Sprint LTE Coverage Maps via Sensorly

[pilot1226]

I'm sorry but I just don't think the Sensorly maps are accurate. I'm in Zip Code 07110, and I drive on McCarter Highway (Route 21) south through Newark and according to the map both it and Route 3 (near Clifton) both east and west don't have any LTE/4G.

 

I'm still on crappy 3G, My latest SpeedTest from Ookla is around 0.05 Mbps download and 0.05 Mbps upload.

 

I've done a few Service Updates but nothing. Yes, LTE is enabled in iOS7.

 

Anyone have any suggestions? Heh. I bought the i5S with the expectation that I'd at least have (slower) 4G LTE, and I'm still stuck on lousy Sprint 3G.

[SWMich4G]

I'm sorry but I just don't think the Sensorly maps are accurate. I'm in Zip Code 07110, and I drive on McCarter Highway (Route 21) south through Newark and according to the map both it and Route 3 (near Clifton) both east and west don't have any LTE/4G.

 

I'm still on crappy 3G, My latest SpeedTest from Ookla is around 0.05 Mbps download and 0.05 Mbps upload.

 

I've done a few Service Updates but nothing. Yes, LTE is enabled in iOS7.

 

Anyone have any suggestions? Heh. I bought the i5S with the expectation that I'd at least have (slower) 4G LTE, and I'm still stuck on lousy Sprint 3G.

The sensorly maps display purple wherever anyone ever connected to 4G while mapping.  Since it is light purple for a small stretch of McCarter Hwy, that means 1 person got barely usable LTE at least 1 time on that road.  If 99 people get no LTE and 1 person gets LTE, it maps the LTE on the map.  If you're in an area with 3 or 4 bars on the map and getting nothing, then there may be something wrong.  Anything showing 0 or 1 bar should be ignored as fringe or unusable.  I've found 2 bars sometimes means consistent, decent LTE, but also shows up in areas where I can't always connect. 

 

It could also be your phone.  If your phone isn't actively searching for LTE for the couple mile stretch, it's obviously not going to connect.  If you force it to search you may have better luck. 

[Yuhfhrh]

Bored again.  It's only been about 6 weeks since I did this but you can compare these pics to the old ones and see how both AT&T and Sprint have expanded over the past month and a half.  Again keep in mind each square is about 10 miles by 10 miles so if there's LTE anywhere in that 100 square mile block there's gonna be color on the map.  This also ignores signal strength because I don't know how to extract the tile layers from the sensorly maps.  Of course if I could do that, I couldn't waste 2 hours every time I do this.

 

Mid-July version is here.

 

Here's an animated .gif so you can better see how they compare:

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

I'm craving monthly updates. I'd do it myself if I knew how lol 

[pilot1226]

The sensorly maps display purple wherever anyone ever connected to 4G while mapping.  Since it is light purple for a small stretch of McCarter Hwy, that means 1 person got barely usable LTE at least 1 time on that road.  If 99 people get no LTE and 1 person gets LTE, it maps the LTE on the map.  If you're in an area with 3 or 4 bars on the map and getting nothing, then there may be something wrong.  Anything showing 0 or 1 bar should be ignored as fringe or unusable.  I've found 2 bars sometimes means consistent, decent LTE, but also shows up in areas where I can't always connect. 

 

It could also be your phone.  If your phone isn't actively searching for LTE for the couple mile stretch, it's obviously not going to connect.  If you force it to search you may have better luck. 

 

 

Here's an image from sensorly with the area I'm talking about. Route 3 is near the top of the screen and runs east-west, route 21 runs north to south and runs into route 3.

 

It appears that there are "3 bars of darkness" for a majority of this area. I don't really expect to get LTE in the areas that are very faint because it's still getting rolled out, but I at least expected something.

 

On the ride I almost always have 5 full bars of service, with 4 bars on occasion.  But, the data speed is still sorely lacking. I can't use instant-streaming apps like IHeartRadio or iTunes Radio, and while I can use Spotify it takes a long time to get buffering and will get interrupted about every other song.

 

 

Thoughts? 

 

Edit: Sorry it's so small. Not sure how I did that. I can try and make a larger image if that's too hard to read.

Edited September 21, 2013 by pilot1226

[mikejeep]

I'm sorry but I just don't think the Sensorly maps are accurate. I'm in Zip Code 07110, and I drive on McCarter Highway (Route 21) south through Newark and according to the map both it and Route 3 (near Clifton) both east and west don't have any LTE/4G.

The site(s) that other users were connecting to while mapping those LTE signals may not be online at the moment. Perhaps the site(s) were broadcasting temporarily while in testing, or they have gone offline for some other reason.

