Straight talk offering LTE on the Sprint network w/ GS3

[coorsleftfield]

Looks like Straight Talk has made a deal with Sprint to use their LTE network.

 

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/05/14/the-galaxy-s-iii-is-straighttalks-first-lte-phone-available-now-for-439-99-uses-sprint-network/

[cletus]

I am not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand it is great that Sprint has expanded business partnerships beyond the normal MVNOs but I am concerned about all the new users bogging the network down. AT&T stopped offering straight talk sims for reasons unknown but I bet it had to do with the impact these lower revenue users were having on it's network. I wonder what consequences there will be in adding these subs do to the 3g side of the network that is currently in shambles on non NV sites (and even some NV sites here in Austin do not seem to really be much faster).

[coorsleftfield]

I'm sure the NV upgrade isn't a one time thing. One would think Sprint would continually monitor load on their site and continuously upgrade bandwidth where needed.

 

I also don't recommend anyone switch to Straight talk.. sure they are cheap, but from what I've seen, you don't get any data when roaming, at least not on the AT&T network. Be curious if these GS3 phones are allowed to roam to Verizon at all. My GF has straight talk using the AT&T network. It works fine in town, but as soon as we get into the mountains, she has no mobile data, only calls/text.

[JeffDTD]

Im not worried about this one bit. Wander over to any of the well travelled prepaid forums and read about just how "unlimited" the data is allowed to flow with straight talk. Howard forums has a healthy thread with some users claiming their data is shut down completely and others claiming throttling at 1x speeds. While straight talk claims "unlimited", it clearly is not. The effect this has will be less than the effect virgin or boost have had

[S4GRU]

MVNO's pay for their growth on the network. The amount of fees collected is more than enough to pay for the capex to support them. Sprint just needs to make sure they allocate the money correctly. And besides, under Softbank, there will be no network deterioration. Only further bolstering. MVNO's cause me no concern.

 

Another thing to remember about MVNO's, they cost Sprint no money in customer service or other costs. They just wholesale deliver a service to someone else. It's pure revenue coming in. And there really are not a whole lot of MVNO customers to impact the network if you think about it. Also, the average MVNO customer uses less minutes and data per month, are not unlimited data and do not incur roaming costs for Sprint.

 

I see many people who deride Sprint picking up one million MVNO customers as a bad thing, but cheer when Sprint picks up one million new post paid customers. Those one million new Sprint customers are a far more burden to the network than the average MVNO.

 

But in reality, Sprint must grow. They must grow all their customer outlets, Sprint post paid, prepaid brands, MVNO's...everything. They need to take customers from the duopoly. And all these new customers are going to put increased demand on the network. And Sprint must prepare for them. We cannot protect the network from new subscribers because we fear degradation. If Sprint does not grow, it will eventually go out of business.

 

Softbank gets it. And they have the money to keep the network robust while adding subscribers.

 

Robert

[jrccomputer]

I agree with robert. I'm very excited about this deal. Just unsure if I would switch from virgin mobile as I really like them. I own a nice galaxy victory and do get good sprint lte in my area.

 

Sent from my SPH-L300 using Tapatalk 2

Edited May 16, 2013 by jrccomputer

[maximus1987/lou99]

MVNO's pay for their growth on the network. The amount of fees collected is more than enough to pay for the capex to support them. Sprint just needs to make sure they allocate the money correctly. And besides, under Softbank, there will be no network deterioration. Only further bolstering. MVNO's cause me no concern.

 

 

Robert

 

Any idea how much Sprint charges Straight Talk per minute and per megabyte?

[S4GRU]

Any idea how much Sprint charges Straight Talk per minute and per megabyte?

 

Nope. I think they pay a tonnage rate if memory recalls, and not a per user per minute or per MB rate.

 

Robert

[iansltx]

From what I understand, the heavy throttling/disconnection warnings on ST have all been to AT&T based customers. Sprint-based folks have never had that issue on ST, because Sprint charges their MVNOs halfway-reasonable wholesale rates.

 

That said, they're still wholesaling on a minute/message/MB count basis from what I understand. Now realistically the numbers are in the terabytes or petabytes of data per month for someone like Straight Talk, but Sprint doesn't sell them unlimited data lines. Straight Talk just runs the numbers and, since MVNO data usage isn't actually ridiculously high, they make money while offering unlimited data.

 

And of course I have no problem with ST selling LTE phones, since the spectral efficiency of LTE is quite a bit better than that of EvDO. The faster everyone switches to LTE-enabled phones, the faster Sprint can turn down EvDO carriers and reclaim enough spectrum for one or even two more 5x5 LTE carriers, in PCS A-F.

[jrccomputer]

From what I understand, the heavy throttling/disconnection warnings on ST have all been to AT&T based customers. Sprint-based folks have never had that issue on ST, because Sprint charges their MVNOs halfway-reasonable wholesale rates.

 

That said, they're still wholesaling on a minute/message/MB count basis from what I understand. Now realistically the numbers are in the terabytes or petabytes of data per month for someone like Straight Talk, but Sprint doesn't sell them unlimited data lines. Straight Talk just runs the numbers and, since MVNO data usage isn't actually ridiculously high, they make money while offering unlimited data.

 

And of course I have no problem with ST selling LTE phones, since the spectral efficiency of LTE is quite a bit better than that of EvDO. The faster everyone switches to LTE-enabled phones, the faster Sprint can turn down EvDO carriers and reclaim enough spectrum for one or even two more 5x5 LTE carriers, in PCS A-F.

 

You guys here are so darn smart. I have miles to learn. Please teach me.

