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Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 18 November 2011

 

So often I am asked about what is Network Vision. So now I am creating a sticky forum post where I can direct people. As of November 18, 2011, this is Network Vision explained from Sprint. This info is from:

http://newsroom.spri...?presskit_id=19

 

 

Sprint Network Vision Information Center

 

 

Network Vision, originally announced in December 2010, is Sprint’s plan to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless network with the goal of increasing efficiency and enhancing network coverage, call quality and data speeds for customers across the United States.

 

On Oct. 7, 2011, Sprint announced its plans to accelerate deployment of Network Vision and its plans to roll out 4G LTE on its 1.9 GHz licensed spectrum. Sprint expects the rapid deployment to reach 250 million people by the end of 2013.

 

 

Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO

 

“Our progress deploying Network Vision enables Sprint to extend and evolve our 4G leadership and to improve the experience for 3G customers. Our next-generation network and cutting-edge device lineup, combined with the industry’s best pricing plans, give Sprint customers the best experience in wireless.”

 

 

Current vs. New cell site

 

 

Today, Sprint uses separate equipment to deploy services on 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz spectrum. Through Network Vision Sprint will install new network equipment and software that brings together multiple spectrum bands, or airwaves, on a single, multimode base station. The new equipment makes it easy to accommodate additional spectrum bands.

 

 

Base-station-images.jpg

 

 

With Network Vision, Sprint will make substantial changes to the cell sites that power its wireless network. The top image shows Sprint’s existing base stations, which require single, refrigerator-sized cabinets for each technology. Large black coaxial cables must run from each cabinet to the top of the cell tower, which has an inherent loss of signal. The Network Vision multi-mode base station will require less space. Other advantages will include the ability for Sprint to use spectrum bands on multiple technologies, replacing coaxial cables with fiber that is not affected by signal loss and improved remote radio heads that replace existing less efficient radios.

 

 

Multi-mode technology

 

 

The implementation of multimode technology throughout the Sprint network will:

  • Enhance service
  • Create network flexibility
  • Reduce operating costs
  • Improve environmental sustainability

Berge Ayvazian, Senior Consultant, Heavy Reading

 

“This is a very bold move. Sprint was first with an all-digital wireless network; the first to upgrade to EVDO; and more recently, the first to broadly offer 4G services. Sprint is once again first to deploy a common converged mobile network that will strengthen its 3G services; enhance its 4G technology options; and continue delivering the industry’s leading push-to-talk offering.” -- December, 2010

 

Network Vision Progress: The Network Vision plan, originally expected to take three to five years to execute, is now targeted for completion in three years. Sprint and its Network Vision partners, Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson and Samsung are executing detailed deployment plans, with deployment of 22,000 cell sites currently underway and many technical milestones achieved.

 

Roll-out of LTE on 1.9 GHz spectrum:

 

 

Sprint will extend its 4G leadership position in the U.S. by adding LTE technology to enhance its current 4G offerings, with plans to launch LTE on its existing 1.9 GHz spectrum by mid-year of 2012. Sprint expects its 4G coverage footprint to cover 250 million people when the build-out is completed by the end of 2013.

 

Sprint Direct Connect:

 

 

On October 2, Sprint launched Sprint Direct Connect, the next generation of push-to-talk service with broadband data capabilities. Operating on the CDMA network, we expect Sprint Direct Connect to give customers 3x greater coverage—from 900,000 square miles to approximately 2.7 million - a broader lineup of devices including smartphones, and all the benefits associated with broadband capabilities.

 

3G Network Improvement:

 

 

Sprint expects a significant improvement in customers’ 3G network experience, including expanded coverage, improved network reliability, better voice quality, and faster 3G data speeds. Based on forecasts of data demand, Sprint is confident its 3G network will meet customers’ growing data demands.

 

Financial benefit to Sprint

  • Sprint expects the Network Vision plan to bring financial benefit to the company.
  • This is to come from reducing operating costs and also by avoiding future expenses as wireless data traffic continues to grow.
  • The total estimated incremental cost of the Network Vision program over the deployment period is between $4 billion and $5 billion.
  • Sprint estimates the total net financial benefit over a seven-year period will be between $10 billion and $11 billion.
  • Cost savings are expected to come from capital efficiencies, reducing energy costs, lowering roaming expenses, backhaul savings and the eventual reduction in the total number of cell sites.

