Network Vision/LTE - New York City Market

[jamisonshaw125]

I think these all seem to be excellent points though I'd hasten to add that "just be(ing) patient" has been the tagline for the past 3+ years.  that they are evidently far better funded and supposedly better managed are major boosts for the company. I may do as another user suggested and jump ship until Sprint actually makes any of these claims a reality. 

 

Do what you must. Just remember that in many markets, and more everyday, these claims are exceeding peoples expectations. 

[lilotimz]

Do what you must. Just remember that in many markets, and more everyday, these claims are exceeding peoples expectations.

And in many they're underwhelmed...

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Dkoellerwx]

I think these all seem to be excellent points though I'd hasten to add that "just be(ing) patient" has been the tagline for the past 3+ years.  that they are evidently far better funded and supposedly better managed are major boosts for the company. I may do as another user suggested and jump ship until Sprint actually makes any of these claims a reality.

NYC is probably the toughest market to make a judgment on. In NYC, Sprint has more cell sites than many other markets, combined. It also has some of the densest population in the country. That makes it incredibly hard to develop a good mobile network. Sprint also hit quite a few delays in the market, not the least of which was Hurricane Sandy.

 

In other markets, where deployment has pretty much completed, the network performs above expectations. My average experience in Kansas City is a throughput of 15-25Mbps on Band 25 and 26, and 15-35Mbps on Band 41. And that is without the added benefit of the 8T8R Band 41 equipment. When that stuff goes live, I expect average speeds to jump closer to 30 or 40Mbps. Even higher when the second and third Band 41 carriers go live.

 

But again, that isn't your market, just an example of what can be. Sprint will get there in NYC, but it will take a little longer simply due to the shear number of cell sites.

[S4GRU]

No more ad nauseum complaints saying the same thing over and over again. Any further Sprint complaints from you morningside78 will be treated as a violation of the rules. You won't consider any explanation or evidence. You are just stuck on 'Sprint sucks.'

 

You're entitled to your opinion. But we don't have to hear it here. Especially since it violates the rules.

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1197-s4gru-posting-guidelines-aka-the-rulez/

 

You seem like you will not be happy with Sprint. You should lower your blood pressure and get another provider.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[Morningside78]

Fewer than 20 devices actively using a Band 25 connection on any particular sector is enough to slow it down considerably, if not make it unusable. That is why Sprint is scrambling to deploy Band 26 and Band 41. Band 41's capacity is considerably larger than Band 25. But it will take widespread adoption of tri-band devices to spread usage out enough to make all bands usable at all times.

 

wow that's amazing.  and while I understand why they wouldn't advertise it, just how inadequate the bandwidth was is a pretty staggering thing.

 

if I were able to demo a tri-band device, is there one (or more) in particular you'd recommend?

[Dkoellerwx]

wow that's amazing.  and while I understand why they wouldn't advertise it, just how inadequate the bandwidth was is a pretty staggering thing.

 

if I were able to demo a tri-band device, is there one (or more) in particular you'd recommend?

When you realize that the peak throughput possible on 5x5 Band 25 carrier is 37.5Mbps, it makes sense why a few devices actively using a particular sector can slow it down. That is why the 10x10 deployments can support more people. However, those other carriers are in a similar situation as Sprint, with their original LTE spectrum slowing to a crawl in many places.

 

For tri-band, I would recommend the Nexus 5, LG G3, or HTC One M8.

 

The Samsung Mega, Samsung GS5, LG G2 and One Max are also good tri-band devices

[Paynefanbro]

Sprint is right behind AT&T now in Brooklyn.

AT&T: 9.94 Mbps

Sprint: 9.23 Mbps

 

In the Bronx: 

AT&T: 8.48 Mbps

Sprint: 8.41 Mbps

 

Sprint will likely surpass AT&T and join Manhattan in being #3 by year end. This is getting interesting.

