USCC will sunset its network in St. Louis Oct. 31, Chicago Jan. 31

[dedub]

http://gigaom.com/2013/08/29/sprint-will-sunset-u-s-cellulars-network-in-st-louis-oct-31-chicago-on-jan-31/

 

 

 

U.S. Cellular customers in St. Louis and Chicago don’t have switch over to a new carrier immediately, but it’s only a matter of time before their phones go dead. Sprint on Wednesday said it is setting a deadline of Oct. 31 to shut down U.S. Cellular’s towers in St. Louis. Chicagoans will get a few months reprieve: The network is scheduled to go dark in the Windy City on Jan. 31.

[lilg740]

I still would like to know what happens to the customers on the border of the shutdown. My step-father has USCC and lives in Jerseyville, IL which apparently is not in the affected area but works and frequents Alton, Wood River, St. Louis, etc. USCC says his account will remain active and he can roam on Sprint, but they will not let him out of his contract because of this. I think it is horrible that he will be paying USCC when they are not even providing a service to him.

[WiWavelength]

I think it is horrible that he will be paying USCC when they are not even providing a service to him.

 

Huh?  USCC is providing service to him at home in Jerseyville.  Alton is a separate CMA from St. Louis so is also not affected.  USCC is retaining its Cellular 850 MHz licenses and network in the area.  Only those markets where USCC operates a strictly PCS 1900 MHz network are being shut down.

 

AJ

[lilg740]

Oh, so he will still be able to use 850 even in the shutdown areas?

[WiWavelength]

Oh, so he will still be able to use 850 even in the shutdown areas?

 

No.  USCC is not licensed Cellular 850 MHz in St. Louis, etc.  Otherwise, USCC would not be exiting those markets.

 

AJ

[Rocket87]

I'm.surprised by those dates because all uscc customers in South bend/ft Wayne got letters saying on Dec 29th there service will go off. I've been seeing customers with theses letters for about 2 months coming in.

 

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[mc_gusto]

Too bad they didn't have triband phones out by the time of this migration.

 

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[lilg740]

No.  USCC is not licensed Cellular 850 MHz in St. Louis, etc.  Otherwise, USCC would not be exiting those markets.

 

AJ

So basically USCC will only be providing him with service while he is at home. Not while he is at work, etc. He will effectively be roaming on Sprint 1900 and won't be able to use Sprint 800smr or 1900LTE. So basically he is screwed.

[centermedic]

So basically USCC will only be providing him with service while he is at home. Not while he is at work, etc. He will effectively be roaming on Sprint 1900 and won't be able to use Sprint 800smr or 1900LTE. So basically he is screwed.

Everybody roams and roaming agreements are subject to change. I am sure USCC has an appeal process. Maybe he can try that route.

[dedub]

So basically USCC will only be providing him with service while he is at home. Not while he is at work, etc. He will effectively be roaming on Sprint 1900 and won't be able to use Sprint 800smr or 1900LTE. So basically he is screwed.

 

Easy solution, change his billing address to yours.

[lilg740]

Easy solution, change his billing address to yours.

They told me when i called in that they could no longer move a customer from USCC territory to the St. Louis Area.

[WiWavelength]

So basically USCC will only be providing him with service while he is at home. Not while he is at work, etc. He will effectively be roaming on Sprint 1900 and won't be able to use Sprint 800smr or 1900LTE. So basically he is screwed.

 

That comes across as an exaggeration.  He will be able to use native USCC at home in Jerseyville and at work in Alton.  St. Louis will be roaming, probably on Sprint, but that should be included in his USCC plan.  As for LTE, USCC was not going to deploy that in St. Louis anyway.  So, nothing lost, nothing gained.

 

Honestly, living in Jerseyville, a beggar cannot be a chooser.  Your uncle is fortunate to have USCC.  Heck, even VZW does not have native service in Jerseyville.

 

AJ

[lilg740]

That comes across as an exaggeration.  He will be able to use native USCC at home in Jerseyville and at work in Alton.  St. Louis will be roaming, probably on Sprint, but that should be included in his USCC plan.  As for LTE, USCC was not going to deploy that in St. Louis anyway.  So, nothing lost, nothing gained.

 

Honestly, living in Jerseyville, a beggar cannot be a chooser.  Your uncle is fortunate to have USCC.  Heck, even VZW does not have native service in Jerseyville.

 

AJ

Madison County, IL is part of the Sprint buyout/shutdown. Anything north of Madison County, ie Jersey County is not part of it.

[WiWavelength]

Madison County, IL is part of the Sprint buyout/shutdown. Anything north of Madison County, ie Jersey County is not part of it.

