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Sprint to expand to Montana using shut down CellularOne sites


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With a merger a multitude of options would become possible. They would also become necessary as roaming agreements would not likely be extended.

Endless possibilities if they merge. I wonder if T-Mobile would use band 26 in Montana, as well as other remote areas. Would they have to get licenses for it ? I mean they have band 12 and rolling that out rather quickly

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sprint Montana License update

 

On 2/22/17 a technical document labeled "link budget supplement"  was added: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/attachments/attachmentViewRD.jsp;ATTACHMENTS=BCv8YzWThLhK1zgQjh11wWFTcrQSr3XQjLmCVXTQT0SPG2qgCBnG!-55596135!-1680248972?applType=search&fileKey=304721726&attachmentKey=20094125&attachmentInd=applAttach

 

The next day the status was returned to "Offlined for Expired License Review".  I checked another area where we have confirmed the LTE to be usable this past summer and have GCIs etc.  It was given the same treatment.

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Sprint Montana License update

 

On 2/22/17 a technical document labeled "link budget supplement" was added: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/attachments/attachmentViewRD.jsp;ATTACHMENTS=BCv8YzWThLhK1zgQjh11wWFTcrQSr3XQjLmCVXTQT0SPG2qgCBnG!-55596135!-1680248972?applType=search&fileKey=304721726&attachmentKey=20094125&attachmentInd=applAttach

 

The next day the status was returned to "Offlined for Expired License Review". I checked another area where we have confirmed the LTE to be usable this past summer and have GCIs etc. It was given the same treatment.

 

I'm sure they're done in Montana work wise.

 

 

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I was traveling through Montana this weekend, and received LTE service in Billings & Missoula. I didn't get screenshots as I was driving. The service was solid however. I'm using an iPhone 7 Plus.

Good to hear. What exactly do you mean by solid though?

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I was able to use my phone while eating breakfast in Missoula with no issues. Check IG, Facebook, etc. I have to say the 3G roaming in WY and MT is reasonable as well, definitely usable until we hit the roaming cap on all our devices.

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I was able to use my phone while eating breakfast in Missoula with no issues. Check IG, Facebook, etc. I have to say the 3G roaming in WY and MT is reasonable as well, definitely usable until we hit the roaming cap on all our devices.

 

A couple of things...did you have service from billings all the way to Missoula ? Or just service in both locations with roaming in between while driving ? 2nd how extensive was the coverage in both areas ?

 

 

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There was only service in those cities, roaming everywhere else. I didn't spend a lot of time in either place as we were just passing through, but it seemed to be fairly consistent while passing through. I would say those two cities are probably covered decently well. Since my wife has relatives up there, I'll hope they expand this eventually.

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  • 1 month later...

Spent some time recently in Billings MT.   There are spots of Sprint LTE and native 3G.   It all depends how close you are to the tower.  Feels like a few protection sites but not full-build.    i.e. Many places my phone showed Sprint native (LTE and 3G) where I could not place a call, send or receive a text or use data.  Roaming data in Billings preferred Nemont, which worked fine. 

 

For my travel in and around Billings, I was pleased to see my phone roaming because it meant it was at least working.  I am pleased to see the native service and hopeful it will improve over time.

 

-Dan

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  • 2 weeks later...

Speaking of a Sprint/T-Mo merger....

 

Recently spoke w/ T-Mo about coverage in Montana - they offer roaming that looks native, but rep said that they are "working on selling service in MT very soon" - haven't kept up on network buzz since that whole mess with Alltel/VZW/AT&T divested markets and then MTPCS tanking, but perhaps Sprint & T-Mo are plotting something...would make a lot of sense in the MT market where T-Mo has basic roaming w/ AT&T but wants native coverage. Dunno if they can even get licenses for the area....thoughts?

 

 

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Coming back to this topic, and I know this is a two and a half month old comment I'm quoting:

 

T-Mobile is now selling service in one town, planning on more. All stores in Missoula so far are third-party stores, but it means they're committed, on some level. Wouldn't be surprised to see MetroPCS show up soon-ish either. The fact that they now have licences covering most of the state means they're definitely committed to expanding to the rest of the state. Could've been Sprint making the push, but guess they've been well past beaten to the punch now. 

