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

[caspar347]

In addition to compatible devices Sprint and vendors need to push LTE rel 11/12 software that actually enables uplink CA. Not expected til next year as they only just began pushing some major LTE rel 10 software like B41 2xCA only just recently. 

Sent from my Nexus 5

Any cool features in the new rel 10 software besides CA?

[iansltx]

I've been seeing B41 a lot more recently. It's nice

 

Was in the Denver area seven weeks ago or so and some friends that I stayed with didn't have B41 covering their apartment. When I was back there this past week, they did, with 20+ Mbps indoors.

 

~800 miles away in Fredericksburg, TX, I've got this:

 

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/1351993820

 

It looks like they turned B41 on sometime between last night and tonight...I was getting 20 Mbps on B25 at about the same location. Got 12+ Mbps up on another test. If Sprint decided to do fixed wireless off of this spectrum, that'd be just phenomenal...they'd be competing against 802.11n from one ISP (well, AirMax) and 5x5 B12 LTE from another. But if we're being more realistic, this should solve the capacity issues they've had in town here in a market that has historically had a very high Sprint market penetration.

[greenbastard]

I've been seeing B41 a lot more recently. It's nice

 

Was in the Denver area seven weeks ago or so and some friends that I stayed with didn't have B41 covering their apartment. When I was back there this past week, they did, with 20+ Mbps indoors.

 

~800 miles away in Fredericksburg, TX, I've got this:

 

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/1351993820

 

It looks like they turned B41 on sometime between last night and tonight...I was getting 20 Mbps on B25 at about the same location. Got 12+ Mbps up on another test. If Sprint decided to do fixed wireless off of this spectrum, that'd be just phenomenal...they'd be competing against 802.11n from one ISP (well, AirMax) and 5x5 B12 LTE from another. But if we're being more realistic, this should solve the capacity issues they've had in town here in a market that has historically had a very high Sprint market penetration.

It looks like Nokia has gone full speed ahead all over Texas. Houston has been active with crews going around and installing 8T8R equipment as of late. Hopefully they get the balancing issues out of the way since B26 has been brought to its knees in many areas and B25 isn't doing much better. Clearwire B41 isn't of much help since it can't travel more than 1500 feet before its signal degrades tremendously.

 

8T8R is desperately needes in Texas.

[lilotimz]

Courtesey of the Reddits

 

[caspar347]

Courtesey of the Reddits

 

 

Sweet. About time Sprint actually starts hyping this up a little, even if just internally.

[greenbastard]

Are they even able to do CA with old Clearwire Equipment? Because most of Houston has yet to see any widespread 8T8R upgrades. Some 8T8R here and there, but Clearwire is still widespread throughout the city.

[avb]

Glad to see Houston is on the initial list (we always are), but they really need to add NYC for good will from the press.

[bitslizer]

Are they even able to do CA with old Clearwire Equipment? Because most of Houston has yet to see any widespread 8T8R upgrades. Some 8T8R here and there, but Clearwire is still widespread throughout the city.

Some clear can do ca, i have came across a handful in Chicago last week, but feels like most did not.

 

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[thensley1983]

Is there a way to force the update if your in a market that is releasing this?

[greenbastard]

I believe it's a simple profile update. What kind of phone do you have? You may be able to turn on CA manually.

[thensley1983]

I believe it's a simple profile update. What kind of phone do you have? You may be able to turn on CA manually.

Galaxy s6 edge

[grapkoski]

Galaxy s6 edge

 

If you have your MSL, you can edit it yourself using the ##DATA# menu. Otherwise, mine updated today on its own.

 

(I manually disabled CA and applied a profile update which re-enabled CA)

[kyle_4thousand]

Is there capability to aggregate B25 and B26 carriers to a 10 (or 15) Mhz FDD - like experience? I realize it probably wouldn't be priority for Sprint to do now with all this 2x20 B41 CA excitement going on but I think it would help at least marginally with their overall data experience.

 

 

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[anthony.spina97]

Is there capability to aggregate B25 and B26 carriers to a 10 (or 15) Mhz FDD - like experience? I realize it probably wouldn't be priority for Sprint to do now with all this 2x20 B41 CA excitement going on but I think it would help at least marginally with their overall data experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How do you figure? Band 26 shouldn't be used for anything other than for people who are out of range of bands 25/41. There is no reason why anyone who can connect to those bands and get usable data should ever be on band 26 (except for, IMO, to idle on, because even though band 41 can be usable at -130 dBm, it's gonna be hella bad on your battery. Idle on 26, then when a data session starts, move to one of the other bands).