[JeffDTD]

From what I understand' date=' the heavy throttling/disconnection warnings on ST have all been to AT&T based customers. .[/quote']

 

The throttling is not limited to ATT. I can vouch for that, having seen it on straight talk on verizon. Sprint? Not sure, but id be shocked if the sprint lte on straight is not at least proxied or capped at a certain speed

[digiblur]

Not a bad price for that at all... you would be good to go as long as you don't need any roaming.

[maximus1987/lou99]

MVNO's pay for their growth on the network. The amount of fees collected is more than enough to pay for the capex to support them.

 

Robert

 

Then why is ATT doing this?

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/03/04/net10-caps-att-data-at-1-5gb-per-month-t-mobile-remains-unlimited/

 

I guess this may have been in preparation for them launching AIO wireless?

[S4GRU]

 

Then why is ATT doing this?

http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/03/04/net10-caps-att-data-at-1-5gb-per-month-t-mobile-remains-unlimited/

 

I guess this may have been in preparation for them launching AIO wireless?

 

AT&T is being protective of its network for two reasons...cost and capacity. In some places AT&T doesn't have much room for capacity now. AT&T spectrum holdings are extremely varied from place to place. And WCS is not quite ready yet for additional capacity.

 

AT&T probably also doesn't want to funnel MVNO profits into capex. They want to make as much money as possible. Their MVNO plan is probably only to sell any spare capacity on their network and not try to have to expand network capacity for MVNO's.

 

Sprint and AT&T have two very divergent plans for MVNO's.

 

Robert via Nexus 7 with Tapatalk HD

[maximus1987/lou99]

 

And WCS is not quite ready yet for additional capacity.

 

 

Robert via Nexus 7 with Tapatalk HD

 

When do you think WCS phones will be out? WCS will only be 2x5 cause they're conceding 2 5MHz blocks as guard bands for sat radio, right?

 

So any capacity gains will be simply as a result of closer tower spacing.

[S4GRU]

 

When do you think WCS phones will be out? WCS will only be 2x5 cause they're conceding 2 5MHz blocks as guard bands for sat radio, right?

 

So any capacity gains will be simply as a result of closer tower spacing.

 

I have not been following WCS on AT&T at all. I doubt that AT&T will add additional sites to try to get a cohesive WCS network. WCS will only likely be added to existing AT&T sites to add capacity, and there will likely be coverage gaps between sites. But that's OK for what they're using it for.

 

Robert via Nexus 7 with Tapatalk HD

[WiWavelength]

When do you think WCS phones will be out? WCS will only be 2x5 cause they're conceding 2 5MHz blocks as guard bands for sat radio, right?

 

No, the WCS 2300 MHz band plan is 2305-2320 MHz x 2345-2360 MHz. As long as AT&T controls the entire WCS band, it will be able to deploy 10 MHz FDD LTE.

 

AJ

[maximus1987/lou99]

 

No, the WCS 2300 MHz band plan is 2305-2320 MHz x 2345-2360 MHz. As long as AT&T controls the entire WCS band, it will be able to deploy 10 MHz FDD LTE.

 

AJ

 

You're right; here's a nice little graphic from FCC

 

http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/wireless-communications-service-wcs

 

And one more article

http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/131316-att-and-sirius-xm-propose-rules-to-allow-lte-on-wcs

 

2x10 at 2.3GHz spacing should be sweet. Looks like they solved their capacity problems.

 

Do you know why they went for FDD instead of TDD?

Would it cost them more to deploy TDD or is it because their not familiar with TDD?

 

Also, who owns the other WCS?

 

 

[Rawvega]

Sprint owns a bit which I doubt they'll ever use. Seems reasonable that at some point they'd sell or trade it to at&t for a tidy sum.

[WiWavelength]

Do you know why they went for FDD instead of TDD?

Would it cost them more to deploy TDD or is it because their not familiar with TDD?

 

I am not quite sure why you are asking. WCS A/B blocks are each 5 MHz FDD, hence already paired. WCS C/D blocks are 5 MHz TDD, but those are the blocks presently being sacrificed as de facto guard bands to protect adjacent SDARS operations. So, since the WCS A/B blocks are those being pressed into service for LTE in a few years, FDD operation was already established.

 

Also, who owns the other WCS?

 

By purchases from or acquisitions outright of BellSouth, NextWave, and Comcast, AT&T has consolidated most of the WCS band under its own control. The largest outstanding licensee is, poetically enough, Sprint.

 

AJ

[maximus1987/lou99]

 

 

By purchases from or acquisitions outright of BellSouth, NextWave, and Comcast, AT&T has consolidated most of the WCS band under its own control. The largest outstanding licensee is, poetically enough, Sprint.

 

AJ

 

Are Sprint's licenses critical to AT&T?

If so, could Sprint extract some more PCS or $$$ out of AT&T?

[jamesinclair]

Another thing to remember about MVNO's, they cost Sprint no money in customer service or other costs.

 

Not 100% true. At least when I worked at Verizon, some straight talk customers would make their way into our phone queue.

 

Id guess the same happens with At&T and sprint?

 

They push *## for customer service and it ends up and the main carrier queue.

[S4GRU]

Not 100% true. At least when I worked at Verizon, some straight talk customers would make their way into our phone queue.

 

Id guess the same happens with At&T and sprint?

 

They push *## for customer service and it ends up and the main carrier queue.

 

In the cases where Sprint provides customer service to the MVNO, the MVNO pays for that service.  It's an optional feature that costs more.

 

Robert

[centermedic]

"Sprint does have a pretty poor reputation once you get outside city limits"

 

Really? I wish some of these journalist would get off of the Sprint bashing.

 

[Bob Newhart]

"Sprint does have a pretty poor reputation once you get outside city limits"

 

Really? I wish some of these journalist would get off of the Sprint bashing.

Yes, really.