So - which module and by default which carrier(s) in the US will the US version of the Pyra work wit

[Grench]

This question has become immediately relevant to me.  I'm going to need to establish a 5 line family plan with a carrier inside the next few weeks.  I don't want to lock into a carrier that won't work with my Pyra - which would then be added on as a 6th line (or tablet plan?).

I'm betting that there will be a few people in similar carrier-jumping quandaries between now and general launch.

So, has the US 4G module been chosen?

If so, which carrier(s) will it work on?

 

[comradekingu]

The Antenova A10340 as seen hereis listed with "Antennas Calvus SMD GSM850/ 900/1800/1900/WCDMA"

It does say on page 10 "11-4 Space saving configuration" "n this position good results can be achieved in up to three bands as shown in

the performance table. However, if all five bands are required, this configuration is not

recommended. "

Then there is the actual modem, available in these varieties ( i think i remember seeing more somewhere)

>

PLS8-E:

Five Band LTE: 800/900/1800/2100/2600 MHz, FDD-Band

(2 0,8, 3,7,1)

Tri Band UMTS (WCDMA): 900/1800/2100 MHz,

FDD-Band (8,3,1)

Dual Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 900/1800 MHz

>

PLS8-US

Quad Band LTE: 700/850/AWS (1700/2100)/1900 MHz,

FDD-Band (17,5,4,2)

Tri Band UMTS (WCDMA): 850/AWS (1700/2100)/1900 MHz,

FDD-Band (5,4,2)

Quad Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

from http://m2m.gemalto.com/tl_files/cinterion/downloads/datasheets/gemalto_datasheet_PLS8_web.pdf

Get a carrier that supports both GSM and CMDA, with or without SIM.

 

[WizardStan]

The Antenova A10340 as seen here

That's an outdated image. That antenna doesn't support the number of bands required for LTE. Originally it was the best antenna ED could find in the size required so that's why he was only going to go with the PHS8, but at some point he found a different antenna which could support LTE making the PLS8 a viable option.I can't find the post now, I'm not sure which antenna was found.

 

[rygD]

Grench, I wish I had seen this sooner so that I could make some recommendations.  Over the last week I have been trying to find a carrier to use to reduce the inconvenience of a recent incident that resulted in me not having sole use of my car for now.  I hate having a leash, but I need one so that I can get places when I am not driving.  I did a lot of comparing and research and have decided that my needs are probably best met by low cost MVNOs.  Are these an option for you?  If so they can reduce the pain of high bills for mobile connectivity. 

I have no first hand experience with any of the companies on my list, however I have purchased some Photon Qs (because keyboard...and more choices for MVNOs, plus I like many of the options for modding available with these devices) and I plan to check out a few of the lower priced ones that are backed by Sprint.  If you know about how much of everything across the 5 (or 6) lines will be used perhaps you can look at these options.  Most of the entries on my list are affordable (especially at the low usage end of the spectrum) and easy to walk away from since I am avoiding anything that requires commitment.  This might be a problem if you are expecting to get discounted fones by signing a contract.  Most of the companies I have looked at will sell you hardware, and many will allow you to bring your own devices.  If you want recent flagship models the cost is a bit high initially, but the total cost is less over time since the rates are lower.  What major carriers have good coverage in your area, and do you have a preference for any of them?

I was trying to avoid messing with all of this until we knew exactly what we will be getting with the Pyra, or when I had one in my hands.  Since things happened as they did I tried to find the cheapest possible options.  Let me know if you are interested in my list.  Not everything is in the notes, so I will need to tell you a few of the iffy details for some.

 

[SageX]

Air cooled for maximum VSWR LOL!

 

[Grench]

Get a carrier that supports both GSM and CMDA, with or without SIM.

That simply does not exist in the US.  Carriers are either one or the other - as are the phones.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_network_operators_of_the_Americas#United_States

Realistically it comes down to a choice between CDMA and GSM - it's either or.

CDMA has about 186 million subscribers.  Verizon, Sprint and US Cellular are the largest companies using CDMA.  Smaller carriers (Cricket and similar) also tend to use this.  I currently use US Cellular and get solid voice signal everywhere - including my home.  Data signal can be touch and go in some areas.  So, a CDMA Pyra would in theory have the widest options for carriers.

GSM has about 181 million subscribers.  AT&T and T-Mobile seem to be the only ones who use it in the US.  However, I understand that GSM is far more popular in Europe.

If only it were that simple though.  Each of the companies within the CDMA or GSM sets use different frequency sets and protocols can differ as well.  To further complicate matters, tower sharing is relatively rare.  So, each provider will have their own towers that service only their own subscribers and subscribers of companies that may have sharing agreements with them.  In some areas there will be multiple towers within range, but a given carrier's phone will not connect since they do not have permission to use the towers.

