Network Vision/LTE - Milwaukee Market (including Madison)

[aackmann]

So, this tower is NOT broadcasting LTE then?

 

Also, I see from your pictures that those are ATT signs...sure that is for Sprint?

 

Yes, that tower is Sprint. In this case, Sprint is renting space on AT&T's tower. In this same fenced-in area, there's a little building that AT&T must have their equipment inside. This tower is not broadcasting LTE, the little bits of LTE around 92nd and Beloit are probably coming from a tower in the Derrty Derrty (West Allis). 

 

Here is a picture of the top of that tower. The panels at the very top are AT&T's. The bottom ones are Sprint's. Keep an eye out for new panels on the bottom rack, they will probably look kind of similar to AT&T's longer ones. Look for the little boxes behind each panel.

 

[mmark27]

Seminole Hwy and PD, my home tower in Fitchburg, greeted me with two dudes on the top rack (Sprint's) when I returned from the airport. Godspeed gentlemen!

 

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

 

 

[donjohnson]

OK..thanks..I was way off on my thinking there.

 

Not only did I believe the shorter of the two towers in that location was Sprint, I also thought it was 4G.

 

Makes perfect sense that it is not LTE yet though seeing how the 4G signal vanishes when you go 1 block south (that would be some pathetic range).

 

Yes, that tower is Sprint. In this case, Sprint is renting space on AT&T's tower. In this same fenced-in area, there's a little building that AT&T must have their equipment inside. This tower is not broadcasting LTE, the little bits of LTE around 92nd and Beloit are probably coming from a tower in the Derrty Derrty (West Allis). 

 

Here is a picture of the top of that tower. The panels at the very top are AT&T's. The bottom ones are Sprint's. Keep an eye out for new panels on the bottom rack, they will probably look kind of similar to AT&T's longer ones. Look for the little boxes behind each panel.

 

 

[aackmann]

OK..thanks..I was way off on my thinking there.

 

Not only did I believe the shorter of the two towers in that location was Sprint, I also thought it was 4G.

 

Makes perfect sense that it is not LTE yet though seeing how the 4G signal vanishes when you go 1 block south (that would be some pathetic range).

 

Sure thing man. It was hard for me to spot Sprint NV equipment, I'm still not perfect. But actually, it is the shorter of the two towers I am referring to, and took the pictures of. The taller one must be another carrier, and I think the taller one might have old Nextel panels on the lower rack.

[norsairius]

Well, for what it's worth, service has been a bit more consistent downtown lately. I'd previously been unable to do any speed tests more often than not. The vast majority of them would fail entirely.

 

It feels like over the past few days or so I've actually been able to do a few and get some okay speeds. Pings have ranged anywhere from maybe 160-400ms and speeds have been between 15-40KB/s down. It's not stellar, but it's been better, if only slightly.

 

Of course, just as I write this, a speed test just came up with 3700 ms ping, 0.2 KB/s download speeds, and oddly ~83 KB/s upload. Another one right after: 4500 ms ping, 11.2 KB/s download, 0 KB/s upload. Not even kidding, just 2 minutes before these, I got 370 ms ping, 39.5 KB/s download, and 2 KB/s upload. On the bright side of things, the tests succeeded rather than completely timing out. So more tests have been succeeding lately.

 

I hope that theory about tower work being done and Sprint waiting to turn them all on simultaneously is true. The relief will then at least be all at once as opposed to gradual, which may actually be a better thing from an overall experience standpoint (as opposed to being slowly teased with a slow increase to better service).

[aackmann]

I just hope we start to see more action in the general Milwaukee/Waukesha area. You can see they have been working from outside in mostly (aside from a few Milwaukee LTE sites). And we know there are a bunch of towers with NV panels on them that aren't broadcasting LTE.... I'm VERY eagerly awaiting the next site acceptance report. 

[mmark27]

I'm VERY eagerly awaiting the next site acceptance report.

Queue "Price is Right" loser music.....

 

Can't believe we got blanked on acceptance reports!!!!

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

 

 

[aackmann]

Queue "Price is Right" loser music.....

 

Can't believe we got blanked on acceptance reports!!!!

 

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4

 

 

I know! I can't believe it!

[apphysics]

The guys were back up on the tower by Brown Deer and 43 today. It appears that they have some of the NV stuff on already.

 

How long does it take for them fully upgrade/test/ready a tower to be deployed?

[Silenze]

There really is no timeframe. Its pretty much done when its done.

But visible work is better then nothing

The guys were back up on the tower by Brown Deer and 43 today. It appears that they have some of the NV stuff on already.

 

How long does it take for them fully upgrade/test/ready a tower to be deployed?

[putterizer]

Well, for what it's worth, service has been a bit more consistent downtown lately. I'd previously been unable to do any speed tests more often than not. The vast majority of them would fail entirely.

 

It feels like over the past few days or so I've actually been able to do a few and get some okay speeds. Pings have ranged anywhere from maybe 160-400ms and speeds have been between 15-40KB/s down. It's not stellar, but it's been better, if only slightly.

 

Of course, just as I write this, a speed test just came up with 3700 ms ping, 0.2 KB/s download speeds, and oddly ~83 KB/s upload. Another one right after: 4500 ms ping, 11.2 KB/s download, 0 KB/s upload. Not even kidding, just 2 minutes before these, I got 370 ms ping, 39.5 KB/s download, and 2 KB/s upload. On the bright side of things, the tests succeeded rather than completely timing out. So more tests have been succeeding lately.

 

I hope that theory about tower work being done and Sprint waiting to turn them all on simultaneously is true. The relief will then at least be all at once as opposed to gradual, which may actually be a better thing from an overall experience standpoint (as opposed to being slowly teased with a slow increase to better service).

 

If everyone would quit running speedtests and hogging bandwidth all day by attempting to run speed tests, the speed would increase.

[apphysics]

Just a question. When they say "the radios are at the top of the panel instead of at the base" what does that mean? Is it that the devices actually making the signal are normally at the base, but will not be up top? If so, what is the job of the panels themselves. I had always thought that the radios were the panels....

 

Can anyone help me understand this one?

[smalltimehack]

I really doubt a few of us doing speed tests compared to the hundreds that are using their phone normally are making that drastic of a difference.

Will it effect it? Probably.

Will it change from 10 m down to 2 because of a speed test? Doubt it.

[kb122]

Just did a profile and PRL update at my house in Sussex and picked up 1x800 from Cedarburg (tower is 16 miles away according to google maps) for about 5 minutes.  Does 800 take priority if it finds it?

[ThomasM]

Here are a couple pictures of the 92nd and Beloit base. The first one was from May 23rd, the second one was from yesterday (10/6). in the 10/6 one you can clearly see a new cabinet to the left, as well as what looks to be a new fiber connection on the right side. So maybe we'll see some new panels soon! 

 

I remember when that tower was built.  It was owned by NEXTEL and was one of a handful of very tall sites they installed in the Milwaukee area to expand their Chicago coverage.  They didn't open an office in Milwaukee and begin marketing the service until 1997.  I know-I went to work for them in February 1998!!

 

When it went up it had only three 10dB omnidirectional fiberglass antennas at the top and BOY did it have coverage!!!

[norsairius]

If everyone would quit running speedtests and hogging bandwidth all day by attempting to run speed tests, the speed would increase.

I think a network that advertises unlimited data is basically asking for bandwidth hogs to join the network. I would use more of the bandwidth if I could, but the capability just isn't there because of the lack of service.I was trying to provide some objectivity in my post through some test results. Spotting panels and such is more difficult in an urban environment so there isn't really a better way for me to provide updates or feedback on network performance as the improvements to the network continue to progress.

 

If Sprint can't handle some speed tests, they're in for a while whole different world of trouble when people start looking at pictures on Facebook or Instagram, streaming music on Pandora, or watching videos on Netflix and YouTube.

 

I view the speed tests as being relatively low impact compared to what everyone else would rather be doing on the network.

 

Also consider that power users or more tech-conscious users will be the ones actually bothering to use Sensorly or run speed tests. I would bet that such users are a minority among the masses of Sprint subscribers, or subscribers of any network. The perception of the demographic is likely to be skewed here because that minority is also the type who would typically go through the effort to register and participate in these forums.

 

 

I really doubt a few of us doing speed tests compared to the hundreds that are using their phone normally are making that drastic of a difference.

Will it effect it? Probably.

Will it change from 10 m down to 2 because of a speed test? Doubt it.

Exactly.

 

In any case, service seemed a bit more degraded today, but that's because there's a farmer's market type event in the area on Wednesdays and service tends to degrade with the increased population there. That said, even with the larger population there, service didn't degrade as badly as it had on Wednesdays previously, so that's a nice improvement.

Edited October 10, 2013 by norsairius

[toweringq]

The tower by me in Hartford is now broadcasting 800. Now its time for Sprint to finish up the rest of Milwaukee. The north and northwest side of the city are pretty barren on sensorly.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

 

[ColinJay]

I was trying to provide some objectivity in my post through some test results. Spotting panels and such is more difficult in an urban environment so there isn't really a better way for me to provide updates or feedback on network performance as the improvements to the network continue to progress.

 

 

 

As someone who lives in the same area, I concur and appreciate your updates.

[napali]

ENCOURAGING.... I drove past the Muskego tower on College and Tess Corners drive and Sprint NV was in full install mode. There was a non-distinct work truck and the guys were in the cage installing all the Samsung Sprint NV ground equipment. I drove back to see if I could get some info and one of them came out to the truck. I asked him if they were installing the 4g antenna soon and he said "In the next couple of days".

 

I know we have several sites now on this side of town (New Berlin etc)  that have NV up but are not transmitting, my hope is this will be one they light up quickly. I drive past this site every weekday so I will keep you updated.

 

I wished I could have picked the guys brain for additional tower work in the area, but he was barely interested in talking to me, so I left it as is.

 

I also am wondering if anyone knows this??? Pieper Power has been in the Muskego Sprint Water Tower off of Janesville road for days now, they do industrial Electrical contracting in WI. I noticed today they had a hatch open up top by the Antenna. Is It possible they may be involved in the 4g work for wiring? I tried twice to find someone to talk to, but they were all up top so I did not stop.

[dequardo]

This is like Don Quixote. Really, if one steps outside this narrow search for NV upgrades and looks at the big picture it's both sad and comical. What other industry would have its customers put up with this?

[ColinJay]

This is like Don Quixote. Really, if one steps outside this narrow search for NV upgrades and looks at the big picture it's both sad and comical. What other industry would have its customers put up with this?

 

Here we go again...

 

Listen I for one am not happy with Sprint either. I don't think anyone here is really the happiest with the length of the upgrade. We all understand your frustration, but there is a time and a place. 

[aackmann]

Aww man. Snubbed on the acceptance report again I'm a sad panda.

[mmark27]

Aww man. Snubbed on the acceptance report again I'm a sad panda.

 

Yeah, just came here to post the same thing. I don't get what the major malfunction is for acceptances in our area.

[apphysics]

So I just drove by the Brown Deer/I-43 tower, and the contractor trailers are gone and all the equipment is up. All they have to do now for that one is flip the switch.

[ThomasM]

I was visiting Menard's today on 27th Street between College Ave and Rawson Ave.  It appears every cellular carrier in Milwaukee is either on the huge water tower or stand-alone tower right next to it just off Menard's parking lot.  While walking to the store, I did a close examination of all the cellular antennas and I could swear the top three antennas on the standalone tower are the Samsung NV setup.  They are just below a red light at the top of the tower.  Too bad I have to wait until early next year to get a 4G phone or I could have reported if 4G was actually active on this site.