Network Vision/LTE - Cleveland/NE Ohio Market

[Mrick26]

all my buddies have Verizon or ATT, every time we Google something or need to GPS something they have to because my phone is unusable unless on WiFi.my contract is up in March if they don't have LTE in my area then I might change from Sprint. Sprint is the only carrier I've ever had but it might be time to leave

[Dfarley]

all my buddies have Verizon or ATT, every time we Google something or need to GPS something they have to because my phone is unusable unless on WiFi.my contract is up in March if they don't have LTE in my area then I might change from Sprint. Sprint is the only carrier I've ever had but it might be time to leave

You are not alone in your frustration, and unfortunately as we're experiencing right now it's going to get worse before it gets better. But at the pace we're going now I think we'll have pockets of usable LTE by the end of the year, most definitely by March. The real factor to understand is that Sprint recently acquired Clearwire (the company Sprint partnered with to rollout their 1st gen of 4G - WiMAX) & with that came a huge swath if spectrum in which they are converting to LTE right now. Clearwire was already in the process of converting sites to LTE prior to the acquisition and that should only speed up now. Fortunately the Cleveland market had WiMAX coverage so we could see an almost overnight switch of LTE hit our area. So while we may be waiting for them to upgrade the existing network to LTE, we may very well see a major conversion all at once alongside the slow but steady NV improvements. The only caveat there is that you'll need a tri-band device to pick up that new frequency, which Sprint only has in the form of a mobile hotspot today (but has publicly stated all future smartphones will be tri band).

 

To close my long winded rant, I feel your pain, but there is reason for optimism even though it feels like it's taking forever. But if you decide to switch, I don't think anybody will blame you; you need to do what's best for you.

[tprevett]

Cool picked up my first 800mhz signal today..

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4

 

[NiteSnow]

Cool picked up my first 800mhz signal today..

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4

 

Where were you in relation to that tower?

[tprevett]

East BuFU... Sullivan Ohio I think.

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk 4

 

 

[tprevett]

Actually.. I was here

 

16.653 miles as the crow flyes... is that even possible?

[digiblur]

Actually.. I was here

 

16.653 miles as the crow flyes... is that even possible?

Yes, pulled 42 miles yesterday.

[NiteSnow]

Yes, pulled 42 miles yesterday.

 

That's insane, I'd love to be able to do that.

[Dfarley]

Yes, pulled 42 miles yesterday.

No wonder the IBEZ is such a large geographic zone, that could cause some major interference....I wonder if the Canadians have the same restricted zone that we do since 95% if their population lives within the Canadian equivalent of our IBEZ.

[Copticwalad]

Any S4GRU Sponsors know when we can expect LTE in Independence/Seven Hills Area and also the Broadview Heights Area?  I'm not too familiar but I think sponsors have access to a wealth of information on tower upgrades and I'm a bit obsessed looking at Sensorly everyday and mapping out other areas as soon as I see a dot show up but I feel like our areas have the worst luck with Sprint towers and there's just like a giant hole near 77 south of 480..

Edited September 2, 2013 by Copticwalad

[QMaverick]

Can anyone confirm whether or not the tower just off 480 and Transportation (north of the highway on the other side of the new OverDrive building) is a Sprint tower or not?

 

It looks like it is on the Sprint maps, but I figured someone on here would be able to tell me for sure.

 

If so, I've seen a van out working on the tower a few times.  If you tell me what to look for, I can tell you if 4G upgrades are going in.

[clbowens]

That IS a Sprint tower (you can see it from 480, correct?).

[QMaverick]

That IS a Sprint tower (you can see it from 480, correct?).

 

Yup (at the right angle).  It's just north of the highway practically in the OverDrive parking lot (the big blue and grey building).

 

What should I look for to verify pending upgrades?  I can snap a picture and upload it.

[clbowens]

Yup (at the right angle).  It's just north of the highway practically in the OverDrive parking lot (the big blue and grey building).

 

What should I look for to verify pending upgrades?  I can snap a picture and upload it.

That, I don't know.

[Dfarley]

Yup (at the right angle).  It's just north of the highway practically in the OverDrive parking lot (the big blue and grey building).

 

What should I look for to verify pending upgrades?  I can snap a picture and upload it.

The thread at this link shows you everything you'll ever need to know to look for in our market: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/3906-how-to-spot-sprint-antennas-and-rrus-samsung-style/

 

The most obvious details you can see are on the racks and they are two large Remote Radio Units (RRUs) that will be mounted behind one large, thick panel. The larger panel is the new NV equipment and is typically mounted between two, smaller, thinner legacy panels. On the ground you can look for the new cabinets (base stations) which are two similar sized cabinets (check that link for more details on that). There is progress all over Cleveland and once you know what you're looking for you'll begin to notice it everywhere.

