3G -> 4G carriers down the road

[DaQue]

Is it even possible and do you think they would change 3G RF carriers at Sprint sites to 4G LTE down the road as more phones have LTE available?

[supert0nes]

A couple things, Sprint has spare spectrum in their PCS A-F holdings right now, that could be purposed for an additional 5x5 carrier. I suspect they will look at doing this after they complete the first phase of Network Vision.

 

This is a great read by wiwavelength explaining this.

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-27-spectrum-analysisdoes-sprint-have-more-options-for-additional-lte-carriers/

 

Sprint absolutely can repurpose 3g to 4g if demand for LTE increases and EVDO decreases.

 

Finally I believe one day in the mid term future they will turn EVDO off and just have 1x/LTE.

[digiblur]

There are not many areas with spare carriers just laying around. Some rural areas previously only had one data and one voice but now after NV with little effort they can do 4.

 

Sent from my little Note2

 

 

[WiWavelength]

There are not many areas with spare carriers just laying around. Some rural areas previously only had one data and one voice but now after NV with little effort they can do 4.

 

Are we talking actual spare carriers? Or are we talking spare spectrum that could be used for additional carriers? In the case of the latter, Sprint has 10-20 MHz of spare spectrum on many, many sites that could be used for additional carriers.

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

To spring board off AJ a little here...

 

To clarify, an EVDO carrier cannot be converted to LTE use. However, once EVDO carriers are deemed not needed any more, they can be turned off. Once there is enough EVDO carriers decommissioned to free enough spectrum for one LTE carrier, then one could be added.

 

However, in most markets, there is already room for one additional LTE carrier at most sites in PCS Block A-F. This can be added to supplement the G Block carrier when capacity is needed.

 

In markets where there is not much spare PCS spectrum (like Chicago, Ft. Wayne and Houston), they cannot add additional PCS carriers now without clearing some unneeded EVDO carriers in the future. Well, at least not now. Chicago and Ft. Wayne will have additional PCS spectrum coming from USCC in the next 24 months or so. But Houston is a problem. And probably a few other markets.

 

Also, even in spectrum constrained markets where it appears that there is no capacity, note that not every site has the maximum amount of EVDO carriers deployed. In Chicago, only about 10% of sites are maxed out. So it is possible to add LTE capacity at sites where there may be enough spare EVDO capacity, so long as those sites are far enough away from EVDO sites on the same channel as to not cause interference.

 

Lots and lots of options here. Varying by market.

 

Robert

[imex99]

Good stuff guys... <br /><br />Just being curious on the subject matter, how's columbus, Ohio on spectrum

[bigsnake49]

 

Also, even in spectrum constrained markets where it appears that there is no capacity, note that not every site has the maximum amount of EVDO carriers deployed. In Chicago, only about 10% of sites are maxed out. So it is possible to add LTE capacity at sites where there may be enough spare EVDO capacity, so long as those sites are far enough away from EVDO sites on the same channel as to not cause interference.

 

 

Robert

 

Sprint needs to stop farting around and secure some more PCS spectrum. Leap comes to mind, so does Metro....

[WiWavelength]

Good stuff guys... <br /><br />Just being curious on the subject matter, how's columbus, Ohio on spectrum

 

Columbus is fine. It is a PCS A-F block 30 MHz total market. A few years back, Sprint was limited to 20 MHz in Columbus but acquired a PCS C5 block 10 MHz disaggregation to supplement its holdings.

 

AJ

[DaQue]

I was really wondering if they might do just do 1x and LTE someday. 3G travels a little further and the way some people hate change I bet 3G will be around for a long time. Longer than most would think using up space that could be used for LTE to keep those who hate change happy.

[WiWavelength]

Sprint needs to stop farting around and secure some more PCS spectrum. Leap comes to mind, so does Metro....

 

Hold up. Sprint still has SoftBank and Clearwire to get approved. Those are priority #1 and #1a.

 

Do not bite off more than you can chew. Otherwise, you might end up choking. AT&T learned that the hard way.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

3G travels a little further and the way some people hate change I bet 3G will be around for a long time.

 

If you mean EV-DO, please use that terminology. "3G" is a generic moniker that, like "4G," has lost basically all of its meaning.

 

AJ

[DaQue]

 

 

If you mean EV-DO, please use that terminology. "3G" is a generic moniker that, like "4G," has lost basically all of its meaning.

 

AJ

 

Ok for my last few posts 3G=EVDO. I thought it was Sprint's only 3G.

[bigsnake49]

Hold up. Sprint still has SoftBank and Clearwire to get approved. Those are priority #1 and #1a.

 

Do not bite off more than you can chew. Otherwise, you might end up choking. AT&T learned that the hard way.

