LTE Plus / Enhanced LTE (was "Sprint Spark" - Official Name for the Tri-Band Network)

[Dkoellerwx]

I've also noticed that it might not upgrade protocols if you're using data.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

 

That too. Using data constantly prevents a device from running an LTE scan.

[mhammett]

That too. Using data constantly prevents a device from running an LTE scan.

With how slow data is around here, you can't help but always use data.

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk

[TheForce627]

Maybe I missed it but can anybody explain why we're able to use band 41 at such low dBm levels? I was surfing the web between -122 and -127. It was slow but still worked. Does it have something to do with it being TD-LTE?

[lilotimz]

Maybe I missed it but can anybody explain why we're able to use band 41 at such low dBm levels? I was surfing the web between -122 and -127. It was slow but still worked. Does it have something to do with it being TD-LTE?

 

Wider carriers have better edge of cell performance. 

[Deval]

What do you consider time????     Is this only true in Spark markets???    Last night when driving into Charlotte, it switched on its own to LTE without any effort..  In LTE Discovery App signal page, it also shows GSM now when in LTE mode on my GS5 on the voice side...  On my GS3, it showed LTE and 1XRTT ...  Is that because of the single antenna???

 

In general, it will switch on its own, just saying that the switch won't be as instantaneous as toggling airplane mode. 

 

As for the 1x and LTE, that won't be visible on single antenna Spark devices, since they idle on LTE if available. 

[danialgoodwin]

Last night when driving into Charlotte, it switched on its own to LTE without any effort..  In LTE Discovery App signal page, it also shows GSM now when in LTE mode on my GS5 on the voice side...  On my GS3, it showed LTE and 1XRTT ...  Is that because of the single antenna???

 

Yes, the single antenna was the cause of the problem. Thank you very much for bring this to our attention. This issue has now been fixed for the next release of LTE Discovery (available in a few hours).

 

[TheForce627]

Wider carriers have better edge of cell performance.

Might be a little of topic but that alone should settle the debate of whether sprint should do 1 10x10 carrier vs 2 5x5 carriers.

[lilotimz]

Might be a little of topic but that alone should settle the debate of whether sprint should do 1 10x10 carrier vs 2 5x5 carriers.

 

You need continuous spectrum to deploy a 10x10 carrier which sprint is not capable of in many markets and there are stills millions of devices out there a that only work with 5x5 on PCS. 

 

The solutions to wider carriers are going to be 20mhz TDD carriers over 2500 spectrum. 

[mmark27]

Not sure where this fits best to ask, but I'll ask it here as it seems relevant to the Spark network specifically, other threads were dead in 2012 before LTE was available/widespread.

 

Does the "Sprint Connections Optimizer" (that is put on all Android phones) have anything to do with remembering LTE towers and/or reconnecting to those towers faster if turned on (on Spark/NV 1.0/NV 2.0 LTE towers)?

 

I understand its goal was originally to help people connect to WiFi networks, but it also helped WiMax connections by toggling fauxG on.  So I never used it as it was most likely a battery drainer that was unnecessary as I leave WiFi on all the time.  BUT, with Triband phones....I was curious if anyone knew if it helped with the LTE connections by remembering areas that have live LTE.  I've been running it a few days on and a few days off and perhaps see my LTE connection come back faster with SCO enabled.  This could also be due to on going work in my area that might fluctuate my signals.  Just curious if/what experience others had.

[halcyoncmdr]

Not sure where this fits best to ask, but I'll ask it here as it seems relevant to the Spark network specifically, other threads were dead in 2012 before LTE was available/widespread.

 

Does the "Sprint Connections Optimizer" (that is put on all Android phones) have anything to do with remembering LTE towers and/or reconnecting to those towers faster if turned on (on Spark/NV 1.0/NV 2.0 LTE towers)?

 

I understand its goal was originally to help people connect to WiFi networks, but it also helped WiMax connections by toggling fauxG on.  So I never used it as it was most likely a battery drainer that was unnecessary as I leave WiFi on all the time.  BUT, with Triband phones....I was curious if anyone knew if it helped with the LTE connections by remembering areas that have live LTE.  I've been running it a few days on and a few days off and perhaps see my LTE connection come back faster with SCO enabled.  This could also be due to on going work in my area that might fluctuate my signals.  Just curious if/what experience others had.

 

The training information I remember did say it remembers 4G towers (it did not specify WiMax or LTE) to automatically turn on/off 4G when in range. This leads me to believe it was referencing WiMax however...

 

That being said, I can't imagine it not including the ability to ignore the LTE scan timer and instead to scan immediately when in range of a remembered tower.

[briank86]

So you can imagine it including the ability to ignore scan timer?

[BlueStreak3]

Question about Sprint's LTE spectrum. I live in the DFW area. Band 41 is all around me. Of course there are holes, but there is always band 25 and band 26 to fill those in. I know where most of the towers are around me and the places I travel. Band 41 is present in the path I travel to and from work. However, I rarely connect to band 41 anymore. I connect to band 26 more than anything. I find it hard to believe that band 41 is that full for it to skip to band 25 (which I know is very saturated) and on to band 26. With that said, I honestly use more 3g the past two months than LTE. What could be the reason as to why I cannot connect to LTE everywhere I go and when I do I connect to band 26? This does not make sense to me.

