Network Vision/LTE - Chicago Market

[hayzooos]

Yeah, I hear that the final stumbling block in the details of the Sprint purchase of Tmo, is that Legere is insisting that the new company be headquartered in Denver.  Tmo execs that stay onboard insist on experiencing that Mile High experience.

 

Robert

 

So you're saying the last hurdle to this (is it actually going to happen? Honest question, I'm seriously considering moving to T-Mob) is the fact Legere just wants to get stoned to the bejeezus at his HQ? 

 

Damn, I wish now that I could find a "Green 18 Green 18" snap count video loop.  That would be far more appropriate for this Chicago thread.  It would give our Windy Citians sausage induced nightmares.

 

 

AJ

 

There is no such thing AJ, sausage only induces dreams, not nightmares.

 

So I just wanted to share this because I thought it was hilarious.  I was exchanging tweets with people who were also noting slow LTE services from Sprint, basically just letting them know they are not alone as we have similar problems here in Chicago.  I then received three separate tweets from three separate people at @sprintcare.  All asking me for the same thing, what are my cross streets and zip code so they can look and see if there is any trouble in my area.  So I gave all three the exact same address, my office at Ogilvy, and low and behold all three responded with a different synopsis.  One responded and said there were outages in my area and towers were being fixed, one responded and said there are no outages in my area and recommended I do a data profile refresh, and the last one responded and said the towers in my area haven't been updated to LTE yet.  I almost keeled over laughing at all three.  That made my day.

 

HAHAHAHA! Fantastic. Those dart boards they're throwing at must be getting pretty worn out. Once they start with a new batch of one-liners, we'll know they finally had to be replaced.

[Joeynach]

Giving out bad information is worse than giving out no information at all, IMO.  This is where Sprint customer service really needs an overhaul.  This is systemic and pervasive.  The amount of misinformation that comes from official Sprint customer service channels is staggering.  It is true of all providers, but it would be exceptionally uncarrier of Sprint to tackle it.  And do it before Tmo does.

 

Robert

Couldn't agree more.  At least I am savy enough through my exposure to S4GRU to know better, but imagine just a regular Joe Schmo Sprint user getting this kind of information or misinformation from official Sprint channels.  Scary.

[Joeynach]

HAHAHAHA! Fantastic. Those dart boards they're throwing at must be getting pretty worn out. Once they start with a new batch of one-liners, we'll know they finally had to be replaced.

Funny, I thought the same exact thing....DART BOARDS!!

[Vince]

Their troubleshooting methods, and canned responses are the major reason why us Chicagoans complain on this thread. There are so many knowledgable people here that can legitimately explain what's going on. I'm not even sure the twitter techs are real people. A major corporation can probably code some bots for twitter with ease.

[WiWavelength]

Funny, I thought the same exact thing....DART BOARDS!!

 

No, you guys are way off.  Customer care uses manatees in a pool of idea balls.

 

AJ

[Vince]

No, you guys are way off. Customer care uses manatees in a pool of idea balls.

 

AJ

Ah, a classic episode.

[DsmIowaGuy]

 

 

 

HAHAHAHA! Fantastic. Those dart boards they're throwing at must be getting pretty worn out. Once they start with a new batch of one-liners, we'll know they finally had to be replaced.

 

 

I thought this type of response, que cards, quotes like "Our computers are really slow right now" and " we appreciate your business" were a trademark of d@mn near every company call center now a days.  Sprint to me is just like [insert other company name here]   It's fun to just guess what their next comment will be when your talking to the call taker sheeple !   

 

Hey Also....  Will you guys hurry up and get sprint to deploy LTE on Band 26 and 41 in Chicago !  As a frequent Chgo traveler it is not to great around there     Really I feel so bad for Chicagoland. They put out press releases and talk up how great Chgo market is and in reality it pretty much sucks.  I do think it will be slowly getting much better though as they start rolling out LTE across the bands and getting more people that have devices to take advantage of that.  At least we have S4GRU as you guys mention to keep up on all the good info    I love this site! We have taken it to another level here in Iowa and so have the Nebraska guys. We maintain spreadsheets of tower data, capture all the base IDs, LTE serving cell info, etc, etc. Makes it nice to see what and where you are connected too and verify all the things that are happening.  

 

It's slowly getting better over here around Dsm. Our 3G NV migration is done and that alone has been really good, several sites were even hooked up to new backhaul for 3G so that is great too until LTE gets turned on. Now slowly the 1900-LTE has been coming on which is awesome.  

[drock2750]

SNR values continue to be better than they were. There are still some horrible numbers out there, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule. I was at State and Lake today and was getting 13-18 db snr. The speed was bad, but snr was ok. It seems to me that the theory of bad snr numbers being caused by adjacent overloaded towers on the same frequency can't be correct, because I can't imagine that traffic has done anything but increase, and yet snr is improving. 

