iDEN retuning in 2012, Shutdown starts & ends in 2013

[xcharles718]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

From BriefMobile

 

http://briefmobile.c...of-iden-network

 

Sprint’s old, decrepit, slow, [insert additional adjective here]

iDEN acquired in the seemingly never-ending Nextel acquisition (identified as one of the worst of all time by Bloomberg) is set for some Network Vision “love.” Network Vision, for those that don’t know, is a massive effort by Sprint to “consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless network with the goal of increasing efficiency and enhancing network coverage, call quality and data speeds for customers across the United States“. Sprint’s latest Playbook, received from a Sprint source, provides some details into what the plan is for iDEN.

• [This retuning and decommissioning will not shutdown the iDEN markets or service in 2012, but it is scheduled for a complete turn off sometime in 2013.
  
• Network Vision will be either retuning or decommissioning existing iDEN towers starting in February
  

Customers who are negatively impacted have a few optionsIf targeted by this move, the customer will proactively be offered migration offers to move to Sprint.

• ETF waiving windows are open for negatively affected customers for New Orleans (12/1/11 to 3/31/12) and the rest of the nation (2/1/12 to 7/31/12).
  

If you are an iDEN customer, check out the graphic below, as well as your recent and upcoming billing statement for news about this change as it affects you.

 

 

[BenChase7]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

nice find.. interesting. One thing i don't get is, they always say that the Nextel acquisition was such a poor move, and financially it probably has been a real burden. However, isn't it now going to have some upside since Sprint will be able to use that 800mhz spectrum from Nextel to build out LTE and Network Vision?

[pyroscott]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

I was wondering what kind of plan Sprint had for the Nextel customers. I wonder what an international SDC PTT phone is going to be. CDMA, LTE and iDEN.

 

@BenChase7 I agree, that 800mhz spectrum allows them to be right there with AT&T and Verizon. If they waited until now to try to get it, they would be paying a mint. I think they should have phased out iDEN a long time ago though.

[legion125]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

 

Good post. We can only hope that Sprint doesn't just allow PTT customers to cut & run and will work to convince them that SDC is a viable option. I wonder if Sprint is working as hard to get SDC in place or is it going to be an upgrade as they bring NV along?

[pyroscott]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

I had SDC that worked on 3G on a Motorola Renegade years ago. It was after I left the company that I had worked for that used Nextel DC as work phones so I could stay in touch with them. I used it for a couple months and disabled it. What I found was that it continuously was looking for 3G and killed my battery. It would take forever to connect and sometimes wouldn't connect at all. I was not happy with it and I sure hope that Sprint has improved the SDC by now, or they will be seeing a mass exodus of DC customers to traditional service. They might stay with Sprint, but they might go to ATT or VZW.

[legion125]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

Your right, the old CDMA version bit the big one, but its my understanding that with the new SDC being on 800 MHz and pushed out using 1xA, should be much superior to even iDEN.

[pyroscott]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

Well, I would think getting away from Motorola's stranglehold on iDEN would be beneficial no matter what. Having an open network that different manufacturers can supply handsets sure beats all the crap Nextel phones Motorola made because they had the monopoly. Don't get me wrong, there were a few good Nextel phones, and they were all built like a tank, but there were a lot of garbage phones they made and forced down our throat.

 

I hope SDC takes off, I might even buy a SDC phone if they put it on a flagship Android. I loved my old work Nextel for PTT, but I really didn't use it for much else.

[bigzeto]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

This is excellent news. I am in the Baton Rouge market, but I believe we fall under the New Orleans market as far as Sprint is concerned. I will be keeping a close watch on the nextel towers in this area as so many of them are in great position to have CDMA panels added to them. If I start to see this happening, it very well may keep me with Sprint. Verizon is the best network in this area by far, but I really don't want to switch to them.

[xcharles718]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 27 January 2012

 

I'm wondering how soon from the shutdown of a iDEN-only area will they receive NV and SDC services.

[S4GRU]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 28 January 2012

 

Hmmmm...I wonder if they are moving iDEN customers down to a reduced number of carriers to start using some of that 800MHz for CDMA in Network Vision?

[Josh]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 28 January 2012

 

I was wondering what kind of plan Sprint had for the Nextel customers. I wonder what an international SDC PTT phone is going to be. CDMA, LTE and iDEN.

 

 

 

 

@BenChase7 I agree, that 800mhz spectrum allows them to be right there with AT&T and Verizon. If they waited until now to try to get it, they would be paying a mint. I think they should have phased out iDEN a long time ago though.

 

 

 

The 800MHZ spectrum is not going to put them on a level playing field with VZW and AT&T because they have far less spectrum in this range, 14MHZ to be exact. This is because after sprint acquired Nextel, the FCC decided to rearrange the 800MHZ block to give continuous block to safety and emergency uses, and in exchange gave sprint the PCS G-Block which they are initially launching their nationwide LTE network on. From what I know Sprint's 14 MHZ is less than half what the big boys have at the 700-800 range, but it will give some relief to people that get lousy in-building reception, then moving those customers to 1900MHZ as soon as it is a strong enough signal to make sure the 800MHZ channel is open.

 

I do agree that they should have phased out iDEN, but then they would have had to clear it again for LTE... lets just hope they execute their plans correctly, if so they will have many happy subscribers.

[Josh]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 28 January 2012

 

Hmmmm...I wonder if they are moving iDEN customers down to a reduced number of carriers to start using some of that 800MHz for CDMA in Network Vision?

 

I hope so...

[WiWavelength]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 28 January 2012

 

I would not be surprised if the remaining iDEN traffic is significantly shunted to SMR 900 MHz now, though I would love to know the current ratio of SMR 800 MHz to SMR 900 MHz iDEN channels on a market to market basis.

 

AJ

[legion125]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 28 January 2012

 

I think as NV progress, Sprint will do a soft roll out of SDC as the towers are converted but won't turn on LTE until its ready. How Sprint markets SDC is another matter.