Frequency in reagards to building penetration

[Feech]

I have a question. I see people throwing around 800MHZ and 1900MHZ in comparison to 700MHZ. Can someone explain to me what this means as far reception inside buildings? I have always been sort of jealous of my Verizon using friends because it seems like they and T-Mobile customers I know have great reception indoors at my job but I sit looking at my icon grayed out most of the day unless I'm in a exact location in my building. I wish I could tell Sprint they need a tower over here..

[iamover13]

Lower frequency = better building penetration.

[Deval]

I have a question. I see people throwing around 800MHZ and 1900MHZ in comparison to 700MHZ. Can someone explain to me what this means as far reception inside buildings? I have always been sort of jealous of my Verizon using friends because it seems like they and T-Mobile customers I know have great reception indoors at my job but I sit looking at my icon grayed out most of the day unless I'm in a exact location in my building. I wish I could tell Sprint they need a tower over here..

 

T-Mobile may have a tower closer to your building than Sprint. In most parts of the country, Sprint and T-Mobile use the same frequency, 1900mhz, so it could be a tower placement issue.

 

Verizon uses their 700mhz spectrum strictly for LTE data, not 3G voice or data.

[JonnygATL]

What frequency does Verizon use for voice? Just curious as their coverage is clearly the best in the nation (even though I have Sprint). I'm wondering if their impeccable coverage is more a result of greater tower density or better signal propagation (or a combination of several factors)?

[Deval]

What frequency does Verizon use for voice? Just curious as their coverage is clearly the best in the nation (even though I have Sprint). I'm wondering if their impeccable coverage is more a result of greater tower density or better signal propagation (or a combination of several factors)?

 

I believe the majority of their network is 1900 and 800 for both voice and data. They also have a much denser network due to acquisitions and buildouts. It also helps that that Verizon (Bell Atlantic Mobile for the NY/NJ area) started off as the 800mhz A or B carrier, and in most markets, was there to buildout before NIMBYs moved in.

[JonnygATL]

I believe the majority of their network is 1900 and 800 for both voice and data. They also have a much denser network due to acquisitions and buildouts. It also helps that that Verizon (Bell Atlantic Mobile for the NY/NJ area) started off as the 800mhz A or B carrier, and in most markets, was there to buildout before NIMBYs moved in.

 

That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification. And I always love the use of "NIMBY" wherever possible. It cracks me up. : o )

[Deval]

That makes sense. Thanks for the clarification. And I always love the use of "NIMBY" wherever possible. It cracks me up. : o )

 

LOL...here in my market, they are like roaches. Sprint's coverage once you leave bigger cities is not the best because of that.

[JonnygATL]

LOL...here in my market, they are like roaches. Sprint's coverage once you leave bigger cities is not the best because of that.

 

Idiots standing in the way of progress. Is it harsh? Perhaps. But I say it because it's true. If you want a stronger, better network, you're gonna have to deal with the infrastructure that makes it possible. It's like wanting to get rich without working hard, getting something for nothing. In the universe I live and work in, that simply isn't possible. Which brings me back to the word "cockroaches." Here in Atlanta, they refer to those as "Palmetto Bugs" or "Waterbugs." Euphemism or not - a roach is still a roach!

[Deval]

That's the problem. Verizon staked their claim here before the towns and communities even existed, so as the areas got built out, coverage was already there.

[JonnygATL]

That's good for Verizon but sucks for the rest of us!

[Bob Newhart]

LOL...here in my market, they are like roaches. Sprint's coverage once you leave bigger cities is not the best because of that.

 

Err.... that isn't true for Sprint. They don't have interest in building coverage outside of cities, maybe in the future that will change.

Back in the Nextel days, rural coverage was what set them apart.

[WiWavelength]

Err.... that isn't true for Sprint. They don't have interest in building coverage outside of cities, maybe in the future that will change.

Back in the Nextel days, rural coverage was what set them apart.

 

Do not confuse "interest" with necessity. Nextel or Nextel Partners had to construct greater rural coverage in some areas (but, inconsistently, not in others) because iDEN was a one trick pony -- effectively, no domestic roaming.

 

AJ

[Deval]

Err.... that isn't true for Sprint. They don't have interest in building coverage outside of cities, maybe in the future that will change.

Back in the Nextel days, rural coverage was what set them apart.

 

I was on a farm in eastern PA and somehow had Sprint service, good enough to Facebook a few pictures and stream Pandora, made me happy

[niv3d]

So Verizon has 700mhz strictly for data. Awesome for them.... But will sprint have that good of frequency (800mhz) strictly for data or will we be stuck with 1900mhz data?

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

[Deval]

So Verizon has 700mhz strictly for data. Awesome for them.... But will sprint have that good of frequency (800mhz) strictly for data or will we be stuck with 1900mhz data?

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

 

700mhz strictly for LTE data, there is a huge difference.

 

There is nothing wrong with 1900mhz for data, if anything, it allows for more users concurrently (if I'm not mistaken).

[ChadBroChillz]

The 800mhz is going to have 1 1xA channel and the rest will be allocated for LTE. You will likely be on 1900 unless you are in an area 1900 does not cover or the 1900 channel is at capacity.

[GW1973]

My understanding is that Sprint is building out on 1900 first. Will complete that and then changes parts to switch over to 800. That is why Sprint is ridding itself of the iDen network.

[iansltx]

My understanding is that Sprint is building out on 1900 first. Will complete that and then changes parts to switch over to 800. That is why Sprint is ridding itself of the iDen network.

 

Close. The 800 network (where Sprint has at most 14MHz of spectrum available for wideband use) will be deployed *in addition* to 1900, as a coverage boost. Verizon has the luxury of having both low frequency (~750MHz) and wide(ish) bandwidth (a single 10x10 channel), but the single 10x10 channel is all any current VZW device will ever be able to get. Sprint will have 20MHz of LTE active as well in most areas as a baseline (10MHz in PCS, 10MHz in SMR) once Nextel is gone...it'll just be on two different bands. Then again, Sprint might add another 5x5 LTE carrier or two to PCS, outclassing VZW on total capacity per cell until Verizon starts installing AWS LTE (and handing out devices that suport that frequency in addition to upper-C 700, of which there are none now).