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Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 29 November 2011

 

Here is another good article on Network Vision. I will post the link http://www.rcrwirele...iers-potential/, as well as paste the article in it's entirety in case the article does not stay posted at this link over coming months...

 

 

Network of the future? Sprint Nextel’s upgrade plans could unlock carrier’s potential

Posted on 22 November 2011 by Dan Meyer.

 

Technology upgrades and spectrum management are a fact of life for mobile operators that are having to constantly update networks and rearrange spectrum assets in order to continuing serving growing customer demand and keep up with competitors in the marketing wars.

 

However, few carriers take on such tasks in the manner in which Sprint Nextel (S) is looking to overhaul its current network over the next several years. The carrier, which currently operates a CDMA network in the 1.9 GHz band and an iDEN network in the 800 MHz and 900 MHz bands, will over the next few years update all of its cell sites in order to gain operating efficiencies, roll out new technology and decommission about 20,000 sites.

 

Sprint Nextel CTO Stephen Bye explained that the network upgrades begin at the cell sites where the carrier is installing multimodal base stations capable of supporting various technologies and spectrum bands. The work, being accomplished with partners Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent and Samsung, is already underway.

 

Bye explained that those partners have brought a lot of expertise to the table and that the process is going very well.

For its legacy CDMA service, Sprint Nextel is planning on deploying the technology’s 1x-Advanced specification in the carrier’s 800 MHz spectrum holdings. The technology is expected to provide a significant boost in voice capacity and by using the 800 MHz spectrum a boost in coverage compared to its current 1x service in its 1.9 GHz band.

 

“Voice is still very important to consumers,” Bye explained, though he did note at a recent conference that carriers need to start constructing wireless networks to handle increasing amounts of data traffic.

 

That move to the 800 MHz band should allow Sprint Nextel to finally provide in-building and coverage parity with its rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility, which have been able to offer their bread-and-butter voice services across their 850 MHz spectrum holdings.

 

One snag in Sprint Nextel’s 800 MHz plan is that it’s currently supporting a dwindling iDEN customer base in that band. Following a spectrum re-banding effort designed to reduce interference with public safety communications in the 800 MHz band, Sprint Nextel was left with 14 megahertz of contiguous spectrum in that band. The carrier has said it plans to shutter its iDEN service in the coming years, a process that is being helped by the continued defection of iDEN customers from that network. However, until all of those customers are moved to CDMA-based services, or leave for another carrier, Sprint Nextel will have to reserve a portion of that 800 MHz band for iDEN customers.

 

The eventual decommissioning of that iDEN network will provide the basis for Sprint Nextel to get rid of approximately 20,000 cell sites, or roughly one-third of the current cell sites populating its network. The carrier picked up those additional sites following Sprint’s acquisition of Nextel Communications, which left the carrier running two separate networks.

 

As for its more recently announced LTE plans, Bye said the carrier will initially use the 10 megahertz of spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band G-Block it received as part of the 800 MHz spectrum re-banding process. The LTE launch will rely on a 5 x 5 deployment for the technology, which is half the 10 x 10 deployment being used by Verizon Wireless for its LTE deployment in the 700 MHz band, which would result in less capacity and speeds when compared with the 10 x 10 deployment.

 

Bye noted that while the initial deployment is somewhat limited, the spectrum being used is free and clear of any other users and a nationwide footprint. The 700 MHz spectrum assets picked up by other operators has had to be cleared of television broadcasters, and with some carriers the footprint lacks a nationwide scope.

 

Bye added that Sprint Nextel will be looking to add capacity to its LTE network from its 1.9 GHz holdings that are currently supporting voice and data traffic as the carrier moves voice traffic to the 800 MHz band and data traffic transitions from CDMA to LTE. Sprint Nextel has between 20 megahertz and 30 megahertz of spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band outside of its G-Block holdings.

 

Further down the road, Bye said the carrier would be looking to add LTE technology to its 800 MHz holdings as it begins to transition customers to voice services running on the LTE network. That move to spread LTE across spectrum bands is expected to be supported by updates to the technology standard that will allow for spectrum aggregations across bands.

Sprint Nextel’s updated network will also allow the carrier to implement its network hosting plan that was first announced with LightSquared. That deal calls for Sprint Nextel to host LightSquared’s 1.6 GHz spectrum and LTE services across its network once LightSquared receives clearance to begin offering service across that spectrum.

