Network Vision/LTE - Central Iowa Market (Des Moines and surrounding areas)

[DsmIowaGuy]

I was driving west on highway 6, Hickman, and don't know where the tower is, but between Stivers ford and the new hy-vee, I got full bars, so I pulled over and did a speed test. 10.19mbps down and 5.41mbps up. Those are good numbers. I looked around but didn't see a tower, only thing that looks like tower is on top of the old Carrier air condition building across from Dahls to the north.

 

On another note, I would like to donate to the site. How much do you have to donate to have access to the tower maps etc?

 

Thanks.

 

Trout

 

Welcome to S4GRU 

 

I've had a lot of fun on this site tower spotting and talking back and forth about the Sprint system. Thanks for donating. I too donated slowly and eventually couldn't resist continuing to the premier level 

 

We'll see you around in the threads on here.

[Trout74]

I am trying to find the app "signal check pro" but it looks like it's for android only. I have an iPhone 6, any apps for me?

I have just been using the keypad for phone calls and dialing *3001#12345#*. To get tower information. But I would rather have an app.

 

Thanks

[Mr.Nuke]

I am trying to find the app "signal check pro" but it looks like it's for android only. I have an iPhone 6, any apps for me?

I have just been using the keypad for phone calls and dialing *3001#12345#*. To get tower information. But I would rather have an app.

 

Thanks

Apple doesn't give app developers the access they need for apps like Signal Check or LTE Discovery unfortunately. The dialer code is not only way to get the hex/gci, and serving cell/pci site information.

[Trout74]

So I've located the towers that are near my main stomping grounds.  Waukee tower and tower off of 156th.  I confirmed my house pulls from tower off of 156th street.  I get band 25.  HOWEVER if I toggle to airplane mode and then back off, it will pull band 26 for a minute, then go back to band 25.  Why does it do that?  Do all these new towers around here have 25and 26?  is one faster than the other?

 

On a side note, from interstate on Hickman, west bound past Waukee, all along there I am getting 4-22MBPS down and 2-9MBPS up.  very good numbers.  trying to post my ookla speed test numbers but the file is too big.

 

trout

[Trout74]

Here is the data log, can't seem to post the picture.

 

1.

A detailed image for this result can be found here:http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/i/974187654

Test Date: Sep 25, 2014 10:21 AM
Download: 22.17 Mbps
Upload: 7.75 Mbps
Ping: 72 ms
Connection Type: Cellular
Server: Ames, IA
External IP: 66.87.143.199
Internal IP: 51.80.133.199
Latitude: 41.6256
Longitude: -93.8267
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=41.625553,-93.826717

 

another:

A detailed image for this result can be found here:http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/i/972985938

Test Date: Sep 24, 2014 10:24 AM
Download: 23.15 Mbps
Upload: 9.72 Mbps
Ping: 66 ms
Connection Type: Cellular
Server: Omaha, NE
External IP: 66.87.143.150
Internal IP: 30.80.251.150
Latitude: 41.5598
Longitude: -93.7695
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&q=41.559764,-93.769507

[bmoses]

So I've located the towers that are near my main stomping grounds.  Waukee tower and tower off of 156th.  I confirmed my house pulls from tower off of 156th street.  I get band 25.  HOWEVER if I toggle to airplane mode and then back off, it will pull band 26 for a minute, then go back to band 25.  Why does it do that?  Do all these new towers around here have 25and 26?  is one faster than the other?

 

On a side note, from interstate on Hickman, west bound past Waukee, all along there I am getting 4-22MBPS down and 2-9MBPS up.  very good numbers.  trying to post my ookla speed test numbers but the file is too big.

 

trout

 

hey, i'm going to reply to your question in the sponsor thread (link in my signature) since we are starting to talk about specific towers and stuff. Head there to see my reply and continue the discussion!

