Network Vision/LTE - LA Metro Market

[yutaka731]

I just bought an used HTC EVO LTE off eBay so I could start testing/finding active LTE sites. (Beverly/Poplar in Montebello.)

 

Here is what I pulled down last night: 

[itsrobert]

Looks like six flags is covered in 4g lte

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[HarryChimp71]

Well, went to my first Dodger game this year. After having 4g all day in Downtown LA, I was lucky to make/receive phone calls at the stadium. It was a data black hole.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[ericdabbs]

Looks like six flags is covered in 4g lte

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Yup the Sprint tower located next to the Six Flags park has LTE accepted so it makes sense.

[thematch]

Well, went to my first Dodger game this year. After having 4g all day in Downtown LA, I was lucky to make/receive phone calls at the stadium. It was a data black hole.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

I was there Thursday night and had the same experience.  What's odd is that there were a number of COWs outside the park near the bleachers.

[HarryChimp71]

I was there Thursday night and had the same experience.  What's odd is that there were a number of COWs outside the park near the bleachers.

 

After walking about 200 feet outside the stadium I had full 3g service again and shortly thereafter 4g was available on my phone.  Tens of incoming text messages were received on my phone. My guess is because the majority of the stadium is built into the hill only if a cell site is placed near the outfield bleacher areas will a signal be able to penetrate into the stadium.  Then, how much load could one site handle during a baseball game?

[ericdabbs]

After walking about 200 feet outside the stadium I had full 3g service again and shortly thereafter 4g was available on my phone. Tens of incoming text messages were received on my phone. My guess is because the majority of the stadium is built into the hill only if a cell site is placed near the outfield bleacher areas will a signal be able to penetrate into the stadium. Then, how much load could one site handle during a baseball game?

I think sprint will need to deploy some small cells at dodger stadium to provide capacity since its on a hill.

 

Sent from my Motorola Photon 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[CAREND]

Well, went to my first Dodger game this year. After having 4g all day in Downtown LA, I was lucky to make/receive phone calls at the stadium. It was a data black hole.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

Congratulations on one of many games of the year.  I've got about 7 left on my plan, but i will buy more.  Depending on where you sit, you can get a -113 to -128 dB 4G signal that is about 16kbps.  I sit by the visiting bullpen, that's how i'm barely able to get it.

 

I was there Thursday night and had the same experience.  What's odd is that there were a number of COWs outside the park near the bleachers.

I've been looking at the COWs and at the Dodger tower.  The Dodger tower has RRU's on it, but i cannot be certain to their ownership.

 

After walking about 200 feet outside the stadium I had full 3g service again and shortly thereafter 4g was available on my phone.  Tens of incoming text messages were received on my phone. My guess is because the majority of the stadium is built into the hill only if a cell site is placed near the outfield bleacher areas will a signal be able to penetrate into the stadium.  Then, how much load could one site handle during a baseball game?

There is a tower at the top of the park above and away from left/center field. 

 

I think sprint will need to deploy some small cells at dodger stadium to provide capacity since its on a hill.

 

Sent from my Motorola Photon 4G using Tapatalk 2

The hill isn't so bad, it's the capacity when there is a signal.  I hated not being able to text/call before or after the game.  I'm still waiting on the WiFi in the stadium, which should have been done a month ago.  GL getting them to reply to a darn tweet or email.

[ericdabbs]

The hill isn't so bad, it's the capacity when there is a signal.  I hated not being able to text/call before or after the game.  I'm still waiting on the WiFi in the stadium, which should have been done a month ago.  GL getting them to reply to a darn tweet or email.

 

Small cells provide added capacity and coverage to a smaller area.  That is the beauty of small cells in that they serve as mini cell towers that provide coverage and capacity where a macro site does not have the capability to.  All major venues should have small cells deployed  inside that venue (Disneyland, Staples Center, Dodger Stadium, Nokia Theatre, Hollywood HIghlands, Honda Center, Angel Stadium, etc).  They are very cost efficient and do the job when several small cells are deployed in a given area.

[yutaka731]

I got bored while waiting in line to get gas last night at the Van Nuys Costco, so naturally I pull out my phone and conduct a speed test. Naturally, I was shocked, so I did four more. All of the D/L speeds were 25MBps+ but this was the best I pulled down:

 

[hjm331]

I was at the Dodgers Stadium for Saturday night's game against Cincinnati. I was getting full signal along with LTE but couldn't access the data network nor send/receive any texts. Sprint needs to add capacity to their tower(s) in this location. Hopefully they will once they start rolling out LTE on Clearwire's network.

[Dkoellerwx]

I was at the Dodgers Stadium for Saturday night's game against Cincinnati. I was getting full signal along with LTE but couldn't access the data network nor send/receive any texts. Sprint needs to add capacity to their tower(s) in this location. Hopefully they will once they start rolling out LTE on Clearwire's network.

 

LA went live with Clearwire LTE on the 19th. I don't think we've had anyone with a Tri-Band device check it out yet though.

