MtnSierraSprint

Glad your still there. I am about to sign out, but do you have a couple of cross streets in Noe Valley so I can be sure I am looking at the correct small cell installations? "on the plus side you can get a ton of details about each site" - yes that is how I found all that info on the one over by Alta Bates on Ashby. "To my knowledge there aren't really any small cells planned in Berkeley (I know of 2 and they aren't in areas that need help, so they may not be built)." Unfortunately I am not surprised, but I was hoping.

Thanks for all of the information, it sounds promissing, and I will go take a look, both out of curiousity and also so I can identify them in the East Bay. Berkeley the hardest place on earth to get anything done is where I am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Was pleased to hear of the progress being made on BART.

I am unclear on expanding the base/expanding coverage in so far as when is a macro site called for and when will small cells do the trick in an urban area. Do they have multi band small cells, I only saw an example of a 1900 LTE pico cell? Can small cells make up for the lack of Spectrum here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Do small cells have the capacity and is the required density needed realistic?

Arysyn, When I first read your post I thought you were saying the R9 was going to have an integrated DAC and amp comparable to the HA-2. That got my attention, but after not being able to find any such specs, I reread your post and I think I understand you to mean you are considering the R9 in combination with the HA-2 vs the LG5 and its external amp. By the way I like that the R9 has an FM radio. I am getting into Apple Music on my 6S+ but I miss my FM radio in my previous Android device. I picked up some new headphones in December to get the best sound out of my 6S+. I was able to test just about all of the models I was interested in as well as a few portable head phone amps. In the end the head phones I liked the most (for $700 or less) were the Oppo PM3, Hi - Fi Man HE 400 and 600, Grado RS1e, and Audeze EL8(open). The EL8 were the best all arounders with and without an amp in my opinion. Without an amp plugged into the phone's headphone jack these sound the best. Add an amp and they just get better. The Hi - Fi Man headphones require an amp to sound as good, they need an amp. I liked the Grado RS1e a lot but I think the EL 8 offered a truer sound for a wider range of music. I did not have a chance to test the Oppo headphone amp but did test two good amps on either side of it in price/performance. I think every review I have read about the HA2 has been excellent; to the extent it is not perfect, that is relative to amps that cost considerably more. If I were to get one amp and buy it and forget about it , it would be the Chord Mojo: http://www.whathifi.com/chord/mojo/review http://www.head-fi.org/products/chord-mojo/reviews/14291 http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/index.php/cd-dvd-blu-ray/62-cd-reviews/776-chord-mojo-review.html Oppo HA-2: http://referencehometheater.com/review/oppo-ha-2-headphone-amp-dac-review/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-16/at-t-verizon-named-in-u-s-probe-of-20-billion-data-market "Competing companies that need to rent the high-speed lines for their customers’ traffic, such as Sprint Corp. and Level 3 Communications Inc., have told the FCC they’re unfairly locked into long-term contracts and face large early termination fees." Ed McFadden, a spokesman for Verizon, said the plans “have been in place for years...." I am curious what specifically the high-speed lines are that they are talking about. I assume it is backhaul, but I thought Level 3 provided backhaul to the wireless carriers and certainly provides it for Verizon.

"Verizon and AT&T have been pushing back against T-Mobile's efforts to get the FCC to increase the amount of spectrum set aside for smaller carriers to bid on in the incentive auction." - The Fierce Wireless Article Definately a mixed message, as why would they care about the set aside if they have no interest in the auction. The second article sounds like ATT is trying to spook the TV stations into sitting out the auction and pressure the FCC. I hope ATT trips over their own bullying tactics and that the following possibillity ends up happening - "AT&T may be left out in the cold, cash in hand." This discussion regarding how this auction works and everyone's points of view has been informative, thanks... RE: "The 600MHz spectrum would also give carriers more reach, as the lower spectrum has a wider spread — but not the signal strength to carry LTE natively." What is the issue with 600MHZ and signal strength to carry LTE natively?

I was interested in why you think Verizon and ATT are not interested in 600MHZ. Is it because they already have enough low band spectrum and that higher frequencies offer greater capacity which is more important to them? or some other reasons., in addition to what you pointed out regarding propogation overkill and interference issues. I still wish Sprint would grab some for Nevada, Utah and areas of California.

I have been trying to get a 64GB Space Gray 6S Plus (1687 CDMA unlocked) at any one of the Apple Stores here in the SF Bay Area for the last three days. The 6S Plus has been pretty much selling out (accept for an occasional 16GB model) before I could get one. As of today 10/2 walking in and getting one is a long shot except maybe when the store opens. I am not one to wait in line or wait outside for a store to open, so I do not know if that would increase your odds of getting one. I got mine by Reserving one at a specific store for pick up. For the last three days every time I went online and tried to reserve one none of the half dozen stores in my general area had one. The Apple Store said the best chance was to make the reservation at 8AM as they give you two hours to go in and pick it up and the stores open at 10AM. I noticed that the Emeryville store seemed to suddenly have new inventory after 5PM the last couple of days so today when l checked right around 5PM I actually got one. None of the other stores had any left to reserve. I think Fridays may be a good day to try and reserve one as a couple of the stores told me they were restocked on Friday so they would have inventory over the weekend. So it sounds like they may release inventory in waves, but that is pure speculation.