 

In Missoula, they've still got just the one protection site. Still running pretty slow compared to elsewhere, but I can use data. Fun fact: download speeds are roughly equivalent to AT&T LTE here now. I set up a data-only AT&T GoPhone SIM for someone who will be visiting and needs internet around the whole state and did some testing with it, and got 2-3Mbps download speeds. This is on a plan with limited data, so it shouldn't have the throttle like the unlimited GoPhone plan does.

 

But that aside, that's how Sprint is looking. 

 

(I know, it's been ages since I posted anything. I thought of this again when I had a Japanese exchange student ask me to help set up his phone with local service. When I saw he was using SoftBank as his home provider and he was using an iPhone I told him he could just use his plan from home here at no extra cost and set up a TextNow or Google Voice number for people who need a US number to reach him at. I am now having second thoughts about that).

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No changed in license status since February 2017 addition of Link Budget Supplement attachments. :clock:

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Here's to hoping they merge with T-Mobile....that's the only way we'll see any kind of expansion and T-Mobile is committed to it and brand would probably survive.

 

 

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Here's to hoping they merge with T-Mobile....that's the only way we'll see any kind of expansion and T-Mobile is committed to it and brand would probably survive.

 

 

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They've been adding towers here and there in high roaming areas (http://www.codyenterprise.com/article_804e6cec-35b9-11e7-8392-3b77677fda5d.html for example)...

 

...and they have over 200 active site leases in Montana...

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They've been adding towers here and there in high roaming areas (http://www.codyenterprise.com/article_804e6cec-35b9-11e7-8392-3b77677fda5d.html for example)...

 

...and they have over 200 active site leases in Montana...

We don't know when or if they'll ever go commercially live. It's pretty spotty at best in a few cities in Montana. Not enough for them to update their coverage maps.

 

 

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We don't know when or if they'll ever go commercially live. It's pretty spotty at best in a few cities in Montana. Not enough for them to update their coverage maps.

 

 

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One tower per city. I unfortunately can't speak on what is to come.

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Hopefully SoftBank merges Sprint with T-Mobile is all I can say

 

 

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Doubt a deal happens. But if it does, there will be a lot of headaches as both networks are combined into one. Then there's the issue of which network they'll shut down. CDMA or GSM?

 

Shut down GSM and you'll lose reliable fallback for VoLTE. Shut down CDMA, and you'll lose 1x800 which is more reliable than lowband VoLTE.

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Doubt a deal happens. But if it does, there will be a lot of headaches as both networks are combined into one. Then there's the issue of which network they'll shut down. CDMA or GSM?

 

Shut down GSM and you'll lose reliable fallback for VoLTE. Shut down CDMA, and you'll lose 1x800 which is more reliable than lowband VoLTE.

 

Plausible arguments. It's more probable then doubtful. Let the speculation begin

 

 

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Doubt a deal happens. But if it does, there will be a lot of headaches as both networks are combined into one. Then there's the issue of which network they'll shut down. CDMA or GSM?

 

Shut down GSM and you'll lose reliable fallback for VoLTE. Shut down CDMA, and you'll lose 1x800 which is more reliable than lowband VoLTE.

The best/smartest choice, in my opinion, would be to shut CDMA down completely except 1x800.

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Doubt a deal happens. But if it does, there will be a lot of headaches as both networks are combined into one. Then there's the issue of which network they'll shut down. CDMA or GSM?

 

Shut down GSM and you'll lose reliable fallback for VoLTE. Shut down CDMA, and you'll lose 1x800 which is more reliable than lowband VoLTE.

 

It doesn't matter given both CDMA and GSM are going to be gone within the next 5 years or so, maybe sooner.

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:ot:  Actually I would love to comment on this, but this needs to be in another thread.  Save this for Sprint in Montana.   With any merger, the companies involved need to operate in their usual fashion. 

 

Sprint paid good money for its options in Montana.  They seem to have more money now.  Perhaps their plans will be revisited.

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