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Los Angeles Network Vision/LTE Deployment schedule update


S4GRU

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by Robert Herron

Sprint 4G Rollout Updates

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - 12:00 PM MDT

 

The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is...the City of Angels. Los Angeles, a.k.a. "L.A." The LA Metro market has not been announced by Sprint, but appears to be on the way for a September launch.

 

The Sprint LA Metro market covers all of Los Angeles County. Adjacent counties are in different Sprint markets. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent has been actively deploying in Los Angeles since March and is making good progress. As of this week, there are approximately 65 Network Vision sites that have completed upgrades. These sites are located throughout the market. Mostly in the SF Valley, Los Angeles Basin and the I-110 Harbor Freeway Corridor.

 

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Network Vision Sites in the LA Metro market. Approximately 65 Network Vision sites are complete in the market.

 

Market Launch and Remaining Schedule

 

It was Sprint's original plan to launch markets when they reached 50% of sites converted to Network Vision. However, it has now been determined that Sprint will move up launches sooner than 50% completion in several markets. This is likely to maintain a Mid 2012 launch in markets that have already been announced. However, in an unannounced market like LA, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 30% - 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.

 

If Sprint waits for 50% completion to launch the LA Metro market, it would make the launch month to be October (should AlcaLu stay on schedule). That being said, if Sprint should launch in September (as we suspect), then the market would be less than 50% complete. This doesn't sound like enough, but it would provide pretty good coverage. Even Verizon doesn't launch on all sites in a market initially. Usually less than 50%, then filling in with more and more sites every few months.

 

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Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market in September, these are the anticipated sites that would likely have LTE complete at that time. This would provide fairly good LTE coverage over many parts of the market.

 

Sprint is not reporting any of these live Network Vision sites in the LA market as currently broadcasting 4G LTE, only 3G EVDO. According to the NV schedule, these should have started coming online in May with LTE. However, none have shown up as LTE active to date. This most likely means that either the backhaul is not quite ready to service 4G LTE, or the 4G cores that these sites are tied to are not quite ready for LTE traffic. A backlog of LTE sites will probably come online in this market suddenly when the network is ready.

 

The bottom line...

 

We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the LA Metro market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of September based on reports internally within Sprint. They will likely announce a launch date for this market, and a few others like Austin, Boston, Chicago and Washington DC around the time of the first market launches.

 

Sprint's schedule for this market currently has 65 Network Vision sites complete. Alcatel/Lucent is continuing to progress and is planning to increase the production rate up to 110 sites per month from here forward. This seems like a very difficult rate of completion to achieve.

 

S4GRU has examined the schedule in great detail in this market and sees that most of the sites will be complete by February 2013. However, there are several sites that will linger past the completion. In our estimation of the schedule, AlcaLu is currently pretty much on time, but may have issues meeting this rate identified in Sprint's schedule.

 

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Photo of Downtown Los Angeles provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

 

NOTE: S4GRU Sponsor Members can track regular updates of

Network Vision sites completed nationwide. Completed sites are shown in an interactive Google Maps interface. Information about sponsorship can be found here: S4GRU Sponsorship

33 Comments


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Hmm I am a bit concerned that Sprint is not going to cover the Hacienda/Rowland Heights area by September which to be fair is near the edge of the LA Metro market. However there are so few towers in the area, I would have expected to see those markets covered by September and then work inwards towards the middle of the LA Metro market.

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Any news at all about Orange County deployment?

 

We will have an Orange County market schedule article soon. Stay tuned to S4GRU.

 

Robert

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my two years is up, and still no "4G" since my EVO purchase out here. No doubt you guys have been spot-on with your info, Just can't pull the trigger on that SGIII till i see how fast this all goes online.

 

Guess now is the time to ask. Any news north of LA? I'm just outside Bakersfield.

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my two years is up, and still no "4G" since my EVO purchase out here. No doubt you guys have been spot-on with your info, Just can't pull the trigger on that SGIII till i see how fast this all goes online. Guess now is the time to ask. Any news north of LA? I'm just outside Bakersfield.

 

Bakersfield is in the Lower Central Valley market. Work will not begin there until 2013. :(

 

Robert

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Any word on the Inland Empire? Riverside and San Bernardino County.. Thanks!

 

We are in the middle of the market schedule update article series. It will include the Riverside/San Bernardino market. Stay tuned to S4GRU.com.

 

Robert

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What about the Lancaster/Palmdale area? I know we are apart of the L.A. metro market just wondering when they will start doing upgrades on our towers out here cause it doesnt show any upgrades on the map for us so far.

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What about the Lancaster/Palmdale area? I know we are apart of the L.A. metro market just wondering when they will start doing upgrades on our towers out here cause it doesnt show any upgrades on the map for us so far.

 

The Antelope Valley is a part of the LA Metro market. At least the parts in LA County. They also are receiving deployments, but the map we used above cuts off points in the Santa Clarita/Valencia area and north.

 

Robert

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Thanks for the help you guys are awesome. A few of my friends switched to Tmobile for the HSPA, but I may stay with Sprint because the Wimax deployment is not bad for a partial build out. I may use 4G in 3 or 4 counties in one day sometimes.. I love it out here but it may be a lil too spread out lol

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What about the Ventura County(Thousand Oaks) areaNot that big, but any news about 4G LTE?