 

-Anthony

[kyle_4thousand]

How do you figure? Band 26 shouldn't be used for anything other than for people who are out of range of bands 25/41. There is no reason why anyone who can connect to those bands and get usable data should ever be on band 26 (except for, IMO, to idle on, because even though band 41 can be usable at -130 dBm, it's gonna be hella bad on your battery. Idle on 26, then when a data session starts, move to one of the other bands).

 

-Anthony

Wild guess, but possibly load balancing could prevent CA between B25 and B26 from happening if B26 is already congested.

 

Plus I think I remember hearing that T-mobile plans to aggregate their B12 with AWS/PCS where possible. So why not Sprint? B26 is 5MHz FDD like TMUS's B12. I don't see much difference in that logic as both carriers have a fixed amount of low-band LTE for users out of reach of mid-band LTE capacity.

 

 

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[lilotimz]

Wild guess, but possibly load balancing could prevent CA between B25 and B26 from happening if B26 is already congested.

 

Plus I think I remember hearing that T-mobile plans to aggregate their B12 with AWS/PCS where possible. So why not Sprint? B26 is 5MHz FDD like TMUS's B12. I don't see much difference in that logic as both carriers have a fixed amount of low-band LTE for users out of reach of mid-band LTE capacity.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

1) Band 26 is to be the utter last resort for those that need it the most 

2) If CA is to be had then B26 will be the PCC as B25 will be the first to lose connection. If a PCC connection is lost then the device has to do a rescan to acquire a new PCC thus Band 26 would be the priority and everyone would be on it which is not the point of B26.

3) 3GPP has not codified B25-26 CA. 

4) There are no existing plans to aggregate B25-25 though it is supported 3GPP Rel 12.

[payturr]

Personally I'm fine if B25 is not aggregated with anything, just throw more B25 carriers out there to provide more capacity for everyone.

[greenbastard]

I thought the goal for Sprint was to someday do CA with B25 used for upload and B41 for download?

 

 

Or am I imagining crap???

[WiWavelength]

I thought the goal for Sprint was to someday do CA with B25 used for upload and B41 for download?

 

 

Or am I imagining crap???

 

There is no such thing as carrier aggregation to weld together just an uplink and a downlink.  That would be just creation of a new FDD band.

 

No, current carrier aggregation has downlink on both/all bands, uplink only on one band.  Future carrier aggregation may have uplink on both/all bands, too.

 

AJ

[Dkoellerwx]

There is no such thing as carrier aggregation to weld together just an uplink and a downlink.  That would be just creation of a new FDD band.

 

No, current carrier aggregation has downlink on both/all bands, uplink only on one band.  Future carrier aggregation may have uplink on both/all bands, too.

 

AJ

It was thrown out there by someone at Sprint to use B25 as the upload and B41 as download.

[WiWavelength]

It was thrown out there by someone at Sprint to use B25 as the upload and B41 as download.

 

No, that is still not accurate.  The proposed carrier aggregation would have band 25 as the PCC, hence both uplink and downlink, with band 41 as the SCC, hence just downlink.

 

AJ

[Dkoellerwx]

No, that is still not accurate.  The proposed carrier aggregation would have band 25 as the PCC, hence both uplink and downlink, with band 41 as the SCC, hence just downlink.

 

AJ

It was never technically explained. That may be what happens, but whoever announced it specifically said B25 would be used as upload, and B41 used as download. Said person may not have as much knowledge of how CA works, so it might not be correct. At least that is how I remember it. Wish I could find the statement.

[danny12345]

It was never technically explained. That may be what happens, but whoever announced it specifically said B25 would be used as upload, and B41 used as download. Said person may not have as much knowledge of how CA works, so it might not be correct. At least that is how I remember it. Wish I could find the statement.

 

 

 

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[JimBob]

Analysts: Sprint's network densification plans up in the air, but wireless backhaul could play a key role

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/analysts-sprints-network-densification-plans-air-wireless-backhaul-could-pl/2015-07-17

[derrph]

Analysts: Sprint's network densification plans up in the air, but wireless backhaul could play a key role

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/analysts-sprints-network-densification-plans-air-wireless-backhaul-could-pl/2015-07-17

Here they go with this.

 

 

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