Sprint TD-LTE 2500/2600mhz Discussion

[S4GRU]

I'm considering heading up to Denver on Tuesday, purchase a triband hotspot and hunt down some Clearwire TD-LTE.

 

Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[WiWavelength]

I'm considering heading up to Denver on Tuesday, purchase a triband hotspot and hunt down some Clearwire TD-LTE.

 

Considering?

 

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

Considering?

 

 

AJ

I tried for 20 minutes to load that clip!

 

Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[WiWavelength]

I tried for 20 minutes to load that clip!

 

While waiting 20 minutes for the clip to load, you may have actually yelled the relevant catchphrase several times.

 

 

AJ

[greenvillesc]

I know that Dallas is under deployment. Its just not being launched on the first day. This is not the end.Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

where would I find the map or link for the cities that are getting TD LTE first or one of the 1st round markets? I'm sure Greenville SC not a 1st round markeT LOL

[kyle_4thousand]

Is Clearwire deploying TD-LTE on brand new sites or are they shutting down previous Wimax sites and retooling them for TD-LTE? I wouldn't mind seeing TD-LTE on the current Wimax footprint at all!

[DaQue]

Wimax has to stay up for a couple more years I think.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[S4GRU]

Is Clearwire deploying TD-LTE on brand new sites or are they shutting down previous Wimax sites and retooling them for TD-LTE? I wouldn't mind seeing TD-LTE on the current Wimax footprint at all!

They are deploying on existing WiMax sites currently. Not necessarily all of them. Soon they will start on selected Sprint NV sites too.

 

Robert from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[bucdenny]

No love in Phoenix? Thought the initial test was done there...

[Cubbiefan82]

Is Clearwire deploying TD-LTE on brand new sites or are they shutting down previous Wimax sites and retooling them for TD-LTE? I wouldn't mind seeing TD-LTE on the current Wimax footprint at all!

They are developing on existing sites, most of clears equipment was set-up to where they could switch it to lte. I believe it was a simple card switch, I know a few pre-wimax markets may need a new base station, but I believe most of the first markets that clear developed in have been switched to base station that could handle lte.  The td-lte will be using portion of the nice spectrum that isnt being used anyways :-)

[avb]

I received an email from a source that says Sprint/Clearwire (Sprintwire?) are turning on TD-LTE 2600 today in a few markets over the legacy Clearwire network. He specifically named LA, NYC and Tampa. But there are others too. If I find out the other markets, I'll let you know. But there will probably be a press release soon. Time to get those triband hotspots! Where's the triband smartphones? Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

I'm surprised Houston isn't one of their launch cities as it's a large market that Sprint is spectrum challenged and Clear already has a sizeable network (for them).  Oh well, hopefully by the time the tri band phones are out Houston will be up and running and I can try it out for myself.

[WiWavelength]

No love in Phoenix? Thought the initial test was done there...

 

Phoenix?  No.  When old people migrate en masse to live out the rest of their lives and die there, you probably have an indication that you are located close to either Heaven or Hell.  As for which, well, the extreme heat should tell you.

 

 

AJ

[linhpham2]

They are deploying on existing WiMax sites currently. Not necessarily all of them. Soon they will start on selected Sprint NV sites too.

 

Robert from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

Hopefully, the TD-LTE 2500/2600 roll-out will be much faster than the general NV overhaul and upgrades. I'm expecting Portland, OR to get some 2500/2600 love in the 2nd or 3rd round (maybe summer 2014) or so.

 

For a map of existing Clearwire towers: http://www.clear.com/coverage

[jroepcke51]

Hopefully, the TD-LTE 2500/2600 roll-out will be much faster than the general NV overhaul and upgrades.

 

For a map of existing Clearwire towers: http://www.clear.com/coverage

I hear this all the time.  Of course this round will go faster. It is not a complete overhaul.

[linhpham2]

I hear this all the time.  Of course this round will go faster. It is not a complete overhaul.

 

I don't know really. But I'm guessing: the backhaul is already is place (Wimax speeds are similar to LTE's). The antenna panels (?) for LTE and Wimax should be similar. I think it's mainly slide-in rackmount (card?) for the LTE equipment, turning on the power and some testing and tweaking.

[DaQue]

What I am really wondering and hoping is Son will fund or find a way to use the NV ground mount gear and add something to it to do LTE on 2.5G. I hear mixing FDD and TDD is a pain but finding a solution would save money in the long run I think.

