T-Mobile gets ready to launch LTE and HD Voice

[gangrene]

Verizon's LTE rollout is more like Sprint's WiMax rollout (except that they are not contracting it from someone else) they are essentially deploying another separate network. In contrast, Sprint is updating the equipment on nearly every site, adding LTE and modernizing EV-DO and 1xRTT. As far as Nextel and WiMax, they are converting a few nextel sites but nextel sites were not usable for "sprint" customers anyway, so how does that have any bearing on this. WiMax speculation is just that, speculation, so that has zero bearing on the discussion.

 

Edit: AJ beat me to it...

 

The WiMax network has a place in this discussion because there have been indications that Sprint intends to shutter around half of the existing Clearwire sites and host TD-LTE own their sites wherever there is overlap.

Edited January 13, 2013 by gangrene

[WiWavelength]

I stand by my position...

 

Yes, you can stand by your position on "planet under informed."

 

however there is simply no point in arguing with someone who I strongly suspect is on an entirely different kind of "spectrum."

 

A wise man knows to stop arguing with someone who has the intellectual and informational upper hand on him. Are you a wise man?

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

The WiMax network has a place in this discussion because there have been indications that Sprint intends to shutter around half of the existing Clearwire sites and move TD-LTE hosting own sites wherever there is overlap.

 

Other than by repeated assertion (another fallacious argument technique), you have yet to show how the TD-LTE network is relevant to the discussion. For Sprint is concerned, LTE is replacing WiMAX. TD-LTE is not replacing anything. TD-LTE is supplementing LTE.

 

Got it?

 

AJ

[gangrene]

Other than by repeated assertion (another fallacious argument technique), you have yet to show how the TD-LTE network is relevant to the discussion. For Sprint is concerned, LTE is replacing WiMAX. TD-LTE is not replacing anything. TD-LTE is supplementing LTE.

 

Got it?

 

AJ

 

The intent of that post is clear to anyone and everyone, you must suffer from some form of autism.

Edited January 13, 2013 by gangrene

[WiWavelength]

The intent of that post is clear to anyone and everyone, you must suffer from autism.

 

Yes, I do fit the profile for Asperger syndrome, which is within the Autism spectrum. And that is a driving reason for my intense research/knowledge of the wireless industry.

 

Do you have a problem with that?

 

AJ

[gangrene]

Yes, you can stand by your position on "planet under informed."

 

 

 

A wise man knows to stop arguing with someone who has the intellectual and informational upper hand on him. Are you a wise man?

 

AJ

 

I wouldn't exactly call you wise.

 

You're arguing that Verizon's LTE rollout wasn't comprehensive when we've already established that they plan to cover their entire footprint by the end of the year. They did it in a way that was optimal for their spectrum holdings, they decided to cover as many people as fast as possible, and to increase the capacity of the network later by rolling out LTE on AWS.

 

And as far as looking good by comparison, Verizon can take its time with its AWS rollout because consumers who are already being served by 700mhz LTE are likely very satisfied. Its very likely that most consumers on Verizon won't immediately notice LTE on AWS when it is rolled out in their area, even if they have a handset that supports it.

Edited January 13, 2013 by gangrene

[WiWavelength]

I wouldn't exactly call you wise.

 

That is not the question, is just another of your deflections. Are you wise? I would say not particularly.

 

You're arguing that Verizon's LTE rollout wasn't comprehensive when we've already established that they plan to cover their entire footprint by the end of the year. They did it in a way that was optimal for their spectrum and decided to cover as many people as fast as possible, while increasing the capacity of the network later by rolling out LTE on AWS.

 

And as far as looking good by comparison, Verizon can take its time with its AWS rollout because consumers who are already being served by 700mhz LTE are likely satisfied for the time being. LTE on AWS is something that most customers simply won't notice.

 

First, VZW started its LTE 750 roll out over two years ago, long before VZW consummated its AWS spectrum transaction with SpectrumCo-Cox. So, do not act as if VZW knew that it could always count on that additional bandwidth. Face it, the SpectrumCo-Cox transaction was a saving grace for VZW that easily could have (should have) been blocked by the FCC and/or DoJ.

 

Second, you completely disregard the stated facts that VZW is currently deploying a Release 8 only LTE network and is not installing AWS compatible panels nor RRUs. Let me put it quite simply: VZW has a lot of work to do before AWS can play any significant role. With Network Vision, Sprint is doing that level of work right now. In the meantime, VZW's LTE 750 speeds are slowing dramatically.

 

AJ

[gangrene]

Yes, I do fit the profile for Asperger syndrome, which is within the Autism spectrum. And that is a driving reason for my intense research/knowledge of the wireless industry.

 

Do you have a problem with that?

 

AJ

 

No, it's just exceedingly obvious considering the way you obsess over and argue about minutia while missing the larger picture. Which in this case would be how Verizon's coverage is, how the network performs and appears to consumers. It simply doesn't matter whether every site was upgraded, or every third site was upgraded.

 

Just like how you don't pick up on the fact that most consumers won't notice the AWS rollout on Verizon, because the Network's already fast.

 

It works.

 

The service as a whole is comprehensive, from the standpoint of the customer.

Edited January 13, 2013 by gangrene

[WiWavelength]

No, it's just exceedingly obvious considering the way you obsess over and argue about minutia while missing the larger picture. Which in this case would be how the coverage is, how the network performs and appears to consumers. It simply doesn't matter whether every site was upgraded, or every third site was upgraded.

 

Then, you are in the wrong place, gangrene, because that is the very modus operandi of S4GRU -- to detail the "minutiae" of the Network Vision deployment right down to each and every site. And thousands of other members, especially our Sponsors/Premier Sponsors, savor that level of disclosure unprecedented elsewhere in this industry.

