Network Vision/LTE - Central Illinois Market (Peoria, Springfield, Quincy, Bloomington/Normal, Terre Haute)

[nexgencpu]

Another update.  I'm back home from my week of travel and was delighted to see that LTE from the tower in Forrest has reached as far as my house in Fairbury.  

 

Speeds arent that great - 5mb down/.5mb up - and the signal is obviously weak, but its LTE!  

 

The side effect to that though - is the fact that it is not playing nice with my airave.  Here is what happens:

 

I disconnect from wifi, and let the phone idle on LTE.

 

The phone switches over to 1x for the call, but it does so from the actual Sprint tower, and not my Airave.  The distance is great enough that call quality is horrible (which is the reason I got the Airave in the first place.)

 

If I disable LTE, the phone then reconnects to the airave on 1x/3g, and when I place a call at that point, the voice is great as it is being routed through the Airave.

 

If I connect to wifi, then enable LTE, my phone immediately goes back to the tower for 1x instead of going to the Airave for 1x.  (even though I remain connected to wifi for data.)

 

 

 

At this point, call quality is worth more to me than data - especially since I can sit on wifi for data at home.   So for now, my wife and I are both disabling LTE, so the damn phones will use the airave for voice.  

The iphone 6 will get wifi calling soon. That might help your situation. 

 

The Airave will no longer be an option for Tri band devices.

[shaferz]

The iphone 6 will get wifi calling soon. That might help your situation. 

 

The Airave will no longer be an option for Tri band devices.

 

We've all been hearing 'soon' since the phone was released unfortunately.  Just sucks that we now have to disable LTE on our phones to be able to have the phone grab the airaive for a voice call.

[nexgencpu]

We've all been hearing 'soon' since the phone was released unfortunately.  Just sucks that we now have to disable LTE on our phones to be able to have the phone grab the airaive for a voice call.

The second option is use google hangouts with full integration, you can still use wifi or LTE to make and receive calls. 

 

Also, its not limited to just certain phones, iphone or android phones can take advantage of this. 

 

I use this at my girlfriends place which has a very weak signal and it works great.

[9690austin]

I have some news for anyone that lives in the Mackinaw area. I contacted Sprint about a cell tower being put up in Mackinaw area. They replied to me and said that they are having their local technicians are going to come assess land around Mackinaw and will get back to me once they have more information on the assessment. This is my hope that we will get coverage in the so called black hole area for all cell services. This Black Hole Includes Mackinaw, Danvers, Miener, And anywhere from Mackinaw to Bloomington on route 9 where coverage isn't that strong. On another note I think that there was a U.S. Cellular conversion turned on in the area because my father told me that he had LTE all the way to Fast avenue in Mackinaw until he dropped to one bar. 

 

One can only hope that they put up more towers in this area and also along route nine and also western Illinois.

 

Edit: Sprint already had the look at the area around Mackinaw and are having their team come out and try to find a place for the tower to be put up. 

 

Heres: The quote from Sprint Care: We completed a review of Mackinaw & we will be considering a proposal by our local team to add a site to the area. ERSAQ

Edited March 3, 2015 by 9690austin

[shaferz]

Thats a tough deal man.  Really it is. Danvers/Mackinaw/Minier combined probably has a population count high enough to justify a tower but the way the towns are spaced probably makes it a tough call.  

 

I know there are, or at least were, US Cellular towers in Danvers and Minier.  I've not been out that way in quite some time - have you driven by those sites and tried to see if there is any new activity at the site? Sprint is converting an old USCC tower here in my town - and have done so with a bunch of other sites scattered throughout Central IL, Chicago, and Missouri.  If Sprint did not gobble those sites up - already existing towers - it probably does not look good for physically adding a brand new tower structure.

 

Hopefully I'm wrong and you guys can get some Sprint love out there! 

[shaferz]

 

 

The second option is use google hangouts with full integration, you can still use wifi or LTE to make and receive calls. 