Regarding my statement - "Although it sure sounds like Sprint/Softbank are heading in the direction of making some kind of deal with another player." It also sure sounds like they are going private, so this is one unpredictable circus to try and figure out.

Regarding bluffing the Federal Government, particularly a regulatory and enforcement agency like the FCC that knows who they are dealing with, would seem to be a misguided exercise. If I am the FCC I would be thinking - these weasel, card shark, poker playing wireless carriers expect me to believe they could not care less about low bandwidth spectrum - yeah right. The only reason I might postpone the auction if I am the FCC is because they think they can get more money later if they hold off. Then again, if there is any sincerity to the wireless carriers disinterest in the 600 MHZ auction it would be that they would rather not have to spend money on additional spectrum right now when they are all focused on building out and upgrading their networks. So as Robert suggested the feigned disinterest in 600 MHZ may just be the wireless carriers saying they have other priorities right now and their budgets and networks will be better able to take advantage of 600 MHZ spectrum in a year or two. If I am the FCC, improved quality of service is something I can accomodate and work with. A delay in the auction gives Sprint/Softbank time to make critical upgrades and be in a better position to put together funding for 600MHZ. Although it sure sounds like Sprint/Softbank are heading in the direction of making some kind of deal with another player. This would certainly be one more reason why if I were the FCC that I would not delay the auction, the more low bandwidth spectrum that winds up in the hands of those carriers that really need it the better. The problem is that both ATT and Verizon may prefer to not spend money on the auction right now, but they will not sit on the sidelines if this possible effort to delay the auction does not work. Sprint would seem to be in the worst position if they and Softbank really can not come up with the money. I bet those in charge of making decisions at the FCC have a much better picture of each carriers abillity to participate in the auction than we do. Which goes back to why it is distressing to consider Sprint might sit out the auction, because Sprint needs low bandwidth spectrum. When Anthony asked why all the doom and gloom, I would say it is because it gives the impression that Softbank may not be in it for the long haul, or willing to go all out to make Sprint a winner. For those who think it is game over, as has been pointed out this game is very much in play, and there are still ways Sprint can come out ahead.

Is that John Legere passing out in the Sprint server room again?

Speaking for myself, I guess I would sum it up this way. Locking in some 600 MHZ would put this valuable spectrum in the bank, and eventually take away the advantage that ATT and Verizon have with indoor propagation and coverage in difficult terrain. I concede I am not an expert as far as in depth knowledge of Sprint's existing spectrum and how effectively it can be deployed to match the coverage indoors or in hilly terrrain for example. I am still waiting to test Sprint's coverage, but the feedback I have been getting from people around me is that coverage is often spotty and that goes for TMobile too and it would seem the key difference is the amount of low band spectrum that ATT and Verizon are able to deploy. If ATT and Verizon which outspend Sprint by 200% - 300% annnually have difficulty providing coverage in areas with their larger networks and more low band spectrum. I wonder how Sprint can compete on B41 alone. I want to beleive they can, but I can tell you just from walking a couple of mile radius around where I live ATT has the most cell sites, with Verizon second in number although best in terms of location. "Sprint has more spectrum than any of its competitors.” Claure agreed noting that the company has a big advantage over Verizon. "We have half their customers and twice the amount of spectrum,” - Tower-Pro.com This is true and needs to be taken into account when looking at differences in capex between the carriers, but I wonder how Sprint can fill in areas that seem to require low band spectrum. I am in one such area, although TMobile can reach the basement without low band spectrum with an antenna about 250 meters or 1/7 of a mile away. I am skeptical that Sprint is going to be able to deploy B41 close enough to everyone that needs close proximity to be able to use it. That might be a good way to reduce people's concerns regarding sitting out the 600 MHZ auction and that is examples where Sprint has deployed B41 effectively and how dense that deployment is so we can have a sense of what needs to be done in areas where that doesn not exist yet. I spoke to this reagarding nextgencpu's comments regarding NYC. Although residential neighborhoods are not as convenient as commercial buildings when it come to deploying small cells. In fact I was just reading about Verizon's effort to get small cells deployed for Lollapooloza in Chicago - "obtaining the rights for small cells can take 12 to 18 months" and Verizon is spending way more than twice than Sprint even though Sprint may have half the customers. I'll stop here and welcome some discussion.

Regarding the stock price, it will be interesting if it actually goes up. Anyway I do not own Sprint although I came close when it was 3.25 It is a little too speculative for my risk tolerance.

I would expect this announcement to cause shares of Sprint, S , to drop. They pumped up the price with talk of becoming the number one or two wireless providor and Softbank's announcement that they were buying back shares. Announcing that they are not going to participate in the 600 MHZ auction does not support their claims of becoming one of leading carriers, so I would expect shares to sell off, which at some point is advantageous to Softbank if they continue to buy back shares.

My guess is Sprint/Dish if Dish picks up some 600MHZ. Although I would rather Softbank opens its checkbook and provides the necessary funding for densification and 600MHZ.