 

Have you connected to LTE anywhere else with iOS 7? I don't see how/why the readings in that area would not have been valid user submissions.

 

-Mike

[SWMich4G]

I'm craving monthly updates. I'd do it myself if I knew how lol 

 

Unfortunately this update seems a bit underwhelming compared to the last one.  Partially because it's only been 4 weeks as opposed to 6, and partially because there have not been many areas exploding with new coverage.  The month Ohio starts really kicking in should look nice.  Also, I'm not sure what kind of images people are looking for so I made a couple new ones now that I have a few months of progression.  I hope imageshack doesn't mind the bandwidth

 

September exclusive coverage:

 

September overlapping coverage:

 

September animated comparison:

 

July-September exclusive progression:

 

July-September Sprint coverage progression:

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

I didn't bother posting a coverage overlap progression or an AT&T progression because I already have too many images here. If anyone wants those I'll make them as well.

[mikejeep]

 

I would tend to think its more of an issue with your device instead of false Sensorly data..

 

-Mike

 

[digiblur]

I would tend to think its more of an issue with your device instead of false Sensorly data..

 

-Mike

Usually even with the lowest shade of Sensorly if I cycle my airplane mode I can pick of LTE, not really useable though but usually better than slow EVDO.

[S4GRU]

Maybe AT&T users just like the darker shade of purple.

I thought they preferred the lighter shade of pale?

 

Robert via Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 using Tapatalk

 

 

[AMejia1976]

I've had enough. Thanks for your replies. I'm returning my iPhone 5S in the morning and switching to Verizon.

 

Good morning pilot1226;

 

First off let me welcome you to the S4GRU community.

 

Sorry you feel this way. If you feel Verizon will be the best option for you the by all means go ahead and switch.

 

However as you are a brand new to S4GRU it is possible you might not have had a chance to learn about your specific market.

 

As of this moment the Northern NJ market has not been officially launched. Your market is a second round market of NV. Work on second round markets did not start until the beginning of 2013. As was mentioned earlier the mapping you have seen on Sensorly is mostly of tower work that is still in testing. Based on the most current stats that are available to us, your market has about 51% of NV work completed and 10% LTE work done. The 51% is work that has been accepted by Sprint and means that all new equipent is in place; so do not take that to assume it is actually online. Some of the 3g towers are brought online in clusters in order to avoid issues between the old and new equipment and also because of e911 requirements.

 

NV work is currently running anywhere from 3 months to 6 month behind. This due to many different factors; not all which are under Sprint's control. Some of it is permit requirements, some is backhaul and some is due to the damage that was caused by SuperStorm Sandy. That last one forced all carriers; not just Sprint to move crews to areas where there was more of an urgent need to repair.

 

Last, you might look at current completion rate completion of 2/2014. This date can change based on actual progress. Here in Orlando Fl it has gone as far out as 7/2014 to 1/2014 but still within the 6 month delay window of original completion.

 

Again, I am sorry you feel you need to leave for another carrier. Just did not want you to make a decision based possibly not having all the info available.

 

Best regards;

 

@l3x

 

Northern Jersey

Status:  Full Builds Under Way

NV Sites Accepted = 51%

LTE Sites Accepted = 10%

Anticipated LTE Launch = Fall 2013

Original Scheduled Completion = September 2013

Current Production Rate Completion = February 2014

 

[pilot1226]

Thank you very much for your information. I wish that something like this could have been presented to me at the customer service level instead of blind promises.

 

I'm very pleased with the voice portion of my service. I very rarely drop calls. But the data is absolutely driving me crazy. I will wait it out at the request of my family which the data speed doesn't matter to them. So. Hopefully my 5S can start using LTE sooner rather than later.

 

Why does Sprint turn on the 4G as they complete the refit? Why wait?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ruahusker]

If I'm using a Boost LTE phone with Sensorly running, will it map to the Sprint maps? I spent a few hours the other day riding around our neighborhood, but so far nothing has shown up on the maps. Wasn't sure if this was because it isn't a pure Sprint phone, even though it uses their network.

 

I am using Virgin Mobile and have experienced the same thing.  I believe I had some of mine show up (tough to tell with other active folks out there) , but most of it has not.  I can only assume there is some sort of glitch when using it with the MVNO's like Boost and Virgin.

[peteyz24]

Thank you very much for your information. I wish that something like this could have been presented to me at the customer service level instead of blind promises.

 

I'm very pleased with the voice portion of my service. I very rarely drop calls. But the data is absolutely driving me crazy. I will wait it out at the request of my family which the data speed doesn't matter to them. So. Hopefully my 5S can start using LTE sooner rather than later.

 

Why does Sprint turn on the 4G as they complete the refit? Why wait?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They do not turn on the 4G until the proper internet backhaul has been provided.   If they fired it up before then you would just be stuck with pathetically slow 4G speeds.

