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Network Vision and Spark EARFCN logging thread


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How is it any different? iOS Field Test has barely changed in years. It is both good and terrible. It does not even use the correct terminology. For example, UARFCNs are for W-CDMA, not LTE.

 

Honestly, I am surprised that Apple just has not erased or blocked access to Field Test entirely.

 

AJ

Something is different with the 6s, and it sometimes throws a bunch of weird numbers around in there. Other times, it works as usual. It's not an iOS 9 thing, it's a 6s thing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6s

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Something is different with the 6s, and it sometimes throws a bunch of weird numbers around in there. Other times, it works as usual. It's not an iOS 9 thing, it's a 6s thing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6s

Yep. I see stuff like unknown bandwidth and 10 digit frequency band indicators.

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Drove around town about an hour or so ago and didn't see 8665 once. All 8640 (except for when I had B41). Couldn't get a single screenshot saying 10mhz tho...

 

Maybe hit up a Sprint store or two and check out devices engineering screens (##DEBUG#). 

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Answered better above

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I found this today but not sure if its even right with the 15mhz.

Nope. ATT band 2.

 

vitodonuts, did you erroneously report AT&T and/or T-Mobile connections a few months ago, too?  Is something wrong with your device or SIM card?

 

AJ

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I'll start out with a Caveat...Moto X Pure/Style with less than reliable engineering screens.

 

I was looking at the LTE engineering and saw 26365/8365 UL/DL channels for band "24," which means 25 on this device. As far as I know, the Lansing, MI area doesn't have a B25 second carrier deployed, I'm always in the G Block of 26665/8665.

 

Digging up AJs frequency posts that equals center frequencies of 1882.5/1962.5 which puts it in the in the PCS B Block which is the Detroit MTA and appears to be valid.

 

I'm sure this has been reported for other B Block markets, but first time I've seen it in Lansing.

 

Added screenshot

 

6d95a55b17da9667142888a8c2965089.jpg

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I must say my phone constantly tries grabbing band 2,4 and 12 while switching LTE signals

 

We do not see that behavior frequently in other devices.  If it is actually happening, that should affect your Sprint service -- because it is periodically taking your device off the Sprint network, even though your device is not going to roam on any of those others bands presently.

 

Anyway, I think your handset, SIM, or engineering screen may be borked.  The 15 MHz FDD report is feasible on AT&T in Philadelphia, where it has a 20 MHz FDD contiguous swath between the PCS A and D blocks.  But I am not sure that 15 MHz FDD reading is accurate, as we have heard no reports of AT&T deploying greater than 10 MHz FDD in any markets.  Instead, it is all carrier aggregation.  And 15 MHz FDD would mean clearing out of PCS almost everything else, leaving behind but one W-CDMA carrier or around a dozen GSM channels.

 

The other issues are that your engineering screen is reporting the Sprint 310-120 MCC-MNC and PLMN name, as well as band 25 EARFCNs.  But for PCS, AT&T uses band 2 EARFCNs, not band 25 EARFCNs.  Something just is not right.

 

AJ

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We do not see that behavior frequently in other devices.  If it is actually happening, that should affect your Sprint service -- because it is periodically taking your device off the Sprint network, even though your device is not going to roam on any of those others bands presently.

 

Anyway, I think your handset, SIM, or engineering screen may be borked.  The 15 MHz FDD report is feasible on AT&T in Philadelphia, where it has a 20 MHz FDD contiguous swath between the PCS A and D blocks.  But I am not sure that 15 MHz FDD reading is accurate, as we have heard no reports of AT&T deploying greater than 10 MHz FDD in any markets.  Instead, it is all carrier aggregation.  And 15 MHz FDD would mean clearing out of PCS almost everything else, leaving behind but one W-CDMA carrier or around a dozen GSM channels.

 

The other issues are that your engineering screen is reporting the Sprint 310-120 MCC-MNC and PLMN name, as well as band 25 EARFCNs.  But for PCS, AT&T uses band 2 EARFCNs, not band 25 EARFCNs.  Something just is not right.

 

AJ

 

ATT has quite a few 15x15 markets on PCS actually . Most of california itself was fired up for 15x15 a few weeks ago. Would not surprise me if they're also going up in other regions. 

