Network Vision/LTE - Atlanta/Athens Market

[hankbear]

I sat in a restaurant for lunch where I could see the top the the upgraded tower sticking up over the shopping center, and still couldn't get a 4G signal, even for an instant. These towers in Norcross must not truly be active with LTE.

 

In Lilburn, I am able to pick up LTE for a brief instant, but, I guess, it's the same issue as everyone else where the 3G signal is, technically, stronger, even though not faster. Perhps I'm way off base, but it seems like this is something that should have been able to be tested before rollout. Maybe not, though, and the real world is the only way they could have known that only in the pockets of bad 3G coverage would LTE work. However, I've been hearing that the Atlanta market is suffering from this issue more than others. If that's true, I'm really curious as to why?

[S4GRU]

I sat in a restaurant for lunch where I could see the top the the upgraded tower sticking up over the shopping center, and still couldn't get a 4G signal, even for an instant. These towers in Norcross must not truly be active with LTE. In Lilburn, I am able to pick up LTE for a brief instant, but, I guess, it's the same issue as everyone else where the 3G signal is, technically, stronger, even though not faster. Perhps I'm way off base, but it seems like this is something that should have been able to be tested before rollout. Maybe not, though, and the real world is the only way they could have known that only in the pockets of bad 3G coverage would LTE work. However, I've been hearing that the Atlanta market is suffering from this issue more than others. If that's true, I'm really curious as to why?

 

I've pretty much concluded that with the EVO LTE you almost have to cycle through CDMA only mode and back to CDMA/LTE mode in order to get an LTE signal. You can also go and set your device to LTE only going into the Data menu, ##DATA# in your dialer. But LTE only mode will turn off 1x and prevent you from getting texts and phone calls. But you could do it temporarily to determine that there is actually LTE signals and that your phone is not defective.

 

Robert

[bwillet]

Same here. I can get a mid-range 4G signal (and hold it!) at home in semi-rural Cumming of all places, but sitting at the Subway at Roswell Road and Abernathy this afternoon (and Taco Bell yesterday) I couldn't hold/use a signal to save my life. It actually hindered my usage, since I had 4G but no data was flowing. The phone (GS3) would just sit there and try and try and try. I toggled airplane mode and got a working 4G for a minute, then sometimes it would drop back to 3G, sometimes the "dead" 4G. Can't wait for them to get it all figured out though, loving the supposedly slow 6-10 Mbps LTE connection at home.

[troyd96]

Has someone actually contacted someone in sprint about that issue? I don't think we can just assume that there will be ant OTA to fix until someone gets in touch with a higher tier technical support employee.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[themuffinman]

Has someone actually contacted someone in sprint about that issue? I don't think we can just assume that there will be ant OTA to fix until someone gets in touch with a higher tier technical support employee.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

I am sure that sprint has been contacted by more than enough customers, there supposedly are some tickets that are open to help resolve these issues.

[Crimson01]

I've pretty much concluded that with the EVO LTE you almost have to cycle through CDMA only mode and back to CDMA/LTE mode in order to get an LTE signal. You can also go and set your device to LTE only going into the Data menu, ##DATA# in your dialer. But LTE only mode will turn off 1x and prevent you from getting texts and phone calls. But you could do it temporarily to determine that there is actually LTE signals and that your phone is not defective.

 

Robert

 

Well last night I thought it was just EVO's. Now theres a report of Gnex doing it. Need some more info on the S3's.

[troyd96]

Crimson,

 

I have an S3 and if I have a 3 Bar or higher (sometimes a 2 Bar also) 4G signal I will keep 4G. If it is less than that it switches back over to 3G. If I have a very weak 4G signal (1-2 bars or less) if I start a data session (usually with a streaming music app) most of the time it stays on 4G until the phone can not detect the signal anymore, but once it switches to 3G it will almost never switch back to 4G until I get back to a 3 Bar or higher LTE signal. I think the majority of this issue will be fixed once they are closer to 100% complete in Atlanta. Then you will probably always have a 3 bar or higher LTE signal and the phone won't try to override it with 3G.

[Proxcee]

Crimson,

 

I have an S3 and if I have a 3 Bar or higher (sometimes a 2 Bar also) 4G signal I will keep 4G. If it is less than that it switches back over to 3G. If I have a very weak 4G signal (1-2 bars or less) if I start a data session (usually with a streaming music app) most of the time it stays on 4G until the phone can not detect the signal anymore, but once it switches to 3G it will almost never switch back to 4G until I get back to a 3 Bar or higher LTE signal. I think the majority of this issue will be fixed once they are closer to 100% complete in Atlanta. Then you will probably always have a 3 bar or higher LTE signal and the phone won't try to override it with 3G.