 

Also, I have been watching the up and downlink frequencies for pcs band lte, hoping to fine a new carrier, but no such luck. Uplink at 1912.5 and downlink at 1992.5 remain static. The improvement in snr must not be the result of a new carrier, as no such thing seems to exist yet. The only logical conclusion I can think of is that Sprint has made some configuration changes/done some fine tuning. No way for me to ascertain what that might be though.

[S4GRU]

SNR values continue to be better than they were. There are still some horrible numbers out there, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule. I was at State and Lake today and was getting 13-18 db snr. The speed was bad, but snr was ok. It seems to me that the theory of bad snr numbers being caused by adjacent overloaded towers on the same frequency can't be correct, because I can't imagine that traffic has done anything but increase, and yet snr is improving. 

 

Also, I have been watching the up and downlink frequencies for pcs band lte, hoping to fine a new carrier, but no such luck. Uplink at 1912.5 and downlink at 1992.5 remain static. The improvement in snr must not be the result of a new carrier, as no such thing seems to exist yet. The only logical conclusion I can think of is that Sprint has made some configuration changes/done some fine tuning. No way for me to ascertain what that might be though.

 

Thanks for your findings.  I don't think we will see an additional Band 25 LTE carrier until February at the earliest.  There is no way that Sprint can deploy one on their existing PCS spectrum.  It will need USCC's spectrum in order to deploy a second.

 

Robert

[Vince]

Thanks for your findings. I don't think we will see an additional Band 25 LTE carrier until February at the earliest. There is no way that Sprint can deploy one on their existing PCS spectrum. It will need USCC's spectrum in order to deploy a second.

 

Robert

Robert, does adding USCC spectrum to our network require a site-by-site visit to install hardware? Or is something like that controlled by engineers somewhere in some room.

[S4GRU]

Robert, does adding USCC spectrum to our network require a site-by-site visit to install hardware? Or is something like that controlled by engineers somewhere in some room.

It requires a site visit to install additional LTE carrier cards. But there is no reason why this couldn't have been done in advance over the past six months. That way they could be fired up remotely once the spectrum can be legally used.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

[Vince]

It requires a site visit to install additional LTE carrier cards. But there is no reason why this couldn't have been done in advance over the past six months. That way they could be fired up remotely once the spectrum can be legally used.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

That's what I figured. It was probably done simultaneously with 800 LTE work (if that has occurred here).

[Joeynach]

SNR values continue to be better than they were. There are still some horrible numbers out there, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule. I was at State and Lake today and was getting 13-18 db snr. The speed was bad, but snr was ok. It seems to me that the theory of bad snr numbers being caused by adjacent overloaded towers on the same frequency can't be correct, because I can't imagine that traffic has done anything but increase, and yet snr is improving. 

 

Also, I have been watching the up and downlink frequencies for pcs band lte, hoping to fine a new carrier, but no such luck. Uplink at 1912.5 and downlink at 1992.5 remain static. The improvement in snr must not be the result of a new carrier, as no such thing seems to exist yet. The only logical conclusion I can think of is that Sprint has made some configuration changes/done some fine tuning. No way for me to ascertain what that might be though.

I have noticed the exact same thing.  My SNR's all around the city and Near north side have improved, but my speeds have not.  I don't see as many 0-3 SNR readings anymore, still a few, but I get closer to ten in bad spots, and closer to 17-18 in better spots now.  The thing is though, most of my speeds have gotten worse, especially in the Loop.  One thing I would point out is we all take SNR from SignalCheck Lite right?  Well I noticed the increased SNR readings after the App was updated earlier this month.  Not sure if there is any correlation, just something I noticed.

[Joeynach]

Thanks for your findings.  I don't think we will see an additional Band 25 LTE carrier until February at the earliest.  There is no way that Sprint can deploy one on their existing PCS spectrum.  It will need USCC's spectrum in order to deploy a second.

 

Robert

And do we know if the additional B25 carrier by way of the USCC spectrum can be accessed by all of our current (non Tri band) LTE devices?  Will we need to do anything, PRL, data profile?

[S4GRU]

And do we know if the additional B25 carrier by way of the USCC spectrum can be accessed by all of our current (non Tri band) LTE devices? Will we need to do anything, PRL, data profile?

All the Sprint LTE devices sold to date are capable of using a new LTE carrier in USCC's old spectrum. Should be able to connect immediately as the network opens it up for usage. Shouldn't require any updates whatsoever.

 

When it happens, the LTE network should immediately start shunting users over on the second LTE carrier and distribute the load. This is something the legacy network could not do. There used to be a lot of uneven loading. But with this network, it can shift users around automatically for the best network performance.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

[Joeynach]

All the Sprint LTE devices sold to date are capable of using a new LTE carrier in USCC's old spectrum. Should be able to connect immediately as the network opens it up for usage. Shouldn't require any updates whatsoever.

