Network Vision/LTE - Minnesota Market

[mak2eet]

It's been quite around here for awhile.  Downtown I'm getting a pretty strong 4g signal outside my building, but 1 step inside I'm getting an unusable sliver of 3g.

first post--woo hoo!

I work downtown as well.  When outside, I run into 4g a lot, but for the most part, it's slow and unusable. Inside - the barely there 3g is even worse.  

I been waiting and waiting and waiting and.........

[njjdnt]

first post--woo hoo!

I work downtown as well.  When outside, I run into 4g a lot, but for the most part, it's slow and unusable. Inside - the barely there 3g is even worse.  

I been waiting and waiting and waiting and.........

I guessing you both are talking about downtown Minneapolis? 

[mak2eet]

I guessing you both are talking about downtown Minneapolis?

Yes downtown Minneapolis.

However I have to say, I live in Richfield, pretty close to the mall of America, and I have been getting consistent 4g from my home fire a while now. Usually in the 4mbps range.

[aliensporebomb]

The tower near 94th and penn just two days ago:

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned.

[aliensporebomb]

Yes downtown Minneapolis.

However I have to say, I live in Richfield, pretty close to the mall of America, and I have been getting consistent 4g from my home fire a while now. Usually in the 4mbps range.

 

 

The signal you're getting is probably the site just southeast of the Mall of America, there are two other transmitter sites near there which means pretty much most of the eastern half of Bloomington is getting LTE to some degreee.  

 

There's two operating sites on the west side and three sites that have been underway for quite some time now (two Bloomington, one Southern Richfield) that aren't live yet.  Stay tuned.

[mak2eet]

The signal you're getting is probably the site just southeast of the Mall of America, there are two other transmitter sites near there which means pretty much most of the eastern half of Bloomington is getting LTE to some degreee.

 

There's two operating sites on the west side and three sites that have been underway for quite some time now (two Bloomington, one Southern Richfield) that aren't live yet. Stay tuned.

Aah I see. Thanks for the info!

Is it too much to ask for consistent 4g everywhere, by the end of the year?

[blakebaa]

Aah I see. Thanks for the info!

Is it too much to ask for consistent 4g everywhere, by the end of the year?

They are estimating by the beginning of next summer I believe. With all the cold weather and snow coming around soon, it will slow them down a lot. Next spring should be an AMAZING upgrade time since they will have all the equipment and crew members ready to go! 

[aliensporebomb]

Site nearest me looks like they could switch it on today.  Site second nearest to me they've done fiber and nothing else.  And one up in Richfield looks ready to go too but it's been quite a while waiting.  And third nearest to me it doesn't look like much has happened though I've seen an Ericsson truck at the site.  So.  Still in process for a lot of things.

[Ltrain23]

Is everyone getting a horribly large number of dropped calls with all the current upgrades? I never used to have an issue with this (seriously can't remember ever having a call dropped) until the last month or two. It's to the point where it's almost useless to call someone, because I'm not sure if I'll be able to talk to them for longer than a minute or two. I'm not willing to sacrifice calling for 4g, and I don't think I'm alone in thinking that we should be able to get both reliably.

[njjdnt]

Is everyone getting a horribly large number of dropped calls with all the current upgrades? I never used to have an issue with this (seriously can't remember ever having a call dropped) until the last month or two. It's to the point where it's almost useless to call someone, because I'm not sure if I'll be able to talk to them for longer than a minute or two. I'm not willing to sacrifice calling for 4g, and I don't think I'm alone in thinking that we should be able to get both reliably.

I think the problem is that Sprint doesn't have service in London. 

[Ltrain23]

I think the problem is that Sprint doesn't have service in London. 

I can't believe anyone would travel that far to watch this team unless they were visiting relatives.

 

I'm just north of St. Cloud on Hwy 10, and 4G is fairly consistent at my house now (when I have a phone here to test it. My upgrade isn't until 1/1). Phone call consistency... not so much.

[njjdnt]

I can't believe anyone would travel that far to watch this team unless they were visiting relatives.

 

I'm just north of St. Cloud on Hwy 10, and 4G is fairly consistent at my house now (when I have a phone here to test it. My upgrade isn't until 1/1). Phone call consistency... not so much.

The north metro is having the same problems, with calls. LTE might be in your area but the upgrades aren't done.  Dan Hesse has publicly acknowledged that service issues increase during upgrades, and gets better afterwards.  Chicago went through the same thing when they were getting upgraded, and it's  night and day better now.

 

Unfortunately all of that doesn't help you or others right now with the call problems. 

[Ltrain23]

The north metro is having the same problems, with calls. LTE might be in your area but the upgrades aren't done. Dan Hesse has publicly acknowledged that service issues increase during upgrades, and gets better afterwards. Chicago went through the same thing when they were getting upgraded, and it's night and day better now.

 

Unfortunately all of that doesn't help you or others right now with the call problems.

