Network Vision/LTE - Washington DC Market

[grapkoski]

I wish Sprint would cede Loudon County to Shentel. They just seem to know the market so much better.

[fubka]

It's been a while.  There has either been a new tower, better antennas as I now have LTE service within my work building in the 16th St Heights Neighborhoods in the 20011.  Before it would drop to 1xRTT and voice was even horrible.  My phone would die of battery drainage because of the fringe signal. 

[nexgencpu]

Nice way to wake up this thread!

 

[kg4icg]

4 minutes ago, nexgencpu said:

Nice way to wake up this thread!

 

I did this last week in Ashburn,  loudon county.

[RedSpark]

https://newsroom.sprint.com/sprint-5g-overview.htm

We already knew DC was on the initial list of cities for 5G, but here are some more details on the deployment:

The company’s 5G technology rollout is underway with equipment deployed and currently being tested in multiple cities across the country. Sprint 5G will begin with contiguous footprints in the downtown areas of these first nine cities, allowing for its on-the-go customers to stay connected to 5G through the city center. For example, in LA, Sprint will offer mobile 5G service all the way from Dodgers Stadium to Santa Monica.

Please make it to Bethesda's city center as well! We're getting densified here.

[Flompholph]

15 hours ago, RedSpark said:

.Please make it to Bethesda's city center as well! We're getting densified here.

Isn't the post a few up showing a 5g mimo antenna already deployed there?

[RedSpark]

1 hour ago, Flompholph said:

Isn't the post a few up showing a 5g mimo antenna already deployed there?

If it's picking up 100+ users on the sector as the Network person described in his Tweet, it doesn't seem like it's reaching the more dense downtown area of Bethesda.

What's the coverage radius/area on Massive MIMO site like this?

[Flompholph]

 

55 minutes ago, RedSpark said:

If it's picking up 100+ users on the sector as the Network person described in his Tweet, it doesn't seem like it's reaching the more dense downtown area of Bethesda.

What's the coverage radius/area on Massive MIMO site like this?

100,000 users are 100+ doesn't really give any idea how far it reaches. Someone nearby would need to check the range theirself for the tower each tower is different. I was connected to and watch the live feed of the spacex launch yesterday on a new B41site from 7 miles away. Usage on the tower impacts how many people are covered and how far the signal stretches.

[RedSpark]

https://www.wmata.com/about/news/Metro-AT-T-Sprint-T-Mobile-Verizon-Wireless-announce-milestone-in-tunnel-wireless-coverage.cfm

“Today Metro and the nation’s leading wireless carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless announced that more than half of Metro’s tunnels are now wired for cellular and data service. The milestone was accompanied by the formal announcement of three new tunnel segments coming online as “wireless ready.””

The three new “wireless ready” tunnel segments announced today are:

• Blue/Orange Line between Ballston and Rosslyn (5.6 track miles)

• Blue/Orange/Silver Line between Rosslyn and Metro Center (4.8 track miles)

• Green Line between College Park and Fort Totten (7.4 track miles)

———————

Progress! New segments are coming online as the work is finished. The Press Release says they’ll be done by Mid-2020.

[kct1975]

https://www.wmata.com/about/news/Metro-AT-T-Sprint-T-Mobile-Verizon-Wireless-announce-milestone-in-tunnel-wireless-coverage.cfm

“Today Metro and the nation’s leading wireless carriers, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless announced that more than half of Metro’s tunnels are now wired for cellular and data service. The milestone was accompanied by the formal announcement of three new tunnel segments coming online as “wireless ready.””

The three new “wireless ready” tunnel segments announced today are:

• Blue/Orange Line between Ballston and Rosslyn (5.6 track miles)

• Blue/Orange/Silver Line between Rosslyn and Metro Center (4.8 track miles)

• Green Line between College Park and Fort Totten (7.4 track miles)

———————

Progress! New segments are coming online as the work is finished. The Press Release says they’ll be done by Mid-2020.

I am glad to hear that Metro is FINALLY making some sort of progress with getting the Metro [emoji585] Tunnels wired for service.

