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S4GRU first to capture Sprint LTE live in the wild!

WiWavelength

Entry posted by WiWavelength

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by Andrew J. Shepherd and Robert Herron

Sprint 4G Rollout Updates

Friday, April 6, 2012 - 2:20 PM MDT

 

Today, S4GRU brings you the wireless equivalent of the much sought after paparazzi photo of the newborn celebrity baby. In an S4GRU exclusive, here is the first published look at a live Sprint LTE signal.

 

Sprint recently lit up a cluster of Network Vision sites in Olathe, KS within Sprint's Kansas market. With trusty spectrum analyzer in tow, S4GRU staff ventured to Olathe this morning and captured a snapshot of Sprint's PCS G block 1990-1995 MHz allocation, clearly showing the up and running LTE OFDMA downlink coming from Sprint's completed Network Vision site (KC60XC009) in Black Bob Park. See below our PCS G block downlink frequency domain analysis:

 

Sprint_LTE_FFT.jpg

 

Additionally, S4GRU has mapped the live Network Vision cluster in Olathe and projected its RF footprint. See the approximated current LTE coverage map:

 

gallery_1_2_192989.jpg

 

Finally, we have also compiled an ongoing map of completed Network Vision sites as they go live. Come back and visit S4GRU.com often as work is completed on many more Network Vision sites in markets around the country, and see below for the most recent update:

 

gallery_1_2_98765.jpg

 

The old cliché says that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, we will keep this brief and let the images tell the story. But we are very excited to bring you this first inside look at PCS G block spectrum as it springs to life with Sprint's nascent LTE network.

 

Sources: Sprint, author's spectrum analysis, author's RF map

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Tommydaniel

I have still been having issues with data speeds in Houston. They told me in Feb. that it would be corrected in April. Now they are telling me August. Not very happy...

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4GHoward

I have still been having issues with data speeds in Houston. They told me in Feb. that it would be corrected in April. Now they are telling me August. Not very happy...

 

 

Which part of Houston are you in?

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4GHoward

Live on Sabine Street. 1/2 a mile from downtown

 

It may be that they are working on Network Vision, and that is a higher priority for your tower than a data speed upgrade. Houston is undergoing Network Vision Deployment right now. Are you using 3G or 4G?

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Wfmets45

I live in NYC in the borough of Queens. If i'm right, I think I see some completion on the map for the area of NYC or that could also be northern New Jersey. Can you please provide any updates on NYC. Thank you guys and keep up the GREAT work.

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S4GRU

I live in NYC in the borough of Queens. If i'm right, I think I see some completion on the map for the area of NYC or that could also be northern New Jersey. Can you please provide any updates on NYC. Thank you guys and keep up the GREAT work.

 

We do have a NYC Market update article planned soon. There have been a few sites already converted there. There are maps available in our S4GRU Sponsors section where you can zoom in and look at completed sites. You should consider becoming a sponsor. You get access to additional content and help support one of the best wireless sites ever created.

 

Robert

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xcharles718

Coverage looks pretty solid there(especially compared to WiMAX). I could just imagine that w/ some 800MHz LTE layover, mmm....

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Tommydaniel

It may be that they are working on Network Vision, and that is a higher priority for your tower than a data speed upgrade. Houston is undergoing Network Vision Deployment right now. Are you using 3G or 4G?

I'm using 3G, 4G is useless unless you are standing still and have full bars. Too many holes where it just disappears. I understand that they are deploying NV, doesn't really make up for the fact the "fix" got pushed back 5 months.

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WiWavelength

no speedtest?

 

How could we conduct a speed test if Sprint has announced several LTE handsets but has not yet released any of them?

 

AJ

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WiWavelength
What will raw data speeds be like between tower and device in optimal conditions at 5Mhz

 

A 5 MHz LTE downlink contains 25 resource blocks for a total of 300 subcarriers. If all subcarriers are operating at 64-QAM, then peak, raw data rate in total is 25.75 Mbps. For typical 2x2 MIMO on the downlink, two spatial channels doubles that to 51.5 Mbps.

 

But that is including coding and overhead. Peak, actual data throughput will be considerably lower, likely ~35 Mbps.

 

AJ

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silverhawknike

How could we conduct a speed test if Sprint has announced several LTE handsets but has not yet released any of them?AJ

i thought they have like 4g lte prototype hardware that is connected to sprint tower

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NiteSnow

A 5 MHz LTE downlink contains 25 resource blocks for a total of 300 subcarriers. If all subcarriers are operating at 64-QAM, then peak, raw data rate in total is 25.75 Mbps. For typical 2x2 MIMO on the downlink, two spatial channels doubles that to 51.5 Mbps.But that is including coding and overhead. Peak, actual data throughput will be considerably lower, likely ~35 Mbps.AJ

 

Thanks for that. That's not too bad at all. Especially in comparison to Verizon's LTE in my area.

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S4GRU

i thought they have like 4g lte prototype hardware that is connected to sprint tower

 

They do. But we don't. We are lucky just to have use of AJ's spectrum analyzer. Those things are very expensive.

 

Robert

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S4GRU

Too bad doesn't look like I will have an LTE phone on the 15th when i go visit family in Olathe....

 

Don't jump off the bridge, yet. New rumors today make it sound like the GNex will be for sale in stores on Sunday (just like we reported). Maybe the Viper too? We will know soon enough.

 

Robert

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S4GRU

Rickie, if you do jump off the bridge, please take Roger Entner with you.AJ

 

Yeah, I guess I played out that expression today, eh? :)

 

Robert

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Deval

I live in NYC in the borough of Queens. If i'm right, I think I see some completion on the map for the area of NYC or that could also be northern New Jersey. Can you please provide any updates on NYC. Thank you guys and keep up the GREAT work.

 

I feel your pain on the NJ and Queens coverage issues...I live in Jersey, and my girl lives in Queens, so I'm there often and have reverted to WIFI for all data when I'm at her place.

 

Thankfully I live about 1.5 blocks from a Sprint tower, so I get awesome 3G and 4G.

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derotam

I would love to be able to follow this more but unfortunately I am not a "Sponsor". My question to the admins is, is there anyway I can aquire the Sponsor level by providing Spectrum Analyzer screen captures of, well pretty much anything you want from the Washington, D.C. area? I have access to a Tectronix RSA 6114A in my daily job and would gladly give screen captures from it. I check the Sprint spectrum every day to look for changes. I have a sample image if you want to look at it, just e-mail me.

 

Hope I can help in some way other than monetarily. :)

 

Steve

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