[QMaverick]

Hmm...can't spot the ground cabinets, though at the base of our tower, there's a little building that, I suppose, could house them.  There are arrays up on the tower that look similar, but are sporting either 4 or 2 of the vertical antennae enclosures.

[Dfarley]

Hmm...can't spot the ground cabinets, though at the base of our tower, there's a little building that, I suppose, could house them.  There are arrays up on the tower that look similar, but are sporting either 4 or 2 of the vertical antennae enclosures.

If the cabinets are in a shed or small building it is next to impossible to see them, so good luck there. But as far as the antennas / panels are concerned, feel free to take a pic of the racks and post here, I'd be happy to look at it. But I will say that AT&T has panels / antennas with RRUs that you'll see around the area as well. I've typically seen them with two larger, thick NV looking panels with two small legacy sized panels on the outside; then only one RRU mounted behind one of the thicker panels. When you first start looking at this stuff it's easy to think they're Sprint, but once you find a true Sprint NV rack you'll know what to look for pretty easily.

[Vette]

What are the chances of NV being launched in decent coverage by September 2014? I want to switch from Verizon to Ting (Sprint MVNO with LTE) but if it happens, it will have to be September 2014 for a couple of reasons (and not contracts. I am on Month to Month with my Note 2 so I could keep unlimited data data as a safeguard even though I don't use a ton. Plus I just hate being locked into a contract). I mostly care about east of Cleveland (along I90)

Edited September 14, 2013 by Vette

[Dfarley]

What are the chances of NV being launched in decent coverage by September 2014? I want to switch from Verizon to Ting (Sprint MVNO with LTE) but if it happens, it will have to be September 2014 for a couple of reasons (and not contracts. I am on Month to Month with my Note 2 so I could keep unlimited data data as a safeguard even though I don't use a ton. Plus I just hate being locked into a contract). I mostly care about east of Cleveland (along I90)

By Sept 2014 the entire Cleveland market should have very good 1.9 LTE coverage; and if you get a Triband device (first available I believe is the LG G2 in November) most of the Cleveland market is already covered by 2.5 LTE today. I wouldn't count on any 800 MHz LTE for the next couple of years due to the IBEZ (although there may be some sort of exception in place for the NEO market), but we should have very good 1.9 & 2.5 by then.

[tprevett]

By Sept 2014 the entire Cleveland market should have very good 1.9 LTE coverage; and if you get a Triband device (first available I believe is the LG G2 in November) most of the Cleveland market is already covered by 2.5 LTE today. I wouldn't count on any 800 MHz LTE for the next couple of years due to the IBEZ (although there may be some sort of exception in place for the NEO market), but we should have very good 1.9 & 2.5 by then.

Wait.. so 2.5 let is already live in NE Ohio?  So If I get a triband hotspot I'll be LTE wherever there was WiMax?

[Dfarley]

Wait.. so 2.5 let is already live in NE Ohio? So If I get a triband hotspot I'll be LTE wherever there was WiMax?

The most I can share outside of the Premier Sponsor thread is that Cleveland, Columbus, & Cincinnati are all "In Progress" and the roll out of band 41 for our market should be complete by the end of the year. Its not quit as simple as just saying that because we have Wimax, therefore we'll have LTE on band 41. I don't want to fork over the money to grab a Tri-band hotspot and I was really hoping the iPhone 5s would be Tri-band, but it was not meant to be. I'm contemplating getting the S4 mini if it is in fact tri-band. So right now I don't have any way to test it, but trust me when i say that greater Cleveland should have solid coverage of LTE in band 41 right now.

[Mrick26]

I will be driving to Columbus from Kent area and I will be using sensorly all the way down checking for lte, us their anything I need to do to my phone or the app so I get a good scan?

[Mrick26]

I will be driving to Columbus from Kent area and I will be using sensorly all the way down checking for lte, us their anything I need to do to my phone or the app so I get a good scan?

[SID3232]

Couldn't they still do 800LTE in the IBEZ and just adjust down any antennas facing north or are we not aloud to have 800 in the zone? 

[NiteSnow]

Couldn't they still do 800LTE in the IBEZ and just adjust down any antennas facing north or are we not aloud to have 800 in the zone? 

 

 

There's 800 CDMA in the IBEZ specifically at cedar point. I think reduced transmission power and harsh down tilt would allow for the use of 800 LTE.

 

Although I can pick up radio from London, Ontario when the conditions are just right, so interference could definitely be created by Sprint for our Canadian friends up north.