Comparison of LTE vs. Current 3G coverage

[Feech]

I'm sure someone will be able to answer this for me and know that I'm not asking for an apples to apples comparison just what others have seen from thier experience or what they think. Right now I have a terrible signal inside my job. Recently it has got so bad that either my radio is disconnected or it's 1X. This maybe a result of ongoing deployment, but either way it has always been bad here. When the deployment is completed should I see slightly better coverage inside, worse, or the same.

 

Especially if you are going thru deployment now I would like to know what your experience is.

[aerxx]

I had a similar issue at my work, its like working inside a lead box. With the tower I connect to being less than 1 mile away, I was continuously around -98 to -110 dBm in signal stregth. When the tower was updated, I saw a VERY SLIGHT improvement, not in bars or signal strength, but in the fact that all my calls were clearer inside the building, everyone I was talking to didn't sound like a robot, and I didn't have the "oh you have a voicemail, but your phone didn't ring" problem I used to have before the tower by my work was upgraded.

 

Now keep in mind, every situation is different and my experience may not be the same for you.

[supert0nes]

LTE-1900 will be worse than current 3g 1900. 3g 1900 will be improved by up to ~20%, however. If you get a new phone that has LTE-800 and the towers close to you are outputting LTE-800, then your in building LTE coverage could be better by a lot or a little than current 3g. LTE-800 is theory right now so we would have to go by similar deployments like Verizon LTE-700, which doesn't travel as far as their CDMA/3g 850, but does travel quite well.

[Feech]

I had a similar issue at my work, its like working inside a lead box. With the tower I connect to being less than 1 mile away, I was continuously around -98 to -110 dBm in signal stregth. When the tower was updated, I saw a VERY SLIGHT improvement, not in bars or signal strength, but in the fact that all my calls were clearer inside the building, everyone I was talking to didn't sound like a robot, and I didn't have the "oh you have a voicemail, but your phone didn't ring" problem I used to have before the tower by my work was upgraded.

 

Now keep in mind, every situation is different and my experience may not be the same for you.

Thanks that was exactly what I was looking for as an example.

[Feech]

LTE-1900 will be worse than current 3g 1900. 3g 1900 will be improved by up to ~20%, however. If you get a new phone that has LTE-800 and the towers close to you are outputting LTE-800, then your in building LTE coverage could be better by a lot or a little than current 3g. LTE-800 is theory right now so we would have to go by similar deployments like Verizon LTE-700, which doesn't travel as far as their CDMA/3g 850, but does travel quite well.

Lost completely with your post..sorry

[supert0nes]

ok

 

Coverage will probably be something like:

 

NV CDMA-1x 800 > NV CDMA-1xA 1900 > Legacy CDMA-1x 1900 >= NV LTE-800 >= NV EVDO 1900 > Legacy EVDO 1900 > LTE -1900

 

NV LTE-800 might not travel as far as NV/Legacy EVDO-1900, or might travel further than NV/Legacy CDMA 1X 1900, not sure.

 

Network Vision LTE-800 might be greater than EVDO currently is.

My thinking is like this in order of highest priority:

1. Lower frequency travels further

2. CDMA travels further than EVDO. EVDO travels further than LTE.

3. NV increases coverage with RRU + antenna improvements

[dmchssc]

LTE requires a stronger signal than EVDO or 1x to work, so it will have slightly worse coverage than 3G does now. However, during the network vision upgrades, Sprint is installing radio technology that will allow them to improve signal strength by up to 20% over their current deployment. Because of this, indoor coverage and performance should see a slight boost on any current Sprint phone after the upgrades.

 

Sometime after the initial upgrade, Sprint is then going to come through and enable 1x on the ESMR band, which is on a much lower frequency than their current PCS 1x. This will allow dramatically better in network coverage and signal strength. This will only affect 1x and will only work on phones released after the EVO 3D (sans iPhone 4 or 4S). Also, 1x only carries voice and 2G speed data, so 3G won't get any better after the initial upgrade.

 

Even further down the road, Sprint will deploy LTE on ESMR. Then, 4G will have better coverage than 3G by a significant margin. This will require new devices to access though.

[WiWavelength]

Even further down the road, Sprint will deploy LTE on ESMR. Then, 4G will have better coverage than 3G by a significant margin.

 

No, be careful with that prediction. LTE 800 may provide broader coverage than EV-DO 1900 does, but there is no guarantee. And "significant margin" is probably too strong.

 

AJ

[adhrty]

It might also be relevant to note that we might not see the complete NV boost in signal strength until downtilt is adjusted back to pre-NV levels. I have heard it mentioned several times on here that due to the incomplete nature of the build out to this point, that most panels have little downtilt, in an effort to maximize area covered. I don't know if any NV buildout is far enough along to have had the downtilt adjusted.

[digiblur]

The panels have 3 separate downtilt adjustments. PCS EVDO/1X to mock the legacy network, 800SMR, and PCS LTE. If by some miracle, the tower crew fires up 3G when they fire up 4G. They would of course have to adjust the PCS EVDO/1X downtilt to be somewhat like the previous legacy equipment in order to prevent interference with adjacent legacy network cells. They can do whatever they want with the 800SMR and LTE downtilt adjustments of course.

 

Your voice and texting issues could probably be solved when your local site becomes 3G activated (meaning legacy is shut down) due to the newer panel and RRU benefit. But I bet it will really make a difference when 800SMR is activated in your area. It might possibly be activated right now with that goofy Utah SID or maybe even the Tampa SID. You'll have to test that 800SMR PRL with all SIDs activated to find out.

[WiWavelength]

The panels have 3 separate downtilt adjustments. PCS EVDO/1X to mock the legacy network...

 

Are you mocking the legacy network?

 

AJ

[adhrty]

The panels have 3 separate downtilt adjustments. PCS EVDO/1X to mock the legacy network, 800SMR, and PCS LTE. If by some miracle, the tower crew fires up 3G when they fire up 4G. They would of course have to adjust the PCS EVDO/1X downtilt to be somewhat like the previous legacy equipment in order to prevent interference with adjacent legacy network cells. They can do whatever they want with the 800SMR and LTE downtilt adjustments of course.

 

Your voice and texting issues could probably be solved when your local site becomes 3G activated (meaning legacy is shut down) due to the newer panel and RRU benefit. But I bet it will really make a difference when 800SMR is activated in your area. It might possibly be activated right now with that goofy Utah SID or maybe even the Tampa SID. You'll have to test that 800SMR PRL with all SIDs activated to find out.

 

Ah, good to know. I didn't know they had separate down-tilts for all 3.

[SpenceSouth]

It might possibly be activated right now with that goofy Utah SID or maybe even the Tampa SID. You'll have to test that 800SMR PRL with all SIDs activated to find out.

 

Elaborate please...

 

800SMR is actually what I have been looking forward to the most.

[lynyrd65]

 

Are you mocking the legacy network?

 

AJ

 

It deserves it. Its been mocking him for a longggg time.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[digiblur]

 

Elaborate please...

 

800SMR is actually what I have been looking forward to the most.

 

Look in the download section here. No LTE in that prl on qualcomm devices though.

 

-- "Sensorly or it didn't happen!"

 

 

[WiWavelength]

It deserves it. Its been mocking him for a longggg time.

 

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird."

 

AJ