sweyers

Ugh that explains the bouncing around for data in that area. Quite strange that it's accepted but not on actually, as I would think that would be one of the last areas around here to be backhaul challenged...

Wow. Sorry major cities I forgot about looking through the launched list...especially San Francisco...

Good. I know launch means nothing, it's just a psychological thing proving that Sprint is acknowledging us . That way when people look up the Sprint LTE cities list on their site Des Moines would be listed, swaying them toward Sprint. Good thing for all involved. I agree they moved rapidfire fast around here, lighting up everything practically overnight. Still you have to remember we never got any WiMax and 3G here was every bit as awful as any major metro for a longer period of time since we were further down their LTE deployment list than those cities. What top 50 market hasn't had site installs yet? I'm actually curious. I'm not bashing Sprint or this site, I like them both, but we do have four other carrier choices in this area (VZW/ATT/TMO/USCC) and there's no denying Sprint has been very far behind all of them in the data speed department for too long around here. Hell, many LTE towers that are up are under 1mbps in West Des Moines because too many people are connected to the LTE towers when there are 3G only towers closer to them. That's why I really want to see Sprint finish up around here. AGREED. Actually forgot about who can provide the backhaul around here, Mediacom is a TERRIBLE company in multiple respects. To be fair though, All other carriers around here seem to have much less of an issue on consistency in the backhaul department, likely because they wait until everything is done before they light it all up at once. Take VZW's LTE launch in 2011 for instance, one day the entire metro was dark, the next day pretty much every tower had LTE.

I wish Sprint would hurry up and finish everything up in Iowa and just be done with it, perpetually in last place around here . Any idea when we'll launch Robert?

How's everyone over at S4GRU? It's been a while since I've been on here! I guess I'm just spoiled by my constant LTE in Waukee now Same here at my house in far NW Urbandale. Bounces around just sitting in one spot sometimes. Wait Hickman and Douglas? Look at a map, let's just say those don't intersect...

Oh. My. God. I have been waiting YEARS for this, on my way out from working out at the Waukee Y, I saw LTE, this was the result http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/675276912 This has been a 400kbps max area for as long as I can remember. Went over to Jordan Creek area though and still the same old Friday night 100kbps. Please Sprint, hurry and get this EVERYWHERE.

Amen to that!

Very happy about this, that's one of my main towers. I haven't had a chance to go take a look in a while. Glad you made it out there to see progress!

You just got shut down I actually think Robert is being extremely tolerant by not banning you completely in this scenario. Many forums I have visited permanently ban people for very small reasons, or for no reason at all. Moderator doesn't like the way you said something in a post? Banned. I have found that these are usually the ones riddled with advertisements as well which S4GRU proudly can state that they do not have. Be grateful that Robert is obviously not that type of moderator, and S4GRU is not that type of site .

Pretty certain they just meant it was installed on this tower. It wasn't broadcasting LTE or anything when I got there, and probably wasn't broadcasting 800 either, but had no way to tell for sure since I don't have signalcheck installed (maybe I should though...) I can tell you it's the tower between Hickman and University on 156th/Boone Drive in Waukee if that helps you at all, it's in the little league field parking lot. Asked them about LTE, they just said all they knew was the hardware side of things and it sounded like they were getting sent all over the state. Are you referring the 4G accepted tower as to what's the hold up?

Visited the Waukee towers today, since no one else seemed to be hitting the west side of town much. First one (grain elevator site), nothin'. Just like I expected. But then I hit the one at the baseball field and whaddya know, Samsung contractors were there! I think I was more excited to see them then they were to see me to be honest, being the inquisitive type I am haha. They told me they were supposed to be working on a site in Muscatine but got diverted to this one because their wiring was too short for that particular site. I told them that works for me . The picture of the trailer with a base cabinet in it was going somewhere in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area, this crew's next stop apparently. Anyway, new rack (top) with RRUs was mounted on arrival. Couldn't get a picture of the base cabinet because it was fenced in. US Cellular has also had LTE live on this tower for some time now, so I hope backhaul won't be too much of an issue in this particular location. 800 on this site too according to the contractors! All I can say is YAY!!!!!!!

I can't tell you how happy I was to get some LTE goodness along with a Brewers win on 7/9 at Miller Park. 8.32 down, 3.60 up, 47ms ping, good stuff. Last time I was there I had some of the worst Sprint service I have EVER experienced, which is saying something. Things are looking up for Milwaukee! Let's hope Madison is not far behind though, especially 800 voice...

Saw that in your sponsors forum post. Was referring to the "7 other towers" you mentioned. This is especially exciting since it seems a lot of the backhand work has been done already. Hopefully this means when they get the equipment in place thay can flip the switch right to LTE! Correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems like the opposite of East Iowa since they are almost completely done with 3G acceptances (hardware) but have no 4G yet.

