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

[JohnnyP]

1x between Beckly and Charleston would be an improvement. I do know that you can get service if you stop at the Paint Creek Exit.

 

 

Hills/mountains on either side describes 99% of the state....

 

Lol. I was thinking the same thing.

[blackwaterstout]

I did something last night that I'd been threatening to do for the last year or so. I took the first step toward leaving Sprint. I've got mixed feeling about it because I've been with them for such a long time but the value I was getting from my 2 sero lines were not that great any longer. The service I have been getting in northern WV has slowed to a crawl the last couple of years. I've been averaging about 900MB of data per month simply because its so intorerable now. I kept hoping we would see network improvements and LTE by now but really just blind open promises by both Sprint and nTelos reps. I tried to join someone Framily.....Sprint said no because I was already a customer. I tried to get the $100 family plan and again Sprint said no since I was already a customer.

 

So I did what I felt like I needed to do. Move on. ATT has the best network here. But the price points have been too high to justify switching to them. But they do have MVNOs which includes Cricket. I read a lot of positive things about them lately and a couple of days ago they announced they are offering 10gb/month LTE access for $55 and 3gb plans for $45. What's nice about this is that its prepaid and those prices include all fees and taxes. So transferring my 2 lines will result in either a $90 or $110 bill depending on plan. Those are both cheaper than the $112 I pay now which doesn't even include unlimited voice. So the advantages is that I will be saving money and still getting plenty of data. Ill probably start with the 10gb plan and put my wife on the 3gb plan for total of $100/month.

 

For all of that there are a couple of potential downsides. Crickets LTE is capped at 8mbit speeds (actually that's not really a huge downer considering 8mbit is more than enough for HD streaming of video and 95% of other phone related uses). The other potential issue is that it doesn't include roaming. Again, for me probably not that big of an issue since ATT has thourough coverage here and in a lot of rural areas.

 

Bottom line is we will see how it works out. I really don't have much to lose. Being prepaid I can leave as early as I'd like and if in some miraculous turn of events Sprint gets their network upgraded here I can always come back. I believe the potential is their for Sprint to have a great network but I'm not willing to keep riding it out while my service is so marginal.

 

Hopefully the grass is greener but again I feel like I don't have anything to lose.

[shawneyboy123]

The only down side to MVNO's is $600+ upfront for a phone is too hard to swallow. Even though phones like the Nexus 5 exist, that means you're either phone poor or chained to a Nexus type of device/mid-low tier phone.

[blackwaterstout]

The only down side to MVNO's is $600+ upfront for a phone is too hard to swallow. Even though phones like the Nexus 5 exist, that means you're either phone poor or chained to a Nexus type of device/mid-low tier phone.

You are right. That's one aspect I debated and ended up crunching some numbers to justify things. I purchased a galaxy s5 for my wife that was new online last night for $430 and I'm still looking for something for myself. Would like a G3 or s5 active. I seen some good looking used phones in the $425 range. I can probably recoup $100-$125 for my wife's iPhone 4s with accessories. Not sure my 4g LTE has any value. Will probably let my daughter use it as a Netflix player. I will certainly cost me more money for the phones but at least its not $700 per device.

 

Like I said, I'm taking a shot. We'll see how it goes.

[S4GRU]

We will see more and more defections in the nTelos world. Can't say I blame ya. But I don't really want to read a diatribe about how you're not happy with pseudo Sprint service.

 

IMO, no one should be a Sprint customer in nTelos service areas. They should be nTelos customers. And if nTelos doesn't meet your needs, then you should choose another provider.

 

Because in reality, Sprint doesn't really offer service in your area. And you will never feel like they care. Because they pretty much don't. Their agreement with nTelos is not so much about providing primary Sprint service in your area, but to provide native service to Sprint customers that travel through the area or relocate there.

 

You will see Sprint clamping down more on this stuff with RRPP members. Sprint will not sell service in new RRPP member areas, so as to not compete with their partner. They'll probably allow their customers to move into partner areas and remain with Sprint, but will not allow new service to start there. They will refer people to their local partner to start service. And vice versa.

