Network Vision/LTE - Richmond & Southern Virginia Markets

[DanielB]

Just something to keep in mind....this comes directly from someone in the know regionally who was kind enough to share this info with me ...when a new LTE site starts broadcasting or shows up as 3G/4G on Robert's maps, there is still about 60 days' worth of optimization work on that tower that must take place. Remember, Sprint has not yet added Richmond to their list of 4G launched markets....there is still a lot of testing and optimization going on for both NV 3G and 1900 MHz LTE. The earliest we'd see an 80% launch is end of July.  Full Spark rollout (triband) is TARGETED for end of November of this year...provided weather and other factors (looking at you, backhaul providers) cooperate. I know things feel frustrating even still but a tremendous amount of progress has been made in RVA since just December of 2013. We are the last major East Coast U.S. market to receive NV1, which Sprint is really trying close out nationwide. Good things are right around the corner....I promise. 

[Hurrcayne_dre]

Just something to keep in mind....this comes directly from someone in the know regionally who was kind enough to share this info with me ...when a new LTE site starts broadcasting or shows up as 3G/4G on Robert's maps, there is still about 60 days' worth of optimization work on that tower that must take place. Remember, Sprint has not yet added Richmond to their list of 4G launched markets....there is still a lot of testing and optimization going on for both NV 3G and 1900 MHz LTE. The earliest we'd see an 80% launch is end of July.  Full Spark rollout (triband) is TARGETED for end of November of this year...provided weather and other factors (looking at you, backhaul providers) cooperate. I know things feel frustrating even still but a tremendous amount of progress has been made in RVA since just December of 2013. We are the last major East Coast U.S. market to receive NV1, which Sprint is really trying close out nationwide. Good things are right around the corner....I promise. 

 

Ahh wouldn't D.C. be number 1?

[grapkoski]

Ahh wouldn't D.C. be number 1?

 

Yes sir, yes we would.

[marioc21]

Ahh wouldn't D.C. be number 1?

 

No. 1 what? 

[marioc21]

Just something to keep in mind....this comes directly from someone in the know regionally who was kind enough to share this info with me ...when a new LTE site starts broadcasting or shows up as 3G/4G on Robert's maps, there is still about 60 days' worth of optimization work on that tower that must take place. Remember, Sprint has not yet added Richmond to their list of 4G launched markets....there is still a lot of testing and optimization going on for both NV 3G and 1900 MHz LTE. The earliest we'd see an 80% launch is end of July.  Full Spark rollout (triband) is TARGETED for end of November of this year...provided weather and other factors (looking at you, backhaul providers) cooperate. I know things feel frustrating even still but a tremendous amount of progress has been made in RVA since just December of 2013. We are the last major East Coast U.S. market to receive NV1, which Sprint is really trying close out nationwide. Good things are right around the corner....I promise. 

 

I'm not complaining.  My major complaint early on was that calls were dropping left and right when you'd go from upgraded towers to legacy towers.  That's been pretty much fixed.  Looking at the last update report just about every tower in the richmond area is at least 3g accepted.  Now just sitting back and seeing LTE get lit up in more places.  Would like to see 800 start to roll out though.

[DanielB]

Ahh wouldn't D.C. be number 1?

 

Number 1 for what???

[Hurrcayne_dre]

We are the last major East Coast U.S. market to receive NV1, which Sprint is really trying close out nationwide. Good things are right around the corner....I promise. 

 

 

Number 1 for what???

read your own post

[Hurrcayne_dre]

I'm not complaining.  My major complaint early on was that calls were dropping left and right when you'd go from upgraded towers to legacy towers.  That's been pretty much fixed.  Looking at the last update report just about every tower in the richmond area is at least 3g accepted.  Now just sitting back and seeing LTE get lit up in more places.  Would like to see 800 start to roll out though.

That depends on where you go

[DanielB]

read your own post

 

You make absolutely no sense. Please explain if you need me to clarify something, but I need to know what you're talking about first. Peace.

[Hurrcayne_dre]

You make absolutely no sense. Please explain if you need me to clarify something, but I need to know what you're talking about first. Peace.

From your own post you made claim that Richmond was the last major east coast market not to have NV1 but in fact DC/NoVA/Beltway is indeed still waiting on NV1 completion as well. So D.C. is number 1.

 

Did you even go back and read what you wrote

[DanielB]

DC has launched. Richmond has not.

[Galaxyguy]

DC has launched. Richmond has not.

D.C. has not yet launched. It's not on the Sprint maps yet and if it were launched, LTE would show on the Sprint map.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Note 8.0

[DanielB]

I stand corrected. Have gotten so used to good 4G LTE coverage up there for so long now, I made the faulty assumption they've launched!