[halcyoncmdr]

So you can imagine it including the ability to ignore scan timer?

 

Yeah, not really a good way to phrase that.

 

I don't know the specifics about the Connection Optimizer on the LTE devices, the training I had for it was released before LTE was widespread so it was aimed at WiMax and 3G devices. However, based on what I do know, I imagine the Connection Optimizer has the ability to ignore the built-in LTE scan timer that all of the LTE devices have. This would allow it to directly control the LTE scan of the phone when it knows you are in an area you've had an LTE signal previously. So since we already know that the SCO can turn on/off WiFi and scans based on location info (GPS, AGPS, etc.) it makes sense that it would use that same data to force an LTE scan in areas it knows you've had LTE previously.

 

The phones don't constantly look for an LTE signal. When they are on 3G, they have a timer that determines how long until it scans for an LTE signal again. It varies by device, and can be adjusted temporarily depending on the circumstances. So say for instance the phone normally scans every 30 minutes for an LTE signal. If you have an LTE signal and lose it, the phone may instead scan again after 60 seconds (just in case it was an interference issue that caused the drop and you're back in range). If it fails to find a signal, it may extend that scan out to 5 minutes, then again to 15, and finally back to the base 30 minute interval. The intention is to optimize battery life versus keeping you on 4G as often as possible. A constant 4G scan would end up wasting your battery just like WiFi, Bluetooth, or WiMax scanning will. So they get around this by letting you have 4G enabled, and just occasionally scanning, using as little battery throughout the day as possible. In the real world, this system results in virtually no battery life difference by having LTE enabled versus leaving the phone in a 3G-only mode.

[kyle_4thousand]

I've noticed that I am on B41 95% of the time at home with a pretty low but very usable signal around 105-120 dBm. Also noticed that the signal indicator is usually at 1-0 bars, even through data is working just fine. I think sprint should tweak up the levels (bars),of perceived signal while on B41, since it works well on the fringe. A regular user may have the impression of bad signal when showing 0-1 bars when in fact it works great (not really the case with 3G or B25). Just an observation.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

[caspar347]

I've noticed that I am on B41 95% of the time at home with a pretty low but very usable signal around 105-120 dBm. Also noticed that the signal indicator is usually at 1-0 bars, even through data is working just fine. I think sprint should tweak up the levels (bars),of perceived signal while on B41, since it works well on the fringe. A regular user may have the impression of bad signal when showing 0-1 bars when in fact it works great (not really the case with 3G or B25). Just an observation.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

I've thought of this many times myself. I think they should do something like 5-6 bars = B41, 3-4 bars = B25, and 1-2 bars = B26.

Of course, bars tell very little of the entire coverage/capacity picture, but Sprint might as well make them accurate to a coverage degree.

[kyle_4thousand]

I've thought of this many times myself. I think they should do something like 5-6 bars = B41, 3-4 bars = B25, and 1-2 bars = B26.

Of course, bars tell very little of the entire coverage/capacity picture, but Sprint might as well make them accurate to a coverage degree.

I was thinking more on the lines of having the signal strength thresholds for B41 be more generous for the number of signal bars. Like 5-6: greater than -100, 3-4: -100 to -110, 1-2: -110 to -120, and 0 bars but still LTE less than -120. Probably keep it the same for B25 and B26 as those bands don't perform as well on the fringes given an average device.

 

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

[TheForce627]

Soooo is band 41 killing anybody else's battery like mine? I disabled it and I'm getting outstanding battery life

[SpenceSouth]

Soooo is band 41 killing anybody else's battery like mine? I disabled it and I'm getting outstanding battery life

Wouldn't surprise me if your phone is searching for it all the time. When I sit on B26 or B41 my battery life is excellent.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[TheForce627]

Wouldn't surprise me if your phone is searching for it all the time. When I sit on B26 or B41 my battery life is excellent.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I sit on band 41 at work and my battery doesn't last at all

[SpenceSouth]

I sit on band 41 at work and my battery doesn't last at all

Could it be that you have B26 as a higher priority and it is searching for that?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[TheForce627]

Could it be that you have B26 as a higher priority and it is searching for that?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

can't change priorities on the s5

[bucdenny]

Been sporting both T-Mobile and Sprint Samsung S5.  Noticed T-Mobile had their signal bars showed more bars than Sprint.   Anything better than -100db translate to full 5 bars on T-Mobile.  On Sprint the other hand 1 bar on -100db or worst, 2 bars anything from 90-100db. 

 

I think Sprint should do the same because -100 is usable and should at least show 3-4 bars instead of 1 bar in my option.

[JWMaloney]

Been sporting both T-Mobile and Sprint Samsung S5.  Noticed T-Mobile had their signal bars showed more bars than Sprint.   Anything better than -100db translate to full 5 bars on T-Mobile.  On Sprint the other hand 1 bar on -100db or worst, 2 bars anything from 90-100db. 

 

I think Sprint should do the same because -100 is usable and should at least show 3-4 bars instead of 1 bar in my option.

 

dBm is not the only measurement used to determine signal bars.

[bucdenny]

dBm is not the only measurement used to determine signal bars.

 

What does?

[mmark27]

dBm is not the only measurement used to determine signal bars.

Well on the S5 they should recalculate them regardless. Looks like 1 bar everywhere when you're at -95dBm.

 

sent from an underwater dust storm with my S5