this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2025
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[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 43 points 1 day ago (2 children)

They probably also likely removed it, because if you open your browser's debug window, it identifies clearly that T-Mobile is the backing carrier, not "the big three carriers" like they claim. It's T-Mobile's classic MVNO coverage map, if one is familiar with it (which will include possible roaming on other carriers, so they're not "lying"...)

That coverage site is also running on a very old system, IIRC, so good luck finding an engineer that still works there and knows how to fix it to "update" the gulf.

(Cell nerd deets, Mango-Mobile is using Liberty Wireless as their backing MVNO, which is an MVNO on T-Mobile's infra. Liberty was also already terrible. MVNO's are virtual cell carriers that live on real ones. It is NOT using Verizon, AT&T, or even Dish, except possibly in the case of roaming agreements.)

T-Mobile also use Muskrat's Starlink as their mediocre sat-to-cell service, and they also leveraged Mango's position in his first term to push through M&A's to acquire 5G spectrum to artificially accelerate/cheat past the others. John Legere fans, cover your ears, he actually went to Mango's FCC quite a bit to get this going.

tl;dr: probably a good idea to add T-Mobile to the boycott list next time one's looking for cell service. (As well, any T-Mobile MVNO like Mint, MetroPCS, etc. Here's an MVNO List that can be sorted by host network.)

[–] Hazor@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Ugh. I'm on on of T-Mobile's MVNO's. Unfortunately, it's not like Verizon or AT&T are morally superior. What's a guy to do?

Remind me why we allowed this much consolidation of the industry?

[–] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Because polticians are simultaneously too stupid to understand the problems they must regulate and too greedy to want to understand them.

[–] pupbiru@aussie.zone 1 points 1 day ago

Remind me why we allowed this much consolidation of the industry?

because telecom is somewhat of a natural monopoly (cables for sure; wireless less so, but for wireless you still need cables and spectrum)

[–] extremeboredom@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Problem is, T Mobile bought so many other carriers that their coverage is unbeatable in the US. I've been all over the entire country and had coverage everywhere others with competing carriers didn't. That's anecdotal I suppose, but I'm afraid to switch to a carrier with worse coverage.

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

T-Mobile doesn't work everywhere, but nobody does. There's a town in Tennessee that I visited for work twice last year, and the moment I got to my destination, I lost coverage. If I wanted to make a call, I haf to drive a couple miles down the road.

[–] extremeboredom@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

That's fair. I was definitely exaggerating, but I do know I had coverage in much more of the country than the people I traveled with.