Network Vision/LTE - East Iowa Market (Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque, Waterloo/Cedar Falls)

[bkco14]

I am hoping it is in the Quad City area. Is there a reason why Cedar Rapids or Iowa City would be assumed to be accepted first? Cedar Rapids has a population of 127,905 and Iowa City has a population of 68,947. However, the Quad City population is 381,342.

[adame233]

I am hoping it is in the Quad City area. Is there a reason why Cedar Rapids or Iowa City would be assumed to be accepted first? Cedar Rapids has a population of 127,905 and Iowa City has a population of 68,947. However, the Quad City population is 381,342.

 

There has been more work completed in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, but there seems to be a backhaul delay. The sponsor forum has a map of all accepted sites, and there are no accepted sites in the Quad Cities. They may be in progress, but I haven't seen any members post pictures of Quad City sites.

 

If you're in the area, consider becoming a sponsor and do some tower spotting! I would love to see some in-progress photos from the Quad Cities.

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1195-information-about-s4gru-sponsorship-levels-and-how-to-become-a-sponsor/

[adame233]

Well, the first Sprint LTE in Iowa wasn't in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, or the Quad Cities. It's in... *drum roll please* ... West Branch!

 

[dangogel]

Awesome lte in iowa

[jschmidt96]

Nice speeds in West Branch. I can't believe they were the first ones with it. I hope the Iowa City area is the next to get it. North Liberty has gotten extremely slow for data (slower then usual).

[c9house]

It's slow in Iowa all over. Davenport and Bettendorf have terrible 3g.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[jnadke]

I am hoping it is in the Quad City area. Is there a reason why Cedar Rapids or Iowa City would be assumed to be accepted first? Cedar Rapids has a population of 127,905 and Iowa City has a population of 68,947. However, the Quad City population is 381,342.

 

The Quad Cities also are 2400 square miles with a population density of 163 people / sqmi.

Cedar Rapids is 70 square miles with a population density of 1700 people / sqmi.

 

Which is easier and more profitable to upgrade?

 

 

 

That said, Sprints deployment strategy has been to do initial testing in a non-populated area, but they're pretty quick at going after ROI after initial testing.  But permits and backhaul can always hurt or hinder a deployment.

Edited August 13, 2013 by jnadke

[billyjoejimbob]

The Quad Cities also are 2400 square miles with a population density of 163 people / sqmi.

Cedar Rapids is 70 square miles with a population density of 1700 people / sqmi.

 

Which is easier and more profitable to upgrade?

 

 

 

That said, Sprints deployment strategy has been to do initial testing in a non-populated area, but they're pretty quick at going after ROI after initial testing.  But permits and backhaul can always hurt or hinder a deployment.

 

 

Chuckle, if you want to compare Cedar Rapids to the Quad Cities, then try comparing the main metro areas instead of tons of square miles of nothing.  Very similar population densities.

 

Rock Island has a population of 39000 with a density of 2400 people per sq/mi.

Moline has a population of 43000 with a density of 2750 people per sq/mi.

Bettendorf population 33000, density 1560 people per sq/mi

Davenport population 100000, density 1583 people per sq/mi

[Dkoellerwx]

Which is easier .....

 

This is the real question that drives the deployment.

 

That said, Sprints deployment strategy has been to do initial testing in a non-populated area, but they're pretty quick at going after ROI after initial testing.  But permits and backhaul can always hurt or hinder a deployment.

 

Sprint does not have a "strategy" to focus on non-populated areas first.

 

Their deployment strategy to to upgrades every single site as quickly as possible. It just happens that the sites in rural areas are the easiest to upgrade. They often have little paper work associated with them, and believe it or not, in many rural areas it's actually easier to get backhaul to the site relatively quickly.

 

Urban/populated areas are generally a nightmare to upgrade. Tons of permits and paper pushing, slow backhaul providers, land lords and lease holders unwilling to allow workers onto the site, etc...

 

As soon as a site is ready for upgrade, Sprint sends in the crews, wherever it is. If two sites come up at the same time, one is rural and one is urban, Sprint will send the crews to the urban site first.

[cytech]

So after learning from here that Mediacom was in charge of the back haul for Sprint in Cedar Rapids, I asked some of their employees today what the hold up was.  

 

I was told they are doing back haul for Sprint, US Cellular, and some AT&T too.  

 

I was told it is all in the ground already they are just waiting on instructions from Sprint on connecting to the point of service.  

 

I am happy that 3G has improved a ton around town but, I am impatiently waiting for LTE

[dangogel]

So after learning from here that Mediacom was in charge of the back haul for Sprint in Cedar Rapids, I asked some of their employees today what the hold up was.

 

I was told they are doing back haul for Sprint, US Cellular, and some AT&T too.

 

I was told it is all in the ground already they are just waiting on instructions from Sprint on connecting to the point of service.

