Verizon LTE, I'm impressed

[Mobilesolutions]

Next month my Verizon contract is up so it's decision time.

I was hopeful of ditching dual service and going only with Sprint to save money.

Unfortunately Sprint just isn't good enough yet, an LTE/800MHz voice tower (SE 44th & Sooner Rd. in Del City) just a mile away from my gym is unusable inside.  Verizon works well. 

Since the mobile isn't allowed in the office it's real important to me that I catch up on things while in the gym during lunch.

Maybe 800 MHz LTE (which we should get in a couple of years?) will help and I can kick the Verizon habit. 

We better have 800MHz LTE in Oklahoma within 90 days. 

[digiblur]

We better have 800MHz LTE in Oklahoma within 90 days. 

 

Ericsson is still trying to figure out 1x800..  just yesterday I posted about probably having a decent 1x800 coverage in January or February.  I suspect Ericsson is going be March 2014 when they start getting good at 800LTE.

[Fraydog]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/verizon-starts-deploying-lte-its-aws-spectrum/2013-10-15

 

Now Verizon has confirmed their AWS deployment in NYC. Good work milan.

[Fraydog]

Ericsson is still trying to figure out 1x800..  just yesterday I posted about probably having a decent 1x800 coverage in January or February.  I suspect Ericsson is going be March 2014 when they start getting good at 800LTE.

 

Samsung can figure it out. I don't get what Ericsson's issue is here. 

[digiblur]

Samsung can figure it out. I don't get what Ericsson's issue is here. 

 

One must master 1900 LTE first...

[kg4icg]

People forget that Verizon does not have AWS blanketing the States, only in a few markets where the cable companies sold it to them.

 

[WiWavelength]

People forget that Verizon does not have AWS blanketing the States, only in a few markets where the cable companies sold it to them.

 

No, it is most of the US, just not all of the US.  A few rural and key markets -- St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo -- are missing.  I published a map in 2006.  I will see if I can dig it up.

 

Yeah, here is the gist of it.  SpectrumCo was in bed with Sprint.  This is what the partnership came away with from the AWS-1 auction seven years ago.  Now, most of this is in the hands of VZW.

 

 

AJ

[illest_ios]

No, it is most of the US, just not all of the US.  A few rural and key markets -- St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo -- are missing.  I published a map in 2006.  I will see if I can dig it up.

 

Yeah, here is the gist of it.  SpectrumCo was in bed with Sprint.  This is what the partnership came away with from the AWS-1 auction seven years ago.  Now, most of this is in the hands of VZW.

 

 

AJ

 

 

wow. thats pretty impressive.

[Nickel]

No, it is most of the US, just not all of the US.  A few rural and key markets -- St. Louis, Cincinnati, Buffalo -- are missing.  I published a map in 2006.  I will see if I can dig it up.

 

Yeah, here is the gist of it.  SpectrumCo was in bed with Sprint.  This is what the partnership came away with from the AWS-1 auction seven years ago.  Now, most of this is in the hands of VZW.

 

AJ

AJ that's just what they received from SpectrumCO, correct? Didn't they also win a large number of licenses on their own behalf at the original auction?

[vlee]

verizon and att are just ridiculous. my gf gets LTE on her att gs3 indoors everywhere. All the while i'm struggling to get sprint LTE outdoors on my note3...

[Fraydog]

Verizon just bought the AWS B band from USCC in St. Louis, so that gives them another 10x10 block to toss around there, they'll have three now. 

[S4GRU]

Have you gone spotting yet and made a tally of how many VZW sites are in the city limits and then how many of those have been overlaid with LTE?

 

AJ

Not yet. But it seems like they all do. Verizon has a huge market share here. I would guess it is at least a 60 share. Could be as high as 70.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[Deval]

For Verizon, AWS will be akin to what 2500mhz is for Sprint, an overlay, capacity soaking network. The difference is, Verizon can deploy AWS on their existing footprint without having to fill the gaps with microcells, etc. For Sprint, because of the signal propagation on 2500, there will be coverage gaps where devices will have to switch to 1900/800, and hopefully switch back. 

[Fraydog]

For Verizon, AWS will be akin to what 2500mhz is for Sprint, an overlay, capacity soaking network. The difference is, Verizon can deploy AWS on their existing footprint without having to fill the gaps with microcells, etc. For Sprint, because of the signal propagation on 2500, there will be coverage gaps where devices will have to switch to 1900/800, and hopefully switch back.