[blackwaterstout]

Well I didn't intend for my post to be a "diatribe". I've been frustrated but not bitter. If I sounded angry I don't really mean to. Prior to the LTE era Sprint served me quite well. The sero plan was great and 3g data speeds were reasonable. Now today's internet, video streaming, audio, mms, etc has created larger data demands that just dont work that well with 3g.

 

I'm sure you are right concerning being a Sprint customer in nTelos territory. Guess it doesn't make a whole lot of sense now-a-days but when I joined sprint they had national plans when nTelos was only offering regional plans. Times have changed.

 

I've chatted with several people here and made a few friends. Just wanted to let them know what my plans were. I wish all of you guys the best and I'm hoping Sprint turns things around.

[GBtopgear]

well with my 3G sprint speeds from ntelos mostly running between .20-1.00Mbps (on a good day 1Mbps) i decided to give tmobile a go with the 5GB 30 dollar plan and im pleasantly surprised with the 4g speeds but i do have to say when it drops to 2G its not edge its GPRS which basically is useless for data but when i do have 4G its night and day difference between it and ntelos/sprint naturally but everyday i always check for any profile/prl updates hoping to see a change but that day still hasn't come but i do have to say if tmobile can acually get 4g up and running in most places ill be switching but for the time being ill stick with 3G that can (most of the time) stream audio and sometimes video sorry for the off topic post i truely hope that ntelos and sprint can pull something off and surprise us all but its not looking likely at this point being 2014 is in the home stretch but anyway if sprint can buy out or strike a lte partnership with us cellular id say we would be in business! but until some sort of announcement is made im mostly out of hope for ntelos throwing up widespread 4g anytime soon much less just giving us all access to it i hope im wrong but ntelos needs to start speeding up people are running out of patience even their own customers go to their facebook page its nothing but complaints.....anyway thanks for reading 

[S4GRU]

Native Tmo service in nTelos area is very very slim. It just is an area that Tmo and Sprint neglected in their own build outs.

 

Robert via Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Dfarley]

Native Tmo service in nTelos area is very very slim. It just is an area that Tmo and Sprint neglected in their own build outs.

 

Robert via Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

They neglected this area because of the prevalent run-on sentences...#priorquote...comma, semi-colon, anything?

[S4GRU]

They neglected this area because of the prevalent run-on sentences...#priorquote...comma, semi-colon, anything?

Yeah, that was tough.

 

Robert via Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[JDP121]

Just happen to come across this a few mins ago. Was posted 4 days ago. 

 

http://next-generation-communications.tmcnet.com/topics/nextgen-voice/articles/388524-alcatel-lucent-provide-4g-lte-services-ntelos-holdings.htm

 

[blackwaterstout]

 “nTelos Wireless has established an enviable position as an industry leader in an extremely competitive market by delivering the level of service customers want at a reasonable price,”

 

Lol

[S4GRU]

Just happen to come across this a few mins ago. Was posted 4 days ago.

 

http://next-generation-communications.tmcnet.com/topics/nextgen-voice/articles/388524-alcatel-lucent-provide-4g-lte-services-ntelos-holdings.htm

He he he. He said 'Mobile BLACKhaul.'

 

[cdunnman]

Now I heard this in the past, where ntelos owns towers in Roanoke, and they signed an agreement

 

heres what id do not understand

 

cities that have sprint towers

 

 

 

City name   Population towers   

 

Emporia va     5,588 10

Danville va 42,907                                 2

Harrisonburg va 51,395                            72

Staunton va    23,921 2

Culpepper va 16,633 23

Winchester va 26,881 89

Ridgeway va  725 16

Bristol va        17,662 62

Franklin va      8,582 16

Galax va   6,908 2

Farmville va    8,161 7

Marion va   5,869 4

Roanoke va   97,469 0

 

 

i dont understand 

 

how all does places can have towers and 4g but it is 2014 and Roanoke va does not and we are biggest and an hr away staunton va they have a total of 2 towers and we have none

[newboyx]

http://www.s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/4897-LTE---nTelos-(West-Virginia,-N&W-Virginia)-(not-Network-Vision) See this thread.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[joshnys8913]

Now I heard this in the past, where ntelos owns towers in Roanoke, and they signed an agreement

