Network Vision/LTE - Minnesota Market

[supert0nes]

I can tell you guys there's some 4G in Oak Grove.. Oak Grove is north of Coon Rapids and Andover.. I know someone who has the Optimus G and she got 4G in that area.

 

Great news! Can't wait to see it show up on Sensorly!

[Kelden21]

Anyone have any info on the swatch of 4g on Sensorly's map near 694 and Central? In the Fridley area. I noticed it on Sensorly's map on Monday, and map my drive through that every day since, but I still haven't seen any 4g there.

[agbenson88]

Anyone have any info on the swatch of 4g on Sensorly's map near 694 and Central? In the Fridley area. I noticed it on Sensorly's map on Monday, and map my drive through that every day since, but I still haven't seen any 4g there.

 

I was out there a few days ago trying to add to the map. I didn't get signal very far from the tower, maybe a half mile at most, though I was not on the highway where the signal appears to extend a bit further.

 

The tower is very short, I'd say 50 feet. here's a photo of it, taken from maybe 50 feet away.

 

I'm not sure, but I think it takes a bit before your phone will connect to LTE, so if you are driving by, you might not ever see it.

[aliensporebomb]

I've heard all kinds of odd reports about a plethora of phones from a variety of manufacturers needing to be briefly put into airplane mode and then back to regular mode again or even updating their carrier information to be able to flip over to LTE at a moments notice.

 

Unfortunately, I haven't found any threads about how to "force" a given phone to go over to LTE mode.

[tbs123456]

I got 4g in forest lake last night for about 5 securends before it went away. Could have just been a glitch with my phone though. Can't imagine they were working on the tower at 9 pm.

[Kelden21]

I was out there a few days ago trying to add to the map. I didn't get signal very far from the tower, maybe a half mile at most, though I was not on the highway where the signal appears to extend a bit further.

 

The tower is very short, I'd say 50 feet. here's a photo of it, taken from maybe 50 feet away.

I'm not sure, but I think it takes a bit before your phone will connect to LTE, so if you are driving by, you might not ever see it.

 

Wow, I'm impressed with the response. Where exactly is that tower? I'm a little new to Sprint and don't really know where precisely their towers are.

 

edit: Looks like it's in Hilltop. So is the range of that tower pretty much as strong as it's going to get? I'm just north of 694 and would love to have it in the house, and that tower looks the closest.

Edited December 8, 2012 by Kelden21

[agbenson88]

Wow, I'm impressed with the response. Where exactly is that tower? I'm a little new to Sprint and don't really know where precisely their towers are.

 

edit: Looks like it's in Hilltop. So is the range of that tower pretty much as strong as it's going to get? I'm just north of 694 and would love to have it in the house, and that tower looks the closest.

 

I don't actually know the area at all, so I'm not sure if it's in hilltop... its right behind the Country Inn, just off 694.

[supert0nes]

Ya the one in Brooklyn Center is most likely just the one they were connected to in Fridley. Not inconceivable.

[aliensporebomb]

I found the one over by the MSP Airport - it's right by the light rail station near all the Government buildings and it's directly next door to a tennis facility:

 

 

It's in a strange place - the whole get-up looks brand new and there is still a yellow vault-like structure on site for the contractor I suspect, it's in a space that will soon be a Metro Transit park and ride but no asphalt has been poured so I couldn't get any closer.

 

Oddly, it's not transmitting LTE at the moment - it's just transmitting 3g (very strong).

 

It's no more than 50 feet off the ground though - not sure what the range on this place would be.

 

There's no other cellular anything anywhere nearby this particular structure.

[aliensporebomb]

I don't actually know the area at all, so I'm not sure if it's in hilltop... its right behind the Country Inn, just off 694.

 

That's Brooklyn Park/Brooklyn Center. I know that area well since my wife used t work very near there.

 

Hilltop is actually to the South of Fridley. Such as south of 694 and Central down south of 49th Avenue NE.

 

My years of driving all over the twin cities for my IT job finally comes in handy extracurricurally!

[Mooeydj]

That's Brooklyn Park/Brooklyn Center. I know that area well since my wife used t work very near there.

 

Hilltop is actually to the South of Fridley. Such as south of 694 and Central down south of 49th Avenue NE.

 

My years of driving all over the twin cities for my IT job finally comes in handy extracurricurally!

 

If you click on the picture of the map, the building captions say Brooklyn Center too.

[agbenson88]

I found the one over by the MSP Airport - it's right by the light rail station near all the Government buildings and it's directly next door to a tennis facility:

 

 

It's in a strange place - the whole get-up looks brand new and there is still a yellow vault-like structure on site for the contractor I suspect, it's in a space that will soon be a Metro Transit park and ride but no asphalt has been poured so I couldn't get any closer.