[Galaxyguy]

I stand corrected. Have gotten so used to good 4G LTE coverage up there for so long now, I made the faulty assumption they've launched!

It probably won't be long though with how far along they are in the DC metro area.

[Dkoellerwx]

I stand corrected. Have gotten so used to good 4G LTE coverage up there for so long now, I made the faulty assumption they've launched!

DC is waiting for something, not really sure what as they've launched markets with less coverage than DC has, perhaps they're waiting for Spark to be further along first. DC is largely built out with NV 1.0, but LTE likely isn't as dense as it should be.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

[IamMrFamous07]

It probably won't be long though with how far along they are in the DC metro area.

Their LTE coverage is inconsistent in the metro area and it's still non existent in frederick. I really hope they are building out Spark (8t8r antennas) as well lte 800/1900. I feel once they are ready to commercially launch the Dc metro/frederick area, they should launch it with all 3 LTE bands not just 1900

[marioc21]

So after's Tuesday updates were posted it looks like 99% of the towers in the Richmond market are at least 3g accepted.  Nothing but 800/LTE expansion from this point on.  

 

I have also noticed that 1x800 has started popping up as I travel around town.  Just voice so far.  No sign of 800 LTE yet.  

[ajbrad]

so once 3g is 100% they will add 4g to those towers also.

[marioc21]

so once 3g is 100% they will add 4g to those towers also.

Yes. Once it's 3g accepted it basically means Sprint is just waiting for high speed backhaul at that tower. It will get 4g lte. It's just a matter of when. Could be tomorrow or 6 months from now. Just depends on the broadband provider.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

[DanielB]

I've noticed much more 1X 800, as well. Had it in Eastern Hanover yesterday evening, pulling all the way from a tower in Highland Springs. Cannot wait for 800 MHz LTE. Right now, at home in Western Henrico, I am smack in the middle of two 1900 MHz LTE towers and get great coverage outside - drops to 3G inside, so I am hoping 800 MHz fixes this.

[Raheim_M4]

DC has launched because when u travel up to NOVA to the DC/Maryland border LTE is strong and it stays like that until you hit Delaware when it's slightly weaker. I don't understand why Sprint can't get it like the other networks. They said LTE would come to my area in June...it's July! and unless I'm on my schools property LTE is very weak even though this tower is 2 miles away and I am always on 1 or 2 bars. Been getting more dropped calls ever since they started messing with the tower. People will call me and I hear weird beeps and buzzes. This is really pathetic I thought Network Vision would end this but it made it worse. I shouldn't have to sit outside to stream YouTube on LTE meanwhile in Atlanta at my dads I can get it in my room that's in the back of the house. I'll occasionally get kicked off to 3g but my non triband finds it again within 10 mins. Mind yall it was band 25 1900 I also had 1x800 down there. I can't leave sprint until Next August 2015 I'm not patient so I'm hoping on This Sprin-T-Mobile merger. I refuse to get a Spark phone I like SV LTE and if I can't text and talk like I can now on my non triband. I like dual antennas over the single one in a GS5, LG G2. I'm not bashing but I'm getting annoyed when I can't even call other sprint phones without having some sort of problem with the network. I got slightly better 3G -95dbm ehrpd but 1 bar sucks. So I'm calling sprint later to re ticket my tower on Genito because even when you're standing under the tower I get 2 bars LTE... like really?! In staten Island I get that inside pulling up to 35 megs download and 16 up on 1900 Spark.

[Fuber]

DC has launched because when u travel up to NOVA to the DC/Maryland border LTE is strong and it stays like that until you hit Delaware when it's slightly weaker. I don't understand why Sprint can't get it like the other networks. They said LTE would come to my area in June...it's July! and unless I'm on my schools property LTE is very weak even though this tower is 2 miles away and I am always on 1 or 2 bars. Been getting more dropped calls ever since they started messing with the tower. People will call me and I hear weird beeps and buzzes. This is really pathetic I thought Network Vision would end this but it made it worse. I shouldn't have to sit outside to stream YouTube on LTE meanwhile in Atlanta at my dads I can get it in my room that's in the back of the house. I'll occasionally get kicked off to 3g but my non triband finds it again within 10 mins. Mind yall it was band 25 1900 I also had 1x800 down there. I can't leave sprint until Next August 2015 I'm not patient so I'm hoping on This Sprin-T-Mobile merger. I refuse to get a Spark phone I like SV LTE and if I can't text and talk like I can now on my non triband. I like dual antennas over the single one in a GS5, LG G2. I'm not bashing but I'm getting annoyed when I can't even call other sprint phones without having some sort of problem with the network. I got slightly better 3G -95dbm ehrpd but 1 bar sucks. So I'm calling sprint later to re ticket my tower on Genito because even when you're standing under the tower I get 2 bars LTE... like really?! In staten Island I get that inside pulling up to 35 megs download and 16 up on 1900 Spark.