 

heres what id do not understand

 

cities that have sprint towers

 

 

 

City name   Population towers   

 

Emporia va     5,588 10

Danville va 42,907                                 2

Harrisonburg va 51,395                            72

Staunton va    23,921 2

Culpepper va 16,633 23

Winchester va 26,881 89

Ridgeway va  725 16

Bristol va        17,662 62

Franklin va      8,582 16

Galax va   6,908 2

Farmville va    8,161 7

Marion va   5,869 4

Roanoke va   97,469 0

 

 

i dont understand 

 

how all does places can have towers and 4g but it is 2014 and Roanoke va does not and we are biggest and an hr away staunton va they have a total of 2 towers and we have none

That is NOT a Sprint native network area as in no Sprint owned towers, its an affiliate Ntelos....

[cdunnman]

thanks everyone, mainly i wounder what sprint sees in all those areas, that they do not see in roanoke, and sprint has enough to buy and  place towers here

[S4GRU]

thanks everyone, mainly i wounder what sprint sees in all those areas, that they do not see in roanoke, and sprint has enough to buy and place towers here

Sprint cannot overbuild Roanoke based on their contract with nTelos. nTelos has until 2017 to build out LTE coverage and make it available to Sprint customers. It will likely be much sooner than that, but that is nTelos total system wide build out deadline.

 

So some places will be built out toward the end. It seems like Roanoke would be at the front of the build out, but it could be toward the end. We don't know at this time.

[cdunnman]

I dont think they will build, I keep hearing something about making the investors happy, and it wont benefit them. They said if sprint keeps renting ntelos towers there is no reason for sprint to build here, or to let them

[JimBob]

I will be driving several hours through West Virginia this Thursday night. Lack of service makes me scared.

[blackwaterstout]

I will be driving several hours through West Virginia this Thursday night. Lack of service makes me scared.

Service will be fine if you are along major roads. You'll just have crappy data speeds. Hopefully you are kidding about being scared about lack of service. You must be a very young pup. You know there was a time not too long ago when everyone was brave and traveled the country without electronics in their pockets. Just a handful of dimes to use at a payphone I need the side of the road. [emoji12]

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A

[davidtm]

 

 

You know there was a time not too long ago when everyone was brave and traveled the country without electronics in their pockets. Just a handful of dimes to use at a payphone I need the side of the road. [emoji12]

Yeah, it seems a lot longer ago than it really was!

[GBtopgear]

If any sprint user would like to take advantage of this I just recieved a text call them by 10 tonight and tell them about your expirience with sprint and you'll get 25 dollars off for two consecutive billing cycles I just did but anyway 3G speeds are still $#!t.......

 

[davidtm]

I dropped into an nTelos store today to ask about 4G implementation in Central Va.  (Insert all the usual caveats here)  I was told that it would be "the first of the year" for C'ville.  I then said I was a Sprint customer, and was interested in when Sprint folks would have access.  She admitted that is not yet available in any market in which they have deployed 4G, saying that "depends on their agreement".  I should note that her examples of 4G markets were Richmond, Va Beach, and Harrisonburg.  I pointed out that there was native Sprint service in those places, so I was not concerned with those markets.  She looked at me funny, and reiterated the statement regarding "their agreement".  

 

Just a big 'ole (worthless?) FYI for everyone.

[GBtopgear]

I dropped into an nTelos store today to ask about 4G implementation in Central Va. (Insert all the usual caveats here) I was told that it would be "the first of the year" for C'ville. I then said I was a Sprint customer, and was interested in when Sprint folks would have access. She admitted that is not yet available in any market in which they have deployed 4G, saying that "depends on their agreement". I should note that her examples of 4G markets were Richmond, Va Beach, and Harrisonburg. I pointed out that there was native Sprint service in those places, so I was not concerned with those markets. She looked at me funny, and reiterated the statement regarding "their agreement".

 

Just a big 'ole (worthless?) FYI for everyone.

Yeah ive contacted ntelos about the same thing many times through chat, email, and phone (both to stores and customer support) with the same sort of responses (either a date is given which turns out to be untrue or they have no clue about anything) and let me say this, if they have a timeline for all of this then they sure arnt telling their employee's [emoji53]