Network Vision/LTE - Chicago Market

[tommym65]

You probably share this same sentiment, but why would Sprint put any sort of additional or immediate efforts into an area such as dekalb with such a smaller population than the other areas undergoing NV upgrades around Chicago. We have to be honest, most companies and governments just go where the money is, in this case Sprint Subscribers, if there are 5K sprint subscribers in Dekalb and 25K in Schaumburg then of course they are going to pay more attention to Schaumburg and getting those customers the upgrades first. Plus, it might also be easier b/c in a denser environment they can make a few upgrades and reach more people, in Dekalb its so rural they have to make upgrades across dozens of miles to cover the 5K people with proper service. It sounds like a bad experience, but its not a surprise to me to hear that a rural area with fewer customers and demands is last on the list.

Places like Harvard and Woodstock now have LTE. Parts of Chicago don't. One of the common themes of this whole forum has been, "it ain't where there are the most people, it's where the infrastructure and permits are ready." Dekalb, because of NIU, has a very dense population. If you look at the sites completed map, the random distribution of red "3G only" pins doesn't seem to follow population density.

[Joeynach]

You apparently underestimate the size and data-hunger in the DeKalb\Sycamore area. Hah, people in the suburbs always make me laugh. Think they're the center of the earth when in reality, they haven't got a clue about anything outside of their pompous bubble.

 

I'd venture to say that there are 75k people in the area serviced by the DeKalb\Sycamore towers. There are 25k college kids here, so young data-hungry people where everyone has a cell phone. Given the univeristy, I'd venture to say that we are *MORE* dense than anywhere in Schaumburg, given larger lot sizes and no student dorms and large off-campus apartment buildings.

 

Given the likely higher density in DeKalb and definitely a larger percentage of data-hungry customers along with my travels throughout the suburbs, I can assure you that the data network in DeKalb was in need of an upgrade far more than most places in Chicagoland. Of course I am excepting the loop and anywhere there is a large event such as a Cubs game. It was just as bad as DeKalb.

 

When I have more time later, I'll see if I can calculate some density information for you, both people and towers.

 

 

Oh, and also...  the equipment has been in place for several months, some perhaps even a year. It just isn't turned on yet.

I only through Schaumburg out there arbitrarily as a common and well known suburb.  I dont live or work in the burbs, I live and work in the city and loop.  The Loop network is awful too, before some of the 4G hit, it was timeout after timeout and 3G only.  But again, if you know this about the Dekalb/Sycamore area, then I can't imagine Sprint doesn't know its own load factors.  How could they have not made something so dense, data hungry, and in need (being that its in disarray as u describe) not a priority then?

[mhammett]

I don't know, nor does S4GRU (forgot his name). The gear has been in place, so permitting wouldn't be an issue. The network often times out or is otherwise terrible (I've had speed tests under 7 kilobits and over 3,900 ms) within 1.5 miles of the tower. Where they've turned up the backhaul, it's better, where they've turned on LTE, it's great.

 

There's no shortage of backhaul providers in DeKalb\Sycamore. Windstream is all over as is DFO (actually, Windstream rides DFO in a lot of areas around here). Comcast and Frontier have fiber all over. Frontier got AT&T's fiber turned up fairly quickly from when permit applications were submitted. CenturyLink has some fiber as well. If it was that bad with a backhaul vendor, they could have switched to another one. I'd have been more than glad to supply the backhaul in this area as well (and have the technical ability to). They have made extensive use of microwave around here, so they could have built their own microwave to an area where they weren't having whatever issues they have been having.

[localcelebrity]

Hey I have some questions and trying to find some word on things but 117 page threads like this are exactly "user-friendly" and make it really hard to find the info i'm looking for so I apologize if this is addressed elsewhere.

 

I have a Sprint iPhone 5 and I live in the Lakeview / Wrigleyville  / Southport area and I find my LTE coverage to be a joke. It will be blazing fast one block and then awful the next, full bars LTE in one area but nothing actually loads, switch to Airplane mode, switch back and it will show 3G instead of LTE and suddenly things work again. You get the picture.  Things were actually better / faster in December and January as the Network Vision stuff I read about on here were starting to roll out, but since then it seems to have gotten worse. I get dropped calls and missed calls in my own apartment which was previously fine. 