 

That is in the North LA market. It is not scheduled to start Network Vision deployment until 2013.

 

Robert

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that GREAT information about 4G LTE coming soon Los Angeles in SF VALLEY. i cant wait see 4G LTE ... i love sprint is great..

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I curious i confuse I live in SF Valley i have SGS3 Sprint will on Sept 2012 or end of 2013 ? and i curious SGS3 will self show up 4LTE cuz i look where not have Switch 3G to 4G LTE or what explain me thank you I LOVE MUCH SGS3 very good.. THANK for SPRINT!!

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I curious i confuse I live in SF Valley i have SGS3 Sprint will on Sept 2012 or end of 2013 ? and i curious SGS3 will self show up 4LTE cuz i look where not have Switch 3G to 4G LTE or what explain me thank you I LOVE MUCH SGS3 very good.. THANK for SPRINT!!

 

There will be LTE service in the SF Valley at market launch. And from there, coverage will grow more and more every week until the entire market gets completed.

 

Robert

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I live in Santa Monica. Why does the projected completed LTE sites end around West L.A. and not move any further west?

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I live in Santa Monica. Why does the projected completed LTE sites end around West L.A. and not move any further west?

 

The projected at launch map includes the first 40% scheduled to be complete. It is just a snap shot in time where Sprint declares the network is ready in this market for users to start using LTE. After launch, deployment still continues until the whole market is 100% complete. Sprint is converting every site in Network Vision. It takes a long time to convert every site. So they are allowing people to start using the network early.

 

So even after this 40% are complete and the market is launched, every week after, more and more sites will come live. We have completed site maps in our Sponsor section where you can monitor progress in LA.

 

Robert

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Would the Long Beach/Lakewood area fall into the LA County rollout?

 

Yes. It looks like Lakewood will have some LTE coverage at market launch. Long Beach will have a little. It will grow week after week though after launch until the whole market is covered.

 

Robert

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It doesn't seem like A/L is capable of meeting the 110 sites per month at this rate based on the low rate of towers being reported as complete. Its looking like its very far fetched that A/L will be able to get as many sites as they would like by September assuming its still the launch date.

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I live in the Calabasas area, (roughly here: 34.142711,-118.61505) and my 3G coverage right now is about 0.01 - 0.08 Mbps. Obviously something is wrong as it was about 1 Mbps a year ago. I have been given several stories ranging to tower issues with Network Vision upgrades to faulty phone to 'call back later'. I am hoping it is temporary and I am hoping for 4G LTE as well. 4G WiMax reached to about 1 mile from my house (it reached to Topanga Canyon to Dumetz Rd.). Any words of advice or help & ETAs?

Thank you very much for your time!

Ben

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Sorry just another area question. I just moved out here to La Quinta. Will 4G LTE actually make it out to this area?

 

La Quinta is in the Riverside/San Bernardino market. Sprint will be adding 4G LTE in the area. Sprint is actually taking LTE over its entire 3G foot print. We have a schedule article for your market here: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-302-inland-empireriversidesan-bernardino-network-visionlte-deployment-schedule-update/

 

Robert

 

 

I live in the Calabasas area, (roughly here: 34.142711,-118.61505) and my 3G coverage right now is about 0.01 - 0.08 Mbps. Obviously something is wrong as it was about 1 Mbps a year ago. I have been given several stories ranging to tower issues with Network Vision upgrades to faulty phone to 'call back later'. I am hoping it is temporary and I am hoping for 4G LTE as well. 4G WiMax reached to about 1 mile from my house (it reached to Topanga Canyon to Dumetz Rd.). Any words of advice or help & ETAs?Thank you very much for your time!Ben

 

Calabasas is in the LA Metro market which is an active Network Vision/LTE deployment area. It looks like one of the sites in your area will be complete in early Fall, but the other Calabasas sites will not be complete until early in 2013.

 

In our Sponsor section, we keep maps of all completed Network Vision sites. And in our Premier Sponsor section, we have detailed schedule maps. You can follow this link for more info about becoming a sponsor: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1195-information-about-s4gru-sponsorship-levels-and-how-to-become-a-sponsor/

 

Robert

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I'm a long time Sprint customer and have been happy with overall service including WiMax. I get to use it either via daily use or for an extended period.

I have 4 devices on my account and 3 are available for update now with one next month. I'm SERIOUSLY looking into going with Verizon eventhough it will cost more per month due to the fact that we don't have difinitive timelines on LTE Rollout in North Orange County. Eyeing the SG3!! Any opinions on staying vs leaving? Thanks.

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I'm a long time Sprint customer and have been happy with overall service including WiMax. I get to use it either via daily use or for an extended period.I have 4 devices on my account and 3 are available for update now with one next month. I'm SERIOUSLY looking into going with Verizon eventhough it will cost more per month due to the fact that we don't have difinitive timelines on LTE Rollout in North Orange County. Eyeing the SG3!! Any opinions on staying vs leaving? Thanks.

 

If you are unable to wait for Sprint LTE in Orange County, then you probably should go. No one should pay for a service that doesn't meet their needs.

 

That being said, I keep a Verizon Hotspot for my use. It's great having LTE connectivity, but I despise the data caps. Always paranoid about my usage and trying to meter myself all month long is a royal pain. Sprint LTE unlimited will be the way to go, once it's available to you.

 

Robert

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