Network Vision and LTE deployment strategy

[rwhittaker13]

Hey guys, figured id post something i found quite interesting about sprint. As you all know, sprint is in the process of a major network overhaul plan known as network vision. The usual deployment strategy of U.S carriers is to target the bigger and more highly populated markets where the base of the subscribers will be at. Sprint has done things a little different. It seems sprint is more focused on rural areas than the bigger U.S markets. Yes sprint has been lighting LTE up in bigger markets such as New York, and Indianapolis, IN. But at the same time, sprint has deployed LTE in smaller surrounding markets near the bigger sites. Usually the carriers focus on the bigger markets first, then the smaller markets last, but sprint seems to have all parties in mind on this one. Honestly, i like the way sprint is rolling out LTE, because people in more rural areas are anticipating LTE just as much as the people in more well known markets.

[rjw]

I disagree

[Dkoellerwx]

Hey guys, figured id post something i found quite interesting about sprint. As you all know, sprint is in the process of a major network overhaul plan known as network vision. The usual deployment strategy of U.S carriers is to target the bigger and more highly populated markets where the base of the subscribers will be at. Sprint has done things a little different. It seems sprint is more focused on rural areas than the bigger U.S markets. Yes sprint has been lighting LTE up in bigger markets such as New York, and Indianapolis, IN. But at the same time, sprint has deployed LTE in smaller surrounding markets near the bigger sites. Usually the carriers focus on the bigger markets first, then the smaller markets last, but sprint seems to have all parties in mind on this one. Honestly, i like the way sprint is rolling out LTE, because people in more rural areas are anticipating LTE just as much as the people in more well known markets.

 

If you check out more of the threads on this site, you will find that the reason behind this is that Sprint is upgrading whole markets at a time. Sprints markets are very large geographic areas, and include at least one major metropolitan area, and then all of the smaller towns near it. For example, the Kansas market includes Kansas City, but also most of northwest Missouri, and all of Kansas. So that means places like Pratt, Kansas get upgraded at the same time as Kansas City. Same goes for the Boston area, Chicago etc.

[PythonFanPA]

Also, I think in at least some cases, the initial knee-jerk reaction of 'why are they doing rural areas/smaller towns' is often incorrect if you don't actually take the time to do a little research and look up where some of these places actually are located as well. I posted this in another thread, but just for example in Tennessee, these assumed rural areas/smaller towns that were listed on the 100 'coming months' press release are actually right along the path or within range of an interstate corridor, which to my mind makes total sense, because I think in general, people expect or at least are under a fair impression that they'll have good service when they travel by vehicle along an interstate.

 

In fact, in my own case, its because of that reason that I switched to Sprint from AT&T in the first place. I-40, which just-shy-of-literally spans coast to coast, passes right through Cookeville where I live, and until roughly March/April of last year, AT&T still didn't even have 3G implemented here.

[shifted]

Whatever the strategy is it feels awfully slow for the people not in the upgraded areas. 3G keeps getting slower and slower... A lot of times I cannot even open my installed apps list in the google play store because of slow data and it giving me an error.

[DaQue]

All I can say is hang in there if you can. If you need to jump ship we all would understand and there is no rule about never coming back if you do. I almost went to T-Mobile for a couple years (one phone contract cycle) but decided to live with the way 3G is now because I think a year from now Sprint will be the better choice.

 

I am uninformed on how the other carries are and their plans but I sure like the upgrade every cell part of Sprint NV. It gets less bragging rights now but the future looks bright if you can stick it out or come back. Joplin is announced (so Missouri? hope/pray) but it seems like nothing is happening and St Louis/St Peters will never launch so I fell your pain too.

[iansltx]

For everyone whining about Sprint not upgrading their market yet, by all means switch to T-Mobile or another carrier. Particularly if you have a WiMAX phone, which won't get substantially better service when NV does come.

 

I would say switch to Verizon, who will have their 3G network overlaid with LTE in nine months or less, but then you'd come back about how Verizon is oh-so-expensive. So, what's fast data, right now, worth to you?

 

My market should have already had most of its towers upgraded. It doesn't. But I'm sticking with Sprint because I know that their LTE network will be here soon enough, and their speeds will remain fast (due to tower density etc.), while AT&T and Verizon, depsite their expensive tiered data plans, will bog down more and more over the next several months, particularly Verizon since all their LTE devices currently available can only use one coverage-optimized band.

 

Oh, and I'll see Sprint hitting rural Central Texas with LTE several months before Verizon or AT&T get there. T-Mobile is completely AWOL in the area, lacking even 3G service. I'm a direct beneficiary of Sprint's deployment strategy (every tower in every market, no matter where in the market), so I'm sticking around...heck, I'm converting my family from a hodgepodge of Verizon + AT&T + Sprint (Tracfone + Virgin Mobile) to Sprint-only (Ting) in the coming days/weeks.

[rwhittaker13]

Whatever the strategy is it feels awfully slow for the people not in the upgraded areas. 3G keeps getting slower and slower... A lot of times I cannot even open my installed apps list in the google play store because of slow data and it giving me an error.

I agree with this. Spint has been quite slow with the LTE deployment and with upgrading 3G sites, but i shall be patient and wait it out. Sprints unlimited data is the main reason why i chose this carrier. While verizon and AT&T customers can get added charges when going over their data limit, you have unlimited data on LTE, which is a big deal to me.

[pyroscott]

heck' date=' I'm converting my family from a hodgepodge of Verizon + AT&T + Sprint (Tracfone + Virgin Mobile) to Sprint-only (Ting) in the coming days/weeks.[/quote']

 

Ah yes, Ting. I wish they would hurry up with the BYOSD for LTE devices.

[Dkoellerwx]

I agree with this. Spint has been quite slow with the LTE deployment and with upgrading 3G sites

 

It seems slow, but in reality they are actually moving very quickly. They plan to have the majority of the network complete in under 2 years. What other network completely overhauled their network in just 2 years???

[jroepcke51]

 

 

It seems slow, but in reality they are actually moving very quickly. They plan to have the majority of the network complete in under 2 years. What other network completely overhauled their network in just 2 years???

 

I agree. Verizon started deploying LTE back in 2009/2010 and do not have half of their 3g service.

[Deval]

I agree. Verizon started deploying LTE back in 2009/2010 and do not have half of their 3g service.

 

Verizon didn't overhaul their network though. They deployed LTE by adding LTE base stations and radio head/panels.

 

Sprint is essentially building a new network from scratch. About the only thing staying the same is tower location.

[Dkoellerwx]

Verizon didn't overhaul their network though. They deployed LTE by adding LTE base stations and radio head/panels.

 

Sprint is essentially building a new network from scratch. About the only thing staying the same is tower location.

 

Exactly. Which is why what Sprint is doing is no small feat, and to do it in roughly 2 years is pretty incredible in my opinion. They are not moving slowly as some would believe.

[Paynefanbro]

The most comparable to Network Vision is T-Mobikes plan to add DC-HSPA to almost all of their towers.

[nahum365]

The most comparable to Network Vision is T-Mobikes plan to add DC-HSPA to almost all of their towers.

 

Except other then the spectrum refarm to 1900, isn't that mostly a software upgrade?

[lilotimz]

Except other then the spectrum refarm to 1900, isn't that mostly a software upgrade?

 

Pretty sure you need sufficient backhaul. IIRC, DC= dual connection or something like that makes it HSPA+42 rather than HSPA+21

[lynyrd65]

The most comparable to Network Vision is T-Mobikes plan to add DC-HSPA to almost all of their towers.

Nope, I asked and they are only deploying to 3/4 of their towers, which, surprise surprise, is their existing HSPA footprint. Why they can't just upgrade those other EDGE only areas is beyond me. It is easily one of the biggest reasons would be customers choose one of the big 3 instead.

[S4GRU]

Nope, I asked and they are only deploying to 3/4 of their towers, which, surprise surprise, is their existing HSPA footprint. Why they can't just upgrade those other EDGE only areas is beyond me. It is easily one of the biggest reasons would be customers choose one of the big 3 instead.

 

Tmo doesn't upgrade their EDGE sites in my area that are in remote places without access to fiber backhaul. Like mountain tops and remote locations. They don't use microwave anywhere I've ever seen, but they should to get these remote spots. Verizon added MW here to reach those odd locations off the grid.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

 

[JeffDTD]

Nope' date=' I asked and they are only deploying to 3/4 of their towers, which, surprise surprise, is their existing HSPA footprint. Why they can't just upgrade those other EDGE only areas is beyond me. It is easily one of the biggest reasons would be customers choose one of the big 3 instead.[/quote']

 

Thats fact for me! Their 3g and up is painful in my state.

[Kevster1321]

 

 

Tmo doesn't upgrade their EDGE sites in my area that are in remote places without access to fiber backhaul. Like mountain tops and remote locations. They don't use microwave anywhere I've ever seen, but they should to get these remote spots. Verizon added MW here to reach those odd locations off the grid.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

T-Mobile put up a new site in Oxford mass and I believe it uses MW and has two rungs also

[Deval]

Exactly. Which is why what Sprint is doing is no small feat, and to do it in roughly 2 years is pretty incredible in my opinion. They are not moving slowly as some would believe.

 

Yep! People believe Sprint is moving slow just because they are not seeing the work at their own location.

[Deval]

Pretty sure you need sufficient backhaul. IIRC, DC= dual connection or something like that makes it HSPA+42 rather than HSPA+21

 

If I remember correctly, T-Mobile put fiber out to most of their sites years ago.

[rwhittaker13]

If I remember correctly, T-Mobile put fiber out to most of their sites years ago.

T-Mobile as well as AT&T have been doing a fairly well job with beefing up their HSPA+ network. I got miraculous speeds with AT&T on HSPA+, but i could not afford the charges when i went over my data limit... I guess using 20 GB of data when my limit was at 4GB made my wallet only a hollow black space.. with nothing in it.. so thats why im with sprint! lol

[Deval]

T-Mobile as well as AT&T have been doing a fairly well job with beefing up their HSPA+ network. I got miraculous speeds with AT&T on HSPA+, but i could not afford the charges when i went over my data limit... I guess using 20 GB of data when my limit was at 4GB made my wallet only a hollow black space.. with nothing in it.. so thats why im with sprint! lol

 

Yep, and once we have NV complete, you'll see similar speeds.

[4ginnc]

Tmo doesn't upgrade their EDGE sites in my area that are in remote places without access to fiber backhaul. Like mountain tops and remote locations. They don't use microwave anywhere I've ever seen, but they should to get these remote spots. Verizon added MW here to reach those odd locations off the grid.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

I know of a few T-Mo sites around here which are EDGE only that are shared (or very close by other towers) with Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, and where I know there is fiber. Not sure why they wouldn't upgrade there. I might have thought more about T-Mo for home when I was looking if they would have had more than just 2G service.