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Network Vision/LTE - New York City Market


Ace41690

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do you have any proof of this?  I'm not quite sure why you're being hostile, but try to understand that not everyone can justify throwing away $250/month every month for several years on service that's failed to deliver on any of its promises.  to just say "Sprint has so much bandwidth" without anything to back it up just sounds like marketing to me.  I heard virtually the exact same pitch over 2 years ago and yet here we are with LTE slower than competitor 3G.

Spectrum holdings are public.

 

Sprint has far more EBS/BRS spectrum than other carriers have in total, on the order of 120MHz in many markets.

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I suppose you were probably typing this while I replied, but check my post on the previous page for the answer.

 

thanks for the reply.  basically still would have to see some proof to support any of it as just saying there will be a lot of bandwidth is something I've already heard umpteen times from Sprint.  the "just wait until next year" line is also one I've heard from Sprint since about 2011.  just feels like a lot of the same spin with different dates and numbers.  I do hope I am wrong about all of this. 

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thanks for the reply.  basically still would have to see some proof to support any of it as just saying there will be a lot of bandwidth is something I've already heard umpteen times from Sprint.  the "just wait until next year" line is also one I've heard from Sprint since about 2011.  just feels like a lot of the same spin with different dates and numbers.  I do hope I am wrong about all of this.

Well, Sprint is already deploying 1 carrier of Band 41, and intends to deploy a 2nd carrier by years end. With a 3rd carrier coming by mid-2015. That was the whole point of the new 8T8R equipment that is rapidly being deployed all across the country. To significantly increase the capacity and peak speeds of the network.

 

Additionally, we are already seeing the 2nd Band 25 carrier come online in markets such as Chicago and the Shentel area, with more markets expected this fall as Sprint is able to clear out some EVDO and CDMA carriers.

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oh and I definitely get what the upgrade is intended to do, but what proof is there that band 41 won't be completely super-saturated once enough Sprint customers start owning devices capable of connecting to it?  will they be running many bands simultaneously to deal with the demand? 

 

I have to say, I recall nothing 2+ years ago that said band 25 was going to crash and burn as miserably as it has.  And indeed, as I said in my previous message, when I was one of about 5 people using LTE in my neighborhood (provided I didn't wander off Broadway for about a 10-block strip) it was pretty quick, and that was when LTE in the area was purely in the testing stage.  Then many more people got LTE-capable devices and you get what I'm getting right now sitting by a window on the UWS facing a tower about 2 blocks away:  ~2.5 Mbps down and ~ 0.5 Mbps up.

if you are in Morningside Manhattan that whole strip is saturated with band 41 and band 26 carriers are being turned on as we speak. If you stayed this long then testing a device on a seprate line that is tri band will give you a better idea of the state of the network in your area. The only way to know is to experience yourself. Our words won't mean much with out you takin it upon yourself to see if there is actual improvement that merrits staying with Sprint on the next upgrade cycle. If not T-Mobile just introduced an awesome rate plan promotion taking effect the 30th and I think they are still paying for people's disconnects. That may work for you in the meantime. You can always come back at a later date to see if things improve. Even in my area I get overloaded band 25 sectors. Band 26 is available and when j need to stream i can force it down or just pop my WiFi on. In the streets I'm always on band 41 in my neighborhood personally. Where I travel most I get consistent service. So it works for "me"! See if it works for you! With the proper equipment I'm sure you'll see a difference.
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do you have any proof of this?  I'm not quite sure why you're being hostile, but try to understand that not everyone can justify throwing away $250/month every month for several years on service that's failed to deliver on any of its promises.  to just say "Sprint has so much bandwidth" without anything to back it up just sounds like marketing to me.  I heard virtually the exact same pitch over 2 years ago and yet here we are with LTE slower than competitor 3G.

To address this again, spectrum holdings are public. The claim that Sprint has more spectrum than the other carriers is completely true, you can look it up yourself. In many markets they hold up to 120MHz of usable spectrum. And that doesn't county PCS or SMR, that's purely EBS/BRS, which will be used for Band 41/Spark.

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thanks for the reply.  basically still would have to see some proof to support any of it as just saying there will be a lot of bandwidth is something I've already heard umpteen times from Sprint.  the "just wait until next year" line is also one I've heard from Sprint since about 2011.  just feels like a lot of the same spin with different dates and numbers.  I do hope I am wrong about all of this. 

Band 41 works very well, it's worth upgrading to a spark capable phone. Unfortunately if you want to stay within the iOS ecosystem, that means waiting for the next iPhone. Something to keep in mind though, is there will always be newer tech coming out with better features (like carrier aggregation). It's no different than when I bought my EVO 4G or EVO LTE. I thought they were great until LTE and later tri-band phones came out, and the same thing will happen with my Nexus 5 with the next generation of phones.

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To address this again, spectrum holdings are public. The claim that Sprint has more spectrum than the other carriers is completely true, you can look it up yourself. In many markets they hold up to 120MHz of usable spectrum.

I don't think Sprint even claims in its marketing to have more spectrum or capability for capacity. It is only the tech media that has said those types of things. He can simply Google it and find hundreds of links for himself.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

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Well, Sprint is already deploying 1 carrier of Band 41, and intends to deploy a 2nd carrier by years end. With a 3rd carrier coming by mid-2015. That was the whole point of the new 8T8R equipment that is rapidly being deployed all across the country. To significantly increase the capacity and peak speeds of the network.

 

Additionally, we are already seeing the 2nd Band 25 carrier come online in markets such as Chicago and the Shentel area, with more markets expected this fall as Sprint is able to clear out some EVDO and CDMA carriers.

 

fair enough.  I read an article that quoted the Sprint CEO a number of months back saying that one of the big challenges for Sprint is that although they have more bandwidth than their competitors, Sprint's bandwidth lacks the contiguousness of its competitors and this has made delivering a faster product slower and more challenging.  I would be fine with all of that except for Sprint's utter ineptitude over the previous 12 years I've been a customer.  hopefully they're able to manage all of the bandwidth they now have and can also deal with what will likely be some pesky FCC investigations.

Edited by Morningside78
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fair enough. I read an article that quoted the Sprint CEO a number of months back saying that one of the big challenges for Sprint is that although they have more bandwidth than their competitors, Sprint's bandwidth lacks the contiguousness of its competitors and this has made delivering a faster product slower and more challenging. I would be fine with all of that except for Sprint's utter ineptitude over the previous 12 years I've been a customer. hopefully they're able to manage all of the bandwidth they now have and can also deal with what will likely be some pesky FCC investigations.

The sprint you are familiar with is dead and long gone. This is the new sprint. Things are getting done, and spark is going to be a hell of a game changer.
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fair enough.  I read an article that quoted the Sprint CEO a number of months back saying that one of the big challenges for Sprint is that although they have more bandwidth than their competitors, Sprint's bandwidth lacks the contiguousness

This much is true, it's virtually impossible for Sprint to deploy a 10x10 or 15x15 LTE carrier as it's competitors have done in some markets. However, that limitation will be mitigated by Carrier Aggregation and LTE-A when it becomes possible early next year. That is when Sprint plans to begin aggregating it's Band 41 carriers to produce 40MHz, and eventually 60MHz channels.

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The sprint you are familiar with is dead and long gone. This is the new sprint. Things are getting done, and spark is going to be a hell of a game changer.

 

look, I really don't want to continue being argumentative here but I must say the following.  since LTE started being discussed in earnest or even addressed by Sprint in my conversations with them back in July 2011, I've heard the following:

 

we've improved everything

wait another year

buy a different phone

 

it's now nearly August 2014 and I'm hearing almost exactly the same thing.  I hope you can appreciate my frustration. 

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look, I really don't want to continue being argumentative here but I must say the following. since LTE started being discussed in earnest or even addressed by Sprint in my conversations with them back in July 2011, I've heard the following:

 

we've improved everything

wait another year

buy a different phone

 

it's now nearly August 2014 and I'm hearing almost exactly the same thing. I hope you can appreciate my frustration.

Everything has improved and continues too, there is always going to be something to wait for because upgrades are constantly happening... Otherwise the company would go bankrupt due to not implementing new tech, and yes, buy a new phone. The reality is that spark uses 3 different LTE bands on 3 different frequencies. No devices except for the newest android devices and the 5s and 5c can pick them up. The 5s and 5c will not do band 41.

 

You can't judge a network when you're not utilizing the full potential off it. I hope you stick with sprint and it suits you, if not then I'm sure there are options that can meet your needs.

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This much is true, it's virtually impossible for Sprint to deploy a 10x10 or 15x15 LTE carrier as it's competitors have done in some markets. However, that limitation will be mitigated by Carrier Aggregation and LTE-A when it becomes possible early next year. That is when Sprint plans to begin aggregating it's Band 41 carriers to produce 40MHz, and eventually 60MHz channels.

 

ok, thank you for your help.  I also appreciate your courtesy and civility.

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I would be fine with all of that except for Sprint's utter ineptitude over the previous 12 years I've been a customer.

 

Let me paraphrase a famous aphorism.  Fool me for one year, shame on you.  Fool me for a dozen years, shame on me.

 

Why put up with as you see it "Sprint's utter ineptitude over the previous 12 years"?  You have at least partly yourself to blame.  Why would you stay?  If it is because of credits, perks, discounts, or other enticements, then you have accepted the Faustian bargain.  And you have to assume some personal responsibility for that.

 

AJ

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Everything has improved and continues too, there is always going to be something to wait for because upgrades are constantly happening... Otherwise the company would go bankrupt due to not implementing new tech, and yes, buy a new phone. The reality is that spark uses 3 different LTE bands on 3 different frequencies. No devices except for the newest android devices and the 5s and 5c can pick them up. The 5s and 5c will not do band 41.

 

You can't judge a network when you're not utilizing the full potential off it.

 

again, the exact same things were said 3 years ago, just using the names of different devices.  at no point was there any indication given to me that Sprint's LTE would be wholly unable to deal with the customer demand in New York City.  that the issue has morphed into being one that results solely from Sprint's mismanagement of either its infrastructure, its public relations or both is why I think anyone should meet any of these claims with skepticism.  nobody disputes the rapid progression of technology.  what rings a bit hollow is how it seems that whatever Sprint does consistently leaves the bulk of its customers a generation (or more) behind the means to benefit from it. 

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Let me paraphrase a famous aphorism.  Fool me for one year, shame on you.  Fool me for a dozen years, shame on me.

 

Why put up with as you see it "Sprint's utter ineptitude over the previous 12 years"?  You have at least partly yourself to blame.  Why would you stay?  If it is because of credits, perks, discounts, or other enticements, then you have accepted the Faustian bargain.  And you have to assume some personal responsibility for that.

 

AJ

 

all of the above.  and that I've been stupid enough to continue paying Sprint is a major source of my frustration.  a couple of things that have made things more difficult for me in the past few years was that I basically had no choice but to bring some family members on board with me, and that's virtually embedded me in the Sprint camp.  trust me, I was completely gone in early 2012 and then some life situations intervened.  beyond that,in terms of what Sprint offers, there's zero they are doing other than the threat of damaging my credit rating and possible litigation that keeps me as a paying customer - but please just accept that those situations I alluded to were/are way beyond my control. 

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is this accessible to those of us who don't own tri-band phones?

Band 26 I'd available to triband devices and iPhone 5s/5c devices.

 

The lte 800 setup is immediate activation for capacity purposes and Rf engineers will arrive later to optimize the antennas for coverage and capacity.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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again, the exact same things were said 3 years ago, just using the names of different devices. at no point was there any indication given to me that Sprint's LTE would be wholly unable to deal with the customer demand in New York City. that the issue has morphed into being one that results solely from Sprint's mismanagement of either its infrastructure, its public relations or both is why I think anyone should meet any of these claims with skepticism. nobody disputes the rapid progression of technology. what rings a bit hollow is how it seems that whatever Sprint does consistently leaves the bulk of its customers a generation (or more) behind the means to benefit from it.

 

from my understanding and reading sprints network was intially suppose to be band 25, refarmed and repurposed band 26 from Nextel and and spectrum hosting agreement with lightsquared. Which went backrupt due to spectrum interference of GPS signals. The contingency plan was to use clearwire spectrum but Sprint didn't have the funds to continue to build out the lte network they had planned until Softbank came and purchased Sprint and then helped finance the purchase of clearwire as well. Sprint has had a lot of against them to be where they are currently a lot of mismanagement and wasted resources and just had timing. But! Brightside is that they have the management in place now and the funding. Now it's just being patient. I've jumped and left all carriers besides never having Verizon. I see the most positive in my perspective from sprints position. It's just about being an educated consumer.
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all of the above.  and that I've been stupid enough to continue paying Sprint is a major source of my frustration.  a couple of things that have made things more difficult for me in the past few years was that I basically had no choice but to bring some family members on board with me, and that's virtually embedded me in the Sprint camp.  trust me, I was completely gone in early 2012 and then some life situations intervened.  beyond that,in terms of what Sprint offers, there's zero they are doing other than the threat of damaging my credit rating and possible litigation that keeps me as a paying customer - but please just accept that those situations I alluded to were/are way beyond my control. 

 

I understand that. The only way for you to experience it yourself is to try it out. If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work. There is nothing else I can say other than Spark isn't going anywhere. Spark is the future of Sprint. They can not afford to have another wimax or nextel fiasco. It won't happen under Masa's watch.

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Band 26 I'd available to triband devices and iPhone 5s/5c devices.

 

is there a way to force my 5S onto this band?  it seems I'm only ever on 25.

 

 

 

The lte 800 setup is immediate activation for capacity purposes and Rf engineers will arrive later to optimize the antennas for coverage and capacity.

 

hehe sorry...don't really know what any of that means.

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is there a way to force my 5S onto this band?  it seems I'm only ever on 25.

 

 

 

 

hehe sorry...don't really know what any of that means.

The 5s will hop onto b26 as soon as it becomes available. There is no update needed. If b26 is there, your phone will go onto it if the network tells your phone to. The next sentence translates to: they turn it on, let it perform for a while and come back and tune it to make it better sometime later.

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is there a way to force my 5S onto this band?  it seems I'm only ever on 25.

 

 

 

hehe sorry...don't really know what any of that means.

from my readings of others in band 26 coverage areas. The 5s doesn't want to switch over actively on it own it will camp on band 25 unless u are out of coverage of band 25 which is rare as the power levels currently overlap each other and give similar dbm readings in most cases.
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from my understanding and reading sprints network was intially suppose to be band 25, refarmed and repurposed band 26 from Nextel and and spectrum hosting agreement with lightsquared. Which went backrupt due to spectrum interference of GPS signals. The contingency plan was to use clearwire spectrum but Sprint didn't have the funds to continue to build out the lte network they had planned until Softbank came and purchased Sprint and then helped finance the purchase of clearwire as well. Sprint has had a lot of against them to be where they are currently a lot of mismanagement and wasted resources and just had timing. But! Brightside is that they have the management in place now and the funding. Now it's just being patient. I've jumped and left all carriers besides never having Verizon. I see the most positive in my perspective from sprints position. It's just about being an educated consumer.

 

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. 

 

Edited by Morningside78
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again, the exact same things were said 3 years ago, just using the names of different devices.  at no point was there any indication given to me that Sprint's LTE would be wholly unable to deal with the customer demand in New York City.  that the issue has morphed into being one that results solely from Sprint's mismanagement of either its infrastructure, its public relations or both is why I think anyone should meet any of these claims with skepticism.  nobody disputes the rapid progression of technology.  what rings a bit hollow is how it seems that whatever Sprint does consistently leaves the bulk of its customers a generation (or more) behind the means to benefit from it.

Of course no one advertised that Band 25 would not be sustainable by itself, why would a company advertise it's shortfalls? 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.

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