Network Vision/LTE - Minnesota Market

[CuriousTim]

I went to the sprint store in Mankato, MN and was told various towers have already been upgraded with 4g LtE in the twin cities area -- in testing stages atm. I asked the lady where she received her info from and said her manager. The manager was convieniently on vacation.

 

I took that info with a grain of salt. I asked her when 4g LtE was officially released in the first 5 markets and she said back in may. I told her July 15th but she kept insisting it was officially launched back in May in places like Texas.

 

Any actual news on the MN market? I couldn't believe what the Sprint employees were telling me. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

[pyroscott]

I went to the sprint store in Mankato' date=' MN and was told various towers have already been upgraded with 4g LtE in the twin cities area -- in testing stages atm. I asked the lady where she received her info from and said her manager. The manager was convieniently on vacation.

 

I took that info with a grain of salt. I asked her when 4g LtE was officially released in the first 5 markets and she said back in may. I told her July 15th but she kept insisting it was officially launched back in May in places like Texas.

 

Any actual news on the MN market? I couldn't believe what the Sprint employees were telling me. It left a bad taste in my mouth.[/quote']

 

Minnesota is in the second round and has zero towers complete. They should be starting work late this year. Sprint should really tell their reps to stop making stuff up. If sprint doesn't want to publish their schedule, fine, but then make sure your front line employees aren't making stuff up and ticking off customers when it turns out to be BS.

 

From JBtoro on Forum Runner

[MacinJosh]

Wow, that's sad that a Sprint store would do that. Why can't they just be honest for a change? I know that they love their commissions for selling phones, but for crying out loud, don't resort to lying like they did for the WiMax rollout just to make a sale.

[chogardjr]

This seems to be the only info Sprint is giving for progress and future updates. Use your zip code of course.

 

https://network.sprint.com/search/75228/

 

I went to the sprint store in Mankato, MN and was told various towers have already been upgraded with 4g LtE in the twin cities area -- in testing stages atm. I asked the lady where she received her info from and said her manager. The manager was convieniently on vacation.

 

I took that info with a grain of salt. I asked her when 4g LtE was officially released in the first 5 markets and she said back in may. I told her July 15th but she kept insisting it was officially launched back in May in places like Texas.

 

Any actual news on the MN market? I couldn't believe what the Sprint employees were telling me. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

Sent via LTE from my Evo LTE s-offed by an overweight panda.

[CuriousTim]

Thanks for the responses. I figured that was the case considering on here it says first LtE sites in October. It was still interesting to see what an actual Sprint store had to say. I'll give the store a call next week and see if they have any updates on their 4g LtE progress

 

Wow, that's sad that a Sprint store would do that. Why can't they just be honest for a change? I know that they love their commissions for selling phones, but for crying out loud, don't resort to lying like they did for the WiMax rollout just to make a sale.

 

Mmhmm. Verizon was incredibly honest with me. They have unofficial 4g in Mankato (same as when Sprint users with LtE phones received their LtE signal before Sprint started blocking the towers -- test phase) and the guy said he couldn't give me an official release date or month. I pushed for him to at least give a rough estimate for when it'd officially launch but he wouldn't. If only I could get Sprint pricing and Verizon service, that'd be the day

 

According to network.sprint.com I should have a data speed upgrade (I assume backhaul enhancement?) by December 6th of this year; been on there since June 6. At this point I'm not sure if that is wishful thinking or something good will be here by the end of this year.

Edited July 28, 2012 by CuriousTim

[oversight]

https://network.spri...m/search/75228/

 

 

 

I've not looked at that site for quite awhile. Last time I looked for my zip code there were only a few marked for data speed upgrades, while everything else was either a voice or capacity upgrade. Now almost all of them in my area indicate data speed upgrades in the next six months.

 

2 Voice

2 Capacity

14 Speed

[irev210]

I went to the sprint store in Mankato, MN and was told various towers have already been upgraded with 4g LtE in the twin cities area -- in testing stages atm. I asked the lady where she received her info from and said her manager. The manager was convieniently on vacation.

 

I took that info with a grain of salt. I asked her when 4g LtE was officially released in the first 5 markets and she said back in may. I told her July 15th but she kept insisting it was officially launched back in May in places like Texas.