 

Bye noted that the spectrum hosting ability will allow the industry to free up a lot of underutilized spectrum sitting out in the market. A lot of that spectrum is held by non-traditional wireless players that purchased spectrum in recent auctions, but have yet to deploy services. Those companies include a number of cable players, including Bye’s former employer Cox Communications, which at some point will be looking to either make a commercial move or unload that spectrum.

So, what will Sprint Nextel’s network look like in five years? Well, if everything goes according to plan, Sprint Nextel will have CDMA 1x-Advanced and LTE services running in its 800 MHz band; CDMA2000 1x EV-DO and LTE services running across its 1.9 GHz spectrum holdings; and some form of network hosting services that will allow the carrier to utilize those spectrum assets for its own services.

 

This all of course leaves out the issue of Sprint Nextel’s subsidiary Clearwire, which is currently the backbone for Sprint Nextel’s WiMAX-based “4G” service. Clearwire has said it was halting all further expansion of its WiMAX network in favor of deploying LTE technology across its vast 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings. However, those efforts are limited as the carrier is in need of more than $600 million in additional funding to support that launch, and recently hinted that it might miss a Dec. 1 interest payment.

Despite a public hands-off approach to Clearwire, Sprint Nextel remains the majority owner in the company and is seen by many as the likely source of additional funding. Clearwire’s spectrum depth, which is up to 150 megahertz in some markets, is a compelling carrot for Sprint Nextel as such depth could provide capacity and capabilities that no other domestic carrier could match.

 

However, there remains concern about the practicality of using the 2.5 GHz band to provide wide-area cellular coverage, though it would seem ideal for densely-packed urban environments. Taking this into account, adding Clearwire’s LTE plans to Sprint Nextel’s network mix would provide the carrier with potentially a strategic advantage in the market compared to rivals.

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Based on the documents I have, I think Columbus will not be announced soon. But will not be at the end either. Stay tuned to S4GRU for more announcements as communities like Columbus get closer.

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Based on the documents I have, I think Columbus will not be announced soon. But will not be at the end either. Stay tuned to S4GRU for more announcements as communities like Columbus get closer.

 

Thanks, bookmarked your site, following on twitter and with Tapatalk. Some good information....

 

Columbus needs sprint vision, BAD. I'm a ten year sprint customer and worked downtown columbus for last 5 years. If it wasn't for sprints prices, i would go to verizon because of the better coverage.

Building penetration in downtown columbus is horrid(Sprint maps show best coverage) and speeds either crawl or u roam in these buildings. With verizon, you have full 3g and 4G in the same locations. I've called and reported these locations many times to no avail.

 

I'm so ready for a working phone and usable data while at work. Anyone that has sprint here in downtown buildings chew through our battery usage because switching from 3g, 1x and roaming all day long.

 

Sent from my EVO 3D w/ MeanRom

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Thanks, bookmarked your site, following on twitter and with Tapatalk. Some good information....

 

Columbus needs sprint vision, BAD. I'm a ten year sprint customer and worked downtown columbus for last 5 years. If it wasn't for sprints prices, i would go to verizon because of the better coverage.

Building penetration in downtown columbus is horrid(Sprint maps show best coverage) and speeds either crawl or u roam in these buildings. With verizon, you have full 3g and 4G in the same locations. I've called and reported these locations many times to no avail.

 

I'm so ready for a working phone and usable data while at work. Anyone that has sprint here in downtown buildings chew through our battery usage because switching from 3g, 1x and roaming all day long.

 

Sent from my EVO 3D w/ MeanRom

 

I hear ya. Sprint has 97 markets nationwide. Looking through their NV list, I think they are largely doing a good job in the priority list. I can see why they are doing them in the order they are for the most part. The only one that jumps out of order to me is Kansas City. But I can understand why. I mean, you have to do your Headquarters city near the beginning, right?

:idea:

 

How does the 4G WiMax work in Columbus?

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I hear ya. Sprint has 97 markets nationwide. Looking through their NV list, I think they are largely doing a good job in the priority list. I can see why they are doing them in the order they are for the most part. The only one that jumps out of order to me is Kansas City. But I can understand why. I mean, you have to do your Headquarters city near the beginning, right?

 

 

How does the 4G WiMax work in Columbus?

 

Not good in buildings at all...