[hjm331]

LA went live with Clearwire LTE on the 19th. I don't think we've had anyone with a Tri-Band device check it out yet though.

 

Only the MiFi devices are tri-band LTE compatible right?

 

I wonder what the first tri-band LTE smartphone will be. It could be the Moto X (or whatever Motorola's next flagship phone is called) if it comes to Sprint...

[Dkoellerwx]

Only the MiFi devices are tri-band LTE compatible right?

 

I wonder what the first tri-band LTE smartphone will be. It could be the Moto X (or whatever Motorola's next flagship phone is called) if it comes to Sprint...

 

That's correct. Only the new hotspot devices are Tri-Band currently.

 

The first Tri-Band phone that we know of will be the LG G2.

[hjm331]

That's correct. Only the new hotspot devices are Tri-Band currently.

 

The first Tri-Band phone that we know of will be the LG G2.

 

Regarding LTE availability at L.A. Live, does the rollout include LTE on the old Nextel 800 mhz spectrum or will that be available by the end of the year?

[Dkoellerwx]

Regarding LTE availability at L.A. Live, does the rollout include LTE on the old Nextel 800 mhz spectrum or will that be available by the end of the year?

 

We are not currently aware of any live 800 LTE. However, we expect Sprint to begin lighting up 800 LTE this fall, and covering most of the current 1900 LTE footprint by the end of the year. LA will see 800 LTE, but the southeastern corner of LA, Orange County, and San Diego will not see 800 this year due to the proximity to the Mexican border.

[hjm331]

We are not currently aware of any live 800 LTE. However, we expect Sprint to begin lighting up 800 LTE this fall, and covering most of the current 1900 LTE footprint by the end of the year. LA will see 800 LTE, but the southeastern corner of LA, Orange County, and San Diego will not see 800 this year due to the proximity to the Mexican border.

I'll be moving to San Diego next month, near the SDSU campus. Will that area be covered by Sprint's LTE on the 800 mhz spectrum?

[Dkoellerwx]

I'll be moving to San Diego next month, near the SDSU campus. Will that area be covered by Sprint's LTE on the 800 mhz spectrum?

 

As mentioned in the last post, San Diego will not be seeing 800MHz LTE this year due to the proximity to the Mexico border. 800 CDMA and LTE equipment has not been installed. When the US/Sprint finalizes it's agreement with Mexico, they may begin to install and activate 800 LTE equipment. Even then, it will likely be in a reduced capacity as Sprint likely will not be able to use as much spectrum as the are able to use away from the border.

 

Also--- the phones/devices portion of your profile is for the kind of phone you own.... not your phone number. Might want to get rid of that... just sayin'.

[hjm331]

As mentioned in the last post, San Diego will not be seeing 800MHz LTE this year due to the proximity to the Mexico border. 800 CDMA and LTE equipment has not been installed. When the US/Sprint finalizes it's agreement with Mexico, they may begin to install and activate 800 LTE equipment. Even then, it will likely be in a reduced capacity as Sprint likely will not be able to use as much spectrum as the are able to use away from the border.

 

Also--- the phones/devices portion of your profile is for the kind of phone you own.... not your phone number. Might want to get rid of that... just sayin'.

 

Thanks for pointing that out! I didn't even notice that until you brought it up. I'm using Google Chrome and auto-fill must've automatically filled in that info. 

 

In regards to coverage near the Mexican border, is this true with all carriers? I might have to switch carriers because there's no way I can depend on Sprint's 3G network. I was down there the other day and I didn't receive an LTE signal...

[Dkoellerwx]

Thanks for pointing that out! I didn't even notice that until you brought it up. I'm using Google Chrome and auto-fill must've automatically filled in that info. 

 

In regards to coverage near the Mexican border, is this true with all carriers? I might have to switch carriers because there's no way I can depend on Sprint's 3G network. I was down there the other day and I didn't receive an LTE signal...

 

The network is San Diego is no where near launch condition, and even then it will be several more months after that before it is complete. Everywhere you can get a 3G signal, you will receive an LTE signal. Currently, only 21% of San Diego sites have LTE active. Once that number gets closer to 40%, you will see a market launch. Once that number gets around 50%, you will see LTE pretty much covering the market, at least outdoors. Once it gets closer to 100%, that's when you'll see the LTE network matching the current 3G network.

 

So, if you are in need of a ubiquitous LTE experience immediately, and cannot live with the growing pains of a new network, it might be worth exploring some AT&T or T-Mobile pre-paid options while you wait for the network to build out. If you can live with the growing pains, it will be worth it. 

 

Once the deal with Mexico is worked out, Sprint will launch CDMA on 800, and a reduced capacity LTE carrier on 800. You'll also see 2500 TD-LTE in San Diego. A launch period for that is unknown at this point.

 

Basically, if you can wait it out a few months, Sprint should have a top notch network, it's just still in progress at the moment.

 

edit: I didn't answer your question about other carriers. This issue is specific to the 800MHz SMR band that Sprint is using. In Mexico (and Canada) there are still iDen channels operating in these frequencies, and well as Emergency Service radio band I think. Therefore, Sprint can't deploy in SMR until they are certain it won't cause interference with those Mexican (and Canadian) services. 