 

When it happens, the LTE network should immediately start shunting users over on the second LTE carrier and distribute the load. This is something the legacy network could not do. There used to be a lot of uneven loading. But with this network, it can shift users around automatically for the best network performance.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

This is great to know thank you.  Last question on the subject, when this moment happens, will there be an official announcement?  Will S4GRU make an announcement?  How will we know?

[cdk]

This is great to know thank you.  Last question on the subject, when this moment happens, will there be an official announcement?  Will S4GRU make an announcement?  How will we know?

 

I don't know if Sprint will official announce it. However I am sure once someone on here captures prove of it, it will be big news. Hopefully one of the experts will chime in with what to look for on the engineering screens or on the Signal Check app.

[S4GRU]

This is great to know thank you.  Last question on the subject, when this moment happens, will there be an official announcement?  Will S4GRU make an announcement?  How will we know?

 

We likely will not know until you can see it in your LTE Engineering screen.  If Sprint says anything, it will just be a press release saying that they are now taking over and using USCC spectrum.  At best, they may mention that it will help with LTE capacity.

 

I doubt Sprint has added a second carrier all over the whole city.  I think the best we can expect from Sprint is they have already identified which sites are overburdened with traffic and have deployed a second carrier in those locations in advance.

 

Robert

[drock2750]

I know it stands to reason that the necessary cards have been installed for the new USCC spectrum in advance, but honestly I would be more surprised if they planned ahead than if they started some 6 month project to make site visits to every single tower to install the cards. These are the same decision makers that didn't already have upgraded backhaul in place before upgrading site hardware for NV. I guess we'll know in a couple weeks though. 

[Joeynach]

I know it stands to reason that the necessary cards have been installed for the new USCC spectrum in advance, but honestly I would be more surprised if they planned ahead than if they started some 6 month project to make site visits to every single tower to install the cards. These are the same decision makers that didn't already have upgraded backhaul in place before upgrading site hardware for NV. I guess we'll know in a couple weeks though. 

IMO giant telecoms or utility companies usually don't do anything until they absolutely have to, so I understand where you are coming from. 

[Joeynach]

Do any of our mods on the board know the status of Sprint bidding on the H block of 1900 mhz  spectrum auctioned by the FCC last week.  10Mhz was up for auction right in Sprint's 1900Mhz wheelhouse.  Lord knows sprint needs wider spectrum in their PCS block to alleviate the overcrowding issues in urban areas.

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/sprint-4g-lte-coverage-could-improve-with-h-block-spectrum-bid

 

[lilotimz]

Do any of our mods on the board know the status of Sprint bidding on the H block of 1900 mhz  spectrum auctioned by the FCC last week.  10Mhz was up for auction right in Sprint's 1900Mhz wheelhouse.  Lord knows sprint needs wider spectrum in their PCS block to alleviate the overcrowding issues in urban areas.

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/sprint-4g-lte-coverage-could-improve-with-h-block-spectrum-bid

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-abandons-pursuit-h-block-spectrum-clearing-way-dish-bid/2013-11-13

[S4GRU]

Do any of our mods on the board know the status of Sprint bidding on the H block of 1900 mhz spectrum auctioned by the FCC last week. 10Mhz was up for auction right in Sprint's 1900Mhz wheelhouse. Lord knows sprint needs wider spectrum in their PCS block to alleviate the overcrowding issues in urban areas.

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/sprint-4g-lte-coverage-could-improve-with-h-block-spectrum-bid

H Block does not provide any benefit to existing customers. H block will require new handsets. Band 25 doesn't even cover it. It will be a new band still yet to be designated.

 

So if a new handset is required, and it will not help any existing customers, H Block is actually less favorable that the other two bands that Sprint is already deploying in 26 and 41. H block doesn't help anyone, really.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

[Joeynach]

H Block does not provide any benefit to existing customers. H block will require new handsets. Band 25 doesn't even cover it. It will be a new band still yet to be designated.

 

So if a new handset is required, and it will not help any existing customers, H Block is actually less favorable that the other two bands that Sprint is already deploying in 26 and 41. H block doesn't help anyone, really.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

Makes me less disappointed cuz I had assumed this spectrum could be used to widen the crunch on the little 5x5 carrier of LTE that as we all know has overcrowding issues in urban areas.  But as you say since its not actually part of the B25 it couldn't really be used to widen the spectrum block on Sprint's deployment of B25.  Still, I would say the competitive trend I have noticed now that all carriers are deploying LTE nationwide is who can provide the widest LTE carrier to try and avoid overloading and slow downs (especially in city centers).  Naturally, anytime I see spectrum up for sale/auction of course I want my carrier to acquire and deploy.

[WiWavelength]

FCC Auction 96 does not start until this Wednesday 1/22. It could go quickly, or it could run for several days, even weeks. If members would like to follow the rounds of bidding, I can show everyone how.

 

AJ