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AJ, has anyone volunteered to go through the thread and update all the reports for you?  The first post seems to need some love.

 

No one has stepped up.

 

AJ

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I can send in spreadsheet form, not too many adds

 

Band 25

 

  • EARFCN 8365 (downlink) [Detroit MTA; PCS B block; second carrier] [RCM 8/13/15 screenshot]
  • EARFCN 26365 (uplink) [Detroit MTA; PCS B block; second carrier] [RCM 8/13/15 screenshot]
  • EARFCN 8640 (downlink) [10x10] [PCS C/G Blocks] [dkyeager 8/17/15 screenshot] 1990
  • EARFCN 26640 (uplink) [10x10] [PCS C/G Blocks] [dkyeager 8/17/15 screenshot] 1910
  • EARFCN 8284 (downlink) [PCS B Block] [Normal, IL dkyeager 8/17/15 screenshot] 1954.4
  • EARFCN 26284 (uplink) [PCS B Block] [Normal, IL dkyeager 8/17/15 screenshot] 1874.4
  • EARFCN 8109 (downlink) [PCS A Block] [san Diego, CA bucdenny 9/30/15 screenshot] 1936.9
  • EARFCN 26109 (uplink) [PCS A Block] [san Diego, CA bucdenny 9/30/15 screenshot] 1856.9

 

Band 41

  • EARFCN 40024 [DC reported Bossjosh 7/20/15 Screenshot]
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  • 2 weeks later...

Paging AJ:

 

What did I just find in the Chicago market? 8290 and a 06 sector.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6s

10x10 FDD lte carrier centered 1955 mhz IN b block.

 

The 5 mhz in PCS B block acquired from USCC is no more.

Sent from my Nexus 5X

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Paging AJ:

 

What did I just find in the Chicago market? 8290 and a 06 sector.

 

Who is your spectrum daddy?  Say it!

 

As mentioned earlier, downstate Illinois around Champaign-Urbana also has unique spectrum holdings and got the 10 MHz FDD treatment a few days ago. Chicago has a similarly unique yet different spectrum set. But as S4GRU published in another article in 2012, it has a contiguous, green field USCC block of spectrum that now seems to be begging for 10 MHz FDD.

 

2qi8ier.jpg

 

A band 25 additional carrier already resides in that USCC PCS B block disaggregation -- but it is presently 5 MHz FDD. And an additional EV-DO carrier has been added at the bottom of the block. Still, there may be enough spectrum left to expand that 5 MHz FDD to 10 MHz FDD very soon.

 

The Windy City, are you ready for it? We shall see if S4GRU's short term prediction proves as accurate as its spectrum analysis did three years ago.

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-394-columbus-8640-the-age-of-10-mhz-fdd-discovery/

 

AJ

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Sprint has some serious spectrum swapping opportunities in Chicago. They have lots of spectrum, but it's not even in two pieces, it's broken in three. Sprint originally was stuck with block D, block E, and block G, which are not neighboring at all, but then it got upper 2/3rds of the B block as part of the USCC divestiture, which is adjacent to block D.

 

I think they should go to ATT and tell them they want to do a Spectrum swap. I want to trade the D block for the F block and cash. If ATT won't pay, then Sprint simply threatens to sell Block E to Verizon as its 3G traffic dwindles. That would give VZW a contiguous 10x10 of PCS to deploy in CHI. Which I'm sure they would appreciate as many devices would already support it and they sure could use the capacity.

When ATT caves and does the deal, maybe agreeing to do the transition at the end of 2016 as CDMA PCS traffic begins to drop off, Sprint can turn around later and do a deal with VZW to swap the lower part of block B for block E and newly acquired block F.

Of course since Sprint is giving up 10 Mhz of PCS in that deal, They would also get some additional remuneration as part of that deal as well.

 

Maybe they can use some of that cash to get Verizon's little orphan 5x5 PCS block in San Francisco, which happens to be adjacent to block G, as part of the compensation. I'm guessing that it is presently used for CDMA. Verizon has no other PCS spectrum in that market, so it's not as useful to them. Hopefully they could get it for a reasonable cost.

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