 

+1

[chong67]

I have no problem with LTE at my house. Constant 4G/LTE in and out.

 

At the ATL airport, its a different story.

 

I can understand the frustration.

 

As I said before, Sprint should say something in Astricks that 'LTE no available in all area and full implentation by end of the year', etc etc

 

Everybody expectation is set too high.

 

My friend got Verizon and we are inslde the building and he got 24 mbps download and 12 mbps upload. I am waiting for that day Sprint! Please come soon!

[troyd96]

 

My friend got Verizon and we are inslde the building and he got 24 mbps download and 12 mbps upload. I am waiting for that day Sprint! Please come soon!

 

I wish I was as optimistic as you about that. I think there will be a day where that is possible (it is possible within my house already) but I am realist. Once the iPhone 5 comes out If it has LTE, and as more and more people saturate the network I expect those speeds to drop dramatically unless Sprint can keep up with its network (which it has not proven to be able to do with their 3G service). Again I am hopeful it will stay at speeds like that once 100% complete, but I am not expecting it.

[chong67]

I wish I was as optimistic as you about that. I think there will be a day where that is possible (it is possible within my house already) but I am realist. Once the iPhone 5 comes out If it has LTE, and as more and more people saturate the network I expect those speeds to drop dramatically unless Sprint can keep up with its network (which it has not proven to be able to do with their 3G service). Again I am hopeful it will stay at speeds like that once 100% complete, but I am not expecting it.

 

I see. So you believe in you get what you pay for?

 

But my thing is that the next competitor is like $30 more

 

And my friend is so stingy. He said he dont want to run too many speed test cause of cap.

 

But just give me 2 mbp upload and download speed and I am happy so I can video skype.

 

Sorry alot to think about.

[troyd96]

I see. So you believe in you get what you pay for?

 

But my thing is that the next competitor is like $30 more

 

And my friend is so stingy. He said he dont want to run too many speed test cause of cap.

 

But just give me 2 mbp upload and download speed and I am happy so I can video skype.

 

Sorry alot to think about.

 

I just know what Sprint has done in the past. That is my only guide really. Maybe they will be on the ball with the LTE and it will be as good as Verizon, but if it isn't as long as I consistently get 4-8Mbps down with 1-2Mbps up I would be fine with their service. Cost/benefit analysis, Sprint is the way to go right now for where I live/work and the price. If at some point Sprint gets rid of unlimited then my options open up a little bit because the cost/benefit changes. Really though Verizon/AT&T/Sprint are the only carriers I would consider due to coverage where I work and live. I got it made with Sprint because of our Agency wiring an internal Tower in the building. Everyone with the other carriers have to go to a window to get service to use their phone most of the time, me I get full 3G bars in the whole building. I just hope they upgrade it to accept 4G signal!

[chong67]

If Sprint jack their price to within $10 of anybody, I might do SIM card. Always like that idea when I go overseas I can use it.

 

My brother who live in Houston said Sprint coverage is bad.

 

So the chance of 24 mbps down inside a building at the ATL airport is slim for Sprint.

 

I guess there is nobody who is the best and it depends on where you live.

Edited July 18, 2012 by chong67

[themuffinman]

Well last night I thought it was just EVO's. Now theres a report of Gnex doing it. Need some more info on the S3's.

 

I have a gnex and a evo and I can tell you that my gnex craps all over my evo when it comes to maintaining an lte singal. Yesterday for example, while running a few errands in the area my gnex never lost its 4g signal while my evo kept going in and out.

[S4GRU]

Those of you who harp on Sprint's past performance are not taking in a full metrics for review. You are talking about 3G performance degradation, that has only been the past 12 to 18 months, depending on market. When you consider all Sprint's network performance in the past, this is an isolated moment in time.

 

In my opinion, Sprint was slow in realizing the impacts that were occurring and then counted on Network Vision to be the solution to the problem and tried to ride out the current network until NV could save the day. However, this has proven to be a bad idea. They made a judgment error. No doubt.

 

By the time they started to work out a deal with Apple on the iPhone and Network Vision schedule was more obvious that it was going to take longer, they did finally spring into action mode. Or should I say, reaction mode? Albeit very late. That is the work being tracked at network.sprint.com.