I have a choice in type of contract with most carriers - I can either lock in for 2 years and get subsidized phone prices OR I can pay up front for the phones and pay a lower contract price without being locked in.  Either way, though, I'm locked to the technology (CDMA or GSM) used in the phones themselves.  With 5 lines and 5 smart phones (Galaxy S5), buying the phones up front at roughly $700 per phone isn't chump change (~$3500).  Adding a 6th line for a Pyra to such a plan would only be $10 per month Vs having the Pyra on a plan by itself would be $70 per month.

I want to get this right so that the Pyra can simply be added to the plan and would rather not risk dropping serious cash for one provider's phones then to find out I'd picked the wrong provider.

If I could choose any company's network to have the Pyra work on it would be US Cellular (CDMA), but they're #5 in the US and are only 10% of the size of #4 and would probably not be an option to anyone else outside of the US Midwestern states.  If it needs to be GSM, I'd probably go to T-mobile.

I suggest that the project team work this a bit backward for the US mobile phone options.  Start by picking a carrier, then tailor the radio & antenna to fit the carrier.  Unfortunately there isn't a generic option that would work for all of them.

 

[shadow.8]

Have you looked into Ting? I understand that right now they are CDMA but at the end of February they will be adding GSM support. Maybe this could work for you?

Also, the Nexus 5 supports both CDMA and GSM, which can be bought for much less than $700 per phone and would give you some flexibility in carrier choices later on. 

Networks

North America:

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

CDMA: Band Class: 0/1/10

WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19

LTE: Bands: 1/2/4/5/17/19/25/26/41

 

[edgex004]

I switched to Cricket to get ready for the Pyra. I think it is most likely that Pyra will be GSM, and Cricket recently switched to GSM.

I also bought my Galaxy SII Skyrocket used for $80 and it has been working great for me. I got the phone cheap and can leave Cricket at any time (Cricket is no contract - First line for my 5GB data plan is $45/mo, second is $35/mo, third is $25/mo and so on, and each gets 5GB). If I need to switch to CDMA, I can easily do that, as I have a couple back up CDMA phones from when I used Sprint, and Sprint has good no-contract offers that I would be satisfied with.

Cricket also will give you a discount on phones the longer you stay with them. I think I'm only a few months away from getting a new phone for $50 or so.

 

[moxie]

I can't really get my head around how extremely awkward it seems to be to deal with mobile phone stuff in the US. *shakes head*

 

[sebt3]

I can't really get my head around how extremely awkward it seems to be to deal with mobile phone stuff in the US. *shakes head*

that's far from the worst part....

 

[DaMummy]

i get 1gb 4g lte, 200min, 500txt for free. i dont complain and its plenty for me, especially since im usually on wifi

 

[Grench]

Have you looked into Ting? I understand that right now they are CDMA but at the end of February they will be adding GSM support. Maybe this could work for you?

Also, the Nexus 5 supports both CDMA and GSM, which can be bought for much less than $700 per phone and would give you some flexibility in carrier choices later on. 

Networks

North America:

GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz

CDMA: Band Class: 0/1/10

WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/6/8/19

LTE: Bands: 1/2/4/5/17/19/25/26/41

I checked Ting.  They use Sprint's network - which is very spotty in Nebraska.  They appear to be filling the niche left by Cricket (bought by AT&T and moved from Sprint's CDMA to AT&T GSM).

The Nexus 5 is a fine phone.  What was steering me toward the Galaxy S5 is a single feature - waterproofing.  That becomes a particular concern with a Wife who has sent her phone swimming 4 times and 13 year old twins who camp 30+ nights per year with the Boy Scouts.  Grandma would get one too just so I have a consistent platform to support for all 4 of them.  I'll likely stick to the Galaxy Note line for myself.  If I can find a refurbished or used Note 3 for whichever carrier maybe?  I'm an old Palm Pilot Professional guy - a handheld without a stylus just feels wrong.

So, it would be very handy to know what the US version of the Pyra is going to use for it's mobile wireless module - and which carrier(s) it would work best with - before I leap into this roughly $4K phone & plan purchase.

 

[rygD]

Have you looked into Ting? I understand that right now they are CDMA but at the end of February they will be adding GSM support. Maybe this could work for you?