 

Any actual news on the MN market? I couldn't believe what the Sprint employees were telling me. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

Thankfully you have S4GRU

 

It's really annoying that Sprint reps, for whatever reason (likely to sell phones) just make stuff up. Either Sprint needs to education reps (probably not the best idea because of leaks) or just tell reps that if they are caught spreading lies about 4G coverage, they will be written up.

 

It might hurt the reps ability to sell that new EVO 4G LTE, but at least customers don't leave with a bad taste in their mouth and they don't leave thinking Sprint can't finish what it promises.

[bgguy]

This seems to be the only info Sprint is giving for progress and future updates. Use your zip code of course.

 

https://network.spri...m/search/75228/

 

 

 

Sent via LTE from my Evo LTE s-offed by an overweight panda.

 

This is for the band-aid fixes only I believe.

[S4GRU]

 

This is for the band-aid fixes only I believe.

 

I don't like to refer to them as band-aid fixes anymore. I had an Ericsson employee approach me and say that is inaccurate. It's better to call them network maintenance upgrades.

 

He explained that calling them band-aid fixes or temporary fixes made it sound like they were not permanent. He said that in legacy sites, the additional voice and EVDO carriers are now permanent in the fact that when Network Vision comes to the site, the amount of voice and EVDO carriers will be the same, carrying right over. They will not be reduced. So the additional capacity added is permanent.

 

Of course, additional T1 backhaul will be temporary in nature. However, it is being upgraded to better backhaul when NV arrives. Sprint also will continue the same network maintenance upgrades at post NV sites when additional capacity is needed. Although, in post NV sites these would likely be just voice and data carriers as there will likely not be any backhaul upgrades for some time.

 

Ericsson is handling the network maintenance upgrades as a part of their Sprint Network Management contract.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

[JeffDTD]

Seems the root of all the "promises" people get about 4g is store employees. You just have to remember that many stores arent even owned by sprint . For the ones that are, I look at it the same way I look at my average walmart or bestbuy experience. Although its convenient to rest my impression and the reputation of the entire company on the experience I have with any random underpaid uninformed employee, if I did, I would never shop there again.

 

Sidenote: when I shopping around in January, I went to a verizon store and played with the galaxy nexus. Casually asked the sales associate , "so, any idea when hattiesburg will have lte?". The poor guy hummed for a minute and said "by the end of April, latest will be May". And guess what? Its July, no lte. But had I bought service, I would now blame myself, not verizon, as they have not announced my city on their shortlist.

[MophoManners]

Minnesota has upgraded towers and is ramping up as we speak...

 

None of this "2nd round bs"

 

T-mobile is ramping up as well with the first upgrade tower completed 5:55am cst friday morning

umts pcs 1900 is quick! on an unlocked ATT iphone

[digiblur]

Proof?

 

Frequency is irrelevant on actual throughput.

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[S4GRU]

Minnesota has upgraded towers and is ramping up as we speak...

 

None of this "2nd round bs"

 

T-mobile is ramping up as well with the first upgrade tower completed 5:55am cst friday morning

umts pcs 1900 is quick! on an unlocked ATT iphone

 

The second round has started. Work is underway in many second round markets. So even if it has started now, it would still be Second Round. Additionally, in this article, we discuss that work will start in August. The work that I am referring to is antenna/panel installs and coax runs. However, base cabinet installs are likely occurring now. We are working from detailed Network Vision schedules that we have obtained. If things are as you report, Minnesota would be the first market ahead of schedule.

 

Robert

[MophoManners]

I will be at Nokia in Irving next week and Nokia in chicago the week after I will be back in minneapolis on the 9th I will run up and take some photo's after I return.

[S4GRU]

I will be at Nokia in Irving next week and Nokia in chicago the week after I will be back in minneapolis on the 9th I will run up and take some photo's after I return.

 

Sounds great. Looking forward to it Please provide site locations, so we can compare to schedule maps.

 

Robert

[MophoManners]

Just got off the phone with the switch, 10-15 towers in and powered down as samsung is elbows and ass cracks working on finishing the switch install in the minneapolis switch. looking to turn it on early next week..

[nels0300]

Just got off the phone with the switch, 10-15 towers in and powered down as samsung is elbows and ass cracks working on finishing the switch install in the minneapolis switch. looking to turn it on early next week..