 

  It is, what it is. It's not magic. I takes time to get this done. NY has had it's growing pains, as will the Richmond area.  You have seen what the network can do in NY.  It will just take time.  Besides you will not get full benefit from not having a tri-band phone.  

[Galaxyguy]

DC has launched ...

 

I guess I'll post this once again.....

 

D.C. market has not yet launched. It's not on the Sprint maps yet and if it were launched, LTE would show on the Sprint map.

 

Sprint, unlike other providers (Verizon) gives you access to LTE as the towers are upgraded instead of waiting to "launch" a market. When Verizon would "launch" a market, they would wait until most of their towers were upgraded, then "flip a switch" to light them all up at once. Until a market is officially launched with Sprint, they probably won't help much with putting in tickets for work on specific locations since it's not yet officially launched. It wouldn't hurt to try though. 

[Hurrcayne_dre]

DC has launched because when u travel up to NOVA to the DC/Maryland border LTE is strong and it stays like that until you hit Delaware when it's slightly weaker. I don't understand why Sprint can't get it like the other networks. They said LTE would come to my area in June...it's July! and unless I'm on my schools property LTE is very weak even though this tower is 2 miles away and I am always on 1 or 2 bars. Been getting more dropped calls ever since they started messing with the tower. People will call me and I hear weird beeps and buzzes. This is really pathetic I thought Network Vision would end this but it made it worse. I shouldn't have to sit outside to stream YouTube on LTE meanwhile in Atlanta at my dads I can get it in my room that's in the back of the house. I'll occasionally get kicked off to 3g but my non triband finds it again within 10 mins. Mind yall it was band 25 1900 I also had 1x800 down there. I can't leave sprint until Next August 2015 I'm not patient so I'm hoping on This Sprin-T-Mobile merger. I refuse to get a Spark phone I like SV LTE and if I can't text and talk like I can now on my non triband. I like dual antennas over the single one in a GS5, LG G2. I'm not bashing but I'm getting annoyed when I can't even call other sprint phones without having some sort of problem with the network. I got slightly better 3G -95dbm ehrpd but 1 bar sucks. So I'm calling sprint later to re ticket my tower on Genito because even when you're standing under the tower I get 2 bars LTE... like really?! In staten Island I get that inside pulling up to 35 megs download and 16 up on 1900 Spark.

I get upset like the next man but this is not the place for you

[Dkoellerwx]

DC has launched because when u travel up to NOVA to the DC/Maryland border LTE is strong and it stays like that until you hit Delaware when it's slightly weaker. I don't understand why Sprint can't get it like the other networks. They said LTE would come to my area in June...it's July! and unless I'm on my schools property LTE is very weak even though this tower is 2 miles away and I am always on 1 or 2 bars. Been getting more dropped calls ever since they started messing with the tower. People will call me and I hear weird beeps and buzzes. This is really pathetic I thought Network Vision would end this but it made it worse. I shouldn't have to sit outside to stream YouTube on LTE meanwhile in Atlanta at my dads I can get it in my room that's in the back of the house. I'll occasionally get kicked off to 3g but my non triband finds it again within 10 mins. Mind yall it was band 25 1900 I also had 1x800 down there. I can't leave sprint until Next August 2015 I'm not patient so I'm hoping on This Sprin-T-Mobile merger. I refuse to get a Spark phone I like SV LTE and if I can't text and talk like I can now on my non triband. I like dual antennas over the single one in a GS5, LG G2. I'm not bashing but I'm getting annoyed when I can't even call other sprint phones without having some sort of problem with the network. I got slightly better 3G -95dbm ehrpd but 1 bar sucks. So I'm calling sprint later to re ticket my tower on Genito because even when you're standing under the tower I get 2 bars LTE... like really?! In staten Island I get that inside pulling up to 35 megs download and 16 up on 1900 Spark.

If you're getting 2 bars sitting under the tower, than it's likely not the site you are getting LTE from.

 

I don't believe that Sprint has given any official timeline for your area. If you got that date from a call with a representative, disregard it. Very few CSRs have access to the information needed to make that kind of a statement, and even fewer know what it means.

 

Tri-band devices send/receive texts through LTE, so that would not affect your data browsing. However, if SvLTE is that important to you during calls, you are out of luck until VoLTE matures. Or you'll need to move to Verizon. Otherwise, SvLTE is a thing of the past. I can count on one hand the times I've felt I needed SvLTE lately. I'll give you a hint. It starts with z.

 

Finally, it sounds like you haven't checked out the site rules. Please take a moment to read those, and possibly the FaQ pages. I think that will help you better understand what is occurring in your market currently.

 

Sent from my LG G3