Network Vision/LTE - Houston Market

[Proxcee]

I have had terrible results in Dallas. Rarely connecting and when connected only getting about 100kb speeds. But today in Houston near Conroe results where amazing with 33mb down and 16mb up.

 

I'm convinced...with this launch your either lucky or your an LTE bum begging for a signal.

[avianz]

Looks like a new tower came up in the Energy Corridor, I'm finally able to get LTE at my office which is close to HWY 6 @ I10. Best test is 5meg/3meg but with only 2 bars.

 

Edit: And just like that it's gone again, there must be a closer 3G tower with its blazing .01meg speeds taking over.

[cdiao]

Interesting. Robert's hypothesis (explained here) is that the threshold settings on the handsets are affecting how they downshift from LTE as a function of signal strength, and not benignly. If that hypothesis is valid, then different OEMs' handsets may very well calculate the threshold and downshift differently.

 

This was what I was wondering about. Given the discriminatory results, there seems clearly to be more of a connectivity problem (LTE threshold settings perhaps) with HTC handsets. I was intrigued with the author's results for the S3 and Nexus and the seeming differences given that both are made by Samsung so that does seem strange but suggests there is something in the settings and or software that's affecting connectivity. I recall other postings from Nexus owners who say they were getting good results but yet EVO LTE owners complaining otherwise. S3 probably too new to have much of a user population. Can others confirm this?

[lilballercp3]

Hi, can anyone else confirm in the Spring/Woodlands area (anywhere in NW Houston) their LTE connectivity? I am looking to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy 3 but would like to know if more towers are being upgraded. Thanks!!!

[JSCMechTech]

The problem I have with my HTC EVO LTE is i can be right next to a tower (59/288 area, Im talking Line of sight, 100yards away close) and my damn phone won't switch over to LTE, I mean Im directly in line with the tower and the phone doesn't switch. Now this morning I forced the LTE connection and verfiyed that was the tower i was connecting to and BAM 25megs down,12megs up...

 

Also when the phone is unlocked it will never switch to 4G unless I lock it, wait about 30 secs and unlock it while remaining in the same place. Very strange indeed.

[S4GRU]

The problem I have with my HTC EVO LTE is i can be right next to a tower (59/288 area, Im talking Line of sight, 100yards away close) and my damn phone won't switch over to LTE, I mean Im directly in line with the tower and the phone doesn't switch. Now this morning I forced the LTE connection and verfiyed that was the tower i was connecting to and BAM 25megs down,12megs up...

 

Also when the phone is unlocked it will never switch to 4G unless I lock it, wait about 30 secs and unlock it while remaining in the same place. Very strange indeed.

 

Have you received the new EVO OTA that started being pushed the other day? People are reporting improvements with connecting to LTE since they installed this latest OTA.

 

Robert

[JSCMechTech]

Have you received the new EVO OTA that started being pushed the other day? People are reporting improvements with connecting to LTE since they installed this latest OTA.

 

Robert

 

Indeed I have, also have up to date PRL. The connection is all kinds of weird. Another example is I work at Johnson space center off of 4th street and per the diagram in the sponsorship forum there is no live LTE tower near me I should be able to connect to, Yet Im connecting to a tower that is supposely onsite that I have physically searched for and haven't found. Its almost like my building has an antenna on top of it that I don't know about lol.

[boomerbubba]

Indeed I have, also have up to date PRL. The connection is all kinds of weird. Another example is I work at Johnson space center off of 4th street and per the diagram in the sponsorship forum there is no live LTE tower near me I should be able to connect to, Yet Im connecting to a tower that is supposely onsite that I have physically searched for and haven't found. Its almost like my building has an antenna on top of it that I don't know about lol.

 

What makes you think you know what LTE tower you are connecting to, and where? There is no tool known that empirically maps LTE towers on the fly. Are you referring to a tower site mapped on the S4GRU's own maps? Post the location and Sprint ID of that tower, but not in this particular forum. (Non-sponsors could not understand such a comment because they lack access to the interactive S4GRU maps.)

[JSCMechTech]

What makes you think you know what LTE tower you are connecting to, and where? There is no tool known that empirically maps LTE towers on the fly. Are you referring to a tower site mapped on the S4GRU's own maps? Post the location and Sprint ID of that tower, but not in this particular forum. (Non-sponsors could not understand such a comment because they lack access to the interactive S4GRU maps.)

