Carrier Customization on Maemo (part 1)

by Mobile Jorge on November 4, 2009

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In the US, there are currently only 2 GSM cellular carriers, for the first part of this article I will focus only on them. The second part, we’ll discuss the other providers, and the possibility of a non-GSM N900. The first carrier I will talk about is AT&T as they are the largest US GSM provider, and the second is T-Mobile, the company that the N900 is currently most compatible with.

attnewlogo sm Carrier Customization on Maemo (part 1) AT&T has had the longest running 3G cellular data network, and with the iPhone has had quite a history of data issues. Currently, although the iPhone now supports being used as a data modem, AT&T has refused to allow this feature to be used. With the N900, there are GPLed kernel modules to allow data sharing. For Nokia to disable this feature, and block it, as AT&T would likely require, could violate the GPL. Secondly AT&T will also (as they have done with the iPhone) want to block any VOiP services from being used on their network, so say goodbye to Skype and SIP calls while you’re not on WiFi. Likely you’ll also have to say goodbye to any streaming content, like that from Hava, or Slingbox, unless using WiFi. Also with AT&T you’ll have to wait. If Nokia plans to sell the N900 to AT&T, the firmware, and possibly the hardware will have to be changed in order to be used on AT&T’s 3G data network, currently only EDGE data speeds are supported (think iPhone 1st generation). The radios in the N900 do not support AT&T’s 3G frequencies.

T-Mobile, who currently would not require a hardware change would have it’s own problem with the N900. First of all their 3G network is extremely new, so expect a lot of issues to start out with, if T-Mobile were to sell a lot of subsidized N900s. The other issue to consider with T-Mobile is that all of their phones are required to have a “Fav5″ interface. While this is extremely easy to implement, it will be required to change the default desktop (most likely). T-Mobile, while it can’t be confirmed, will also very likely want some of the aforementioned restrictions that AT&T has. T-Mobile also already has a long history of not being very friendly to Nokia’s N-Series devices, and for as long as I can remember, has never carried a Nokia N-Series phone. I would like to see the N900 work out on T-Mobile, but in reality I don’t think that T-Mobile will be able to sell the N900 to many consumers because of their very lacking 3G network. In cities like San Francisco they’d have quite an advantage, but in Salt Lake City (one of the most internet connected cities in the US) they don’t have 3G at all. And even areas slightly outside of major metro areas, their 3G data is non existent as well, and in some cases (even within San Fransisco county) coverage can be altogether non existant. If you think your AT&T iPhone has bad coverage (first blame your iPhone, I’ve done many tests on this personally), T-Mobile is going to be even more frustrating, especially for people who drive from LA to the Bay area, or anywhere to Vegas.

Part 2 will come shortly, please bookmark us and check back soon.

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christexaport

1. "AT&T has had the longest running 3G cellular data network"
FALSE. Both Verizon and Sprint launched 3G networks before at&t.

2. "First of all [TMobileUSA's] 3G network is extremely new, so expect a lot of issues to start out with"
UNSUBSTANTIATED AND MISLEADING. There have been few problems with TMobileUSA's 3G network, and on the contrary, it has shown to be the fastest in the country in many places. It has also proven more reliable, with high customer satisfaction scores.

3. "The other issue to consider with T-Mobile is that all of their phones are required to have a “Fav5″ interface"
FALSE. TMobileUSA is actually doing away with its MyFaves plans, and they aren't even offered anymore.

4. "T-Mobile also already has a long history of not being very friendly to Nokia’s N-Series devices, and for as long as I can remember, has never carried a Nokia N-Series phone."
FALSE. TMobile was the carrier that stepped up and proclaimed they wouldn't restrict P2P apps on its network after at&t banned Symella and Slingbox Mobile usage. And Nokia Nseries devices have actually been subsidized by TMobileUSA in select retail stores via the TMobile Premium Collection since at least 2006, when I bought my first Nseries device, the N90, on contract with a $500 subsidy at CompUSA. They offer various Nokia smartphones on subsidy with a contract with TMobileUSA at Best Buy as we speak.

5. "I don’t think that T-Mobile will be able to sell the N900 to many consumers because of their very lacking 3G network"
It hasn't prevented them selling alot of G1's, MyTouches, or Blackberries. And their 3G network deployment has been greatly accelerated, with a much larger percentage of the US population covered than when any of the aforementioned devices were launched, so your assumptions are unfounded. In actuality, as we learned from the iPhone, a popular device can drive consumers to a network, even if its reliability was questionable. So network performance isn't always a main focus for consumers when choosing a smartphone. at&t's coverage and capacity issues did little to stymie its growth.

