T-Mobile Offers Street-Level Coverage Maps.
T-Mobile cell and hotspot subscribers can use this to find out specific
coverage areas: This is a marvelous tool and one all carriers should
emulate. It shows specific levels of expected signal strength for
T-Mobile's cellular network–this would help plan for GPRS use as well
as voice–and has a checkbox that lets you see T-Mobile's hotspots as
well. You don't have to have a T-Mobile account to use it. Verizon's
CEO recently stated that people shouldn't have the expectation that
cellular service works everywhere, like in their homes, or have access
to detailed information about coverage areas. The San Francisco
Chronicle wrote, “Seidenberg said it's not Verizon's responsibility to
correct the misconception by giving out statistics on how often
Verizon's service works inside homes or by distributing more detailed
coverage maps, showing all the possible dead zones.” Apparently
T-Mobile thinks otherwise. (Seidenberg also said that citywide Wi-Fi
was the dumbest idea he'd ever heard while his company is preparing
bids to build such service for cities.) I'll also note that while
T-Mobile has no good migration path for 3G cell data service in the
US–they've got GPRS and some vague ideas about the future–they are
the only carrier that owns and operates hotspot locations. SBC
contracts their operation out to Wayport, which is fine, but T-Mobile
has every reason to try to emphasize their street-level cell and
hotspot operations. And to say nyah-nyah to Verizon. [link via
Engadget]… [Wi-Fi Networking News]