Given what VZW's cell footprint looks like, I'm not so sure. They definitely need more densification and more microcells. VZW is probably a little behind where they should be on investment, as crazy as it sounds. AT&T is outspending them and guess who's catching up to and catching VZW in a bunch of markets in the RootMetrics studies?

[Deval]

Given what VZW's cell footprint looks like, I'm not so sure. They definitely need more densification and more microcells. VZW is probably a little behind where they should be on investment, as crazy as it sounds. AT&T is outspending them and guess who's catching up to and catching VZW in a bunch of markets in the RootMetrics studies?

 

I guess it is really market dependent. Here in NY/NJ, Verizon has optimal coverage, and great site density. 

[Fraydog]

It is, and NYC is still a far stronger market for Verizon than AT&T. Verizon has a lot of DAS and microcells in that market.

[anthony.spina97]

verizon and att are just ridiculous. my gf gets LTE on her att gs3 indoors everywhere. All the while i'm struggling to get sprint LTE outdoors on my note3...

That's just because Verizon and AT&T are using frequencies that are less than half of what Sprint is using for LTE (currently). When Sprint has 800 MHz LTE rolled out in your area, all your problems will go away (If you get a device that can support 800 MHz LTE)

[Terrell352]

That's just because Verizon and AT&T are using frequencies that are less than half of what Sprint is using for LTE (currently). When Sprint has 800 MHz LTE rolled out in your area, all your problems will go away (If you get a device that can support 800 MHz LTE)

My question is why would you have gotten the note 3? You must have not known that it was not triband. Its not to late to take it back and if I was you I would. Your 1900mhz LTE Note 3 won't stand a chance to any Verizon or At&t device when it comes to coverage and building penetration.

[hankbear]

A bit of anecdotal evidence:  Last night, I was at a friend's house barely north of downtown Atlanta.  He had a Verizon LTE Jetpack and was getting 45 ms pings, ~12Mbps down, and ~4Mbps up.  My S4 got 40ms pings, 19.11Mbps down, and 3.20Mbps up.

 

I was impressed!  I would assume (although I can't double-check the sponsor maps from here at work due to where they are stored on Google's network and the draconian blocking here) that the area I was in is pretty much fully rolled out.  It's nice to see the realization of Network Vision out performing Verizon in the real world.

[milan03]

Verizon seems to be taking AWS capacity pretty serious in NYC, as their B13 network is getting to the point of being unusable. They're installing AWS capable DAS systems all over Times Square, Columbus Circle, Bryant Park, but today I also discovered those same antennas on the East Side along 3rd Avenue between 50th Street and Queensboro Bridge. Successfully connecting to B4, but their backhaul seems to be a gating factor at this point. My Cat 3 UE seems to be peaking at ~80Mbps, which indicates that backhaul may have to be remotely adjusted once the network is officially launched to support 150Mbps at the cell. With a very few UE being able to attach to their B4, I guess provisioning and paying for more backhaul capacity isn't cost effective solution for Verizon at this point in time.

 

[ericdabbs]

 

verizon and att are just ridiculous. my gf gets LTE on her att gs3 indoors everywhere. All the while i'm struggling to get sprint LTE outdoors on my note3...

 

 

Should have known not to get the Note 3 which is single band LTE.  The Note 3 thread in this forum was all over it.  That is the single reason why I didn't get the Note 3 because I couldn't stand for the next 2 years to have a phone that is only single band LTE especially since I live in an area where LTE of all 3 frequencies should be launching soon.

[Paynefanbro]

Sadly I haven't picked up Band 4 in Brooklyn. Maybe it is going to he high capacity only on AWS, much like the original plan was for Band 41. But we all know that has changed.

[The Dave]

I can't wait to see how band 41 shapes up. There are two towers by me that have been broadcasting it for over a month with no one really able to use them.. Such a shame to let that delicious bandwidth go to waste.

[CaryTheLabelGuy]

I can't wait to see how band 41 shapes up. There are two towers by me that have been broadcasting it for over a month with no one really able to use them.. Such a shame to let that delicious bandwidth go to waste.

In St. Augustine or Jax? I've been using my TriBand hotspot to do some B41 spotting in Jax and haven't been successful at all. I live in downtown Jax, too. Which is well covered in Clearwire WiMax.

[IamMrFamous07]

I can't wait to see how band 41 shapes up. There are two towers by me that have been broadcasting it for over a month with no one really able to use them.. Such a shame to let that delicious bandwidth go to waste.

 

Me too I'm ready to experience lte on all 3 bands once their somewhat fully deployed