 

Yes the Interactive map in the sponsor section is what im referring to when im trying to locate the tower. I'll start up a new post in the Sponsor forum for further advice.

[GituSum21]

Got this today @ 1960 and eldridge in NW houston.

 

[Acey]

Still seeing spotty 4g connection on my Evo....I went to Sprint store again today and again witnessed the same connections on there displays as before. Sprint says there at the mercy of HTC with the fix for the EVO

 

Anyone here with the Evo get that new update yet that is suppose to fix the connection issues?

[lilballercp3]

Got this today @ 1960 and eldridge in NW houston.

 

Can anyone else confirm any information about their Sprint LTE connection in NW Houston? How long are you guys (anywhere in Houston) able to hold a LTE connection on your phone now?

[avb]

I can pick up and hold a signal around Eldridge and 290, and West Road and 290. I was at John Eagle Honda last weekend for an oil change and had LTE (using Galaxy S3).

[GituSum21]

I travel the west side of Houston from westheimer@dunvale up to eldridge @1960 and have only found lte at 290@1960 area and 529@hwy 6

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[mc-fine]

With strong signal I get16-20 down and 9-13 up. This was on 59 and 1960 this morning.

[4GHoward]

Has anyone tested LTE in Galveston?

[surfTX]

Has anyone tested LTE in Galveston?

 

I have gotten it off and on in Galveston. Coming down 45 I usually pick it up around Bayou Vista or so, and keep it until Broadway by the Raceway, or around there. I pick it back up around 51st & Harborside, and lose it again past the Strand. I haven't gotten it anywhere on the Seawall yet.

[bondog]

Intersection of 518 and 528 in Friendswood

 

Edited August 2, 2012 by bondog

[ITK79]

It appears that many of you that are getting 4g signals are getting good speeds from the sites you have connected to. Below is a speed test that was done today after work @US59 & 1960 in the Humble area. The speeds from this area had been good at one time but have dropped off to this as of late. Has anyone else noticed this or know what might have caused this?

 

 

This one is a speed test from a few days after the launch of the network on the same tower

 

[S4GRU]

It appears that many of you that are getting 4g signals are getting good speeds from the sites you have connected to. Below is a speed test that was done today after work @US59 & 1960 in the Humble area. The speeds from this area had been good at one time but have dropped off to this as of late. Has anyone else noticed this or know what might have caused this?

 

This one is a speed test from a few days after the launch of the network on the same tower

 

 

I have seen this happen in a few instances in pre launch markets. It seems to only happen for a few days and things get back to normal. I'm not sure what specifically is causing it, but they are still doing a lot to the network and you are in active deployment area, of course.

 

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

[pyroscott]

It appears that many of you that are getting 4g signals are getting good speeds from the sites you have connected to. Below is a speed test that was done today after work @US59 & 1960 in the Humble area. The speeds from this area had been good at one time but have dropped off to this as of late. Has anyone else noticed this or know what might have caused this?

 

This one is a speed test from a few days after the launch of the network on the same tower

 

 

There is definitely something going on with that tower. I wouldn't put much stock in that speed test. You will not be seeing speeds like that on LTE once everything stabilizes.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 (nakasi) using Forum Runner

 

Oops, I see Robert beat me...

[ITK79]

That's good to know I was just starting to wonder when I was getting these same type of speeds from towers in other areas of Houston. I got similar speeds at TX 249 & North Pointe Tomball area & again around US 290 & Sherwood.

[S4GRU]

I have a theory...and it is only a theory...

 

I am wondering if they are having an issue with the new backhaul, and they are temporarily hooking it up to T1, and then the speeds are returning a few days later after whatever the NV backhaul issue is resolved. I have no idea. Just a theory.

 

Robert via CM9 Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

[topdownat4]

I am going to be traveling to the Houston area at the end of the month. Does anyone know what the speeds are like in the Tomball area?

Thanks in advance!

[ITK79]

I am going to be traveling to the Houston area at the end of the month. Does anyone know what the speeds are like in the Tomball area?

Thanks in advance!

 

Tomball has limited coverage right now. I have only made connections south of Tomball as you head back in to Houston. There have also been some issues as of late with the speeds on some of the towers. Wednesday of last week I tried running a speed test while getting an LTE signal and half way through the speed test I lost the signal. I was only getting around 1 mbps down at that point. Your best beat is to keep checking back as you get closer to being in the area.