With the way that technology has advanced, it is kind of stupid that in 2018 (almost 2019) that I still have to tell my wife or father or friends "You gotta talk quick...I am about to go into a tunnel and I'll lose you"

Personally I don't know why the Metro [emoji585] trains themselves don't have WiFi, especially since a lot of the Metro stations [emoji579] have WiFi.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[Trip]

I'd love to have data, but not voice, in the tunnels.  I hate people shouting into their phones on the Metro.

That said, they've made progress, and I'm glad they have.  Not on the part of the system I use every day, of course, but progress.  And for Sprint, at least, it's Band 25/26/41 (with Mini Macros).

- Trip

[RedSpark]

3 hours ago, kct1975 said:

I am glad to hear that Metro is FINALLY making some sort of progress with getting the Metro Tunnels wired for service.

With the way that technology has advanced, it is kind of stupid that in 2018 (almost 2019) that I still have to tell my wife or father or friends "You gotta talk quick...I am about to go into a tunnel and I'll lose you"

Personally I don't know why the Metro trains themselves don't have WiFi, especially since a lot of the Metro stations have WiFi.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
 

It's been a ridiculous slog for Metro to get cellular coverage in the stations/tunnels. Here's an article from February 2015 which summarizes what happened (the original contractor filed for bankruptcy and stopped work on the project): https://wamu.org/story/15/02/27/can_you_hear_me_now_in_metro_tunnels_answer_is_not_yet/

As Metro’s Downey mentioned to Congress, the California-based tech company PowerWave filed for bankruptcy in early 2013 and stopped work on the wireless project. The carriers took PowerWave to court and in May 2013 paid the bankrupt firm $2 million to settle their dispute. The carriers then took over the endeavor to expand Internet and cellphone coverage within Metro’s system.

At least the carriers seem to be doing a good job on this. I've gotten very good Sprint speeds/coverage in the stations and in the tunnel segments that have been launched. Having VoLTE live on the iPhone has helped as well.

[RedSpark]

2 hours ago, Trip said:

I'd love to have data, but not voice, in the tunnels.  I hate people shouting into their phones on the Metro.

That said, they've made progress, and I'm glad they have.  Not on the part of the system I use every day, of course, but progress.  And for Sprint, at least, it's Band 25/26/41 (with Mini Macros).

- Trip

I haven't seen loud voice calls on Metro be an issue yet. Loud people at times, yes. People playing music on their smartphone speakers without headphones, yes. People just don't talk on the phone like they used to I guess.

Yeah, Sprint's tri-band deployment is pretty solid. Band 41 has the capacity to handle the crowds well.

I pass through some of these segments and it really makes a difference in the commute experience. I hope they extend coverage in the tunnel up past Dupont Circle on the Red Line soon. Grosvenor or bust! 😀

[Trip]

9 hours ago, RedSpark said:

I haven't seen loud voice calls on Metro be an issue yet. Loud people at times, yes. People playing music on their smartphone speakers without headphones, yes. People just don't talk on the phone like they used to I guess.

About half of my commute is above ground, so I've definitely seen heard it.

- Trip

[grapkoski]

Happy to report that DC has approved a slew of mMIMO permits. Including my home tower of DC03XC145 on 19th St NW. Here is to hoping Sprint gets those panels in ASAP.

You can search more DC permits here by searching 'Sprint': https://acaprod9.dcra.dc.gov/CitizenAccess/Default.aspx

For details on each permit, you can copy the record number/Application ID into this system: https://eservices.dcra.dc.gov/obpat/default.aspx

The most recent application from the 15th of January is still in preprocessing, so not sure what that is for yet.

[Trip]

I saw at least one such permit in Fairfax County; the Kingstowne site.

- Trip

[RedSpark]

10 hours ago, grapkoski said:

Happy to report that DC has approved a slew of mMIMO permits. Including my home tower of DC03XC145 on 19th St NW. Here is to hoping Sprint gets those panels in ASAP.

You can search more DC permits here by searching 'Sprint': https://acaprod9.dcra.dc.gov/CitizenAccess/Default.aspx

For details on each permit, you can copy the record number/Application ID into this system: https://eservices.dcra.dc.gov/obpat/default.aspx

The most recent application from the 15th of January is still in preprocessing, so not sure what that is for yet.