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/4711-nebraska-iowa-market-spreadsheets-and-maps/page-222

[Guest mbrinson]

Does anyone happen to already have a iPhone 6 here in Des Moines, are the data speeds better since the iPhone 6 supports more LTE bands than the iPhone 5?!?! If so how has your data been in and around the Des Moines area?

[bmoses]

Does anyone happen to already have a iPhone 6 here in Des Moines, are the data speeds better since the iPhone 6 supports more LTE bands than the iPhone 5?!?! If so how has your data been in and around the Des Moines area?

 

while i don't have an iphone6, i do have a tri-band phone so i have access to all of the LTE bands. right now we only have B25 and B26 active in the metro, no B41 yet. if you were to get an iphone6, or any other tri-band phone, your LTE experience would be much improved. while speeds wouldn't necessarily be extremely faster your coverage would be much improved from just having B25. All those little spots you lose LTE and drop down to 3G now you would instead just switch over to B26. from my experience in some places B26 is only 5meg faster than B25 from the same tower, in other places B26 is 15+meg faster than B25. just depends on the tower and area, but as i said, its the expansion of coverage that will be the greatest benefit.

[technicholas]

Wonder when the sprint sites here will get upgraded in Winterset, Iowa

[jeffcarp]

I just saw a pretty interesting US Cellular billboard in Des Moines. It said "More 4G LTE in Iowa than Sprint. I thought it was pretty interesting to see US Cellular directly taking on Sprint like that. They must be doing something right.

[Justindcarter79]

Looks like it's pretty quiet in here. Do you guys know if Sprint intends to deploy LTE to all towers ? The reason I ask is there is alot of 3G bounceback outside of the city namely in the surrounding areas like Perry for instance. 

[bmoses]

Looks like it's pretty quiet in here. Do you guys know if Sprint intends to deploy LTE to all towers ? The reason I ask is there is alot of 3G bounceback outside of the city namely in the surrounding areas like Perry for instance. 

 

thats what happens when service rocks, it gets quiet

 

sprint plans to eventually deploy LTE to all towers. however most towers outside of the metro areas and along the interstates in iowa, are GMO towers, we know of no current plans to convert GMO towers to full builds which needs to happen before they get LTE.

[NGeorge]

thats what happens when service rocks, it gets quiet

 

sprint plans to eventually deploy LTE to all towers. however most towers outside of the metro areas and along the interstates in iowa, are GMO towers, we know of no current plans to convert GMO towers to full builds which needs to happen before they get LTE.

I thought GMO sites were getting LTE on Band 25 -- but needed to be converted to full build (with new antennas) for Band 26 and 41? It was my understanding that "most" GMO sites could get the Band 25 LTE, unless they were ancient antennas from the very first round of sites back in the '90s (which very well could be the case in Iowa being a lot of it was an affiliate market, and 1x at that)?

 

N

[bmoses]

I thought GMO sites were getting LTE on Band 25 -- but needed to be converted to full build (with new antennas) for Band 26 and 41? It was my understanding that "most" GMO sites could get the Band 25 LTE, unless they were ancient antennas from the very first round of sites back in the '90s (which very well could be the case in Iowa being a lot of it was an affiliate market, and 1x at that)?

 

N

 

while they could deploy B25 LTE on any of the GMO sites that could support it, from what i heard they don't have any plans to do that unless something changes the last i heard sites won't get LTE until they are converted to full builds.

[S4GRU]

Most GMO sites don't even have backhaul ordered yet. So there is no chance of B25 until backhaul arrives. Sprint customers, and to a large extent even S4GRU members, whined and sniveled about Sprint's priorities. That they were focusing too much effort on rural areas and ignoring urban areas. They listened. Sprint has switched priorities.

 

And now under Marcelo, he has made it clear...focus on urban areas and high capacity sites first. This means GMO's are likely going to languish even longer. Sometimes people get exactly what they ask for.

[bretton88]

Most GMO sites don't even have backhaul ordered yet. So there is no chance of B25 until backhaul arrives. Sprint customers, and to a large extent even S4GRU members, whined and sniveled about Sprint's priorities. That they were focusing too much effort on rural areas and ignoring urban areas. They listened. Sprint has switched priorities.

