Network Vision/LTE - Chicago Market

[Secretaznman46]

I completely understand. But you have to realize that millions of Sprint customer would rather be in the queue where you're at than where they're at.

 

Its not that Chicagoans deserve an inferior network. Its just that for you guys, the end is nigh. Chicago is farther along than any market and will be completed before even any first round market. Sprint is doing anything it can for Chicago. They have more guys working on Chicago than anywhere. There is nothing more they can do.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

 

I agree its getting a lot better now. I travel between Chicago and Wisconsin, and from the Wisconsin Border to the Kennedy its full signal strength all the way down. Navigation is actually usable. Out in Aurora the network is pretty good to excellent, but my area (La Grange) is still horrible.

 

We can't complain too much, were the 3rd biggest market in the US and we have more sites complete than anybody, percentage wise we are more complete than other markets 1/2 our size.

[tongboy]

Although it is going to be an incredible network when it is done I can definetly understand the complaints. This has not been an easy rollout at all. Slow data speeds is one thing, dropping a 30 minute call 6 times while driving extreamly frustrating. That said I'm sure a few people on this board would love to swap places with us.

 

I have often wondered, what was it about the way Motorola implemented the CDMA standard that caused so much trouble? Its not like the standard is new! I guess I am also assuming that it was Moto's problem and not Samsung.

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

[Madfelon]

I completely understand. But you have to realize that millions of Sprint customer would rather be in the queue where you're at than where they're at.

 

Its not that Chicagoans deserve an inferior network. Its just that for you guys, the end is nigh. Chicago is farther along than any market and will be completed before even any first round market. Sprint is doing anything it can for Chicago. They have more guys working on Chicago than anywhere. There is nothing more they can do.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

 

 

I am holding onto hope that Sprint is up in running in Chicago proper by December with LTE. What keeps me is the thought of Note 2 with unlimited LTE, I get happy thinking of this!!!

[S4GRU]

I am holding onto hope that Sprint is up in running in Chicago proper by December with LTE. What keeps me is the thought of Note 2 with unlimited LTE, I get happy thinking of this!!!

 

I think this is going to work out for you, if that's your expectation.

 

Robert

[S4GRU]

I have often wondered, what was it about the way Motorola implemented the CDMA standard that caused so much trouble? Its not like the standard is new! I guess I am also assuming that it was Moto's problem and not Samsung.

 

I wouldn't mind understanding more about this myself. And this is likely to repeat in other Moto/Samsung markets beyond Chicago. After Chicago is cured, I fear this may not be the last we hear of this.

 

Robert

[Madfelon]

I think this is going to work out for you, if that's your expectation.

 

Robert

 

Fantastic news! This site has been a god send in keeping me a Sprint customer since I am always able to report news of upgrades to my wife who was wanting to jump ship.

[tongboy]

 

I wouldn't mind understanding more about this myself. And this is likely to repeat in other Moto/Samsung markets beyond Chicago. After Chicago is cured, I fear this may not be the last we hear of this.

 

Robert

 

Do you know if there are any markets with existing moto equipment that lucent or Ericsson are doing? I wonder if they would have the same issue...

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

[S4GRU]

Do you know if there are any markets with existing moto equipment that lucent or Ericsson are doing? I wonder if they would have the same issue...

 

Sent from my EVO LTE

 

I do have access to the info, but unfortunately, it is not in an easy to peruse resource. I would have to open up 97 different documents and scroll to a certain section to identify the legacy OEM. It would be an interesting thing to put together. But I don't have them time in the near future.

 

Robert

[ffstosh]

Was thinking I'd wake up to lte in Joliet, but I think they flipped the switch the wrong way. No 4g, and 3g is slower than it's been in a long time. Maybe later.......

[biker1284]

Ehrpd came back on in Lincoln Park area last night after not seeing it for awhile. However, I was getting 0.06/0.03 on it. Switching to just evdo brought me to 1.42/0.28 instantly.

[S4GRU]

Ehrpd came back on in Lincoln Park area last night after not seeing it for awhile. However' date=' I was getting 0.06/0.03 on it. Switching to just evdo brought me to 1.42/0.28 instantly.[/quote']

 

That means you switched sites when you cycled to CDMA only. The only time eHRPD will be slower than EVDO is if the 4G core is beyond capacity. And that is really hard to believe.

 

So if you had been connected to the same exact site both times speed would have been slower on EVDO also

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy S-III 32GB using Forum Runner

[Zombiebbq]

Was running some errands near Route 59 & 87th got me some LTE

 

[ffstosh]

Was running some errands near Route 59 & 87th got me some LTE

 

 

That's just up the road from me, fingers crossed

[Zombiebbq]

That's just up the road from me, fingers crossed

 

yeah the tower is on the corner of the golf course

[ffstosh]

 

 

yeah the tower is on the corner of the golf course

 

I'll check next time through. Doesn't help for the home, but it's good to see it's near by

[outlaw7478]

Still nothing in joliet... Maybe tomorrow

[djmiro83]

Two things come to mind. One...for whatever reason, the 3G is not hooked up the new backhaul yet. Two...your site does not have backhaul problems, but capacity problems. Chicago is a spectrum constrained market for 3G. If your site has the maximum number of carriers deployed, then 4G will be needed to offload and provide relief for 3G. Sprint has a lot more 4G spectrum options in the long run than 3G.

