. (I think this was done in part so that customs inspectors from Germany could stay on-network while in PL.) But it's a Pyrrhic victory, at least if you are on the train - while the signal from all three Polish networks is good and strong all the way from Warsaw to the border, once you get into Germany, there is no coverage along the railway line, and it resumes consistently only when you are well within Berlin city limits, 90 km later.