Shentel issue with load balancing?

[prophead]

Been reading over Shentel's Q4 2014 results and came across this quote from Earle MacKenzie...

 

We have 800 megahertz voice service on 94% of our cell sites, only 15% of the voice traffic is on 800 megahertz as we continue to have software issues on certain phones that prevent us from activating cross band loading balancing on our network. Our vendors are working to address this issue.

 

Curious if anyone here has any technical information as to what these issues might be.

[Yuhfhrh]

I didn't know the network could get a device to change bands on CDMA, I thought it was determined solely by the phone/PRL.

[chamb]

Been reading over Shentel's Q4 2014 results and came across this quote from Earle MacKenzie...

 

We have 800 megahertz voice service on 94% of our cell sites, only 15% of the voice traffic is on 800 megahertz as we continue to have software issues on certain phones that prevent us from activating cross band loading balancing on our network. Our vendors are working to address this issue.

 

Curious if anyone here has any technical information as to what these issues might be.

I do not have the answer to your question, but I am in Shentel Territory almost all the time.  I have a Galaxy S-5.  It has always tended to hang onto 800, both 1X and LTE most of the time even when it might not have been needed.  It would go over to 1900 at times, but it was sort of rare.   But in the last month, I seem to be finding myself to be on 1900 quite often. I believe that a change has been made, but it is only a good guess.  I still go onto 800 when it is appropriate, but it seems that something is determining that I would be ok on 1900 and places me on 1900 sometimes. 

I find that I might be on 1900 LTE and when I drop to a level around -113, it is very likely that I am going to be switched to 800 LTE.

I have not been able to determine what causes me to be switched back to 1900 LTE. I have not been able to determine a pattern to this.  

[S4GRU]

I didn't know the network could get a device to change bands on CDMA, I thought it was determined solely by the phone/PRL.

 

PRL affects scan behavior by device.  The network can be set up to control band/channel switching.  Sounds like Sprint is trying to do eactly that now.

[Yuhfhrh]

PRL affects scan behavior by device.  The network can be set up to control band/channel switching.  Sounds like Sprint is trying to do eactly that now.

 

So if my phone is idling on 1X 1900, the network can switch it over to 1X 800 or vice versa (just like LTE)?

 

Or is this load balancing only when a device is ready to drop LTE for a phone call?

[S4GRU]

So if my phone is idling on 1X 1900, the network can switch it over to 1X 800 or vice versa (just like LTE)?

 

Or is this load balancing only when a device is ready to drop LTE for a phone call?

 

The network, when fully configured for it, can do it because of quality or load balancing.

[burnout8488]

I was just in a Shentel market as well and noticed my phone preferred band 26 most of the time too. Perhaps band 25 was clogged up with single band devices and the load balancing was working as it should.

 

And yes, I believe devices can switch between voice bands (800 and 1900) during a call if the network is set up for it.

 

In any case, this market was the best Sprint experience I've ever had.

[Dkoellerwx]

I was just in a Shentel market as well and noticed my phone preferred band 26 most of the time too. Perhaps band 25 was clogged up with single band devices and the load balancing was working as it should.

 

And yes, I believe devices can switch between voice bands (800 and 1900) during a call if the network is set up for it.

 

In any case, this market was the best Sprint experience I've ever had.

 

I think the "load balancing" issue here is related specifically to 1xRTT, not LTE.

[Galaxyguy]

 

 

And yes, I believe devices can switch between voice bands (800 and 1900) during a call if the network is set up for it.

I live in the Shentel market. I have seen calls switch from 1x1900 to 1x800 right in the middle of a call. I don't think I've ever seen it go the other direction but I assume it's possible. I often see it happen within the first 30 seconds of a call. This is when I have very good signal too, not just when I'm about to drop a call on 1x1900.

 

Sent from my Note 4.

[superbluepsd]

I live in the Shentel market. I have seen calls switch from 1x1900 to 1x800 right in the middle of a call. I don't think I've ever seen it go the other direction but I assume it's possible. I often see it happen within the first 30 seconds of a call. This is when I have very good signal too, not just when I'm about to drop a call on 1x1900.

 

Sent from my Note 4.

Shentelians are lucky!   I have never experienced a hyper band handoff from 1900 to 800 during a call.   In my market my experience is that the call will drop on 1900 before ever being handed off to 800 even as of late.    Usually as quickly as i can redial the number my phone has acquired 1X 800 and the call will stay on 800 for the duration.    

[chamb]

Shentelians are lucky!   I have never experienced a hyper band handoff from 1900 to 800 during a call.   In my market my experience is that the call will drop on 1900 before ever being handed off to 800 even as of late.    Usually as quickly as i can redial the number my phone has acquired 1X 800 and the call will stay on 800 for the duration.    

I have seen this reported here and I THINK I have seen it too, but I am not ready to declare it as a fact.

I have seen Signal check Pro show a call originate on 1900 but switch to 800 before the called party can answer.  It happened fast.

I am not sure if I saw a transfer of an established call or maybe a transfer as the call was setting up and then a slow update of the displayed data.  My 1900 1x is so good that I find it very hard to get into a situation that will cause the loss of a 1900 1X signal thanks to Shentel's great work. As I get some free time someday, I am going to work on this and try to prove if it does or does not transfer a working call from 1900 1x to 800 without a drop.

[prophead]

I have never seen a transfer from 1900 to 800. My call will drop then the phone will switch to 800 and I can start the call again. This is maddening, the failure to hand off to 800 kind of defeats the purpose (maybe my phone is one of the ones with software issues )

 

I do however, experience successful hand offs from 800 to 1900 anytime when I start a call on 800 in the Shentel market then drive into the Sprint market. I have rarely connected to 800 in the Berks County Sprint market even though the S4GRU Maps would indicate 800 is complete. The exception would along the route 422 corridor where I have occasionally connected to 800.

 

Out of curiosity I created a PRL without 1900 to see if I could connect to 800 in the Berks County Sprint market. When restarting my phone it would briefly connect 800 then switch to no service. This would seem to indicate 800 is turned on but Sprint is blocking access for some reason.

[burnout8488]

I have never seen a transfer from 1900 to 800. My call will drop then the phone will switch to 800 and I can start the call again. This is maddening, the failure to hand off to 800 kind of defeats the purpose (maybe my phone is one of the ones with software issues )

 

I do however, experience successful hand offs from 800 to 1900 anytime when I start a call on 800 in the Shentel market then drive into the Sprint market. I have rarely connected to 800 in the Berks County Sprint market even though the S4GRU Maps would indicate 800 is complete. The exception would along the route 422 corridor where I have occasionally connected to 800.

 

Out of curiosity I created a PRL without 1900 to see if I could connect to 800 in the Berks County Sprint market. When restarting my phone it would briefly connect 800 then switch to no service. This would seem to indicate 800 is turned on but Sprint is blocking access for some reason.

 

Is this on your DuraXT?

[prophead]

Is this on your DuraXT?

 

Yes