 

Oddly, it's not transmitting LTE at the moment - it's just transmitting 3g (very strong).

 

It's no more than 50 feet off the ground though - not sure what the range on this place would be.

 

There's no other cellular anything anywhere nearby this particular structure.

 

I'm certainly no expert, but the antennas don't look like network vision on that tower to me.

 

Additionally, I looked at the map of all towers in the sponsors area, and that tower doesn't appear to be a Sprint tower at all.

 

Here's two close up pics I took of a Sprint tower with NV completed (the one in Brooklyn Center). Notice the boxes right behind the antennas, and how there are not a lot of antennas (though there are still a few really old ones on this tower).

[agbenson88]

If you click on the picture of the map, the building captions say Brooklyn Center too.

 

Sorry, I knew it was Brooklyn Center, I just didn't know what/where Hilltop is (like a park, neighborhood, town... no idea). Thank's to aliensporebomb, I know now

I would assume it's the Brooklyn center on that has shown up between Fridley and Hilltop, but maybe there is a second tower over there?

[aliensporebomb]

Then if that's not the tower that was transmitting it might actually be located on the roof of the federal building across the street.

 

Pretty heavy security and I'm not going to delve into it too much farther then. I'll wait until something turns on then I'll go look.

 

Interestingly, Sensorly shows the strongest signals from whatever tower was near there near the highway onramp - so I wonder if it's a little further down the road nearer the airport. Time to get out Google Earth and take a look at the area from above.

Edited December 9, 2012 by aliensporebomb

[aliensporebomb]

Update: the closest spot Google Earth shows cellular transmitters to the point closest to that onramp (where Sensorly shows strong signals) seems to be the roof of the VA Medical Center. Interesting.

 

The other candidate which looks more "modern" and possibly "LTE Like" is the tower in Taft Park which http://network.sprint.com/ says is a Sprint tower.

Edited December 9, 2012 by aliensporebomb

[njjdnt]

I was able to map some more LTE in downtown St. Paul and along 35E near downtown yesterday.

 

Thanks to user enormous and his thread on automating the cycling of airplane mode. http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/2721-howto-automated-sensorly-lte-data-collection-with-tasker/page__fromsearch__1

[aliensporebomb]

Latest: I visited the Taft Park tower and found that it was just a plain old Sprint Tower pumping out very strong 3G. No footprints since the snowfall so I don't see any way this was the source of the LTE signals caught near the airport.

 

Then I looked to the Southeast a bit (walking distance) and saw another tower with a odd sight: a two person lift up against the tower and two guys working hard on the bottom antenna array which looked only partially assembled.

 

 

Anecdotally the signal strength from where I was about 80 feet away in my car was very strong, 3g only, and right across from the MSP airport on the west side near a Home Depot.

 

I suspect this is the source of the LTE signals near the airport - it's not quite ready to go and the two guys were fighting the loss of daylight (it's nearing twilight as I type this).

 

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2012 by aliensporebomb

[eric]

Posted a speed test in the sponsors section MN forum...

[S4GRU]

Prairie River, Wisconsin.

 

I cannot find any evidence of a live Sprint LTE site in Prairie River, Wisconsin at all. In fact, I could not find a town called Prairie River. I did find an actual body of water called Prairie River, that flows through Merrill, Wisconsin. The site in Merrill has not been upgraded, as far as I can tell. Where did you learn of this info. I don't think it is accurate.

 

Robert

[aliensporebomb]

Sensorly shows that we have LTE in Northwest Rochester, Minnesota.

 

This is about eighty miles to the Southeast of Minneapolis if you're unfamiliar.

 

It's just to the west of Highway 52 and 55th Street NW - so it you are heading south on 52 and pass Bandel Road NW then point your cellphone antennas to the west and flip the airplane mode off/on and hope for the best.

 

I haven't been down to the office in that area for my company recently but I know that area very well. Nice to see!

Edited December 12, 2012 by aliensporebomb

[aliensporebomb]

In addition to the Rochester report I see a blip of LTE as far east as Byron on highway 14 west of Rochester nearly all the way to Kasson. Interesting developments for sure.

[tbs123456]

Looks like forest lake also has some 4g love. All around target right off of 35.

[tbs123456]

Is lte4g down for anyone else? I can't connect in Linwood with my EVO lte and my dad's galaxy nexus won't connect either.

[bogeypro]

Any more sites live in the southwest metro?

[aliensporebomb]

tbs123456: I was just over near Eden Prairie/Chanhassen and I didn't get a peep. Is LTE up for anyone else? I didn't see any LTE at all despite voyaging all the way to Loretto (long story) and back.