 

Also, its not limited to just certain phones, iphone or android phones can take advantage of this. 

 

I use this at my girlfriends place which has a very weak signal and it works great.

 

 

Agree that is an option.  The other option is to just disable LTE - and this is the route we take.  My wife is familiar enough with phones to at least remember to do it.  It will all be a moot point once Sprint activates the USCC site they are converting in our town as signal will be plenty strong - but it just sucks in the interim.

[9690austin]

Thats a tough deal man.  Really it is. Danvers/Mackinaw/Minier combined probably has a population count high enough to justify a tower but the way the towns are spaced probably makes it a tough call.  

 

I know there are, or at least were, US Cellular towers in Danvers and Minier.  I've not been out that way in quite some time - have you driven by those sites and tried to see if there is any new activity at the site? Sprint is converting an old USCC tower here in my town - and have done so with a bunch of other sites scattered throughout Central IL, Chicago, and Missouri.  If Sprint did not gobble those sites up - already existing towers - it probably does not look good for physically adding a brand new tower structure.

 

Hopefully I'm wrong and you guys can get some Sprint love out there! 

 

Yes they are converting one in Danvers but I don't know about the one in Minier. They said that they are assessing it here in Mackinaw. There are a lot of Sprint costumers in Mackinaw but no tower. Thats why they said they already evaluated it and saw it would be a good place now its up to the local technicians to find where the tower can be placed. I am very hopeful they are also looking around the Galesburg rurals areas. Such as Abingdon and Wataga. 

[thefisch6]

Band 41 has been popping up all over Bloomington Normal over the last week or so. At least 3 or 4 towers already. Really good speeds too: ~30-45 down, ~6-12 up.

[shaferz]

Band 41 has been popping up all over Bloomington Normal over the last week or so. At least 3 or 4 towers already. Really good speeds too: ~30-45 down, ~6-12 up.

 

 

That is glorious to hear!  

[thefisch6]

That is glorious to hear!

It's been very quick in the deployment too. I was in the Marriott in Normal yesterday and didn't have Band 41, but today I do. And I just noticed it at home yesterday for the first time as well (definitely a different tower).

 

Truly exciting stuff to start seeing what Sprint has to offer once full deployment is reached. Start investing in Sprint stock now, fellas, because it's about to be on the rise [emoji4] [emoji6] [emoji1]

[thefisch6]

This is from inside the Marriott. Not bad for ~-100db

[shaferz]

I'm not sure what took so long for them to start firing B41 in B/N, but once they started - it seems like its happening quick.  Good good news.  

 

Do you work at the Marriott?

[thefisch6]

I'm not sure what took so long for them to start firing B41 in B/N, but once they started - it seems like its happening quick. Good good news.

 

Do you work at the Marriott?

No I don't work there, but I was there for a two day conference though...that's how I noticed the change over the course of two days [emoji1]

[Joseph Monsour]

Trying to decide whether to switch to Sprint, live in Chatham and work in Springfield SW side. Is spark active on B41 like sprint claims and if so what are the average speeds?

[Cubbiefan82]

Trying to decide whether to switch to Sprint, live in Chatham and work in Springfield SW side. Is spark active on B41 like sprint claims and if so what are the average speeds?

Welcome to S4GRU, I don't live in your area. But what I would do, is to use the sprint 14 day trial. Drive all over and see for yourself. Sprint is improving every day and will only be getting better in time . Consider donating some money, with a small donation. You can get access to where the towers are, it will help you make a better decision over all.

[9690austin]

Had B41 in Blo-No last week near I-74 and I-55 North meet by Heartland Community College. Haven't been back there this week but its spreading fast. 

[shaferz]

It's all over in B/N.

[9690austin]

It's all over in B/N.

Yeah just went there again today and noticed it more. Also Danvers has a U.S. Cellular conversion up and running. A town where signal was only 1x800 now has full bars B41 in it. Wish they would bring a tower to Mackinaw. They still have a ticket for land around Mackinaw to be looked at for a tower. Im feeling hopeful. 