 

And now under Marcelo, he has made it clear...focus on urban areas and high capacity sites first. This means GMO's are likely going to languish even longer. Sometimes people get exactly what they ask for.

Makes sense, too bad that means no LTE for these areas or even passable 3G (Iowa city coverage is really not good at all). Even the quad cities isn't getting band 41.

[DsmIowaGuy]

Most towers that I have checked in the rural areas I travel are still GMO but upgraded backhaul or at least tied T1 lines. The speed tests are most often 2.5Mbps down and 1Mbps up.  FAR different "3G" than what they used to call 3G.

 

For that - I'm grateful in what they have done.  

[Mr.Nuke]

Most towers that I have checked in the rural areas I travel are still GMO but upgraded backhaul or at least tied T1 lines. The speed tests are most often 2.5Mbps down and 1Mbps up.  FAR different "3G" than what they used to call 3G.

 

For that - I'm grateful in what they have done.  

The speed increases are likely a result of the NV base station equipment being able to handle bonded t-1 lines. Had the rural GMO sites actually had upgraded fiber or microwave backhaul in all likelihood they wouldn't be GMOs at this point.

[DsmIowaGuy]

The speed increases are likely a result of the NV base station equipment being able to handle bonded t-1 lines. Had the rural GMO sites actually had upgraded fiber or microwave backhaul in all likelihood they wouldn't be GMOs at this point.

 

Anyway at all we can check on whether that backhaul has been done. I know at one time there wasn't, didn't know if something had been identified that we could look for.  I know some towers with newly installed fiber boxes weren't really a tell tale sign in the past as it seemed like maybe that was installed but truly waiting for the underground dig to happen at times.

[Mr.Nuke]

Anyway at all we can check on whether that backhaul has been done. I know at one time there wasn't, didn't know if something had been identified that we could look for.  I know some towers with newly installed fiber boxes weren't really a tell tale sign in the past as it seemed like maybe that was installed but truly waiting for the underground dig to happen at times.

If you can get access to the base station the fiber hookup at the back is typically a fairly good indication. The bigger indication in our markets now is if a GMO is converted to a full build, fiber is there and the sites have been picking up LTE acceptances with two weeks.

[Justindcarter79]

Any word on Spark in Des Moines ?

[Fraydog]

Any word on Spark in Des Moines ?

There's a lot of info about B41 Spark deployment in the Premier section. If you have SignalCheck Pro you can find B41 deployment yourself.

[sarcoptic]

I really wish Sprint would do something with that tower in Huxley.  That spot along 35 is absolutely terrible for any sort of data coverage.  Its the one place my music stops on the drive between Ames and Des Moines.

[bmoses]

I really wish Sprint would do something with that tower in Huxley.  That spot along 35 is absolutely terrible for any sort of data coverage.  Its the one place my music stops on the drive between Ames and Des Moines.

 

lol..... yeah..... i've been working with them on this tower for about 4 months now.... most of my family on sprint lives in huxley. it even went as far as me meeting a couple of techs at the tower to go over the issues with it. there are no current plans to convert it from a GMO or add LTE to it.

 

however there was an issue where it would not properly hand off to 3G when coming into the service area of this tower, it would instead kick you down to 1xRTT. i was "was an issue" because i just got a message from sprint yesterday saying they have it fixed.

 

i'm not holding my breath though because the only way to fix this tower is to get it converted to a full build and add LTE. but i guess if it at least lets people transition to it while maintaining a 3G connection that would be an improvement at least.

 

not sure if it would help or not but if you want to call in and complain about the tower too maybe it will start moving it up on some list somewhere :/

[Justindcarter79]

Sprint needs to put up a new tower in the highland park area, there is a pretty big LTE deadspot. Has anyone been using the new sprint app to report troublespots, I have been ?