 

I think what would be a good way to try to determine if your site has upgraded backhaul connected to 3G is to run speed tests in the middle of the night. If they are consistently over 2Mbps, but drop off really low during the day on the same site, then you likely have a capacity problem and not a backhaul problem. If it only goes up to 1.4 or less with little to no burden, then you do not have upgraded backhaul.

 

Just make sure you go to the EVDO Engineering screen and make sure you are always on the same site when making these comparisons. Its possible that you think you are on a site with 4G completed, but you may be being shunted to another site with less usage nearby.

 

I have a theory that this happens more often with the iPhone, because I think it may have a stronger radio. It has more sites it can connect to. And often they get stuck on a poorer performing distant site. My theory this is the biggest cause for all those people who report their Sprint iPhone was slower than their Android handset running right beside it.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

 

Robert... what would I do without you?

 

Seriously though... I didn't think about the carrier being overloaded at all. My tower definitely has backhaul, because at night I occasionally can hit 2Mbps or higher.

 

But now when I think about it... your comment about constrained 3G spectrum was a bit unsettling. Is it because they're reallocating different blocks to LTE? If that's the case, I hope this iPhone 5 launch will have more people offloading on LTE so 3G isn't killin me.

[nextohel]

A little taste 0f LTE today at Route 25 & Stearns, Bartlett

[ks-man]

Fantastic news! This site has been a god send in keeping me a Sprint customer since I am always able to report news of upgrades to my wife who was wanting to jump ship.

 

This is incredibly true. I don't know if Sprint realizes how many customers Robert has saved for them. I would have switched my wife off Sprint 6 months ago if not for this site and I certainly wouldn't be considering switching to Sprint from AT&T if not for this site...I know, I guess another donation is in order

 

I posted in the other thread but I should do it here as well. I picked up an iPhone 5 for my wife today and we got LTE on Milwaukee Ave. between 22 and Deerfield Road.

 

[LTEKen]

Are there any settings that I can mess around with on my EVO LTE to see if I can catch a signal? I was able to connect to the towers when they were testing them a few months back, so I was sure that when today hit that I would be able to connect again. I haven't been able to. I've updated the PRL, and toggled the CDMA and LTE/CDMA option as well. Is there anything else I can do to see if it's on in my neighborhood?

 

I think I might go to the Sprint store and see if any of the other LTE phones can connect to make sure it's not an issue with my phone.

[S4GRU]

Are there any settings that I can mess around with on my EVO LTE to see if I can catch a signal? I was able to connect to the towers when they were testing them a few months back' date=' so I was sure that when today hit that I would be able to connect again. I haven't been able to. I've updated the PRL, and toggled the CDMA and LTE/CDMA option as well. Is there anything else I can do to see if it's on in my neighborhood?

 

I think I might go to the Sprint store and see if any of the other LTE phones can connect to make sure it's not an issue with my phone.[/quote']

 

We have had members who have indeed had EVO's with LTE issues. Probably a half dozen members have had to exchange their devices.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

[darkstar77]

I saw someone mention a Firmware Update before they received an LTE signal? I am not seeing an update though. Do you know if thats the case Robert? Im in Arlington Heights and tried all along my train route back and forth yesterday and havent seen a lick of LTE. Thanks.

[hayzooos]

Fantastic news! This site has been a god send in keeping me a Sprint customer since I am always able to report news of upgrades to my wife who was wanting to jump ship.

 

I'm with you 100%...now I just need Sprint to follow through!

 

One of the iPhone fanatics (AT&T) at work was asking me how 4G service was now that it turned on. I explained to him how where we work (the black hole around 90/290 in Schaumburg) wasn't being upgraded at all at this point in time, so I can't get it at work. However, once I explained to him how Sprint was upgrading literally every single tower in their network and not just a select few like others, I think that got his attention a little more. I told him I thought by the end of the year, Sprint may very well have the best network in Chicago, and truly unlimited 4G to boot.

[ffstosh]

I used Sensorly on my 40 mile trip through Will and DuPage today. 3g points: 2224. 4g points: 0. I even did the airplane mode thing about 5 times.

[S4GRU]

I saw someone mention a Firmware Update before they received an LTE signal? I am not seeing an update though. Do you know if thats the case Robert? Im in Arlington Heights and tried all along my train route back and forth yesterday and havent seen a lick of LTE. Thanks.

 

Most likely it was not the Firmware update that gave them LTE. It was that when a Firmware update is completed, it scans for LTE. You can also force a scan for LTE by updating your PRL, turning on airplane mode and then turning it off, or changing to CDMA only mode and going back to CDMA/LTE mode.

 

LTE has not launched in the Chicago market. Sprint is just allowing the couple of dozen complete sites to be used now. So if you are near a site that is complete, you will now be able to use it. So service in the suburban Chicago market is very spotty right now. But will get a little better every week.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner