Everything 800mhz (1xA, LTE, coverage, timeline, etc)

[ImmerStark]

I believe once a tower has CDMA 800, eCSFB is no longer an issue. Correct me if I'm wrong..

If the tower got 800MHz LTE at the same time it got 800MHz CDMA then it could very well be the issue. I don't know how Samsung and ALU do it but after Ericsson lights up Band 26 they take their sweet a** time coming back and enabling eCSFB. I had to disable band 26 on my phone for a while until eCSFB was enabled on the majority of sites.

[ajr0203]

I know I've been out of the loop for a while now so I'm sorry if this has been asked already, but has the IBEZ situation been resolved with Canada? I've noticed lots and lots of 800 accepted towers near my home, and my house is about a rock's throw away from Canada. I'm so confused. Would anyone like to clue me in?

[prguy77]

When I am at home, I always "turn off" the network data and connect to my Wifi. The network data is so bad, sometimes I get 1x800 data (as shown on your screenshot). When this happens, I cannot receive calls. They go straight to voicemail. So, It looks like when connected to the 800 band (both voice and data) the data takes priority over voice. I am no expert but, is this the way is supposed to work? I thought the network data connection was completely severed when data is turned off.

Also, sometimes I have to force my phone to connect to the 800 band. It can be registering -103dbm to -105dbm (unusable) but it does not change over to 800. Is there a cutoff for the switch over?

I will appreciate any info!

[Fuber]

Also, sometimes I have to force my phone to connect to the 800 band. It can be registering -103dbm to -105dbm (unusable) but it does not change over to 800. Is there a cutoff for the switch over?

I will appreciate any info!

  I to have the same issue at the office. If I go into the building more then I get 1x800 and it works great. Seems like it wants to switch to 1x800 only when it looses the 1900 signal.  Even when doing a call test and while on a call it will not hand over the call to 1X800 from 1900, it would drop it. From my understanding it's suppose to hand it off.

 

Anyone can chime in here to help me understand this. But it looks like it has to loose all of 1900 signal and then looks for 1x800. I would think if the phone was have a bad signa0,l the tower or phone would hand off to 1x800.  I'm hoping it something they need to fine tune or upgrade.

[greenbastard]

I to have the same issue at the office. If I go into the building more then I get 1x800 and it works great. Seems like it wants to switch to 1x800 only when it looses the 1900 signal. Even when doing a call test and while on a call it will not hand over the call to 1X800 from 1900, it would drop it. From my understanding it's suppose to hand it off.

 

Anyone can chime in here to help me understand this. But it looks like it has to loose all of 1900 signal and then looks for 1x800. I would think if the phone was have a bad signa0,l the tower or phone would hand off to 1x800. I'm hoping it something they need to fine tune or upgrade.

I hate to pull one from Sprints customer service department's page, but this is an upgrade issue in your area. Give it some time. I've seen PCS to SMR voice hand off before so just be patient and wait it out.

[Fuber]

I hate to pull one from Sprints customer service department's page, but this is an upgrade issue in your area. Give it some time. I've seen PCS to SMR voice hand off before so just be patient and wait it out.

 

NP. I'll patient. Just trying to understand the process and what to expect. Then I can explain to others if they have a issue.

[BlueStreak3]

In my area (DFW) I am on the fringe of 5 towers. While I am in my house my phone, S4, goes nuts and is constantly trying to find a stable signal from LTE (Band 26 is all I get with at best -115 RSRP)) to 1x1900 to 1x800. It's very annoying and drains my battery. I use wifi at the house for data so I switch my radio to CDMA only. When I do that I have a stable 1x800 voice signal. I'm almost certain the towers around me have been optimized as they have been broadcasting 800/1900 voice/data for quite a while now. I don't believe the signal will get any better, but am hopeful.

[WiWavelength]

In my area (DFW) I am on the fringe of 5 towers. While I am in my house my phone, S4, goes nuts and is constantly trying to find a stable signal from LTE (Band 26 is all I get with at best -115 RSRP)) to 1x1900 to 1x800. It's very annoying and drains my battery. I use wifi at the house for data so I switch my radio to CDMA only. When I do that I have a stable 1x800 voice signal. I'm almost certain the towers around me have been optimized as they have been broadcasting 800/1900 voice/data for quite a while now. I don't believe the signal will get any better, but am hopeful.

 

To be honest, some locations, especially in building, will not get more reliable LTE service for years, if ever.  And VoLTE will actually make the situation worse before it gets any better.  So, you are doing the right thing by using Wi-Fi at home.  Likewise, Sprint is exploring other solutions.  I wrote about this issue recently in another post:

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/6178-optimizing-america’s-newest-network-a-word-from-john-saw-sprint-chief-network-officer/page-2#entry340908

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

If all your sites in your adjacent area are upgraded to CDMA 800 and B26 LTE, then you would likely be out of luck.  It will not improve if optimization is indeed complete.  There will be thousands and thousands of locations that are just not going to be blessed by geography and chance.  There are fringe areas that are being slightly overlapped from several sites on every network.

 

However, if there is a closer site than the 5 you're getting a signal from now, then you may get some improvement still when the CDMA and LTE on 800MHz goes live.

 

Best of luck.

 

Robert

[BlueStreak3]

I am not too worried about it. My wifi has great range around my house. Also, I get a good enough 1x800 signal. I just figured that a densely populated area would have superb coverage with a solid tower layout (except by my house) that Sprint has in DFW. How does Sprint determine their voice/data coverage? Doesn't seem to be very accurate.

 

I'm right in the middle of the light green (Fair service) area.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0FTOnt0.jpg

[ddaniels3968]

WiFi calling has solved the problem for me. Saves battery life too

[S4GRU]

I am not too worried about it. My wifi has great range around my house. Also, I get a good enough 1x800 signal. I just figured that a densely populated area would have superb coverage with a solid tower layout (except by my house) that Sprint has in DFW. How does Sprint determine their voice/data coverage? Doesn't seem to be very accurate.

 

I'm right in the middle of the light green (Fair service) area.

 

http://i.imgur.com/0FTOnt0.jpg

Their voice coverage maps are fair. But their LTE coverage maps are extremely inaccurate. Always have been since they first came online in July 2012.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[tyboxer12]

When will sprint start the optimizations?

[gr8nuguy]

When will sprint start the optimizations?

this question has been asked over and over and over and over.  Anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months after site goes online. 

[Cubbiefan82]

When will sprint start the optimizations?

It really will all depend on the area and how much of the band 26 is done. Get area like chicago and that will take awhile before they start optimizations the area. Yet a town with only there 3-4 four sites, that will go a lot quicker. I am getting just exicted as you for them to start opitmizations the area, I still have a few areas that I travel in that I get 3g and I know all it needs is the b26 to be turned up to higher power level to reach/cover that area.

[tyboxer12]

I'm psyched too. Thanks for the info.

[BlueAngel]

I need some optimization here badly, b26 is not traveling far right now.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[clbowens]

Same here in Cleveland area.  I expected B25 LTE to cover at least the same area as 3G, but that does not seem to be the case.

[Paynefanbro]

Same here in Cleveland area.  I expected B25 LTE to cover at least the same area as 3G, but that does not seem to be the case.

 

It really depends on where you are. I've seen people who have said that Band 26 coverage is equal to PCS 1x coverage. In NYC however, on an adjusted site, Band 26 coverage is as good as PCS EVDO coverage. Interference is more of a problem in cities than in suburban and rural areas.

[Fuber]

This is not a rant, but a observation.   As stated in previous post, I have 800 and pcs bouncing back and forth. But I have notice a couple of times, when 1x800 is lock on for over a certain period of time (No PCS fringe signal), for say about 15 mins., then the phone stay locked onto 1x800 when I leave the building and go home (about 4 miles away).  Then it lock onto my airwave.

 

This has happen a couple of times. Maybe some others can confirm and get some insight on the workings on this.

[gusherb]

I'm in Bloomington, IN for the weekend and band 26 is on all across town! The drive down I65 between Crown Point and Indianapolis was as awful as it's always been, very little B26 and a lot of 1X even with full signal. There was B26 on 37 south of Indy though but it wasn't impressive.

 

Here in Bloomington B26 was MUCH needed, my brothers apartment only got weak 3G (1 bar) and now I get 1-2 bars of B26, making my phone actually usable now.

 

On my nexus I had B17 the entire trip down here minus a couple short fallbacks to HSPA+.

 

I found these panels downtown at the Farmers Market, im guessing att and Sprint (I know sprint is up there) is up there based on signal strength, but what I can't tell is if that's an att panel next to the Sprint panel or Sprint 8T8R.

[tyboxer12]

Will sprint upgrade its B26 LTE bandwidth to something wider in the future, because as people demand more speed out of a carrier every year I think 5x5 may not meet some people's needs. Anyone know anything about sprint planning on expanding that B26 to something wider?

[anthony.spina97]

Will sprint upgrade its B26 LTE bandwidth to something wider in the future, because as people demand more speed out of a carrier every year I think 5x5 may not meet some people's needs. Anyone know anything about sprint planning on expanding that B26 to something wider?

The way things are right now, Sprint does not own enough spectrum to have anything bigger than a 5x5 carrier. So to answer your question, no, Sprint won't be expanding to anything larger than a 5x5, at least anytime soon (sadly).

 

-Anthony

[Paynefanbro]

Until Sprint starts doing inter band carrier aggregation, Sprint will be limited to 38Mbps on Band 26 and Band 25. Band 41 will provide people with the high speeds that people seem obsessed with.

[caspar347]

If they get any 600, they could theoretically do CA with it, but there isn't really enough 800 for an additional 3x3 or 5x5 carrier even without 1x AFAIK. 800 is 7x7 Mhz, so only room for one 5x5 LTE carrier.