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Sprint to expand to Montana using shut down CellularOne sites


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Cellular One is shutting down service in Montana, and according to a letter it sent to customers in May, and will also shut down service in Wyoming as well. According to Gary Duncan, a spokesman for the Montana Public Service Commission, Cellular One will cease operations in the two states on Aug. 31.

 

Sprint spokeswoman Crystal Davis confirmed to FierceWireless that Sprint has purchased Cellular One's tower leasing rights in Montana, but she said Sprint has not purchased any of Cellular One's customers, spectrum or retail locations in the state. She declined to say how much the transaction is worth.

 

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source: Hofo

 

Original Source: Fierce

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What spectrum holdings did Cellular One have?

This transaction involves no Chinook spectrum. Sprint does not need it.

 

AJ

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Masa's plan for US domination are moving forward!

Domination? More like mitigation of roaming and satisfaction of PCS G block construction requirements.

 

AJ

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I got that part, I was just curious what spectrum they did have...

PCS only.

 

AJ

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An interesting development out of the impending Cellular One (MTPCS) shutdown in MT and WY:

 

Cellular One has indicated it plans to cease offering wireless service in the states of Montana and Wyoming. Cellular One has advised its customers there to find an alternate provider before August 31, which is when it plans to halt operations. ... Sprint has assumed Cellular One's cell tower leasing rights, though it hasn't purchased any of Cellular One's spectrum, equipment, or customers.

 

FierceWireless adds:

 

Sprint spokeswoman Crystal Davis confirmed to FierceWireless that Sprint has purchased Cellular One's tower leasing rights in Montana, but she said Sprint has not purchased any of Cellular One's customers, spectrum or retail locations in the state. She declined to say how much the transaction is worth.

 

So that looks positive for some Sprint NV buildout in those two states in the not-too-distant future. Based on these maps it looks like the towers are mostly on I-15, I-90, and I-94 in Montana, with just a small dip into Wyoming.

 

It looks like MTPCS will be concentrating in the future on the Gulf Coast-area markets where it has 700 spectrum as part of Verizon's LTEiRA program.

 

(Oops, sorry I didn't see this thread was already in the NV forum. My bad.)

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Domination? More like mitigation of roaming and satisfaction of PCS G block construction requirements.

 

AJ

 

If they are going in this big in Montana...much bigger than just the build out requirements would necessitate...then can I start to get hopeful about Western South Dakota?  They don't have any CCA/RRPP members here.  And they do also have G Block Build Out Requirements here, and EBS Protection Sites.

 

C'mon, baby!  No Whammies!  No Whammies!  STOP!!!

 

Seriously though, this stokes my fire.  This is much bigger than I ever thought Sprint would do in Montana.  I was expecting just a site or two each in Billings, Great Falls, Missoula and Kalispell.  The old Sprint never would have done this.

 

Robert

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An interesting development out of the impending Cellular One (MTPCS) shutdown in MT and WY:

 

 

FierceWireless adds:

 

 

So that looks positive for some Sprint NV buildout in those two states in the not-too-distant future. Based on these maps it looks like the towers are mostly on I-15, I-90, and I-94 in Montana, with just a small dip into Wyoming.

 

It looks like MTPCS will be concentrating in the future on the Gulf Coast-area markets where it has 700 spectrum as part of Verizon's LTEiRA program.

 

Topic merged.

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If they are going in this big in Montana...much bigger than just the build out requirements would necessitate...then can I start to get hopeful about Western South Dakota?  They don't have any CCA/RRPP members here.  And they do also have G Block Build Out Requirements here, and EBS Protection Sites.

 

C'mon, baby!  No Whammies!  No Whammies!  STOP!!!

 

Seriously though, this stokes my fire.  This is much bigger than I ever though Sprint would do in Montana.  I was expecting just a site or two each in Billings, Great Falls, Missoula and Kalispell.  The old Sprint never would have done this.

 

Robert

 

Short of G-Block, does Sprint have any PCS holdings for the market?

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No spectrum but tower rights? Does that mean that Sprint can take its time building out? I also hope that Cellular One had good tower spacing/placement. If nothing else I think Sprint should cover I-80 through Wyoming asap.

 

EDIT: I see now that these towers only cover a small part of northern Wyoming. Atleast they have the ability to cover a major part of I-90 in Montana.

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"Cellular One has sold its network and network-related assets in Montana and Wyoming to Sprint," McKoin said. "We can not comment on the value."

 

 

Looks like it's the network too.  Probably can fire up the existing network right away for Sprint customers and will just need to schedule the Network Vision conversions thereafter.

 

Robert

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Looking at the Cellular One map I would guess maybe between 3 and 5 dozen sites, possibly another 2 to 3 dozen if it includes lease rights to sites that where planned but never built....

 

What type of network did Cellular One run?

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Short of G-Block, does Sprint have any PCS holdings for the market?

 

Yeah, they have 15x15 PCS locally.  Also, they have 7x7 SMR.  And B41 EBS too, but no BRS.

 

Robert

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Looks like it's the network too.  Probably can fire up the existing network right away for Sprint customers and will just need to schedule the Network Vision conversions thereafter.

Robert

 

Then all the new subs there will complain "SPRINT FKEN SUCKS HERE EVEN WHEN THEY FIRED UP THE NEW NETWORK" because the vast majority of people who would likely sign up with Sprint in the area would know absolutely nothing about the transaction. 

 

Much better to convert everything to NV standards with backhaul before letting the public use it.

 

First impression matters a lot. 

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Then all the new subs there will complain "SPRINT FKEN SUCKS HERE EVEN WHEN THEY FIRED UP THE NEW NETWORK" because the vast majority of people who would likely sign up with Sprint in the area would know absolutely nothing about the transaction. 

 

Much better to convert everything to NV standards with backhaul before letting the public use it.

 

First impression matters a lot. 

 

No need to sell service initially.  But might as well reduce your roaming costs to help pay for this.  Just supporting roaming Sprint subscribers travelling through the area, the existing network should perform just fine.  I'm not sure Sprint will ever put up brick and mortar stores in the area.

 

Robert

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According to http://specmap.sequence-omega.net/, Sprint has the PCS B block. Apparently they subleased it (or at least some of it) to AT&T before, but that sublease has expired.

 

Yep, that license is free and clear for Sprint right now.  Sweeps on the spectrum analyzer confirm they are clear.  C'mon in Masa!

 

Robert

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