US/Mexico 800 MHz reband plan going to take 30 months??

[ericdabbs]

Since the announcement of the new US/Mexico 800 MHz reband plan as shown in the pic below, the FCC has made an announcement for the 800 MHz band reconfiguration to begin on August 23, 2013 and end on February 23, 2016. What is disappointing is that this 800 MHz band reconfiguration effort will take 30 months!!!!

 

Well at least we know now that the 800 MHz band along Mexico is in the process of being freed up so that markets like San Diego, Tucson, and the south parts of Orange County in 2016 will be able to use CDMA and LTE at 800 MHz.  From the new 800 MHz band plan it appears that 5.5 x 5.5 MHz will be freed up in the ESMR band which means that these markets will likely see a 1x CDMA carrier and a 3x3 LTE carrier.

 

Hopefully Sprint is working with the FCC and Canada to work out a 800 MHz band plan so that Sprint can use 800 MHz there for CDMA and LTE.

 

http://www.fcc.gov/document/commencement-800-mhz-band-reconfiguration-along-mexico-border

[Conan Kudo]

What's more disappointing is that Sprint may not be able to use it anyway. The U.S.-Mexico shared block is the only part of that band that their current RRHs support. The U.S. block at 806-812.25 / 851-857.25 MHz will not be usable for Sprint's network. Unless that block is intended for federally owned systems?

[cdk]

I can't find the picture at the moment, but I am sure I saw markings on a panel or RRU that clearly stated 806-869 MHz.

[ericdabbs]

What's more disappointing is that Sprint may not be able to use it anyway. The U.S.-Mexico shared block is the only part of that band that their current RRHs support. The U.S. block at 806-812.25 / 851-857.25 MHz will not be usable for Sprint's network. Unless that block is intended for federally owned systems?

 

Why would Sprint sign off on this if it meant that they couldn't use the U.S.-Mexico shared block?  It says in the FCC document that current licenses would submit a cost estimate to Sprint so I assume that Sprint will be paying for licensees to relocate to another portion of the band.  I am hoping this presents some good news because it would suck if the 800 MHz could never be used.

 

If the 800 MHz can't be used then Sprint definitely needs to focus on obtaining some 600 MHz spectrum to fill in the gaps for low band spectrum in the Canada and Mexico IBEZ markets.

[ericdabbs]

I can't find the picture at the moment, but I am sure I saw markings on a panel or RRU that clearly stated 806-869 MHz.

 

It is the panel that supports 806-869 MHz for sure.  Not sure about the RRU but it might only support the ESMR band.  I can't remember.

[WiWavelength]

What's more disappointing is that Sprint may not be able to use it anyway. The U.S.-Mexico shared block is the only part of that band that their current RRHs support. The U.S. block at 806-812.25 / 851-857.25 MHz will not be usable for Sprint's network. Unless that block is intended for federally owned systems?

 

The lower block SMR 800 MHz spectrum is for Public Safety.  That is basically the same everywhere in the US.

 

AJ

[ericdabbs]

The lower block SMR 800 MHz spectrum is for Public Safety.  That is basically the same everywhere in the US.

 

AJ

 

I am curious of your opinion AJ...does this 800 MHz band plan reconfiguration when it is finally complete allow for Sprint to finally deploy LTE and CDMA at 800 MHz in the Mexico IBEZ markets?  I assume the allowable configurations would be a 3x3 LTE and a CDMA carrier since the shared block is only 5.5 x 5.5 MHz?

 

I have to think that Sprint wouldn't sign up for this especially if they have to pay the licensees to relocate to the proper location on the band if the end result was not able to use LTE and CDMA at the ESMR band.

[ericdabbs]

Is there any evidence that the US and Canada governments have worked out a 800 MHz band plan yet?  I would love to see progress on both sides of the borders to ensure 800 MHz can be used for CDMA and LTE in the next 3 years.

[itsrobert]

4 months away? 

[jefbal99]

Holy necrothread

[ericdabbs]

What is the progress on this effort by the way now that someone has brought up this necrothread.

[4g4me]

Canada has some action but along the western part of the Mexican border there are still several Mexican operators that Sprint doesn't seem to be in a rush to negotiate with. The Mexican operators aren't getting replacement bandwidth from Mexico for free at this time.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[jefbal99]

Canada has some action but along the western part of the Mexican border there are still several Mexican operators that Sprint doesn't seem to be in a rush to negotiate with. The Mexican operators aren't getting replacement bandwidth from Mexico for free at this time.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I'm in Michigan in the border area of the exclusion zone.  Just in the last two months have we started seeing eSMR spectrum be used for CDMA 1XA voice carriers.  Still no available LTE carriers, however, I don't have a spectrum analyzer to see what may be broadcasting, but not available.