Sprint VoLTE Discussion thread [was Sprint partners with BroadSoft for VoLTE]

[JosefTor]

Ok that makes sense. Lets hope Sprint makes it happen. I would love to see all carriers swap spectrum to make it as much efficient as possible for all parties to deploy wide channels.

 

I guess a good example would be if a Sprint market owns all of the PCS A block and if they can swap and acquire the neighboring PCS D block, Sprint could then combine the two blocks and make it a 20x20 LTE carrier. And that would also go for blocks B and E OR blocks F and C.

If Sprint doesn't have spectrum that they could mutually swap, they should open up their pocket book and buy some for a couple billion. By waiting, the spectrum price is going up to insane prices. If this payout happened years ago, it may have been able to be performed a lot cheaper. Right now it is still an OK time though because people need money to purchase the 600 spectrum.

[mnjeepmale]

Based upon Sprint current PCS 1900 MHz spectrum holdings, the broadest band 25 carrier after CDMA2000 shutdown is apt to be 15 MHz FDD (i.e. 15 MHz x 15 MHz). That is the largest extent of any singular PCS license. And as a spectrum guru, I cannot think off the top of my head of any market with multiple PCS contiguous licenses that are greater than 15 MHz FDD.

 

AJ

Does Sprint plan on going away from CDMA in the future?

[ericdabbs]

If Sprint doesn't have spectrum that they could mutually swap, they should open up their pocket book and buy some for a couple billion. By waiting, the spectrum price is going up to insane prices. If this payout happened years ago, it may have been able to be performed a lot cheaper. Right now it is still an OK time though because people need money to purchase the 600 spectrum.

 

I am sure that all carriers can mutually benefit with a spectrum swap but both parties have to be very creative.  The goal for all carriers is to acquire large contiguous blocks of spectrum to deploy the fat 20 MHz LTE carriers so there are definitely areas that require attention in all markets. It will be interesting to see if this ever happens.

 

In terms of the 3 other carriers willing to sell PCS spectrum to raise money for 600 MHz auction, I just don't see it happening.  All it would really take is for Sprint to buy the neighboring D, E, F 5x5 MHz blocks in those markets to be able to deploy 20x20 channels.

[WiWavelength]

Does Sprint plan on going away from CDMA in the future?

 

Yes, projections are for roughly five years from now.

 

AJ

[mnjeepmale]

Yes, projections are for roughly five years from now.

 

AJ

Sounds like that's the time Verizon said they are looking to go away from CDMA

[payturr]

Sounds like that's the time Verizon said they are looking to go away from CDMA

Yeah cause realistically by 2021, with data consumption how it is, all carriers are gonna have to boast heavy duty LTE networks. Look at AT&T w/ 40MHz live in NYC - totally collapsed. VZW has 80MHz live and is in a much better shape. With increasing amount of content creation (YouTube, Twitch), cable cutting & viewing on the go (Netflix), and newer ways of sharing (Periscope, Facebook), video is just more and more relevant to everyone and that is ultimately gonna require more spectrum. CDMA can't help in the way UMTS can, so VZW and Sprint needs to drop it ASAP to make the best of what they own.

[bigsnake49]

If Sprint can densify their LTE network so that VOLTE becomes primary and CDMA secondary, they can slowly squeeze everybody into the 800MHz 1x slice. That assumes of course that they replace EVDO M2M modules with LTE M2M modules. The sooner they can do that, the sooner they can free up the spectrum for LTE.

[ericdabbs]

If Sprint can densify their LTE network so that VOLTE becomes primary and CDMA secondary, they can slowly squeeze everybody into the 800MHz 1x slice. That assumes of course that they replace EVDO M2M modules with LTE M2M modules. The sooner they can do that, the sooner they can free up the spectrum for LTE.

 

I am hoping by EoY 2017-2018 when NGN is largely complete that Sprint will feel confident in their LTE coverage to begin thinking of turning on some VoLTE or at least do some serious trials of VoLTE in a small market to ease any sort of transition to full blown VoLTE.  At the same time, I am hoping Sprint will begin to shutter some CDMA/EVDO carriers and refarm that spectrum for LTE.