Shentel / Sprint LTE - (was ntelos - West & N&W Virginia)

[gr8nuguy]

11-12 meg download speed is good...i dont know what your talking about, with it not being sprints standards, as sprint advertises lte of 6-8 megs i believe (or so)

[S4GRU]

11-12 meg download speed is good...i dont know what your talking about, with it not being sprints standards, as sprint advertises lte of 6-8 megs i believe (or so)

The 11-12Mbps is the currently observed speeds. Considering nTelos just deployed and they don't have very many LTE devices, that's not a good start. You think an early start on 5MHz channels would yield faster speeds. It almost makes you wonder what kind of backhaul they are running and if that is contributing.

 

Robert via Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[chamb]

11-12 meg download speed is good...i dont know what your talking about, with it not being sprints standards, as sprint advertises lte of 6-8 megs i believe (or so)

A new site with few users should yield a 30 meg download speed.  11-12 is good, but not where it should be.

[davidtm]

I'm bullish on Shentel.  They have such a good reputation (at least in wireless) and their Sprint stores are some of the busiest in the country I hear.  If they can make it where they currently serve, I feel like they can do very well in the Virginia Panhandle and the more urbanized areas of West Virginia.

 

Robert

 

EDIT:  Heck, I say let Shentel do the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska build outs too.  Maybe they can also take over Swiftel.  

I agree.  It's so painful being here in nTelos land so close to Shentel's awesome work, and not being able to partake.  So, I would heartily agree, but suggest that Central and Southern Virginia are closer, and so should be first!!  

[lburgdavid]

I'm bullish on Shentel.  They have such a good reputation (at least in wireless) and their Sprint stores are some of the busiest in the country I hear.  If they can make it where they currently serve, I feel like they can do very well in the Virginia Panhandle and the more urbanized areas of West Virginia.

 

Robert

 

EDIT:  Heck, I say let Shentel do the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana and Alaska build outs too.  Maybe they can also take over Swiftel.  

 

As someone who left sprint in lynchburg due to nTelos..and not sprint this would be fantastic. I'd love to jump back on sprint for the framry plans but alas I'll stick with AT&T for now. 

[bubretti]

As someone who left sprint in lynchburg due to nTelos..and not sprint this would be fantastic. I'd love to jump back on sprint for the framry plans but alas I'll stick with AT&T for now.

 

I have a feeling something will shake loose this summer .... So don't get locked into contract. Of course I'm guessing but I don't see sprint leaving us in the dark much longer.

[lburgdavid]

I have a feeling something will shake loose this summer .... So don't get locked into contract. Of course I'm guessing but I don't see sprint leaving us in the dark much longer.

No worries, loving the no contract lifestyle. AT&T finally started giving a discount for no contract lines. When I left sprint I bought an N5 and haven't looked back since. Once nTelos/sprint gets the crap in order I'll come back with the same phone. Win win.

[chamb]

No worries, loving the no contract lifestyle. AT&T finally started giving a discount for no contract lines. When I left sprint I bought an N5 and haven't looked back since. Once nTelos/sprint gets the crap in order I'll come back with the same phone. Win win.

I would suspect that you are going to have a one year wait no matter how they go about fixing your area.   nTELOS is just slow and messed up no matter how you look at it.   Shentel is probably in the best position to step in and upgrade the area, but they sure would have a multitude of issues to sort through. It would be very hard & very expensive. Fixing somebody else's mess is much harder than upgrading your own sites.

[compuwizz]

Shentel and Lumos Networks (the fiber/wireline portion of nTelos) have a partnership. http://www.valleynet.com/

 

If Shentel were to overbuild on the same towers as nTelos, Shentel wouldn't have a problem getting fiber to the towers because they have access to it via the Lumos Networks fiber. That would be assuming they can make an agreement for the circuits. Most of the towers are probably owned by a 3rd party anyway so it would just be getting the fiber circuit backhauls installed.

[chamb]

Shentel and Lumos Networks (the fiber/wireline portion of nTelos) have a partnership. http://www.valleynet.com/

 

If Shentel were to overbuild on the same towers as nTelos, Shentel wouldn't have a problem getting fiber to the towers because they have access to it via the Lumos Networks fiber. That would be assuming they can make an agreement for the circuits. Most of the towers are probably owned by a 3rd party anyway so it would just be getting the fiber circuit backhauls installed.