They are who I am likely going with, but I don't think they are a good option for Grench unless voice and data use will be low.  Also: https://ting.com/blog/ting-on-a-gsm-network-breaking-radio-silence/

I can't really get my head around how extremely awkward it seems to be to deal with mobile phone stuff in the US. *shakes head*

It isn't fun, and not as simple and customer oriented as it should be, yet they are still raking in money.

i get 1gb 4g lte, 200min, 500txt for free. i dont complain and its plenty for me, especially since im usually on wifi

Sounds an awful lot like FreedomPop to me.  If so, how is it working out for you?  I can't remember if they are one of the ones that requires you to buy the handset from them, but they are #2 or 3 on my list.  They aren't first because of questionable reviews I have seen, and I don't want things to get flaky when someone really needs to get in touch with me, or lose calls and I am switching between wifi and towers.

What was steering me toward the Galaxy S5 is a single feature - waterproofing. That becomes a particular concern with a Wife who has sent her phone swimming 4 times

Same here, although it is more often dropping and spills than swimming.  That is one of the current top 2 contenders, and I keep pushing for cheaper options since we are very likely to pay full price.  I am the one obsessed with electronic devices and such, yet I am going with a 2+ year old option (at around $27 each!), and those that are less likely to use such a thing to its full potential have flagship fones...

I would like to know what we will get with the Pyra, and really hope it is something that will allow me to keep things cheap.  Do we know what most people here are using?  I still prefer GSM, until I see how things work out for me using Sprint's towers.  And what if I make trips to other continents again?

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I'm most likely gonna go with the T-Mobile based Walmart Family Plan.

 

[DaMummy]

Sounds an awful lot like FreedomPop to me.  If so, how is it working out for you?  I can't remember if they are one of the ones that requires you to buy the handset from them, but they are #2 or 3 on my list.  They aren't first because of questionable reviews I have seen, and I don't want things to get flaky when someone really needs to get in touch with me, or lose calls and I am switching between wifi and towers.

 ya its freedompop. i dont imagine ill ever be on call while going from my wifi to towers, but i should probably try it out someday. as far as negative reviews, they changed a lot since those, and they dont charge random fees at random times. for phones, you dont have to buy from them, but you have to get specific phones that are for sprint, and they have a list on their site which qualify. all in all, the service is plenty fine if you dont use your phone a lot, and its free, so even if i had complaints, theyd be moot. everything goes over data though, and phone calls can lag if youre in 3g area, and theres no pix/vids msgs through txt

 

[Grench]

This is still an open question.  It may be too early in EvilDragon's Pyra plans to be able to answer definitively.

US market GSM is more similar to the European GSM networks (+).  Only 2 providers in the US use GSM (-).  Less than 1/2 the US market is currently on GSM (-).  Works entirely on SIM cards (+).

CDMA is different from European GSM networks (-).  There are piles of companies who essentially sub-let tower usage from each other to form a national network (+).  More than 1/2 the US mobile phone population uses CDMA (+).  CDMA can require on-device programming instead of or in addition to the SIM card. (-).

I could see it going either way.

 

[Silent-Hunter]

I already use GSM. And I'm sure many would be willing to switch to a GSM network for Pyra.

 

[WizardStan]

I'm 100% confident that EvilDragon is going to be using GSM, either the PHS8-P, PHS8-US, or the PLS8-US.

The reason for this confidence is that he's designing it for himself first and foremost, as a European he's going to go with a GSM module, and the P[HL]S8 modules are all pin compatible with each other meaning no need for a redesign, just drop a different module for a different region. That and he's also said that's what he was planning to do more than once.

 

[Grench]

I'm 100% confident that EvilDragon is going to be using GSM, either the PHS8-P, PHS8-US, or the PLS8-US.


The reason for this confidence is that he's designing it for himself first and foremost, as a European he's going to go with a GSM module, and the P[HL]S8 modules are all pin compatible with each other meaning no need for a redesign, just drop a different module for a different region. That and he's also said that's what he was planning to do more than once.

GSM is also likely a bit easier as CDMA can require in/on device programming in addition to the 4G SIM card.

Then which do you think the Pyra will work better with?  T-mobile or AT&T?  I'm leaning toward T-mobile as I've heard horror stories about the customer service at AT&T, but that was several years ago and they may have gotten better?

 

[WizardStan]

Whenever I'd visit the US I'd have $2/day T-Mobile sim in my HTC G2 and I was rarely without signal traveling down the east coast. It had the exact same frequency bands as what's in the PLS8-US, so assuming the antenna is calibrated properly it should work. Hypothetically AT&T should also work but I have no experience with them: I can vouch for T-Mobile's service and support. At least in the trapazoidal area between Buffalo, Connecticut, Delaware, and Boston.

All we need to do is wait on EvilDragon to say he is going to give North American customers the PLS8-US with a suitable antenna.