[Morningside78]

When you realize that the peak throughput possible on 5x5 Band 25 carrier is 37.5Mbps, it makes sense why a few devices actively using a particular sector can slow it down. That is why the 10x10 deployments can support more people. However, those other carriers are in a similar situation as Sprint, with their original LTE spectrum slowing to a crawl in many places.

 

For tri-band, I would recommend the Nexus 5, LG G3, or HTC One M8.

 

The Samsung Mega, Samsung GS5, LG G2 and One Max are also good tri-band devices

 

thank you again for all of your help.  I'll give the S5 a whirl for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

[nexgencpu]

Sprint is right behind AT&T now in Brooklyn.

AT&T: 9.94 Mbps

Sprint: 9.23 Mbps

 

In the Bronx: 

AT&T: 8.48 Mbps

Sprint: 8.41 Mbps

 

Sprint will likely surpass AT&T and join Manhattan in being #3 by year end. This is getting interesting.

The most interesting part of that is the majority of these scores come from B25 only devices. The average speed of a tri band device is quite a bit higher than these numbers suggest. 

 

Also as a side note, looks like sprint has already surpassed ATT in Manhattan and certain parts of queens. 

[Paynefanbro]

Band 26 is now live on one of the towers that services my home. Downtilt hasn't been adjusted though. Band 26 signal in my home is virtually the same and Band 25 and it drops just as fast if not faster than Band 25 in my home. It seems as though Sprint is flying through the city since areas, as far a Mill Basin, are getting Band 26.

[nexgencpu]

Yup B26 all over midtown too, Ive picked it up on 37st 5th ave as well for the first time 2 days ago..

[lennyj17]

Hey Guys - Some of you may know me from Hofo or SU (LOL @ that place now).. Never really joined the convo here becasue I was burned out from the Non-Stop Sprint Haterism and mis-information that flies around the Tech/Wireless sites now about Sprint....

 

Anyway I used to be a serious Sprint Fanboy... I left Sprint back Nov 2012 to Verizon as a "Detour" if you will, while my main road "Sprint" was getting "re-paved". More people should've done this rather than just complain about the torchure of waiting on NV upgrades. I've always intended on coming back to Sprint once NV and Tri-band was pretty solid, I still have my Sprint Account as their are still family using it. I believe I left Sprint at the exact right time, as my 2-years on Verizon will be up just as NYC will be solid Tri-Band, and CA equipment will start rolling out on Sprint.

 

My 2 years on Verizon were "usable" nothing "Out of this World" Good, as my equipment (Droid DNA and iPad 3) can only access the 700 mhz LTE and that sh*t is saturated in the City. At this point I'm knocked to 3G and 1X almost as often as I was on Sprint with WiMax. I have been watching this thread very closely as I want to be sure when I plan to return all functions of Spark/NV performing at (in Hesse verbage) "Best Ever Levels" in the NYC metro, that means the City, Jersey, LI, Westchester. It seems like it will meet my expectations by Nov 2014 my planned return... Except for my one central concern which lead me to come out of hiding and start posting.

 

 

PENN STATION - the Nexus of my Daily Commuting. I need one of you guys to provide updates on Penn, if you commute through there often. Anyone travels through Penn knew that this is a Big Swan Dive of a sore spot for Sprint, even more-so now that Verizon, ATT, and TMO all have full service inside Penn, even down on the Tracks. Verizon is still only thing in the Hudson River Tunnel, but that's not a deal breaker for me.  I need Sprint to fix Penn however before I come back, I can't be in Penn Station for hours (when there's delays) and have No Usable Service..

 

So Guys let me know the status of NV/Spark within Penn if you can... Voice was never a problem for me in Penn, even with my last Sprint device the EVO 3D.     

[nexgencpu]

 

PENN STATION - the Nexus of my Daily Commuting. I need one of you guys to provide updates on Penn, if you commute through there often. Anyone travels through Penn knew that this is a Big Swan Dive of a sore spot for Sprint, even more-so now that Verizon, ATT, and TMO all have full service inside Penn, even down on the Tracks. Verizon is still only thing in the Hudson River Tunnel, but that's not a deal breaker for me.  I need Sprint to fix Penn however before I come back, I can't be in Penn Station for hours (when there's delays) and have No Usable Service..

 

So Guys let me know the status of NV/Spark within Penn if you can... Voice was never a problem for me in Penn, even with my last Sprint device the EVO 3D.     

Funny that you ask, I was just in penn station last week, and it was in one word...horror. I was trying to get together with a buddy of mine underground and we decided to meet in front of Friday's. Unfortunately for us, there are two Friday's (why i have no idea!!) in Penn station. So while he sat waiting for me at one, I stood at the other for at least 10-15 minutes before realizing we are in different locations. He personally has ATT, and his service was just as bad if not WORSE than mine. 

Needless to say, we missed our trains to south jersey because of the lack of communication. 

 

On a more positive note, I don't think service is far off, as most midtown stations now host voice and data services.

 

But if your main point of use is Penn Station, sprint is still a no go....

[lennyj17]

Funny that you ask, I was just in penn station last week, and it was in one word...horror. I was trying to get together with a buddy of mine underground and we decided to meet in front of Friday's. Unfortunately for us, there are two Friday's (why i have no idea!!) in Penn station. So while he sat waiting for me at one, I stood at the other for at least 10-15 minutes before realizing we are in different locations. He personally has ATT, and his service was just as bad if not WORSE than mine. 

Needless to say, we missed our trains to south jersey because of the lack of communication. 

 

On a more positive note, I don't think service is far off, as most midtown stations now host voice and data services.

 

But if your main point of use is Penn Station, sprint is still a no go....

 

 

Thanks for the Update.... Boy I hope this is fixed before I come back... While this is just One Spot in the city, its a big deal for me... A Deal Breaker... I probably will stay off Contract with Verizon until Penn is fixed if ever. Come On Sprint fix Penn Station

[Morningside78]

hey guys, for those of you who were helpful yesterday, thanks so much for your assistance and patience in explaining the situation to me.

 

following what was recommended here, I picked up a tri-band device (Galaxy S5) and will be using it for the next few weeks to see if the LTE is noticeably better.  just as an aside, a. is there a way to force the device onto band 41 and b. is there a way to check which band I am currently connected to?

Edited July 29, 2014 by Morningside78

[lilotimz]

hey guys, for those of you who were helpful yesterday, thanks so much for your assistance and patience in explaining the situation to me.

 

following what was recommended here, I picked up a tri-band device (Galaxy S5) and will be using it for the next few weeks to see if the LTE is noticeably better. just as an aside, a. is there a way to force the device onto band 41 and b. is there a way to check which band I am currently connected to?

The network determines which lte band your connected to based off signal quality, reception, speeds and etc. Right now it's shunting triband users to LTE 800 or 2500 when available due to the overloaded band 25 carrier.

 

The best way to check it would be accessing the engineering screen on the Samsung galaxy s5 which can easily be found through Google.

 

Most of us run signalcheck here but Samsung has software issues where all the report is a standard 310120 which causes issues with that app so engineering screen is the way to go with samsung devices.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Dkoellerwx]

hey guys, for those of you who were helpful yesterday, thanks so much for your assistance and patience in explaining the situation to me.

 

following what was recommended here, I picked up a tri-band device (Galaxy S5) and will be using it for the next few weeks to see if the LTE is noticeably better.  just as an aside, a. is there a way to force the device onto band 41 and b. is there a way to check which band I am currently connected to?

 

Pull up the engineering screen by dialling ##DEBUG#, then you'll need to enter SPRINT (777468) to unlock it. The select LTE. That will show the band you are connected to.

 

Signal Check works as well, but as Tim said, Samsung devices don't always report the PLMN properly, so it may not always show band 41 correctly. 

[nexgencpu]

hey guys, for those of you who were helpful yesterday, thanks so much for your assistance and patience in explaining the situation to me.