 

No, you are misunderstanding.  Alton (i.e. Madison County) is a Cellular 850 MHz market for USCC.  This Sprint-USCC transaction involves only PCS 1900 MHz spectrum and subs.  Alton is not affected.

 

Trust me -- I know what I am talking about.  If you do not believe me, see the FCC license:

 

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=12769

 

AJ

[lilg740]

No, you are misunderstanding.  Alton (i.e. Madison County) is a Cellular 850 MHz market for USCC.  This Sprint-USCC transaction involves only PCS 1900 MHz spectrum and subs.  Alton is not affected.

 

Trust me -- I know what I am talking about.  If you do not believe me, see the FCC license:

 

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=12769

 

AJ

Oh, I thought you meant by St. Louis does not have 850 you meant that the entire USCC St. Louis Market did not have it. How do I know what areas have USCC 850?

[digiblur]

Maybe by the license?

[lilg740]

And I didn't mean to come off as I didn't trust you. Just a little confused about the situation.

[lilg740]

Maybe by the license?

Thanks....maybe I'll try that....

[WiWavelength]

Oh, I thought you meant by St. Louis does not have 850 you meant that the entire USCC St. Louis Market did not have it. How do I know what areas have USCC 850?

And I didn't mean to come off as I didn't trust you. Just a little confused about the situation.

 

No problem.  I took no offense and did not feel that you were questioning me.  I just wanted to reassure you that I have the definitive info.

 

In a nutshell, as odd as it sounds in 2013, St. Louis and Alton are technically separate markets.  By population, St. Louis is a top 25 CMA, while Alton-Granite City is the smallest MSA based CMA in the list at number 305.  And that is how USCC can hold a Cellular 850 MHz license in Alton but not in St. Louis.

 

AJ

[lilg740]

No problem.  I took no offense and did not feel that you were questioning me.  I just wanted to reassure you that I have the definitive info.

 

In a nutshell, as odd as it sounds in 2013, St. Louis and Alton are technically separate markets.  By population, St. Louis is a top 25 CMA, while Alton-Granite City is the smallest MSA based CMA in the list at number 305.  And that is how USCC can hold a Cellular 850 MHz license in Alton but not in St. Louis.

 

AJ

Interesting. So US Cellular has a lot of smaller "markets" inside what Sprint considers its St. Louis(Missouri) Market? When i heard that they were doing that to him I'm like heck as soon as you leave Jerseyville you will be roaming. But I guess if he will still get 850 then he will be golden. I mainly just wanted get him on our plan so he wasnt paying like 80-100 bucks a month of his individual plan but if he will be able to keep his service, which i am told USCC has great indoor coverage up there then i think he will be fine. 

[gnoj]

Not sure why Sprint just made an "announcement" now. This information has been available for a few weeks via letters sent to affected customers. The January 31 date is when USCC devices in Chicago will go dead, but USCC has already begun shutting down some of their sites, with nearby Sprint sites then deploying that spectrum. I'm not sure if Sprint is just using it to add voice (1xA) carriers or expanding Ev-DO as well.

[mozamcrew]

Not sure why Sprint just made an "announcement" now. This information has been available for a few weeks via letters sent to affected customers. The January 31 date is when USCC devices in Chicago will go dead, but USCC has already begun shutting down some of their sites, with nearby Sprint sites then deploying that spectrum. I'm not sure if Sprint is just using it to add voice (1xA) carriers or expanding Ev-DO as well. 

I'd guess another 5x5 of LTE first, then some EVDO or 1x carriers with the leftovers?

[gnoj]

I'd guess another 5x5 of LTE first, then some EVDO or 1x carriers with the leftovers?

 

Another LTE carrier would sure be nice, but given that every market is getting away with only a single 5x5 (which will be augmented soon with 800/2600 LTE) at the moment, I'm not sure if Sprint feels the need to put LTE on any other block of PCS yet. If they did decide to do that anywhere this site would probably be the first to hear about it.

 

People have been complaining about voice capacity in some areas, particularly downtown, so extra 1x carriers wouldn't hurt, especially since I believe the small cells they have planned will only be broadcasting 2600 LTE. Down the road if and when Sprint wins the H block they can combine G+H to be a 10x10 and refarm most of USCC's B block for a 5x5 carrier for 4G service to what at that point will be 'legacy' LTE handsets.

[lilotimz]

Both USCC & Sprint are broadcasting the same spectrum at reduced power levels in order to avoid interference. Both 1x and EVDO are live on USCC spectrum and have been for a while.

[tongboy]

Does anyone know if the current PRL USC hands out to residential customers allows Evdo roaming on Sprint?

 

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