 

AJ

[newboyx]

This site is focused on the facts regarding the wireless industry, not the marketing of the wireless industry. There is a very big difference between those 2 discussions.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[vryan44]

My friend with a Verizon iPhone 5 ran a speedtest the other day around 5pm with a strong lte signal and the results were disappointing. He had about 4 down and just under 1 up. The speeds are still relatively good for a mobile phone but it has dropped under the advertised speed. For the sake of Verizon customers, if AWS isn't deployed soon then the average customer will eventually start to notice.

[WiWavelength]

For the sake of Verizon customers, if AWS isn't deployed soon then the average customer will eventually start to notice.

 

Not to mention, VZW does not offer AWS capable handsets. So, VZW LTE subs are out of luck with their current phones.

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

On my rural site, VZW LTE speeds are staying 15-20Mbps. However, most of the other sites in the area have dropped to 2-8Mbps. Definitely feeling the strain.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

[WiWavelength]

On my rural site, VZW LTE speeds are staying 15-20Mbps. However, most of the other sites in the area have dropped to 2-8Mbps. Definitely feeling the strain.

 

Maybe all of those people playing Angry Birds on LTE "because it's faster" will switch back to Wi-Fi now.

 

 

AJ

[lynyrd65]

On my rural site, VZW LTE speeds are staying 15-20Mbps. However, most of the other sites in the area have dropped to 2-8Mbps. Definitely feeling the strain.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

I've seen some vzw customers post sub 1mbps speed tests in complaint threads.

 

Thank God for PCS and BRS capacity!

 

I can only imagine the look on my VZW/AT&T friends faces a couple years from now when my Sprint phone works at full speeds at the Texas state fair while their LTE devices fail to move any data whatsoever (what all carriers currently do there).

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[centermedic]

The WiMax network has a place in this discussion because there have been indications that Sprint intends to shutter around half of the existing Clearwire sites and host TD-LTE own their sites wherever there is overlap.

Source? This is the first I have heard of this other than the protection sites.

[milan03]

Not to mention, VZW does not offer AWS capable handsets. So, VZW LTE subs are out of luck with their current phones.

 

AJ

This is currently an annoyance, and it's a shame they didn't require OEMs to include Band 4 earlier.

Would a MetroPCS LTE handset attach to Verizon's Band 4 LTE (once deployed) or they're using a different authentication method?

[pyroscott]

This is currently an annoyance, and it's a shame they didn't require OEMs to include Band 4 earlier.

Would a MetroPCS LTE handset attach to Verizon's Band 4 LTE (once deployed) or they're using a different authentication method?

 

I could have sworn I saw that the Droid DNA and Nokia 822 also supported AWS LTE, but I can not find anything to back it up now. Maybe I am misremembering...

[S4GRU]

This is currently an annoyance, and it's a shame they didn't require OEMs to include Band 4 earlier.

Would a MetroPCS LTE handset attach to Verizon's Band 4 LTE (once deployed) or they're using a different authentication method?

 

Verizon has the scale that they could have required it. I think VZW may have delayed Band 4 adoption as a strategy not to allow competing carriers to get ahold of devices.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

 

[milan03]

I could have sworn I saw that the Droid DNA and Nokia 822 also supported AWS LTE, but I can not find anything to back it up now. Maybe I am misremembering...

I have DNA, it's only Band 13 unfortunately. The only Verizon device that is currently Band 4 capable is Galaxy Note 10.1 that just passed through FCC. It's not commercially available yet.

 

 

 

Verizon has the scale that they could have required it. I think VZW may have delayed Band 4 adoption as a strategy not to allow competing carriers to get ahold of devices.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

That actually makes a lot of sense. On that note, would MetroPCS Band 4 LTE phones attach to Verizon's Band 4?

[pyroscott]

I have DNA, it's only Band 13 unfortunately. The only Verizon device that is currently Band 4 capable is Galaxy Note 10.1 that just passed through FCC. It's not commercially available yet.

 

That's what it was! Thanks, that was eating me up.

[S4GRU]

On that note, would MetroPCS Band 4 LTE phones attach to Verizon's Band 4?

 

I'm not sure. I do think that VZW doesn't want to be required to support LTE roaming. And if devices are not capable, that's a convenient insulator.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

 

[WiWavelength]

That actually makes a lot of sense. On that note, would MetroPCS Band 4 LTE phones attach to Verizon's Band 4?

 

AWS LTE, yes. Just pop in a VZW SIM, maybe adjust the APN.

 

CDMA2000, VZW would have to be willing to add the ESN to its database.

 

AJ

[lynyrd65]

 

I'm not sure. I do think that VZW doesn't want to be required to support LTE roaming. And if devices are not capable, that's a convenient insulator.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

I think the time when we start seeing PCS and Cellular LTE refarms from Verizon and AT&T is the time we will start to see a lobby for the FCC to require these carriers to allow this roaming.

 

AT&T is already getting ready to deploy LTE over Cellular in the future (some devices already support it) and its only a matter of time and competition before we see VZW do the same.

 

I believe AWS, PCS, and Cellular will become THE roaming bands for North America in the next few years due to widespread overlap between carriers.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[milan03]

AWS LTE, yes. Just pop in a VZW SIM, maybe adjust the APN.

 

CDMA2000, VZW would have to be willing to add the ESN to its database.

 

AJ

 

I assume unlocked GSM/LTE devices with Band 4LTE would not attach in LTE only mode. I'm tempted to find used MetroPCS SIII lol.