This all takes "TIME".  Yes, the current cell sites may be owned by third parties or nTELOS. Either way, new leases have to be set up.  Brand new backhaul needs to be established. Sure, an overbuild by Shentel or anybody else can be done.  But it sure is not going to be easy or cheap. When you are upgrading your own old sites, you have all the records. You have total control.  Doing an overbuild, you have almost nothing when you start the process.

[Jimmy James]

If this is really so problematic, why weren't these things addressed when they promised LTE long ago? It shouldn't be a situation where we are getting surrounded by LTE and there is a giant WV and half of VA shaped hole in LTE coverage. It's a complete disgrace, and AT&T is looking better all the time. 

[S4GRU]

If this is really so problematic, why weren't these things addressed when they promised LTE long ago? It shouldn't be a situation where we are getting surrounded by LTE and there is a giant WV and half of VA shaped hole in LTE coverage. It's a complete disgrace, and AT&T is looking better all the time. 

 

I'm not sure what nTelos has been promising.  But Sprint has never promised LTE coverage in nTelos areas.  The only exception is when you get a confused customer service rep who thinks Sprint is bringing LTE everywhere and doesn't understand partner providers.

 

I can understand if nTelos' lack of LTE doesn't meet your needs.  You probably should go to AT&T or another provider of your choosing if nTelos will not give you specific build out information for your area where you can plan appropriately.

 

Robert

[Jimmy James]

I want to say I appreciate this resource quite a bit. Before I stumbled on this site a couple weeks ago, I had no idea what was going on and was just getting more and more frustrated about the way things work with Sprint in this area. I also appreciate the candid advice. I will say my personal situation is that I'm out of contract on a SERO Premium account and intent on not upgrading devices until the iPhone 6 comes out. My current phone obviously doesn't even have LTE capability, so this is more frustration about what is to come. I will be sticking with Sprint and hoping that there is some resolution to the issue before I get the 6. If there isn't, my destination is probably AT&T with a 25% chance I'll just retain the 4S and hope before the 6s (or whatever is 2015) comes out that there is some resolution. 

 

I will say that Sprint certainly hasn't marketed itself as a provider for the whole continental US except for a state and a half in the middle of the east. I think the situation is a bit more pervasive than just poorly informed customer service. I'd note that if I go to the LTE page it doesn't tell me I have no shot of LTE any time soon. Instead it's vague platitudes and the same information anybody else gets who is waiting on Network Vision. If Sprint were acting reputably and were intent on allowing this hole in 4G coverage to exist, the appropriate thing to do would be to candidly break the news on that page when I enter my zip. If I go to Cox cable and try to sign up for services in a Comcast area, they don't hide the ball that I won't be getting Cox Cable. It should work the same here. 

 

Again, this is all to say this site is an excellent resource for the hard lessons and the truth.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Jimmy James

[bbostwick8]

Shentel and Lumos Networks (the fiber/wireline portion of nTelos) have a partnership. http://www.valleynet.com/

 

If Shentel were to overbuild on the same towers as nTelos, Shentel wouldn't have a problem getting fiber to the towers because they have access to it via the Lumos Networks fiber. That would be assuming they can make an agreement for the circuits. Most of the towers are probably owned by a 3rd party anyway so it would just be getting the fiber circuit backhauls installed.

 

Shentel just rebuilt their entire network - it is one of the most expensive projects to date. Sad as it is, I doubt they are looking to take on any more rebuilds. 

[Jimmy James]

Though I'm not sure TMobile in my area actually has their own towers and spectrum, I wonder if the dickering to be done with NTelos is bogged down by Softbank's reputed lust for a TMobile merger. 

[chamb]

Though I'm not sure TMobile in my area actually has their own towers and spectrum, I wonder if the dickering to be done with NTelos is bogged down by Softbank's reputed lust for a TMobile merger. 