You referenced Chicago had the same issues, so we can believe there is a light at the end of this tunnel, right? I can get with a spot of trouble since it'll be worth it in the end.

[monkeyw]

I hope so.  I have been having trouble getting decent LTE or 3g in EP and Chan for months now, and Lakeville has been bad for the last couple weeks too now.  Bloomington is the only place I frequent where I can actually count on usable data at the moment.  In Chan I can be line of site with the tower and still have awful data on both LTE when I can get it and 3g when I can't.  Sprint had sent out techs to the Chan tower multiple times over the past two months.  At least the voice drops have decreased since then.  

 

I am excited for the full deployment, and hopeful that it's as good a network as they keep saying it will be.  When LTE first went live in Chanhassen it was great range and speed.  I'm excited to see that again.

[Fraydog]

This is not a complaint forum guys, we all know what the rules are here. I don't want to be a jerk but we have to enforce the rules.

[supert0nes]

This is not a complaint forum guys, we all know what the rules are here. I don't want to be a jerk but we have to enforce the rules.

 

 

Way to go guys now we look as whiny as the Milwaukee and Chicago threads. /s

[AA/FC]

It looks like my post was removed by the moderator.... which I have no problem with.  But I do want to say my post was NOT a complaint.  I was simply giving some examples of my experience with Sprint service.

 

Back on topic: I am still anxiously waiting for Sprint to throw the switch on the 94th and Penn avenue tower! 

 

 

[mak2eet]

Apologies if my older posts came across as complaining. Not going to lie - there is frustration, for sure, and I am sure I am not the only one with similar sentiments. But, I am in this forum to find out more info and try and figure out how the deployment may be going - not here to whine constantly or anything. There are other forums for that..lol :-) 

Anyway - I also get 4g in Savage, MN.  Close to that Target that's on country road 42.

[aliensporebomb]

That Bloomington tower looks ready to go.  I saw them digging out the place where they had dug fiber in august last week (right off Penn and 93rd or so) so they might have needed to make some changes prior to launch.  

 

Staying tuned.  That's been filled in again and little flags are all around so we might see something happen soon.  Or not.

 

I've been keeping a close watch on sensorly for any signs of activity at that site.  

[DarthQuader]

Will the updates coming later this year (adding LTE on the 800MHz band, or SMR) touch the Albertville/Otsego area?

[supert0nes]

Will the updates coming later this year (adding LTE on the 800MHz band, or SMR) touch the Albertville/Otsego area?

 

Short answer absolutely.  Albertville/Otsego is a candidate to get all of the updates 800/1900/2500.  2500 might take a while longer than the other two, though.

[jebr]

I'm not sure if this falls under the Minnesota or Dakotas market, but here goes:

 

The tower in Brooten, MN has (or at least had been) having issues since July. I haven't heard of a resolution yet, though I'm not always in that area. Is that tower changing over in Network Vision or are they decommissioning the site? I looked at the coverage map on Sprint.com and it doesn't reflect that tower's coverage anymore.

[mozamcrew]

I'm not sure if this falls under the Minnesota or Dakotas market, but here goes:

 

The tower in Brooten, MN has (or at least had been) having issues since July. I haven't heard of a resolution yet, though I'm not always in that area. Is that tower changing over in Network Vision or are they decommissioning the site? I looked at the coverage map on Sprint.com and it doesn't reflect that tower's coverage anymore.

Well, you got the market right I believe.

Well, if you check this map, http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/4186-network-vision-site-map-minnesota-dakotas-milwaukee-and-north-wisconsin-markets/ you will see a list of sites expected to get NV upgrades, the nearest one I see is to the east in Belgrade. Are you sure the tower in Brooten is/was Sprint and not Nextel or some other carrier?

[jebr]

Well, you got the market right I believe.

Well, if you check this map, http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/4186-network-vision-site-map-minnesota-dakotas-milwaukee-and-north-wisconsin-markets/ you will see a list of sites expected to get NV upgrades, the nearest one I see is to the east in Belgrade. Are you sure the tower in Brooten is/was Sprint and not Nextel or some other carrier?

There was one installed by Northern PCS in Brooten on the city water tower there. I do remember it was a Sprint tower, as I used to have Sprint myself and would have full native coverage in town off of that tower, even on Virgin Mobile where it can't use non-Sprint towers. I do notice it's not on that map, which is strange. Next time I'm in the area I'll get some pictures if I can.

 

That said, I think it has microwave backhaul...I remember hearing somewhere that it was a "repeater" of some sort, though signal strength was equal to a normal tower.

[puch0021]

I tried searching for Minneapolis specific updates about 800 and 2500 bands but no luck.

 

I know 1900 is being rolled out right now, but is there any 800 or 2500 LTE also being actively rolled out or scheduled within the next year?

I'm interested in the note 3 but may get the g2 due to tri band support. If no other bands are being rolled out in the near future, I may just go with the note 3 and one up next year for tri band support.