 

Outside of buildings can get 2-5mbps easy, inside can struggle to connect.

 

Driving through heart of Columbus(ohio capital), wimax will drop, pickup, drop in best areas....

 

I tested verizon lte with htc thunderbolt and much wider coverage and higher speeds & more reliable connection from one side of city to the other.

 

I'm going to stick with Sprint through this network upgrades, as I have the last ten years and only hope for the best when complete.

Sent from my EVO 3D w/ MeanRom

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Yeah, that's what I hear often. Sprint/Clear WiMax is on 2500MHz, which is quite poor at building/obstacle penetration. There are significant RF shadows and gaps between cell sites. 2500MHz coverage maps often look like a whole bunch of slightly connected islands.

 

Fortunately, Sprint's LTE on 2500 with Clearwire will work much better than the existing WiMax network on 2500. That's because Sprint LTE devices will only run on 2500 for extra capacity. In those places where you get in service gaps where the 2500 signal cannot reach, the Sprint LTE on 1900 and 800 should be going strong. And you will seamlessly transfer between LTE on 1900, 800 and 2500. It's actually going to be an awesome network when complete.

 

LTE on 1900 is being rolled out this year. The additional LTE carrier on 800 will start to deploy in 2013 after iDEN decommissioning and LTE on Clearwire's 2500 should also begin in 2013. Now if Sprint could get their devices so figured out for the future, that would be a relief.

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I sure hope those chipsets will be battery efficient or at least have bigger batteries on the phones when they are released. I like better battery life. And do you think NV in Nevada will be this year, or next?

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Yeah, that's what I hear often. Sprint/Clear WiMax is on 2500MHz, which is quite poor at building/obstacle penetration. There are significant RF shadows and gaps between cell sites. 2500MHz coverage maps often look like a whole bunch of slightly connected islands.

 

Fortunately, Sprint's LTE on 2500 with Clearwire will work much better than the existing WiMax network on 2500. That's because Sprint LTE devices will only run on 2500 for extra capacity. In those places where you get in service gaps where the 2500 signal cannot reach, the Sprint LTE on 1900 and 800 should be going strong. And you will seamlessly transfer between LTE on 1900, 800 and 2500. It's actually going to be an awesome network when complete.

 

LTE on 1900 is being rolled out this year. The additional LTE carrier on 800 will start to deploy in 2013 after iDEN decommissioning and LTE on Clearwire's 2500 should also begin in 2013. Now if Sprint could get their devices so figured out for the future, that would be a relief.

 

Awesome information, are you going to incorporate a "thanks " system into the forums and add into Tapatalk? This board needs it...

 

Sent from my EVO 3D w/ MeanRom

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Awesome information' date=' are you going to incorporate a "thanks " system into the forums and add into Tapatalk? This board needs it...

 

Sent from my EVO 3D w/ MeanRom[/quote']

 

Our site uses "Like" in lieu of Thanks. Tapatalk won't support our Like feature. However, you can press Like on Forum Runner and our mobile site. And of course, on our full site.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

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Question for those of you that know more about NV.

 

I see where Sprint talks a lot about improved coverage, building penetration (I assume just for voice, since data feq is staying the same I think).

 

My Question is will it help for areas that are over saturated? Here in Winston Salem, NC 3G speeds have been almost non exsistant for months and months. During the day you hover around 150 kbps. Sometimes dropping to 50kbps and lower (yes, dial up speeds).

 

Will Network Vision and the back haul improvments be able to really help a network area that over sold? Or is the only fix going to be sprint coming in and building new sites?

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Question for those of you that know more about NV.

 

I see where Sprint talks a lot about improved coverage' date=' building penetration (I assume just for voice, since data feq is staying the same I think).

 

My Question is will it help for areas that are over saturated? Here in Winston Salem, NC 3G speeds have been almost non exsistant for months and months. During the day you hover around 150 kbps. Sometimes dropping to 50kbps and lower (yes, dial up speeds).

 

Will Network Vision and the back haul improvments be able to really help a network area that over sold? Or is the only fix going to be sprint coming in and building new sites?[/quote']

 

Yes is the answer for your questions. Yes, NV towers will penetrate better and travel farther, voice and data. Sprint will be using the same 1900MHz frequency it has. However now the radios (RRU's) are going to move up to the top of the towers behind the antennas. This provides for a 20% to 25% signal gain. Which is a bigger deal than it sounds. Also, in 2013, Sprint will be activating 800MHz coverage. And this will have huge signal benefits.