Doubtful.  The dickering on any Sprint/t-Mobile combination has absolutely nothing to do with the nTELOS disaster. The nTELOS situation needs to be fixed long before any Sprint/T-mobile combination is accomplished.

[dkyeager]

This message is intended for the Sprint West Virgina market, which covers part of the Ohio river valley in WV and Ohio.  I know ntelos is different (used to be one of their customers) and was directed here by an active participant of this thread. 

 

 

As a former West Virginian, I want you to be aware that band 26 LTE has very likely arrived in your market!!!

For those unfamiliar, Band 26 LTE (800) can go 60% further than traditional band 25 LTE (1900) or penetrate brick buildings.

It can be found on the banks of the little brother of the great river inside WV. Map for premier members: http://s4gru.com/ind...ted-discussion/

To find it you need a triband phone (like a LG G2 or Samsung S4 Mini), or an Apple iPhone 5s or 5c.

How to tell in detail (in theory) if you have found band 26 (premier): http://s4gru.com/ind...-11?do=findComment&comment=282742

Please post and Signal Check and engineering screens of band 26 LTE findings.

[Mattaddison]

nTelos has updated their website to show that 4G LTE is coming soon!!! Sign up now to be notified when it will be in your area!

 

http://www.ntelos.com/lp/4gLTE-signup

[bbostwick8]

It's already in my area... Just don't have access to it. :-(

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

 

[chamb]

nTelos has updated their website to show that 4G LTE is coming soon!!! Sign up now to be notified when it will be in your area!

 

http://www.ntelos.com/lp/4gLTE-signup

 

AND    --   This page does not have any mention of SPRINT LTE.   The question is  ------ Are they building LTE on the Sprint owned 1900 band or are they building LTE on nTELOS owned channels for nTELOS customers only???   Somebody needs to prove this one way or another.

[Mattaddison]

I'm pretty sure they are building it onto their own channels.

[chamb]

I'm pretty sure they are building it onto their own channels.

Can you prove it somehow?  We do not like to be guessing on this or anything else.

If they are activating LTE on their own channels rather than Sprint channels, then Sprint may not have LTE in that area for a long time.

[S4GRU]

Can you prove it somehow? We do not like to be guessing on this or anything else.

If they are activating LTE on their own channels rather than Sprint channels, then Sprint may not have LTE in that area for a long time.

I also seem to remember once hearing in one of the nTelos Quarterly meetings that they were deploying LTE on their own spectrum. I'm pretty sure they are not using Sprint spectrum at all. But nTelos is also using their own spectrum with EVDO and 1x too.

 

I don't believe Sprint and nTelos have a spectrum usage agreement. I think nTelos just has a wholesale usage agreement with Sprint where Sprint Subscribers can use their network as native. And Sprint offers nTelos customers roaming on their network to try to offset the costs paid to nTelos.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

[chamb]

I also seem to remember once hearing in one of the nTelos Quarterly meetings that they were deploying LTE on their own spectrum. I'm pretty sure they are not using Sprint spectrum at all. But nTelos is also using their own spectrum with EVDO and 1x too.

 

I don't believe Sprint and nTelos have a spectrum usage agreement. I think nTelos just has a wholesale usage agreement with Sprint where Sprint Subscribers can use their network as native. And Sprint offers nTelos customers roaming on their network to try to offset the costs paid to nTelos.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

I would not dispute what you have said but I have no proof it is correct.  If nTelos has no rights to actually build a network on Sprint owned Spectrum, then it makes it much easier to just overbuild the area. just overbuild and no longer be dependent on Ntelos at all.

Then collect roaming fees when nTelos customers need to roam on the Sprint Network.

nTelos does have some of their own spectrum, but I was never sure that is the same spectrum that Sprint Customers access when they pass through the area. I would question if nTelos has enough spectrum of their own to do a buildout big enough to handle everything Sprint requires.  They sure would not automatically have access to the old Nextel Spectrum.

I have said this before ---SPRINT NEEDS TO FIX THIS ISSUE ---NOW.

[S4GRU]

I believe Sprint is willing to overbuild but is still OK with a nTelos deal if they can get it for a more than a fair price. Probably for less than nTelos can afford. But the negotiation window has to be closing soon.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro