Network Vision/LTE - Georgia Market (Warner Robins, Macon, I-75 Corridor))

[S4GRU]

After further study I don't think it's the WiMax protection site they're working on...

Bummer. I was hoping this could be the first Huawei Protection Site swap out to 8T8R.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[lordsutch]

LTE is being really flaky today in Macon and Warner Robins; not really sure what's going on but my Nexus 5 isn't staying on LTE more than a minute or two at a time before getting kicked to 1x800 + eHRPD. I can't even wedge it into LTE-only mode.

[lordsutch]

Signal was switched off and a guy was up in my neighborhood tower this morning apparently swapping out RRUs from RRUS11 to the RRUS31 - it was very foggy so it was hard to tell exactly what he was doing, and there was no way to get any pictures. His vehicle seemed to be a generic white Ford Transit - no Ericsson or NSN logos that I could see.

 

I was kind of hoping that it was a band 41 install, although I guess the RRUS31 swapouts have to happen first to keep the weight down.

 

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

[Sanyo M1]

Sprint was a huge disappointment in Macon and Warner Robins. I visited family this past week and the weak network destroyed my battery. Band 26 is completely overloaded and my phone camped on that at all times along with just flipping back and forth between 3G or Band 26 and occasional Band 25. Band 26 was weak pretty much every where, so probably not optimized. First time I experienced 3G being the better option to go with and constantly had to hunt for free WiFi when out and about.

 

Given how big each of those cities are, it's very disappointing.

[lordsutch]

Sprint's problem in Warner Robins at least is very localized... alas to the main commercial area at Watson and Houston Lake around the mall. Frankly they need to be on the Centerville water tower with the other carriers to fill in their coverage; a DAS in the mall wouldn't hurt either.

 

In Macon, on the other hand, the only places I ever have trouble are in the Macon Mall (which nobody goes to these days) and the basement of Just Tap'd.

[Sanyo M1]

Sprint's problem in Warner Robins at least is very localized... alas to the main commercial area at Watson and Houston Lake around the mall. Frankly they need to be on the Centerville water tower with the other carriers to fill in their coverage; a DAS in the mall wouldn't hurt either.

 

In Macon, on the other hand, the only places I ever have trouble are in the Macon Mall (which nobody goes to these days) and the basement of Just Tap'd.

Was at Walsh Honda and around that area, and I had to constantly toggle airplane mode to get LTE. Was weird.

[kn4ds]

Data speeds are very, very slow over the last few months.  Understandably, we're not going to get the love in this area anytime soon, but it is annoying.

[lordsutch]

Georgia is one of the first markets that will be rebanded to put voice and 2G/3G data on 800 SMR only, so speed improvements should be coming soon in areas that already have LTE. How rebanding will affect the remaining 3G-only GMO sites (mostly along I-16 with a smattering elsewhere) is unclear.

[lilotimz]

Georgia is one of the first markets that will be rebanded to put voice and 2G/3G data on 800 SMR only, so speed improvements should be coming soon in areas that already have LTE. How rebanding will affect the remaining 3G-only GMO sites (mostly along I-16 with a smattering elsewhere) is unclear.

Where did you hear this?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

[Dkoellerwx]

Georgia is one of the first markets that will be rebanded to put voice and 2G/3G data on 800 SMR only, so speed improvements should be coming soon in areas that already have LTE. How rebanding will affect the remaining 3G-only GMO sites (mostly along I-16 with a smattering elsewhere) is unclear.

 

I think you are misunderstanding that email posted in another thread. It's not exactly clear, but what it means is devices that cannot be updated to the new PRL will be stuck using 800 CDMA only (if capable) after the spectrum swaps are made.  

[lordsutch]

That makes a bit more sense, thanks. So is the reference to expanding LTE post-swap, presumably by adding more LTE carriers on 1900, inaccurate? (Georgia market so far is only running LTE on G block and 5x5 on SMR - even the Clearwire protection sites have never been switched to band 41 LTE).

[Dkoellerwx]

That makes a bit more sense, thanks. So is the reference to expanding LTE post-swap, presumably by adding more LTE carriers on 1900, inaccurate? (Georgia market so far is only running LTE on G block and 5x5 on SMR - even the Clearwire protection sites have never been switched to band 41 LTE).

 

It is not inaccurate. They are swapping spectrum so that they will have a continuous block of spectrum immediately adjacent to the G Block, allowing them to expand to a 10x10 carrier. They will likely trim some EVDO and/or 1x carriers to make room for the additional 5 MHz FDD of LTE, but will continue to run some EVDO and 1x in PCS spectrum.

[Terrell352]

It is not inaccurate. They are swapping spectrum so that they will have a continuous block of spectrum immediately adjacent to the G Block, allowing them to expand to a 10x10 carrier. They will likely trim some EVDO and/or 1x carriers to make room for the additional 5 MHz FDD of LTE, but will continue to run some EVDO and 1x in PCS spectrum.

Why won't Sprint just come in with a 15x15 immediately where they can instead of 10x10 and a separate 5x5? Continuous blocks will always be a better solution than split. You think they would know this by now.

[Trip]

Why won't Sprint just come in with a 15x15 immediately where they can instead of 10x10 and a separate 5x5? Continuous blocks will always be a better solution than split. You think they would know this by now.

 

Unfortunately, you can't run a contiguous LTE carrier across PCS and 800, as that's impossible to do.  So 10x10 PCS C+G and 5x5 800 is likely to be the solution in the short- to mid-term.

 

- Trip

[Dkoellerwx]

Why won't Sprint just come in with a 15x15 immediately where they can instead of 10x10 and a separate 5x5? Continuous blocks will always be a better solution than split. You think they would know this by now.

Right now Sprint's equipment cannot do 15x15 even where they have the spectrum to do it. In some areas all it will take is recertifying equipment, in others I believe it may take new RRUs.

 

The whole point of these spectrum swaps is to allow Sprint to have one contiguous PCA LTE carrier. They will not be deploying a 5x5 and a 10x10 both within PCS except in a very limited number of cases where they have spectrum to do that.

 

Sent from my LG G4

[Terrell352]

Right now Sprint's equipment cannot do 15x15 even where they have the spectrum to do it. In some areas all it will take is recertifying equipment, in others I believe it may take new RRUs.

 

The whole point of these spectrum swaps is to allow Sprint to have one contiguous PCA LTE carrier. They will not be deploying a 5x5 and a 10x10 both within PCS except in a very limited number of cases where they have spectrum to do that.

 

Sent from my LG G4

I thought ericsson equipment is capable of 15x15 PCS with the new ruus they have on newer towers?

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[lilotimz]

I thought ericsson equipment is capable of 15x15 PCS with the new ruus they have on newer towers?

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

Yes but shutting down all PCS Cdma operations is a no.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

[Terrell352]

Yes but shutting down all PCS Cdma operations is a no.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

Say in markets where they have 30mhz of c block and 10 of g block. Why cant they use all of c block for a 15x15 and keep g block for evdo?

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[lilotimz]

Say in markets where they have 30mhz of c block and 10 of g block. Why cant they use all of c block for a 15x15 and keep g block for evdo?

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

Sprint does not support band class 14 on its network.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

[Terrell352]

Sprint does not support band class 14 on its network.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

They could hehehe. So how would Sprint go about going beyond a 10x10 while still having PCS active? Or is 4x4 MIMO a more immediate solution?

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[lilotimz]

They could hehehe. So how would Sprint go about going beyond a 10x10 while still having PCS active? Or is 4x4 MIMO a more immediate solution?

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

If you want pay to replace the tens of millions of sprint Cdma devices to get a band class that basically no other carrier use on a dead end technology then feel free.

 

Nothing spectrum wise. Sprint have to keep some PCS cdma live for network usability reasons be it 10 or 20 MHz total of cdma carriers.

 

Band 25 performance can be improved by cell splitting via new macro and micro sites and high end MIMO schemes. Other than that they're stuck with what they have.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

[Terrell352]

If you want pay to replace the tens of millions of sprint Cdma devices to get a band class that basically no other carrier use on a dead end technology then feel free.

 

Nothing spectrum wise. Sprint have to keep some PCS cdma live for network usability reasons be it 10 or 20 MHz total of cdma carriers.

 

Band 25 performance can be improved by cell splitting via new macro and micro sites and high end MIMO schemes. Other than that they're stuck with what they have.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

I was thinking of a method that does not require a site visit because in my opinion Sprint is just not as fast at deployment that involves site visits on a national level as other carriers.

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[kn4ds]

Sprint seems to be ignoring smaller markets... I keep seeing tweets about how great the network is, and the awesome speeds... but I don't get nearly that kind of speed on my LG G5 in middle Georgia.

 

 

 

 

 

[Terrell352]

Sprint seems to be ignoring smaller markets... I keep seeing tweets about how great the network is, and the awesome speeds... but I don't get nearly that kind of speed on my LG G5 in middle Georgia.

 

Capture+_2016-12-22-23-46-00.jpg

They are ignoring alot of medium and smaller size markets. Even some major markets barely have band 41. In smaller markets its likely money and return on investments and in middle sized markets its likely money holding that back. Usually smaller markets best bet is almost always Verizon.

[Flompholph]

Connected to a B41 site near Auburn, Al which for some reason is in Georgia market. I have not heard of any B41 in the Georgia market so I guess I will leave it here.

 

gci pci tac dl_chan strongest_rsrp strongest_latitude strongest_longitude

[04545531] 300 8838 0 -102 32.747116 -85.280497

[04545532] 301 8838 0 -83 32.643587 -85.350309