[jroepcke51]

What I am really wondering and hoping is Son will fund or find a way to use the NV ground mount gear and add something to it to do LTE on 2.5G. I hear mixing FDD and TDD is a pain but finding a solution would save money in the long run I think.

I believe AJ already debunked this.  Combining FDD and TDD is not possible.  Each tower that is going to get 2.5 will require a new antenna per sector as well as equipment and cards in the new NV racks.

[DaQue]

Hopefully, the TD-LTE 2500/2600 roll-out will be much faster than the general NV overhaul and upgrades. I'm expecting Portland, OR to get some 2500/2600 love in the 2nd or 3rd round (maybe summer 2014) or so.

 

For a map of existing Clearwire towers: http://www.clear.com/coverage

Well cool.

 

Sprint and the old Clearwire Wimax are both on the big tower 300 yards from my front door.

 

Too bad I use wifi hooked to my cable while at home.

[DaQue]

I believe AJ already debunked this.  Combining FDD and TDD is not possible.  Each tower that is going to get 2.5 will require a new antenna per sector as well as equipment and cards in the new NV racks.

I did said the ground gear, not the panels.   The panels have 2 1900 Mhz antennas and a 800 Mhz one. I also think someone, probably AJ, said they would need new racks on the ground.  I am just hoping there will be a fix so existing racks (cabinets) would be able to make the link to backhaul. 

[DaQue]

Wow, that fast. Lte800 by years end. Can't wait for new phones. I'm due Jan 1st

 

Sent from my EVO

I'm not due until June but that will give the early adopters time to figure out which work the best. Hopefully I can get a Triband Note 3 or something then. Things are getting mighty slow at work and they already let 2 of 6 tech's go. 

[lilotimz]

I did said the ground gear, not the panels.   The panels have 2 1900 Mhz antennas and a 800 Mhz one. I also think someone, probably AJ, said they would need new racks on the ground.  I am just hoping there will be a fix so existing racks (cabinets) would be able to make the link to backhaul. 

 

All Sprint requires is a new BRS/EBS antenna and a dual mode TD-LTE / Wimax RRU of which Samsung can support 80mhz of spectrum or 4x 20mhz carriers or 2x 20+20mhz carrier aggregated channels. 

 

The Samsung MMBS (and other cabinets by other vendors) are modular and can accept any and all equipment or technology be it iden, hspa, lte, wimax, td-lte, etc with the proper additions to the base station. 

 

Adding TD-LTE gear to existing Network Vision sites will be very simple. When that occurs in a few months, the majority of Network Vision sites will be active with LTE and upgraded fiber backhaul. All that will be required is addition of Antennas & RRUs with corresponding hybrid fiber cables to connect & power said antennas alongside some minor additions to the base station to enable said technologies. 

[linhpham2]

Since the coverage are for 2500/2600 is so much smaller than 1900 or 800 lte, I'm hoping that it'll be eventually deployed on all towers (Clearwire's Wimax and all of Sprint's towers). That should greatly offload the traffic from the main 1900 lte.

[Dkoellerwx]

Since the coverage are for 2500/2600 is so much smaller than 1900 or 800 lte, I'm hoping that it'll be eventually deployed on all towers (Clearwire's Wimax and all of Sprint's towers). That should greatly offload the traffic from the main 1900 lte.

 

I highly doubt that it will make it outside of metro and the surrounding suburban areas. Beyond those areas, it's really not needed as 1900 and 800 should be more than sufficient. 

[ericdabbs]

The key for successful 2.5 TD-LTE deployment and really make use of the spectrum and an impact on the overall Sprint network is to expand the TD-LTE footprint to at least the top 100 markets in the metro areas which means beyond the current Wimax markets. This is my hope for Son and Sprint to spend the necessary capex to accomplish this.

[Dkoellerwx]

The key for successful 2.5 TD-LTE deployment and really make use of the spectrum and an impact on the overall Sprint network is to expand the TD-LTE footprint to at least the top 100 markets in the metro areas which means beyond the current Wimax markets. This is my hope for Son and Sprint to spend the necessary capex to accomplish this.

 

To me this seems like a reasonable expectation. Would be a smart use of the networks. But expanding to the whole network as others have said, I just don't see that happening.