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

[jroepcke51]

phones don't yet support 3 carrier agitation for band 41, so adding a third carrier would add capacity not max speed. I am unsure of the hardware requirements for 3 band 41 carriers. Perhaps someone else can answer if the 8t8r panels are capable of 3 CA?

 

 

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http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/5657-how-to-spot-sprint-8t8r-td-lte-rrhs-nokia-networks/?p=386490

Tim talks about it. Each set up (antenna and RRH) can do 6 carriers which three will soon be aggregated together.

 

That is a lot of backhaul needed for this to be accomplished.

[lilotimz]

 

 

 

 

Lets see... lets see..

 

- 20+20+20 or 3 carrier aggregation is not yet finalized in software testing or field implementation. All three vendors must be completely done with all field testing before they start doing a nationwide staggered rollout. 

 

- Not all spectrum is free. WiMax is still holding a substantial amount of spectrum up as they did tend to love using different frequencies on each sector. 

 

- Backhaul is a substantial issue with things as it stands. A good portion of 2.5 sites still lack upgraded backhaul to enable a second carrier and forget about a third.

 

- Sprint sites are not all designed to max out every single available piece of spectrum. Backhaul is pricey especially when you need upwards of 2+ gigabit per site. 

 

Most standard 2.5 sites will have 3 carriers deployed at any time. At the highest usage sites they will add more B41 carriers and that is known as a high capacity site. It'll be 40+40 or 60+60  and they have the option to virtually split the sectors and the antenna into 4T4R so 6 sector B41 sites. Each "chain" maxes at 60 MHz or 20+20+20 (3x20) x 2 chains (total 120 MHz maximum). 

 

TLDR: NOT READY YET. 

[jroepcke51]

Lets see... lets see..

 

- 20+20+20 or 3 carrier aggregation is not yet finalized in software testing or field implementation. All three vendors must be completely done with all field testing before they start doing a nationwide staggered rollout.

 

- Not all spectrum is free. WiMax is still holding a substantial amount of spectrum up as they did tend to love using different frequencies on each sector.

 

- Backhaul is a substantial issue with things as it stands. A good portion of 2.5 sites still lack upgraded backhaul to enable a second carrier and forget about a third.

 

- Sprint sites are not all designed to max out every single available piece of spectrum. Backhaul is pricey especially when you need upwards of 2+ gigabit per site.

 

Most standard 2.5 sites will have 3 carriers deployed at any time. At the highest usage sites they will add more B41 carriers and that is known as a high capacity site. It'll be 40+40 or 60+60 and they have the option to virtually split the sectors and the antenna into 4T4R so 6 sector B41 sites. Each "chain" maxes at 60 MHz or 20+20+20 (3x20) x 2 chains (total 120 MHz maximum).

 

TLDR: NOT READY YET.

As always thank you tim. This should be pinned.

[vkurani31]

Lets see... lets see..

 

- 20+20+20 or 3 carrier aggregation is not yet finalized in software testing or field implementation. All three vendors must be completely done with all field testing before they start doing a nationwide staggered rollout. 

 

- Not all spectrum is free. WiMax is still holding a substantial amount of spectrum up as they did tend to love using different frequencies on each sector. 

 

- Backhaul is a substantial issue with things as it stands. A good portion of 2.5 sites still lack upgraded backhaul to enable a second carrier and forget about a third.

 

- Sprint sites are not all designed to max out every single available piece of spectrum. Backhaul is pricey especially when you need upwards of 2+ gigabit per site. 

 

Most standard 2.5 sites will have 3 carriers deployed at any time. At the highest usage sites they will add more B41 carriers and that is known as a high capacity site. It'll be 40+40 or 60+60  and they have the option to virtually split the sectors and the antenna into 4T4R so 6 sector B41 sites. Each "chain" maxes at 60 MHz or 20+20+20 (3x20) x 2 chains (total 120 MHz maximum). 

 

TLDR: NOT READY YET. 

Thank you TIm !

[Cataract2]

Interesting comment on WIMAX. I just went and checked and I see WIMAX is shown to exist in Denver. That might explain the unequal data performance I am seeing in and around Denver. Curious to see what happens after Nov. 1 when WIMAX is shutdown.