This is FANTASTIC news! Will definitely start to keep my eyes peeled as to where this stuff ends up!

THIS. #1 reason why I hate Sprint in Iowa right now, you can't stream Pandora on friggin' 1x!

If you're going either way on 35 out of Des Moines, and plan on using any data whatsoever, in my experience a Verizon PRL is a must (1x only anyone?). Even holding a call in some place north of Ames and south of Albert Lea (where there is mostly NOTHING but the highway) can be very difficult. Amazing how long that corridor has been neglected. Funny (yet not funny) that once you cross into MN/MO you're right back on 3G again. Shows what importance Iowa really is to Sprint as a whole (Ha!). Sprint really does need to get on the ball though, I can only really count on 3G in Des Moines and anywhere connected by 80 (Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Waterloo, Council Bluffs etc). And that doesn't necessarily mean reliable 3G either. Marshalltown, Carroll, Mason City, Fort Dodge, Ottumwa, are just a few places I have been that have been (still are?) 1x only. The only reason I say that they may not be is that the last time I was in Marshalltown (in March) I saw eHRPD (testing maybe?). At this point, if Sprint brings some solid speeds and consistency back (especially in DSM), great, but the first carrier to approach their value (price and coverage wise) with an iPhone and an unlimited plan (yes I know, a lot to ask) is getting my business. This is 2013 not 2002, seeing 100-300kbps down on a frequent basis in a metro of 500,000 and leaving a major cross country Interstate highway perpetually stuck at 2G until who knows when is absolutely pathetic.

Speed tests at Costco Jordan Creek today - Verizon LTE - ~10mbps down AT&T HSPA+ - ~2mbps down T-Mobile HSPA+ ~6mbps down US Cellular - wasn't available, but they have LTE here...approx. Verizon speeds in my past experience *Sprint (my Note 2) - 0.2mbps = 200kbps down This has not been unusual performance for Sprint in the Des Moines area. I have always had faith in Sprint and their commitment to unlimited data. I know that they will eventually fix their over saturated network. They have given me glimmers of hope (A 20mbps speed test at 70mph in Owatonna, MN comes to mind) but I need one closer to home. My patience is waning, we all pay too much to Sprint to put up with this garbage any longer. It's been going on entirely long enough. I regret to say that if US Cellular keeps their unlimited option when they get the iPhone (the rest of my family has them), and Sprint hasn't noticeably improved by that time, that we may have to seriously reconsider our choice in carriers. For what we need, we would pay roughly the same after employee discount with USCC. And before someone says it, this is not an anti Sprint post. I like Sprint. A lot. I like their plans, and their prices. I like their customer service. I like their coverage by area. My only major issue is their currently deplorable network, numbers simply do not lie. I can't wait for the day that I can recommend Sprint once again in Iowa. So here's one more voice hoping we see some major improvement in Des Moines and across Iowa, and FAST! I would not be writing this post if the 3G speeds averaged what they advertise.

Looks like I missed something go down in my own thread... I can't find reference to any specific GMO site even though one was mentioned a couple times.

I-80's good coverage doesn't make up for I-35's hell. Worst native Sprint coverage I have ever seen along there. Even voice calls are tough to hold.

Yes there are quite a few "fringe" areas between towers in the Des Moines area. However, considering how much less I pay a month on Sprint than I would on VZ/ATT/USCC, I find the coverage to be adequate, if just barely. I rarely, if eber, completely lose a signal. I didn't count TMO even though they are cheaper, they are not a viable option in my area/personal situation. I don't know how normal it is but we have a LOT of towers on top of stuff. My main tower that I use everyday is on top of the old grain elevator in Waukee. There's towers on top of both the Marriott on Jordan Creek Parkway and the Sheraton at 50th and University, both roughly 12 stories high. There's a tower on top of an office building on Valley West Drive, roughly 8 stories. One on the Clive water tower on University. And that's just on my side of town. Numerous monopole towers as well like you mentioned. But none of these locations make it easy to see whether work is going on or not. I wonder how much impact these "non traditional" towers will have on progress in this area.

You majorly got my hopes up. Maybe you meant to post in East Iowa forum, but as of now that's where all the progress is. Not a single site on the map in the Central Iowa market yet. But I will say, much of Eastern Iowa needs NV much worse than Des Moines. Everytime I have been to the Quad Cities in the past 2 years or so (many times, I have family there) the network has been abysmal.

Have to be a sponsor to go to that link. Of course most of the info will be there. I just thought Central Iowa deserved a market thread like everyone else.

Noticed there wasn't a thread for Central Iowa, if anyone has any insight as to progress in the area, please contribute to this thread!