Topic: T Mobile Lte

New European Union roaming agreements that went into effect on June 15, 2017, have eliminated additional costs for mobile data across member states. Travelers are advised to purchase local prepaid SIM cards rather than expensive international plans from carriers like T-Mobile. Testing in France and Italy confirmed that 5G and LTE speeds are now consistently available across borders using a single European SIM.

The performance of the iPhone 7 Plus is evaluated during a remote broadcast from an Airbnb. Observations regarding 10 megabit internet connections suggest that service providers may be using code to manipulate speed test results, a practice compared to historical cheating by graphics card manufacturers and the automobile industry. T-Mobile's extended reach LTE radios are noted for providing superior connectivity compared to Verizon MiFi devices.

The transition to the iPhone 7 is noted for its significant speed improvements and better radio support for T-Mobile's LTE frequencies. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook's stated goal to "kill cash" through Apple Pay is criticized as an attempt to position the company as a middleman in every transaction. The discussion also touched on the frustration of slow EMV chip card readers and the lack of actual security provided by the new payment standards.

The hosts trace the history of French telecommunications from the Minitel system to modern fiber and wireless networks. While wired ADSL connections in France are described as poor, the 4G LTE infrastructure is noted for its high speed. Curry praises a T-Mobile promotion that provided free, full-speed LTE access worldwide during July and August.

The evolution of travel technology is highlighted through the use of SiriusXM satellite radio and mobile data connections from Verizon and T-Mobile. Technical difficulties with a signal booster in New Mexico forced a reliance on an iPhone 6 tethered to a portable Wi-Fi router to maintain the podcast stream.

Technical preparations for the Airstream tour involve choosing Verizon LTE coverage over satellite options for internet connectivity. The setup will include a Yagi antenna and booster box to ensure the ability to prep the show and watch C-SPAN while traveling through state and national parks.

T-Mobile's international data roaming and tethering policies are analyzed during a remote broadcast. While the provider offers unlimited worldwide data, high-speed tethering for laptops requires separate data buckets that can reach costs of $50 for 20 gigabytes. The performance of LTE in New York City is noted as sufficient for high-quality audio transmission without significant latency.

The hosts speculate that the government's opposition to the AT&T and T-Mobile merger is a setup to grant AT&T valuable 700 MHz spectrum via an executive order. They argue that AT&T, a major donor to the Obama administration, needs this spectrum to compete with Verizon's 4G LTE network, and the "emergency broadband" narrative will be used as the justification.