 

So, if we are judging based on Sprint's past network management, and all of it, I'm not that worried. Especially when you consider with LTE, it's a different world. First off, Sprint is going to have the densest LTE network in the country. Far denser than Verizon or AT&T. They will actually have more capacity per square mile in urban areas than Verizon does now. Also, the LTE and Network Vision network offers so much more control for traffic management, that they will be able to manage and eliminate most situations dynamically as they occur. And most importantly, most of the data issues Sprint has suffered the past 12-18 months have been related to backhaul. Sprint is spending billions and billions on new scalable high capacity backhaul for the future.

 

If looking myopically only at 3G performance in the near past, then I can understand why someone may be discouraged. But when looking at all the details in context, there is no reason to be discouraged. In fact, we pretty much have passed the worst part of the Sprint network, and every quarter from here on out it gets better and better until early 2014 and the whole network is brand new from coast to coast.

 

Robert

[chong67]

Alright Robert. That sound great.

 

Not to mention, SERO is golden.

 

The other thing is that how is Sprint able to have unlimited data and no throttling?

Edited July 18, 2012 by chong67

[Crimson01]

I have a gnex and a evo and I can tell you that my gnex craps all over my evo when it comes to maintaining an lte singal. Yesterday for example, while running a few errands in the area my gnex never lost its 4g signal while my evo kept going in and out.

 

Yeah, that's pretty much what I documented last night with the wife's Gnex. Gnex locked first without a toggle, and stayed on 4G longer, therefore the "threshold" suggestion that Robert made seems to be spot on. Question is are they (sprint/htc) aware of it, and how long for an update. Would this be a firmware update, or could a PRL update correct this?

[S4GRU]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I documented last night with the wife's Gnex. Gnex locked first without a toggle, and stayed on 4G longer, therefore the "threshold" suggestion that Robert made seems to be spot on. Question is are they (sprint/htc) aware of it, and how long for an update. Would this be a firmware update, or could a PRL update correct this?

 

A PRL update will do no good. LTE does not use PRL's. Only the CDMA portion of the phone does. LTE uses the profiles stored on the SIM card. However, the device thresholds for signal management are likely in the device firmware. An OTA adjusting these is all that would be required. I don't think it would be difficult at all. But it would need to be done by HTC, Samsung and LG.

 

Robert

[themuffinman]

Yeah, that's pretty much what I documented last night with the wife's Gnex. Gnex locked first without a toggle, and stayed on 4G longer, therefore the "threshold" suggestion that Robert made seems to be spot on. Question is are they (sprint/htc) aware of it, and how long for an update. Would this be a firmware update, or could a PRL update correct this?

 

I know we are talking about this whole threshold thing but I also have to add that there is an lte tower 1000 feet north east of my house and with full bars my evo will drop in and out for no reason while my gnex is rock solid. I tested this over a month ago when the tower went live and I have been testing it now for the last few days and the results are basically the same.

[S4GRU]

In my article today, I address both issues. The threshold issue and the difficulty of the Evo to connect to LTE.

 

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

[coloradosprings]

Any news about LTE in Colorado springs please !!

[Proxcee]

 

 

A PRL update will do no good. LTE does not use PRL's. Only the CDMA portion of the phone does. LTE uses the profiles stored on the SIM card. However, the device thresholds for signal management are likely in the device firmware. An OTA adjusting these is all that would be required. I don't think it would be difficult at all. But it would need to be done by HTC, Samsung and LG.

 

Robert

 

Good info...didn't know that. Maybe things will start to get better with the next OTA released.

[dpullen]

The Elixir 2 app rocks! Using it, and without my MSL, I was able to switch to LTE only mode. In this mode, I kept a good LTE signal for 90% of my drive in to work. Speed tests were all over the map, but typically above 3mbps up and down. Peak speeds were above 15mbps.

 

LTE is definitely active in the Buford and Duluth areas, and my phone is definitely capable of using it. It just chooses not to.

 

Very frustrating...

 

Unfortunately, using other modes (like cdma/LTE) don't get me an LTE signal, it stays in 1x mode.

 

Sent from my EVOlte using tapatalk

[VW Maverick]

The Elixir 2 app rocks! Using it, and without my MSL, I was able to switch to LTE only mode.

 

I want to see if this works on my Galaxy Nexus.

Where do you go in the Elixir 2 app to switch to LTE only mode?

 

Thanks.

 

Mav.

[ballinjin2k]

Unfortunately, using other modes (like cdma/LTE) don't get me an LTE signal, it stays in 1x mode.

 

Sent from my EVOlte using tapatalk

 

This happened to me as well for some reason. I went in, changed the mode to LTE only and then applied changes, but it connected 3G. I went back and just re tapped the LTE only selection I made and after that it stuck (very weird). Since I was near Discovery Mills, I didn't get any type of signal at all, but it didn't reconnect to the x1 or 3G (just no reception).