[AMejia1976]

Why does Sprint turn on the 4G as they complete the refit? Why wait?

 

Hello pilot1226;

 

You have a very good question. I asked it myself way back.

 

When the refit is done the equipment has to be certified by Sprint. The certification is crucial as the refit is done in stages by several different subcontractors. Each cell site is different from another so the stages can vary. Some sites only need a few visits and some need several. To give you an idea; a stage can be having the equipment delivered. 

 

Once the equipment (antenna array, RRU's, cabinets, panels) and backhaul (fiber optics, microwaves) a site goes into "testing" mode. This stage can take a few weeks as all the equipment needs to play nice with each other and other cell sites around it. 4G is broadcast as soon as the site is online however because of the testing been done the site can be taken offline when adjustments or tweaks are needed. Once all the testing is done then a site becomes certified and LTE is left on for good.

 

As I mentioned on my earlier post your market has not officially been launched. Some sites in your area are in testing while others have been certified and are up and running. The Sensorly site does not discriminate between in testing and certified. All it tracks is mapping done by people like you and me. I get in my car and drive around and sometimes I get lucky and drive thru an area where LTE was not showing before but now it is. Back in December I drove from home to work catching LTE here and there; now I have LTE all the way; roughly 26 miles.

 

Here in Orlando we have gone from non existing LTE in December 2012 to now having a little over 40% of the roughly 650 sites broadcasting LTE. Unfortunately, since I don't know your market I cant tell you how long it took to go from non existent LTE to some. None of us here can make any promises as to how long it will take; but we can tell you that Northern Jersey will have LTE. Unlike WiMax the LTE built out will continue until all Sprint Markets are covered.

 

This is the link to the Northern Jersey threads.

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/212-network-visionlte-deployment-running-list/?p=145556

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/2312-network-visionlte-northern-jersey-market/

 

Get familiar with your area and other S4GRU members in the area. They are your best source of knowledge. Last but not least; consider becoming a sponsor. This thread tells you the benefits.

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1195-information-about-s4gru-sponsorship-levels-and-how-to-become-a-sponsor/

 

Some pople start with a few $s. There is much more info available to sponsors.

 

This is a map created by one of our members SWMich4G. The map showns changes over a few months

http://imageshack.us/f/27/rr3v.gif/

 

Best of luck.

 

@l3x

[pilot1226]

Thanks very much! Starting to make sense now.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chaddy0122]

Would love to and we would the minute they did but I just looked at the pre-release iOS 7 APIs and I don't see anything to that effect. Has anyone found anything in their docs ?

I take it nothing has been found?

[shaferz]

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Reference/CoreTelephonyFrameworkReference/_index.html

 

 

There is the info for Core Telephony Framework. 

 

Would really like to start mapping with my iphone!

[snowmobiler487]

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternet/Reference/CoreTelephonyFrameworkReference/_index.html

 

 

There is the info for Core Telephony Framework. 

 

Would really like to start mapping with my iphone!

 

I'm obviously not the developer, but i don't think anything in that link gives the information that is needed to make it possible to map with the iPhone.

[chaddy0122]

I'm obviously not the developer, but i don't think anything in that link gives the information that is needed to make it possible to map with the iPhone.

 

Plus, this Core Telephony Framework was released with iOS4...it's nothing new.

[SWMich4G]

I forgot to say it looks much nicer without the "no coverage" gray all over the maps now.  It's much easier to see where there is LTE mapped now.  It also made making the monthly comparison maps easier since I didn't have to remove it myself.

[sensorly]

I forgot to say it looks much nicer without the "no coverage" gray all over the maps now.  It's much easier to see where there is LTE mapped now.  It also made making the monthly comparison maps easier since I didn't have to remove it myself.

It seems that everyone agrees with you

[tampaflusa]

I might be in the minority, but the new Sensorly map is harder to read. Its more pixelated compared to the old app. Its not as crisp anymore. I don't really like the update. Plus some of it is in French.

[clbowens]

What about when you zoom in?

[tampaflusa]

What about when you zoom in?

When you zoom in its better, but still not as clear as before. As you zoom out it gets more and more pixelated. Does anyone have the old apk until they refine it?

[digiblur]

When you zoom in its better, but still not as clear as before. As you zoom out it gets more and more pixelated. Does anyone have the old apk until they refine it?

 

I see I'm not the only one that was seeing this.  I know he fixed the map labels and such to show a bit better but I still find it hard to read then combined with the flat black and white map it just doesn't look good at all.  I find myself just using the web browser on my phone to cruise the map now.

 

I have the old APKs of all my apps from backups so I could pull this one if you need it.