 

It will help over saturated areas because the backhaul will be able to handle 5x to 10x the volume it does now. Also, they are adding additional 3G carriers in Network Vision as necessary. Also, LTE will help remove some of the burden off the current 3G network.

 

Sprint 3G should run consistently 1MB to 2.2MB post Network Vision. There will be some cells that are over NV capacity. And those cells will have to be split. This will be more of an issue in very dense urban environments.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

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Thanks for the info.

I've really never had a problem with Sprint until this past year when the 3G network in this area basically just died. So I'd really rather not have to switch carriers. Guess I will just ride it out for awhile and see what happens then. Because other than the dial up speeds I have no other sprint complaints.

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Thanks for the info.

I've really never had a problem with Sprint until this past year when the 3G network in this area basically just died. So I'd really rather not have to switch carriers. Guess I will just ride it out for awhile and see what happens then. Because other than the dial up speeds I have no other sprint complaints.

 

Sprint currently uses bundled T1 lines for backhaul. These work OK for a 3G network before the smartphone explosion. However, they are insufficient now.

 

Network Vision will correct the backhaul issue. Upgrading to fiber or microwave bridge to fiber in almost all instances.

 

In the interim though, Sprint is still upgrading T1's trying to improve performance somewhat. Even though Network Vision is under way.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

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When Sprint gets a T1 from say AT&T, is there a contract or is it month to month? Also, all these carrier upgrades they've been doing lately, I'm assuming the channel cards will still work in the new NV basestations, correct?

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When Sprint gets a T1 from say AT&T' date=' is there a contract or is it month to month? Also, all these carrier upgrades they've been doing lately, I'm assuming the channel cards will still work in the new NV basestations, correct?[/quote']

 

Good questions. In the case of T1's, I'm not 100% certain. However it is the case with most commercial T1's that they are not on contract. The ordering company has to pay install charges so a contract really isnt necessary. The provider really isn't at risk if the customer cancels the line in a few months.

 

I manage several commercial T1's still and all are month to month service. And commercial T1 rates are really high all things considered. And have been trending up. Copper prices going up and fiber prices coming down. In a physical line cost they are near equal on new deployments. There is just still a lot of copper infrastructure in place. As you know. There are lots of rumors that Sprint gets most of its backhaul from ATT. But its not true. They get most from Century Link. But there are some very specific regions where they get a lot from ATT.

 

As for channel cards, I sure hope all these new ones being deployed in band aid mode are going to transfer right over into Network Vision. That would be a lot of temporary fixes where the money would be going down the toilet. I actually don't know for certain, but I would have to think so. I know I've seen a post approx. a year ago suggesting that Sprint do these extra carrier upgrades in advance of NV because most of the new hardware deployed could be transferred over to NV. Then it seemed impossible that Sprint would spend so much on upgrading carriers and additional backhaul right in front of NV. But here we are, and they are doing exactly that.

 

I think Sprint changed gears and decided to do band-aid network improvements last summer when they knew that they were getting the iPhone. However, many backhaul providers said it would take months to add T1's. In fact in many areas, Century Link is just now getting around to adding T1's that were ordered last June!

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

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Sprint currently uses bundled T1 lines for backhaul. These work OK for a 3G network before the smartphone explosion. However, they are insufficient now.

 

Network Vision will correct the backhaul issue. Upgrading to fiber or microwave bridge to fiber in almost all instances.

 

In the interim though, Sprint is still upgrading T1's trying to improve performance somewhat. Even though Network Vision is under way.

 

 

Adding a T1 only patches the problem for a little while. With data traffic doubling every year, adding a measly 1.5 Mbit connection does not make a difference for very long.

 

What is the capacity of the microwave bridge?

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Adding a T1 only patches the problem for a little while. With data traffic doubling every year' date=' adding a measly 1.5 Mbit connection does not make a difference for very long.

 

What is the capacity of the microwave bridge?[/quote']

 

Capacity is highly variable based on site conditions, distances and the fiber connection on the other end. Most microwave connections are in the range of 100MB to 1GB. But you can build a MW connection much faster. And some are left much slower with older equipment over long distances.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

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Hey Robert' date=' think I could get in on this particular info too? :)[/quote']

 

Sent.. :)

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

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