Just wanted to insert some common sense, honesty, and food for thought into this not so in depth analysis of the situation

Skyler

1. Perhaps you didn't read the first sentence in this article... "In the US, there are currently only 2 GSM cellular carriers, for the first part of this article I will focus only on them."

2. "There have been few problems with TMobileUSA's 3G network, and on the contrary, it has shown to be the fastest in the country in many places. It has also proven more reliable, with high customer satisfaction scores."

Interesting, cause you know what happened yesterday right? http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10390097-94.html

If you're not tired of being pointed out to being obviously wrong, I'll continue...

3. You're absolutely right, and when I wrote this article 2 months ago (http://bit.ly/Z6oZ7) , that wasn't entirely the case.

4. No, actually T-Mobile does not carry N series devices. Perhaps a visit to t-mobile.com can refresh your memory, but BestBuy (and formerly CompUSA) sells unlocked, unsubsidized by the carrier N series devices. Step 1: Walk into a t-mobile store, Step 2: take a picture of an N Series Nokia on sale (by T-Mobile, not a third party), Step 3: post said picture to Internet. Good luck.

5. Again, because this article was written a couple of months ago as well, this information has changed. T-Mobile's network is expanding, and days after I wrote this article Salt Lake City did get 3G coverage. However T-Mobile's 3G coverage only exists in large metro areas (though California is an exception to that). While for some people that may be fine, for people who like to get out of town for a weekend, this will be a problem. Take a look at I-5 in California. Millions of cars travel between southern cal and the bay area every week for example. AT&T maintains a 3G network along the entire route.

--Quit reading T-Mobile's marketing material and pick up a newspaper. T-Mobile's 3G isn't there yet, but it does look promising. This article isn't about making T-Mobile look bad, or AT&T look good. I've said it before, and it appears I'll have to say it again; "All carriers in the US have their issues", to that point, AT&T has had longer to address those issues, but they seem to be stuck with the small bandwidth they installed years ago (3Mb to the tower... not good when you're sharing that bandwidth with 100 people)

christexaport

Ok, Skyler. You have a point about the comparison of just the GSM carriers. I found it misleading, nonetheless.

As for emphasizing the recent outage on TMobileUSA, every carrier has outages and issues from time to time. Do a search for yourself, and you'll see that of all the US carriers, both GSM and CDMA, TMobileUSA has very little widespread issues. As my comment noted, the network issues on TMobileUSA are rather rare, and their network performance statistics are near the top in the country. Compare that to at&t's, which are the lowest in the country. The biggest part of the JD Power rankings, which always find TMobileUSA in one of the top two spots, is network reliability. The latest speed tests with users testing the Nokia N900 show the fastest 3G speeds in the country as a result of TMobile's latest network speed upgrades.

As for your claim that Best Buy only sells its unlocked devices at full retail without subsidy, you must have slept on the fact that I reported the fact that they DO offer subsidy from TMobile for Symbian devices via the Premium Collection nearly one year ago today:
http://www.symbian-freak.com/news/008/11/t_mobi...
I buy devices from TMobile via Best Buy, so I'm not just talking from an outside perspective. Here's the link on the Best Buy site to clear any confusion. The selection varies by location, and is only available in store:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/null/null/pcmcat167...

TMobile has various locations other than corporate owned stores, with different product selection. The point I was making was that TMobileUSA has been a pioneer in bringing Nseries devices to the US via subsidies for years, and have been friendly to Nseries users and devices, contrary to your report. They may not have them in their corporate stores, but they offer them through alternate channels, better than could be said for most US carries. The N75 at at&t was an isolated exception that they ruined themselves, as they did with the still decent E71x. TMobileUSA has always subsidized the unlocked models, without any customization or app blocking.

I won't hide my favoritism for TMobileUSA. I love them and how they run their business. Covering the metro areas first is a wise move, as this means 85-90% of the population will be covered by the network, and better satisfaction from consumers is a good way to build a business. Things are improving at an accelerated rate. How about updating this article with more current data? I-5 does need improvement, but that is just a small picture of the national picture.

I don't read anyone's marketing material, but I could probably write it for them, since I make it a habit to study the entire industry, not just the slice that applies to me and my usage. I'm not even using any mobile service at the moment, and weirdly, don't own a working mobile at this time. I'm using Google Voice via a PC. My post was about getting the facts right. That's all.

So while you claim to have pointed me out to be obviously wrong, you have few things you should get right yourself. I understand you penned this weeks ago when things are different, but most of it wasn't. You just wrote with a more localized and colored viewpoint you may not have realized. Tests, data, and research show different. But no one's perfect, and we won't always agree. I still love the site, and look forward to your next post. ;P