That's great news!

I'd love to look more, but....

This online application (https://acaprod9.dcra.dc.gov/CitizenAccess/Default.aspx) will be down for maintenance from Friday January 18, 6:00 pm to Monday January 21, 7:00 am.

☹️

[grapkoski]

On 1/19/2019 at 1:09 AM, RedSpark said:

That's great news!

I'd love to look more, but....

This online application (https://acaprod9.dcra.dc.gov/CitizenAccess/Default.aspx) will be down for maintenance from Friday January 18, 6:00 pm to Monday January 21, 7:00 am.

☹️

It's back online!

 

Description for my home tower permit:

Remove (3) 2.5 GHz Antennas and all associated cabling Remove (3) 2.5 GHz Radios and all associated cabling Install (3) 2.5 GHz Airscale MAA 64T64R 128AE B41 120W AAHC Antennas Install (3) 0.82" Hybrid Fiber Trunk Cable Install (1) Fiber Junction Box Install (1) mMIMO Airscale BBU in MMBTS Cabinet Install (1) Top Hat on MMBTS Cabinet Install (2) AMOB Units on BBU Cabinet Install (1) H-Frame Mount (If necessary) Replace existing mounts with 3.5" O.D.x8' SCH. 40 pipe mounts per Sprint Standards.

[RedSpark]

9 minutes ago, grapkoski said:

It's back online!

 

Description for my home tower permit:

Remove (3) 2.5 GHz Antennas and all associated cabling Remove (3) 2.5 GHz Radios and all associated cabling Install (3) 2.5 GHz Airscale MAA 64T64R 128AE B41 120W AAHC Antennas Install (3) 0.82" Hybrid Fiber Trunk Cable Install (1) Fiber Junction Box Install (1) mMIMO Airscale BBU in MMBTS Cabinet Install (1) Top Hat on MMBTS Cabinet Install (2) AMOB Units on BBU Cabinet Install (1) H-Frame Mount (If necessary) Replace existing mounts with 3.5" O.D.x8' SCH. 40 pipe mounts per Sprint Standards.

Pretty neat! 👍

I'm having trouble entering the search criteria on the page. Where do I actually put in "Sprint"?

[grapkoski]

4 minutes ago, RedSpark said:

Pretty neat! 👍

I'm having trouble entering the search criteria on the page. Where do I actually put in "Sprint"?

When on the first link (acaprod9....) - type sprint in the box with the green search glass. It's right below where the nav bar would be on the right hand side. I've sent a note to the Mayor's office about fixing the images because I'm a tad OCD.

[RedSpark]

3 minutes ago, grapkoski said:

When on the first link (acaprod9....) - type sprint in the box with the green search glass. It's right below where the nav bar would be on the right hand side. I've sent a note to the Mayor's office about fixing the images because I'm a tad OCD.

Thanks! Checked out the Permits. Massive MIMO is coming!

Hopefully a few are placed at/around National Harbor. Congestion in that area is terrible.

[grapkoski]

6 minutes ago, RedSpark said:

Thanks! Checked out the Permits. Massive MIMO is coming!

Hopefully a few are placed at/around National Harbor. Congestion in that area is terrible.

Yeah, it seems like they are placing many of them around high congestion areas like expected (Washington Hilton, Convention Center). I wish they were going to upgrade the rest of the towers in the Downtown K St Core.

[RedSpark]

1 minute ago, grapkoski said:

Yeah, it seems like they are placing many of them around high congestion areas like expected (Washington Hilton, Convention Center). I wish they were going to upgrade the rest of the towers in the Downtown K St Core.

Good point. The downtown network core is really saturated given all the new construction and daily/permanent population surge. Upgrading the rest of the sites would make a huge difference.

Hopefully Massive MIMO isn’t being slowrolled through the merger... which is by no means a done deal.

[RedSpark]

Good news for Silver Spring, MD

 

[RedSpark]

Those were from earlier this month...

And this was from yesterday....