 

Heck, maybe I will actually be able to keep an LTE connection at my house rather than dropping to 3G. The map says I should get B41 there, but I can barely keep B26 outside my home let alone in. Yes, I have and continue to report this through the Sprint Zone app.

 

Yes, I do report the data performance issue to Sprint through the Sprint Zone app fairly regularly.  Hoping they will fix it at some point.  Might have to report it out at a the power plant I just received an offer to work at as well.  Should I accept the offer.  Same issue there as well.

Edited September 29, 2015 by Cataract2

[JThorson]

 Curious to see what happens after Nov. 1 when WIMAX is shutdown.

Actually, WiMax will officially be shut down November 6th. You can either go here or check the forum page and you'll see a countdown.

[JimBob]

Yes, I do report the data performance issue to Sprint through the Sprint Zone app fairly regularly.  Hoping they will fix it at some point.  Might have to report it out at a the power plant I just received an offer to work at as well.  Should I accept the offer.  Same issue there as well.

What kind of power plant?

[nahum365]

I think I just saw 2xCA in action in the Baltimore market! My friend got his 6s+ today, so we ran speed tests on his and my phone consecutively (sorry AJ, it was a necessary evil). His netted almost exactly double mine. 39Mbps on my 6+ vs 77Mbps on his 6s+. Exciting stuff!

 

 

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[Cataract2]

What kind of power plant?

 

Combined cycle gas.

[bigmachine]

Just came across B41 EARFCN 41176 in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles.  I don't have a CA capable device, but that's my first time seeing that carrier instead of the usual 40978.

[EvanA]

Just came across B41 EARFCN 41176 in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles. I don't have a CA capable device, but that's my first time seeing that carrier instead of the usual 40978.

Yep, that's the typical EARFCN for the 2nd carrier. Highly likely that CA is active as well.

[JThorson]

I'm getting giddy

 

[jamesinclair]

I have an S6 now, and so access to all the bands! Yay!

 

I have 41 in my apartment and was blown away by speeds. Three times faster than my home cable internet.

 

I have a question about Sensorly mapping.

 

Say I have 41 and the connection is weak. Not weak enough that I get kicked off, but weak. Say at the exact same spot 25 and 26 are available and are much stronger.

 

If I map, what will Sensorly show? A weak signal? Or will it know 25 and 26 are waiting in the wings?

[lilotimz]

I have an S6 now, and so access to all the bands! Yay!

 

I have 41 in my apartment and was blown away by speeds. Three times faster than my home cable internet.

 

I have a question about Sensorly mapping.

 

Say I have 41 and the connection is weak. Not weak enough that I get kicked off, but weak. Say at the exact same spot 25 and 26 are available and are much stronger.

 

If I map, what will Sensorly show? A weak signal? Or will it know 25 and 26 are waiting in the wings?

Light purple for everywhere!!

 

Sent from my LG-H790

[jamesinclair]

Light purple for everywhere!!

 

Sent from my LG-H790

 

So its possible that by adding 41, Sprints representation in Sensorly may have actually gotten worse?

[Yuhfhrh]

So its possible that by adding 41, Sprints representation in Sensorly may have actually gotten worse?

 

Yes, probably so.

[WiWavelength]

Light purple for everywhere!!

 

 

AJ

[Trip]

What is... light urple?

 

- Trip

[WiWavelength]

What is... light urple?

 

 

AJ

[danny12345]

 

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[markjcc]

https://youtu.be/7LlhTt6kQB8

 

AFAIK, Sprint and T-Mobile co-exist on the same tower serving the testing location [emoji111]️

 

 

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[anthony.spina97]

Is there carrier aggregation in Hawaii?

 

-Anthony

[markjcc]

Is there carrier aggregation in Hawaii?

 

-Anthony

None yet in Maui. However Spark is active on some cell sites.

[RAvirani]

Just stumbled across this...is this the start of VoLTE?

[EvanA]

Just stumbled across this...is this the start of VoLTE?

No, VoLTE won't be implemented for a while, probably not until NGN has made significant progress. If Sprint deployed VoLTE right now their dropped/blocked call rate would skyrocket.