 

I know it's not the specific device because I've had it replaced for other reasons and my other Sprint friends are experiencing the same in my area, I find the same through much of the city as well (especially commuting home on the Brown line).

 

Long story short... I'm wondering if this has to do with this 800 / 1900 thing you guys talk about, can I expect this Nextel shutdown or US Cellular thing to make a difference at anytime soon? Is Network Vision done being rolled out in my area?

 

Basically... your entire thread is TLDR, please assume I'm a moron (but please don't treat me like one) and can someone please inform me what I can expect in the near term, long term, or point me to an easy resource to find out? I'm considering leaving Sprint when the next iPhone comes out if I don't see some signs of hope and I really don't want to.

 

Also, with all due respect. Please don't tell me to switch to Android. I'm a former Apple employee of 6+ years and I'm not interested, I'd sooner leave my carrier than leave iOS. 

 

Thanks and I'm sorry if this isn't the right place to post this!

 

Cheers.

Edited June 17, 2013 by localcelebrity

[mellimel2212]

Hey I have some questions and trying to find some word on things but 117 page threads like this are exactly "user-friendly" and make it really hard to find the info i'm looking for so I apologize if this is addressed elsewhere.

 

I have a Sprint iPhone 5 and I live in the Lakeview / Wrigleyville / Southport area and I find my LTE coverage to be a joke. It will be blazing fast one block and then awful the next, full bars LTE in one area but nothing actually loads, switch to Airplane mode, switch back and it will show 3G instead of LTE and suddenly things work again. You get the picture. Things were actually better / faster in December and January as the Network Vision stuff I read about on here were starting to roll out, but since then it seems to have gotten worse. I get dropped calls and missed calls in my own apartment which was previously fine.

 

I know it's not the specific device because I've had it replaced for other reasons and my other Sprint friends are experiencing the same in my area, I find the same through much of the city as well (especially commuting home on the Brown line).

 

Long story short... I'm wondering if this has to do with this 800 / 1900 thing you guys talk about, can I expect this Nextel shutdown or US Cellular thing to make a difference at anytime soon? Is Network Vision done being rolled out in my area?

 

Basically... your entire thread is TLDR, please assume I'm a moron (but please don't treat me like one) and can someone please inform me what I can expect in the near term, long term, or point me to an easy resource to find out? I'm considering leaving Sprint when the next iPhone comes out if I don't see some signs of hope and I really don't want to.

 

Also, with all due respect. Please don't tell me to switch to Android. I'm a former Apple employee of 6+ years and I'm not interested, I'd sooner leave my carrier than leave iOS.

 

Thanks and I'm sorry if this isn't the right place to post this!

 

Cheers.

 

Honestly I have good LTE around Lakeview and Jefferson park area. Maybe the towers was getting worked on like around the Austin area recently.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Victory LTE using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Joeynach]

Hey I have some questions and trying to find some word on things but 117 page threads like this are exactly "user-friendly" and make it really hard to find the info i'm looking for so I apologize if this is addressed elsewhere.

 

I have a Sprint iPhone 5 and I live in the Lakeview / Wrigleyville  / Southport area and I find my LTE coverage to be a joke. It will be blazing fast one block and then awful the next, full bars LTE in one area but nothing actually loads, switch to Airplane mode, switch back and it will show 3G instead of LTE and suddenly things work again. You get the picture.  Things were actually better / faster in December and January as the Network Vision stuff I read about on here were starting to roll out, but since then it seems to have gotten worse. I get dropped calls and missed calls in my own apartment which was previously fine. 

 

I know it's not the specific device because I've had it replaced for other reasons and my other Sprint friends are experiencing the same in my area, I find the same through much of the city as well (especially commuting home on the Brown line).

 

Long story short... I'm wondering if this has to do with this 800 / 1900 thing you guys talk about, can I expect this Nextel shutdown or US Cellular thing to make a difference at anytime soon? Is Network Vision done being rolled out in my area?

 

Basically... your entire thread is TLDR, please assume I'm a moron (but please don't treat me like one) and can someone please inform me what I can expect in the near term, long term, or point me to an easy resource to find out? I'm considering leaving Sprint when the next iPhone comes out if I don't see some signs of hope and I really don't want to.