 

I do not believe this affects Verizon's 700 band LTE, but I am not sure. I am fairly certain AT&T and T-Mobile do not have this issue, as they are using other bands that were empty to begin with. AJ's the spectrum expert, he would have the better answer to that.

[hjm331]

The network is San Diego is no where near launch condition, and even then it will be several more months after that before it is complete. Everywhere you can get a 3G signal, you will receive an LTE signal. Currently, only 21% of San Diego sites have LTE active. Once that number gets closer to 40%, you will see a market launch. Once that number gets around 50%, you will see LTE pretty much covering the market, at least outdoors. Once it gets closer to 100%, that's when you'll see the LTE network matching the current 3G network.

 

So, if you are in need of a ubiquitous LTE experience immediately, and cannot live with the growing pains of a new network, it might be worth exploring some AT&T or T-Mobile pre-paid options while you wait for the network to build out. If you can live with the growing pains, it will be worth it. 

 

Once the deal with Mexico is worked out, Sprint will launch CDMA on 800, and a reduced capacity LTE carrier on 800. You'll also see 2500 TD-LTE in San Diego. A launch period for that is unknown at this point.

 

Basically, if you can wait it out a few months, Sprint should have a top notch network, it's just still in progress at the moment.

 

edit: I didn't answer your question about other carriers. This issue is specific to the 800MHz SMR band that Sprint is using. In Mexico (and Canada) there are still iDen channels operating in these frequencies, and well as Emergency Service radio band I think. Therefore, Sprint can't deploy in SMR until they are certain it won't cause interference with those Mexican (and Canadian) services. 

 

I do not believe this affects Verizon's 700 band LTE, but I am not sure. I am fairly certain AT&T and T-Mobile do not have this issue, as they are using other bands that were empty to begin with. AJ's the spectrum expert, he would have the better answer to that.

 

Yeah, I understand.

 

For some reason, it feels like it's going to be at least a couple years before Sprint's network reaches 100% in SD and that's a very long time considering how slow their 3G Network is. If I were to switch, I'd switch to T-Mobile because they have unlimited data and reasonable prices. Verizon's too expensive for a single line and AT&T is the devil - I used to be a customer of theirs. Considering T-Mobile's limited spectrum, I might have to stick with Sprint.

[Dkoellerwx]

Yeah, I understand.

 

For some reason, it feels like it's going to be at least a couple years before Sprint's network reaches 100% in SD and that's a very long time considering how slow their 3G Network is. If I were to switch, I'd switch to T-Mobile because they have unlimited data and reasonable prices. Verizon's too expensive for a single line and AT&T is the devil - I used to be a customer of theirs. Considering T-Mobile's limited spectrum, I might have to stick with Sprint.

 

Here's the link for the San Diego stats: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/212-network-visionlte-deployment-running-list/page-3#entry145599

 

If you are interested, we have maps that show the locations of the currently upgraded sites. It's within the sponsor section of the site. We do ask for a donation, but that money goes straight to keeping the lights on and the ads off of the site. If you don't become a sponsor, Sensorly.com has some great info as well, crowd sourced coverage maps of the current LTE network if you haven't already checked it out.

 

Anyway, Sprint wants to have the majority of the project wrapped up by next Sprint. It's true things haven't been going as quickly as they had hoped this year, but with SoftBank's investment in Sprint, we expect production to begin to ramp up across the board as we head into fall. At the current rate, San Diego would be nearing completion in the Sprint. Hopefully, with SoftBank's help, they will be able to move that date up a few months.

[hjm331]

Here's the link for the San Diego stats: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/517-nv-sites-complete/

 

If you are interested, we have maps that show the locations of the currently upgraded sites. It's within the sponsor section of the site. We do ask for a donation, but that money goes straight to keeping the lights on and the ads off of the site. If you don't become a sponsor, Sensorly.com has some great info as well, crowd sourced coverage maps of the current LTE network if you haven't already checked it out.

 

Anyway, Sprint wants to have the majority of the project wrapped up by next Sprint. It's true things haven't been going as quickly as they had hoped this year, but with SoftBank's investment in Sprint, we expect production to begin to ramp up across the board as we head into fall. At the current rate, San Diego would be nearing completion in the Sprint. Hopefully, with SoftBank's help, they will be able to move that date up a few months.

 

When I clicked on the link for the San Diego stats, it asked for a forum password...

[Dkoellerwx]

When I clicked on the link for the San Diego stats, it asked for a forum password...

 

Uhhh.... not sure how that happened. I thought I had the correct link in there. Sorry!

 

Here's the right link: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/212-network-visionlte-deployment-running-list/page-3&do=findComment&comment=145599

[hjm331]

Uhhh.... not sure how that happened. I thought I had the correct link in there. Sorry!

 

Here's the right link: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/212-network-visionlte-deployment-running-list/page-3&do=findComment&comment=145599

 

Thanks for the link - very helpful!