 

Awesome!!! ....uh....wait a second....I'm just a finance guy...what does this mean?

[bogeypro]

I also am intrigued by these statements. Hope its true. Thanks for the information.

[digiblur]

Just got off the phone with the switch, 10-15 towers in and powered down as samsung is elbows and ass cracks working on finishing the switch install in the minneapolis switch. looking to turn it on early next week..

 

Interesting statement...you have peaked my interest, sir!

 

Sent from my C64 w/Epyx FastLoad cartridge

[WiWavelength]

Minnesota has upgraded towers and is ramping up as we speak...

 

None of this "2nd round bs"

 

T-mobile is ramping up as well with the first upgrade tower completed 5:55am cst friday morning

umts pcs 1900 is quick! on an unlocked ATT iphone

 

For T-Mobile and W-CDMA 1900, the Minneapolis market is about as easy as they come. In both Minneapolis and Kansas City, T-Mobile holds 40 MHz of PCS 1900 spectrum. Of course, T-Mobile does not require even remotely close to 40 MHz of GSM 1900 bandwidth any longer, so slotting in one or even two W-CDMA 1900 carriers should be relatively painless.

 

In KC, I can say that T-Mobile had not deployed W-CDMA 1900 prior to the MLB All Star Game a few weeks ago (though T-Mobile had deployed a second W-CDMA 2100+1700 carrier, using the AWS spectrum that it received from AT&T). However, I may need to break out the spectrum analyzer again to see if T-Mobile has made W-CDMA 1900 progress in the area since the All Star Game.

 

AJ

[MophoManners]

For T-Mobile and W-CDMA 1900, the Minneapolis market is about as easy as they come. In both Minneapolis and Kansas City, T-Mobile holds 40 MHz of PCS 1900 spectrum. Of course, T-Mobile does not require even remotely close to 40 MHz of GSM 1900 bandwidth any longer, so slotting in one or even two W-CDMA 1900 carriers should be relatively painless.

 

In KC, I can say that T-Mobile had not deployed W-CDMA 1900 prior to the MLB All Star Game a few weeks ago (though T-Mobile had deployed a second W-CDMA 2100+1700 carrier, using the AWS spectrum that it received from AT&T). However, I may need to break out the spectrum analyzer again to see if T-Mobile has made W-CDMA 1900 progress in the area since the All Star Game.

 

AJ

 

1900 umts pcs is real and working but should be turned off for the next 3-5 days.. The base stations are just starting to go in.. no LTE gear ATM though.. Also minneapolis is a fragmented market..

[WiWavelength]

Also minneapolis is a fragmented market..

 

Yes, T-Mobile's PCS B block 30 MHz license is heavily partitioned and disaggregated. But T-Mobile still retains the full 30 MHz in the Twin Cities metro. And T-Mobile's PCS C4 block 10 MHz license remains intact throughout the Minneapolis BTA. So, T-Mobile still has a full 40 MHz of PCS 1900 MHz spectrum in the metro area that matters.

 

AJ

[The Noble Robot]

Can someone clarify the news on this? I live in downtown MPLS and I wasn't expecting any towers in my area to be upgraded until at least late September, and I wasn't getting my hopes up for a live signal until early next year.

 

But there were a couple of comments in this thread which seemed to imply that work is already underway in the Minnesota market, and even that some towers in MPLS will be turned on soon. Am I reading that wrong?

 

I'd be happy to do some field work and take pictures if it will help report on the progress. My Evo LTE is running a pre-alpha CM10 ROM, so I'd have to flash to a backup Stock ROM in order to test for an LTE signal (not that I'd expect to find one).

 

Let me know.

[S4GRU]

I have no reason to believe that anything will be online early in the Minnesota market at this time. Likely any work that may be occurring now is not anything that will have a significant overall impact to the schedule.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

[CuriousTim]

I went back to the store that monday and asked them the same questions but different person. They said they didn't know of any work being done currently but lte should be available by end of 2013. A lady there from last time saw me ask the same questions to diff person and I got an evil glare. It was great. I got some lovely pictures,of what I assume is verizon lte towers. Sprint had the upper equipment but the big drum lookin things had their cables going to a cabinet with no identification for property.