 

AJ

 

AJ, you know how I feel about Clearwire. I'm not sure that I really like the all that spectrum and even the network that they bring in. How does Clearwire's network integrate with Sprint's. What are they going to do with all of Clearwire's sites and leases? I personally believe that Sprint should actually just get their BRS spectrum back from Clearwire and let Dish have the rest. I think they should have gone after both Metro and Leap last summer. Heck, I would like to see them acquire USCC as well. But then I'm just a forum jockey.

[iansltx]

AJ, you know how I feel about Clearwire. I'm not sure that I really like the all that spectrum and even the network that they bring in. How does Clearwire's network integrate with Sprint's. What are they going to do with all of Clearwire's sites and leases? I personally believe that Sprint should actually just get their BRS spectrum back from Clearwire and let Dish have the rest. I think they should have gone after both Metro and Leap last summer. Heck, I would like to see them acquire USCC as well. But then I'm just a forum jockey.

 

The EBS spectrum that Clearwire has leased has little value compared with BRS. So "just sell it to Dish" doesn't really net them any big benefit.

 

Also, a huge draw for SoftBank to Sprint is the ability to gain an economy of scale on TD-LTE in 2500/2600 spectrum. Without that, Sprint probably wouldn't be buying CLWR right now, nor would SoftBank be buying a significant chunk of Sprint.

 

Plus, keep in mind that Sprint's spectrum issues are in a few selected urban areas. Two of those areas (Chicago and Houston) have full-blown Clear WiMAX networks. Overlay TD-LTE and your spectrum issue pretty much goes away.

 

As far as MetroPCS goes, Sprint tried buying them. The deal fell through. As for CricKet, there would definitely be synergies with Sprint, mainly on the spectrum side (or, you know, just dump all CricKet customers onto Virgin Mobile and call it a day). However Clearwire is the more strategic purchase, since we're talking about a nationwide deep spectrum overlay rather than a bunch of markets with a smattering of PCS and AWS. If/when CricKet gets bought, Sprint would need to figure out what to do with the AWS spectrum, and T-Mobile has too much going on right now to give Sprint a good deal on a swap.

[bigsnake49]

The EBS spectrum that Clearwire has leased has little value compared with BRS. So "just sell it to Dish" doesn't really net them any big benefit.

 

Also, a huge draw for SoftBank to Sprint is the ability to gain an economy of scale on TD-LTE in 2500/2600 spectrum. Without that, Sprint probably wouldn't be buying CLWR right now, nor would SoftBank be buying a significant chunk of Sprint.

 

Plus, keep in mind that Sprint's spectrum issues are in a few selected urban areas. Two of those areas (Chicago and Houston) have full-blown Clear WiMAX networks. Overlay TD-LTE and your spectrum issue pretty much goes away.

 

 

Unless Sprint deploys 2.6GHz on all their sites, they will not achieve scale. Heck, China Mobile is going to deploy TDD-LTE on 200,000 sites. Clearwire will deploy to 5,000 at least according to current plans.

 

Sprint has spectrum issues in more than those two areas: Off the top of my head they have problems in Florida and the San Fran area. The Wimax coverage in both areas leaves a lot to be desired. I have not experienced the Wimax in Houston or Chicago, but if it is anywhere near the experience in Orlando or Jacksonville then, sorry I don't buy it. Yes they will deploy LTE on 800MHz and 1900MHz and of course on 2.6GHz, but 1900MHz is their bread and butter frequency and I feel they should have a 15x15 or 20x20 LTE allocation on 1900MHz everywhere. Now they might be able to achieve that between PCS G, PCS H and A-F, without acquiring anybody. But I also want them to grow their user base.

 

The reason I suggested that they just take the BRS spectrum and run is that unless they have TV ambitions, 60MHz on 2.6Mhz is more than enough spectrum for hotspot duty. It also might not trigger a spectrum screen where as 160Mhz might.

 

The other reason I want them to sell Clearwire minus the BRS spectrum is that Clearwire+Dish will be seen as a viable 5th nationwide competitor and might make it easier for the FCC to approve a Sprint/T-Mobile merger, which I know it's being looked at.

[Guest 503ducati]

Could the EU's pending LTE 800MHz band be compatible to Sprint as a 'World Band' much the same as 2.6GHz ?

 

http://www.mobilewor...29a6cb360153ab7

 

 

Under the European Commission’s Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP), all 27 EU member states should have made the 800 MHz band available for mobile broadband services by 1 January 2013. However, at the time of writing, only nine countries have confirmed that the digital dividend spectrum has already been assigned, with the remaining 18 countries having announced that they would not meet the deadline, most of them requesting policy derogations.

[WiWavelength]

Could the EU's pending LTE 800MHz band be compatible to Sprint as a 'World Band' much the same as 2.6GHz ?

 

No, "800 MHz" is the same in name only. SMR 800 MHz and refarmed Euro "Digital Dividend" 800 MHz are different and incompatible.

 

AJ

[tybo31316]

Dang that would have been cool if the two bands were compatible. Sprint would have been able to get a lot of revenue from the international roamers from over seas.