[shaferz]

I can confirm that the US Cellular conversion is also now up and operational in Fairbury, IL.

[thefisch6]

I was just out in Minier the other day and I was roaming on 1x on some USCC tower. Despite being only on 1x, I could still load webpages and the like (which has not been typical of my experience on 1x in the past); this leads me to believe there must be a USCC tower somewhere relatively close to Minier. Any idea where it's at? And if so, what do we think are the chances it gets a full Sprint build in the future?

 

It would be great to see some solid rural LTE coverage come out of the USCC deal, since that seems like the major reason behind it to begin with?

[blc95]

Just got an iPhone 6+ and I'm curious if I'm getting Spark or not, I'm in Champaign - Urbana...Is there a way to tell?

 

Thanks!

[shaferz]

Just got an iPhone 6+ and I'm curious if I'm getting Spark or not, I'm in Champaign - Urbana...Is there a way to tell?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Go into the phone dialer and dial:

 

*3001#12345#*

 

On the screen that loads (will say 'Field Test' at the top,) you will want to tap on 'Serving Cell Info'.

 

On the screen that loads after you click on 'Serving Cell Info', you want to look for Freq Band Indicator.  If it says 25 - you are connected to LTE on 1900mhz.  If it says 26 - you are connected to LTE on 800mhz.  If it says 41 -  you are connected to LTE on 2500mhz - THIS ONE IS SPARK.

 

Balancing is handled by the base stations, so the tower can effectively 'hand you off' to whatever band it deems necessary at that time.  Example:  in my house, I get mostly band 26, with the occasional band 25.  If I walk outside, my phone will bounce between all 3 bands depending on where I'm standing in my yard.

 

You should be able to get spark most places there - as evidenced by the Sprint Coverage map.

[shaferz]

I was just out in Minier the other day and I was roaming on 1x on some USCC tower. Despite being only on 1x, I could still load webpages and the like (which has not been typical of my experience on 1x in the past); this leads me to believe there must be a USCC tower somewhere relatively close to Minier. Any idea where it's at? And if so, what do we think are the chances it gets a full Sprint build in the future?

 

It would be great to see some solid rural LTE coverage come out of the USCC deal, since that seems like the major reason behind it to begin with?

 

 

I'm pretty sure the only tower in town is still a USCC tower.  On 122 just west of town.  

 

I was in Stanford a few months ago, and there is a tower there on the south end of town, that looked like a previously owned USCC tower, but had Vertical Bridge signs on it.  Vertical Bridge is who bought a lot of the USCC towers throughout the area where USCC sold Spectrum to Sprint.

 

If you are out in the area again - go check the tower out and see if it has Sprint equipment now!  

[thefisch6]

I'm pretty sure the only tower in town is still a USCC tower. On 122 just west of town.

 

I was in Stanford a few months ago, and there is a tower there on the south end of town, that looked like a previously owned USCC tower, but had Vertical Bridge signs on it. Vertical Bridge is who bought a lot of the USCC towers throughout the area where USCC sold Spectrum to Sprint.

 

If you are out in the area again - go check the tower out and see if it has Sprint equipment now!

I haven't quite gotten the hang of differentiating Sprint equipment from any other carrier's equipment, but I'll take a look and see what I can find out next time I'm in the area. [emoji1]

[Vince]

I haven't quite gotten the hang of differentiating Sprint equipment from any other carrier's equipment, but I'll take a look and see what I can find out next time I'm in the area. [emoji1]

We have threads on how to spot Sprint towers. Sprint is the easiest of all providers to spot because of the number of panels. 1 antenna per sector (3 total), or 2 per sector if 8t8r (Sprint spark) is installed (6 antennas total). There are some instances where there's more than 2 per sector, usually reserved for high traffic areas.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6