 

Also, with all due respect. Please don't tell me to switch to Android. I'm a former Apple employee of 6+ years and I'm not interested, I'd sooner leave my carrier than leave iOS. 

 

Thanks and I'm sorry if this isn't the right place to post this!

 

Cheers.

I don't know.  I can only repeat the sentiment I have taken away from being on this board since it started.  That is forget whatever time frames Sprint or the Mods throw out there.  There are always hiccups, always slow downs, always new pieces of the NV process just around the corner that will make things better.  Its going to take time, time that I would say will last well into 2014.  True most of the tower upgrades came through the region within the last 12 months, though if you have read this forum you will see the Loop is just now getting their tower upgrades.  But given all the gripe about backhaul delays in NW Indiana, Dekalb, Lake County......all the gripe about Sprint coming back to actually tweek the tilt on the 4G panels at "a later date".........all the gripe about the slow progression of NV in the loop given assumed permitting issues.........all the gripe about now having to wait even longer to get the 800 Mhz spectrum usable by devices.........all the gripe about when will we actually see additional capacity from the US Cellular acquisition, etc etc.  Its rather obvious isn't it, Sprint's network is in massive flux and its going to take years still before its matured to the level of consistent and widespread high performance, both locally and across the nation.

[localcelebrity]

.........all the gripe about now having to wait even longer to get the 800 Mhz spectrum usable by devices.........all the gripe about when will we actually see additional capacity from the US Cellular acquisition, etc etc.  Its rather obvious isn't it, Sprint's network is in massive flux and its going to take years still before its matured to the level of consistent and widespread high performance, both locally and across the nation.

 

This is in general how I'm feeling and it seems to me that by the time this is all settled down whatever the new hotness in data speeds/connection next will be on the way / rolled out by AT&T and Verizon before Sprint gets it's stuff together on last year's tech.

 

Specifically right now, is there a good place I could learn about this 800 / 1900 thing and estimated road maps? Because it sounds like this is the issue in my area with an iPhone. Is there a thread I'm missing or do I just need to kinda hang out on these forums all the time to find anything out?

 

Thanks for the replies.

Edited June 19, 2013 by localcelebrity

[Joeynach]

This is in general how I'm feeling and it seems to me that by the time this is all settled down whatever the new hotness in data speeds/connection next will be on the way / rolled out by AT&T and Verizon before Sprint gets it's stuff together on last year's tech.

 

Specifically right now, is there a good place I could learn about this 800 / 1900 thing and estimated road maps? Because it sounds like this is the issue in my area with an iPhone. Is there a thread I'm missing or do I just need to kinda hang out on these forums all the time to find anything out?

 

Thanks for the replies.

The only reason I am with Sprint is b/c its cheaper and the data is unlimited.  The last thing I want to do is fretting about overages and data limits and thresholds and such.  So its not b/c I feel the network is more robust or advanced, even though most say Chicago has the most built out NV, as far as I can tell ATT and Verizon still have more LTE in more places.  Sprint's is also 10x as sensitive to signal strength and being indoors/outdoors.  I can't tell you time and time again how I can put my phone with full LTE right next to a verizon phone with full LTE, walk inside Target, Grocery Store, United Center, a Bar, the Subway, etc.....and Sprint is by far the quickest to drop out of LTE and go right back to low bar 3G.  The Verizon and ATT's always hold their LTE signal much longer indoors in my experiences.

[mellimel2212]

 

 

This is in general how I'm feeling and it seems to me that by the time this is all settled down whatever the new hotness in data speeds/connection next will be on the way / rolled out by AT&T and Verizon before Sprint gets it's stuff together on last year's tech.

 

Specifically right now, is there a good place I could learn about this 800 / 1900 thing and estimated road maps? Because it sounds like this is the issue in my area with an iPhone. Is there a thread I'm missing or do I just need to kinda hang out on these forums all the time to find anything out?

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

The only reason I am with Sprint is b/c its cheaper and the data is unlimited. The last thing I want to do is fretting about overages and data limits and thresholds and such. So its not b/c I feel the network is more robust or advanced, even though most say Chicago has the most built out NV, as far as I can tell ATT and Verizon still have more LTE in more places. Sprint's is also 10x as sensitive to signal strength and being indoors/outdoors. I can't tell you time and time again how I can put my phone with full LTE right next to a verizon phone with full LTE, walk inside Target, Grocery Store, United Center, a Bar, the Subway, etc.....and Sprint is by far the quickest to drop out of LTE and go right back to low bar 3G. The Verizon and ATT's always hold their LTE signal much longer indoors in my experiences.

That's only because of the frequency sprint uses. Att and vzw operate in the lower 700. Which doesn't cover as much but penertrates buildings excellently. Sprint uses 1900 which covers more areas but doesn't penertrate as well as vzw or att

 

Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Victory LTE using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Joeynach]

That's only because of the frequency sprint uses. Att and vzw operate in the lower 700. Which doesn't cover as much but penertrates buildings excellently. Sprint uses 1900 which covers more areas but doesn't penertrate as well as vzw or att

 

Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Victory LTE using Tapatalk 2

Yeah I know this, I'm just saying we should all have the correct expectations.  Until well after Sprint has a working 800 Mhz LTE where we all have phones that support this as well, the LTE we have from Sprint now is much weaker (signal hold wise) than ATT and Verizon.  Just know what you are getting is my point.

[mhammett]

 

This is in general how I'm feeling and it seems to me that by the time this is all settled down whatever the new hotness in data speeds/connection next will be on the way / rolled out by AT&T and Verizon before Sprint gets it's stuff together on last year's tech.

 

Specifically right now, is there a good place I could learn about this 800 / 1900 thing and estimated road maps? Because it sounds like this is the issue in my area with an iPhone. Is there a thread I'm missing or do I just need to kinda hang out on these forums all the time to find anything out?

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

800 MHz voice is already rolling out to NV areas.

 

I'm not sure who will be deploying LTE-TDD or LTE-Advanced first.

 

The only reason I am with Sprint is b/c its cheaper and the data is unlimited. The last thing I want to do is fretting about overages and data limits and thresholds and such. So its not b/c I feel the network is more robust or advanced, even though most say Chicago has the most built out NV, as far as I can tell ATT and Verizon still have more LTE in more places. Sprint's is also 10x as sensitive to signal strength and being indoors/outdoors. I can't tell you time and time again how I can put my phone with full LTE right next to a verizon phone with full LTE, walk inside Target, Grocery Store, United Center, a Bar, the Subway, etc.....and Sprint is by far the quickest to drop out of LTE and go right back to low bar 3G. The Verizon and ATT's always hold their LTE signal much longer indoors in my experiences.

AT&T has about as much coverage as Sprint, but they started much earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if Sprint passed them.

 

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[chgoguy80]

You probably share this same sentiment, but why would Sprint put any sort of additional or immediate efforts into an area such as dekalb with such a smaller population than the other areas undergoing NV upgrades around Chicago.  We have to be honest, most companies and governments just go where the money is, in this case Sprint Subscribers, if there are 5K sprint subscribers in Dekalb and 25K in Schaumburg then of course they are going to pay more attention to Schaumburg and getting those customers the upgrades first.  Plus, it might also be easier b/c in a denser environment they can make a few upgrades and reach more people, in Dekalb its so rural they have to make upgrades across dozens of miles to cover the 5K people with proper service.  It sounds like a bad experience, but its not a surprise to me to hear that a rural area with fewer customers and demands is last on the list.

 

 

We would all hope they do the smart thing and go for the money, honestly 75-90% of Sprint subscribers could care less about whether there is any reception in rural areas (roaming phone calls only would make it a non-issue even on an advertising map) and if the interstates were covered (which is really what many/most customers who go rural on rare occasions are worried about) its easily 90%+. My brother is in Hoffman Estates toward ex-urb Elgin so I can understand why Sprints capital investment is better spent closer in than out there.

 

Now if Sprint do something about all the dropped calls with NV nearing completion in the mid burbs into the city (Darien/Elmhurst/city of chicago, all even on the interstates) lots of customers would appreciate that..

[AMD64]

Just an update.

 

Took this snap shot yesterday on 1st and bethany rd .

 

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[drock2750]

The tower at Sheridan and Lake Shore must have gone 800, because my phone won't connect to my airave anymore :-(...got a letter in the mail saying that the support for airave 1.0 was ending Aug 1, so I called and apparently they'll send me a current generation airave so not all bad.

[Paynefanbro]

800 MHz voice is already rolling out to NV areas.

 

I'm not sure who will be deploying LTE-TDD or LTE-Advanced first.

 

 

AT&T has about as much coverage as Sprint, but they started much earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if Sprint passed them.

 

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

Sprint is likely to get TDD-LTE first but I am not sure about LTE Advanced. AT&T is playing with numbers to make their network seem large when in truth, Sprint's coverage is roughly the same in terms of pure square mileage, but the density is not as great yet.

[aerxx]

Just an update.

 

Took this snap shot yesterday on 1st and bethany rd .

 

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

You're most likely connected to the tower by the Hospital and Hyvee. That tower has been active for about a week.

[AMD64]

You're most likely connected to the tower by the Hospital and Hyvee. That tower has been active for about a week.

my wife last month had a major issue with her phone.for weeks every time on her way  home from Aurora  the phone will stop sending/receiving calls,text,net.  not anymore since last week.

[Mobilesolutions]

Now that markets like Chicago are nearing ubiquitous coverage the transition into Lte advanced with 800SMR will give Sprint equal playing fields with the duopoly for indoor network coverage. Obviously 5x5 speeds are not as "fast" but this is just as large a decision based on capacity needs; of which Sprint's effective network load is under 1/2 of either AT&T or Verizon.  Literally this is right around the corner for you guys Chicago is one of the first areas to see an 800 MHZ signal from Sprint and come this fall when SMR capable smartphones roll out you will be among the first to experience it first hand. 

[AMD64]

Woow .I drove thousands time on sycamore rd and I never noticed it .lol .

Btw. I saw 2 towers next to each other.a short and a tall one .are both owned by sprint ?

 

Took the pix from NIU/ old Monsanto building

 

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

Edited June 29, 2013 by AMD64

[aerxx]

Short tower is the tower that holds Sprint service. I work in the Monsanto/NIU building next door, soaking in the LTE rays.

[jmi8844]

I work at the cbot building at Jackson and lasalle since yesterday 7/1 my 3G on iPhone 4S is completely gone! My friend who has Samsung galaxy the lte is blazing but I keep getting 'cannot connect to cellular data network' it says 3G in the corner but cannot get any data. I've reset, I've ##update# but it will just work for about 1 min then the same error! Do you think this is temporary? I've never had this problem before

[Joeynach]

I work at the cbot building at Jackson and lasalle since yesterday 7/1 my 3G on iPhone 4S is completely gone! My friend who has Samsung galaxy the lte is blazing but I keep getting 'cannot connect to cellular data network' it says 3G in the corner but cannot get any data. I've reset, I've ##update# but it will just work for about 1 min then the same error! Do you think this is temporary? I've never had this problem before

 

I work next door to you.  I have Galaxy S3 and my LTE has been blazing since the tower on Congress and Financial Place got LTE a couple weeks ago (finally).  I haven't noticed a 3G absence.  Do a PRL update.  If it doesn't work, Sprint Tech support is where you need to go.

[jmi8844]

Thanks I've done a prl update about six times today with no difference. But as soon as I go outside I get data again, Was never like that before, wondering if the upgrades make 3G not be able to penetrate the building as well. Hopefully only temporary

[ks-man]

I work at the Sears Tower and often find that I'll have a great LTE signal (sub 90 RSRP) while outside, especially near the Quincy El stop but my internet won't work at all or will be painfully slow (sub 100kbps).  When I'm out much later at night though I'll get much better speeds and very usable internet (5-10mbps).  Is this a sign of the network already being saturated?  If I have that strong of an LTE signal confirmed in the engineering screen but still getting such poor speeds could it be anything other than network saturation?

[drock2750]

There are several sites around the loop that seem to have incredibly slow or completely unusable speeds even with a very strong LTE signal. Once I move around enough to connect to a different tower, the problem disappears. This has gone on for weeks with whatever tower covers State and Jackson for example...you'd think they'd be aware of the problem by now...