 

I am happy that 3G has improved a ton around town but, I am impatiently waiting for LTE

I am happy about backhaul being done but cant wait for lte

[dzirkelb]

I got a notification on my phone (samsung s4) from sprint that took me to a sprint page saying 4TE has been rolled out, or at least it says they are working hard to provide it.  I do not have any 4G connection yet (currently sitting off 16th Ave SW, but in a cement building, do have full 3G though).

[dangogel]

I got a notification on my phone (samsung s4) from sprint that took me to a sprint page saying 4TE has been rolled out, or at least it says they are working hard to provide it. I do not have any 4G connection yet (currently sitting off 16th Ave SW, but in a cement building, do have full 3G though).

 

I hope soon that would be awesome

[dangogel]

Got lte in Cedar Rapids

[dangogel]

Some places hopefully coming to more

[bmoses]

Someone from that area posted in the sponsor thread, they said they found 2 towers live with LTE :-)

[dangogel]

The onr closest to my house is turning on and off I know were the other two are

[jnadke]

All of Cedar Rapids just lit up quite literally overnight.

 

Pulling 20 down 10 meg up.

Edited August 17, 2013 by jnadke

[c9house]

Now how about the QC....

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Dkoellerwx]

I got a notification on my phone (samsung s4) from sprint that took me to a sprint page saying 4TE has been rolled out, or at least it says they are working hard to provide it.  I do not have any 4G connection yet (currently sitting off 16th Ave SW, but in a cement building, do have full 3G though).

 

Did that notification come through the Sprint Zone app? If so, it went out to everyone, regardless of where they are. I got the same thing.

[gnoj]

So after learning from here that Mediacom was in charge of the back haul for Sprint in Cedar Rapids, I asked some of their employees today what the hold up was.  

 

I was told it is all in the ground already they are just waiting on instructions from Sprint on connecting to the point of service.  

 

All of Cedar Rapids just lit up quite literally overnight.

 

Pulling 20 down 10 meg up.

 

Well that's wonderful to hear, but I can't say I'm that surprised. If the dozen or so cell sites in the Cedar Rapids area have all received NV equipment and been 3G accepted (which they have), and the backhaul is in place, taking not much more than a phone call from Sprint to hook it up at the site, then there's no reason why it should take more than a few days for LTE to be up and running across the city.

 

Now how about the QC....

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

Wouldn't that be nice.. I'm sad to say that none of the approximately three dozen cell sites in the QC have been touched yet. I'm not sure if Mediacom's been laying any groundwork there in anticipation of the arrival of the Samsung contractors, but either way it looks like it'll be a few more months before LTE makes it over to you guys.

[jnadke]

Well that's wonderful to hear, but I can't say I'm that surprised. If the dozen or so cell sites in the Cedar Rapids area have all received NV equipment and been 3G accepted (which they have), and the backhaul is in place, taking not much more than a phone call from Sprint to hook it up at the site, then there's no reason why it should take more than a few days for LTE to be up and running across the city.

 

 

Wouldn't that be nice.. I'm sad to say that none of the approximately three dozen cell sites in the QC have been touched yet. I'm not sure if Mediacom's been laying any groundwork there in anticipation of the arrival of the Samsung contractors, but either way it looks like it'll be a few more months before LTE makes it over to you guys.

 

 

I guess I can't speak for all of CR, but I was heading down 380 to iowa state fair yesterday and both north and south of downtown along 380 were lit up.   So that's at least about 4-5 towers by the Sprint Map.

 

But I haven't driven out to the perimeter of CR to see if those have been updated yet.

 

 

 

There was no LTE in DSM @ State Fair despite them "wanting to have it rolled out by then".

Edited August 18, 2013 by jnadke

[bkco14]

Do you know how long it takes if an area hasn't been touched yet? I am asking because sprint has told me end of August for the QC area (which won't happen). But does 3 months sound legit?

[gnoj]

Do you know how long it takes if an area hasn't been touched yet? I am asking because sprint has told me end of August for the QC area (which won't happen). But does 3 months sound legit?

 

Depends on whether it is a third or fourth round market. As a third round market, East Iowa is projected (based on the current rate of site acceptances and a uniform adjustment to the original baseline NV market schedules) to be complete by this December. So barring further delays from the backhaul providers (e.g. Mediacom), you should start seeing some LTE by Thanksgiving. 1x 800 will show up much sooner, not long after a site has been 3G accepted, since that only requires the installation of a carrier card and some E911 compatibility tests, and is not dependent on upgraded backhaul.

[Dkoellerwx]

Do you know how long it takes if an area hasn't been touched yet? I am asking because sprint has told me end of August for the QC area (which won't happen). But does 3 months sound legit?

 

3 months for what? For the area to be completed? Or for LTE to start showing up?

 

LTE could start showing up next week for all we know. All markets (doesn't matter if it's third or forth round) have started, and all that is needed for them to install LTE is the upgraded backhaul to be in place.