MetroPCS is finally pulling the plug on its CDMA network, as it shuts down the service in its last remaining markets. The carrier is still trying to get customers who have yet to upgrade to devices capable of connecting to
T-Mobile's GSM, HSPA+, and LTE network, with the last of the shrinking group needing to do so before its scheduled June 21st network closure date.
T-Mobile noted last month that MetroPCS had moved approximately 92 percent of its customer base off CDMA, with the remainder made up of less than 500,000 prepaid customers,
reports FierceWireless. These remaining customers are still being offered an
upgrade credit when they trade in their old CDMA handset for a GSM device, with credits ranging in value between $32 and $300 depending on the make and model.
CDMA to GSM upgrade examples from MetroPCS website
So far, T-Mobile has managed to decommission CDMA in eight markets, with Atlanta and Detroit being the most recent markets to go dark, leaving the carrier with just three markets to shut down. Around 80 percent of the MetroPCS CDMA spectrum has been
reused, incorporated into T-Mobile's network to improve coverage and speed in MetroPCS coverage areas for customers of both mobile brands.
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