 

following what was recommended here, I picked up a tri-band device (Galaxy S5) and will be using it for the next few weeks to see if the LTE is noticeably better.  just as an aside, a. is there a way to force the device onto band 41 and b. is there a way to check which band I am currently connected to?

Quick and dirty way to tell if your connecting to B41 using signal check, pay attention to the GCI, if it starts with 02 in our market designates Clear Band 41. 

[jwang]

hey guys, for those of you who were helpful yesterday, thanks so much for your assistance and patience in explaining the situation to me.

 

following what was recommended here, I picked up a tri-band device (Galaxy S5) and will be using it for the next few weeks to see if the LTE is noticeably better.  just as an aside, a. is there a way to force the device onto band 41 and b. is there a way to check which band I am currently connected to?

 

Plus Sprint has a 30-day free trial policy there. You have no risk to give the network another chance.

[Morningside78]

Thank you all for the added information. I also went back and read the thread on the signal bars and LTE and saw how to enter the engineering field (and also that the signal bars do actually show LTE signal strength on tri-band devices). In my apartment on the UWS - I no longer live in Morningside Heights - I'm getting 1 bar of LTE. The RSRP ranges from about -105 to -107 and next to band is: 25. So to this point it looks as if bands 41 and 26 are either unavailable in my area. To that end, I'm getting virtually identical LTE performance with the S5 as I did with my iPhone 5s. I will see how things shake it out in other parts of the city this week.

[lilotimz]

Thank you all for the added information. I also went back and read the thread on the signal bars and LTE and saw how to enter the engineering field (and also that the signal bars do actually show LTE signal strength on tri-band devices). In my apartment on the UWS - I no longer live in Morningside Heights - I'm getting 1 bar of LTE. The RSRP ranges from about -105 to -107 and next to band is: 25. So to this point it looks as if bands 41 and 26 are either unavailable in my area. To that end, I'm getting virtually identical LTE performance with the S5 as I did with my iPhone 5s. I will see how things shake it out in other parts of the city this week.

 

If you can give us a general overview of  the areas where you go about we have maps in  the sponsor areas that allow us to look exactly at each and every sprint cell site in the area and their status on upgrades. I'm sure we can give a pointer or two at the nearest clear or sprint cell site for you to test if you're willing to do so. 

[Morningside78]

If you can give us a general overview of  the areas where you go about we have maps in  the sponsor areas that allow us to look exactly at each and every sprint cell site in the area and their status on upgrades. I'm sure we can give a pointer or two at the nearest clear or sprint cell site for you to test if you're willing to do so. 

 

thanks for the offer.  most of the time I'm between 86th and 105th, from West End Ave. to Columbus. 

 

what I can report is a bit interesting is that if I literally sit right up against an east facing window in my apartment pointed toward Central Park from a very high floor, I can get the RSRP down -88 to -90, still on band 25.  with that, however, speed tests run in Ookla render basically the same results as when I'm on my couch with a -106.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Morningside78

[transitwatch889]

thanks for the offer.  most of the time I'm between 86th and 105th, from West End Ave. to Columbus. 

 

what I can report is a bit interesting is that if I literally sit right up against an east facing window in my apartment pointed toward Central Park from a very high floor, I can get the RSRP down -88 to -90, still on band 25.  with that, however, speed tests run in Ookla render basically the same results as when I'm on my couch with a -106.

from my experience is working and high-rise buildings. Sprint LTE which is although I have to go on in my observations is very weak in those instances. The fact that you're getting signal is good as there must be a tower in relatively good line of site for you in that location. What are your speeds? I've been on 40th floor and get just 3g Sprint evdo in my experience when I'm with clients.

[Cardsfan96]

Sprint is right behind AT&T now in Brooklyn.

AT&T: 9.94 Mbps

Sprint: 9.23 Mbps

 

In the Bronx: 

AT&T: 8.48 Mbps

Sprint: 8.41 Mbps

 

Sprint will likely surpass AT&T and join Manhattan in being #3 by year end. This is getting interesting

 

Where did you get this info? Just curious.

[nexgencpu]

Where did you get this info? Just curious.

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