AT&T unleashes LTE Advanced carrier aggregation in Chicago

[WiWavelength]

http://gigaom.com/2014/03/06/atts-new-souped-up-lte-network-is-live-in-chicago-but-youll-have-to-wait-to-use-it/

 

I find this somewhat hard to believe, but it does come directly from the mouth of a well known AT&T network VP.  I was not even aware that AT&T was finally using its long fallow AWS license in Chicago.  But it is reportedly now using carrier aggregation between its 10 MHz FDD carrier in band 12 LTE 700 and a 5 MHz FDD carrier in band 4 LTE 2100+1700.  Unfortunately, there is no easy way to prove this on a spectrum analyzer.  Engineering screen readout is the only way.  So, proof will require an AT&T device that supports carrier aggregation and has the necessary engineering screen readout.

 

AJ

[shannonbrian]

Then sprint should be on the verge starting theres soon ?

[kojitsari]

So when sprint gets done deploying a second b25 carrier in places where they can, like has been done in shentel, could they use carrier aggregation to perhaps increase capacity of b26 when it comes online? That seems like the logical use to me because they have b41 for the massive speeds.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[kojitsari]

Also I thought it was funny how the article touted the "monster networks" T-Mobile and Verizon are launching but it just ignores Sprint and their network build out that can arguably be considered the biggest network overall.

Gotta love the press

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[utiz4321]

The competition isn't standing still. Sprint needs to stop acting like an incumbent player. The same aggressiveness of the original NV plan should be part of the 2.6 rollout. At least if sprint wants to make their network a differentiator.

[milan03]

http://gigaom.com/2014/03/06/atts-new-souped-up-lte-network-is-live-in-chicago-but-youll-have-to-wait-to-use-it/

 

I find this somewhat hard to believe, but it does come directly from the mouth of a well known AT&T network VP.  I was not even aware that AT&T was finally using its long fallow AWS license in Chicago.  But it is reportedly now using carrier aggregation between its 10 MHz FDD carrier in band 12 LTE 700 and a 5 MHz FDD carrier in band 4 LTE 2100+1700.  Unfortunately, there is no easy way to prove this on a spectrum analyzer.  Engineering screen readout is the only way.  So, proof will require an AT&T device that supports carrier aggregation and has the necessary engineering screen readout.

 

AJ

I think they use Band 2, Band 4 and Band 17 in Chicago. I do have a CA capable Note 3, but it's Verizon variant so that isn't gonna do more than showing if the network has been configured for CA, but I wonder if my Nexus 5 will be able to aggregate since it's the same MDM9x25 IP stack.

 

Anyways, I'll be at O'Hare Airport this Sunday for an hour, will try to test it out. Will have my analyzer handy as well.

[Paynefanbro]

Also I thought it was funny how the article touted the "monster networks" T-Mobile and Verizon are launching but it just ignores Sprint and their network build out that can arguably be considered the biggest network overall.Gotta love the press :PSent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

In all of the other articles I read on this, including CNET and The Verge, they said Sprint is next up in the carrier aggregation list because of Spark and the comments on some articles seemed to point out the Sprint bashing and the fact that Spark is better in the long run than anything any of these other carriers are doing.

[S4GRU]

So when sprint gets done deploying a second b25 carrier in places where they can, like has been done in shentel, could they use carrier aggregation to perhaps increase capacity of b26 when it comes online? That seems like the logical use to me because they have b41 for the massive speeds.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Sprint is working to have Band 26 only used when no other Band is available.  A fallback band.  So when it will be used most often, it will not be in range of any other band, really.  So it will not provide much value for Band 26 to be aggregated with anything else.  Sprint's best bet is to make Band 41 ubiquitous, use beamforming for coverage, and then use B41 for speed and capacity.

 

I guess using CA to bolster B25 by tieing it to B41 makes sense to some degree.  However, a B25 device that would work with CA in B41 would also already support B41, and it wouldn't need B25 when B41 was within range.  So this may make sense for AT&T, where their wider channel band is lower frequency spectrum, as it will allow a portion of traffic to load off some of the burden off their low frequency spectrum.  For Sprint, CA will be best utilized by B41, and aggregating several B41 carriers together.  Pushing throughput speeds ahead of their competitors.

 

Robert

[CaryTheLabelGuy]

Sprint is working to have Band 26 only used when no other Band is available. A fallback band. So when it will be used most often, it will not be in range of any other band, really. So it will not provide much value for Band 26 to be aggregated with anything else. Sprint's best bet is to make Band 41 ubiquitous, use beamforming for coverage, and then use B41 for speed and capacity.

 

I guess using CA to bolster B25 by tieing it to B41 makes sense to some degree. However, a B25 device that would work with CA in B41 would also already support B41, and it wouldn't need B25 when B41 was within range. So this may make sense for AT&T, where their wider channel band is lower frequency spectrum, as it will allow a portion of traffic to load off some of the burden off their low frequency spectrum. For Sprint, CA will be best utilized by B41, and aggregating several B41 carriers together. Pushing throughput speeds ahead of their competitors.

 

Robert

I totally agree. I'm just hoping Sprint will be aggressive with ubiquitous B41 rollout. They're already late to the party for LTE-A and Carrier Aggregation, so it appears (this is not totally their fault, considering there are no Sprint handsets capable of CA).

 

We all know how much spectrum Sprint has to play with in B41, but the public needs to see that Sprint is serious and is not sleeping at-the-wheel. This will come from an aggressive rollout and advances in CA ASAP, followed by a good PR effort of educating the public on what Sprint's new network is capable of today, as well as the near future. I've been very critical of the former, especially.

 

I think that if Sprint is giving a concerted effort (read: the kitchen sink approach), the media will be less lop-sided in their coverage of Sprint. I have read soooo many articles where Sprint gets nowhere near the fair shake with regards to what they've already accomplished and what's in store for the future.

 

It's time to awaken the monster.

[kojitsari]

Sprint is working to have Band 26 only used when no other Band is available. A fallback band. So when it will be used most often, it will not be in range of any other band, really. So it will not provide much value for Band 26 to be aggregated with anything else. Sprint's best bet is to make Band 41 ubiquitous, use beamforming for coverage, and then use B41 for speed and capacity.

 

I guess using CA to bolster B25 by tieing it to B41 makes sense to some degree. However, a B25 device that would work with CA in B41 would also already support B41, and it wouldn't need B25 when B41 was within range. So this may make sense for AT&T, where their wider channel band is lower frequency spectrum, as it will allow a portion of traffic to load off some of the burden off their low frequency spectrum. For Sprint, CA will be best utilized by B41, and aggregating several B41 carriers together. Pushing throughput speeds ahead of their competitors.

 

Robert

I was thinking along the lines of rural areas, to provide a b41 like experience where it isn't offered. Ubiquitous b41 has a logical path to it though. Thank you for pushing my train of thought up to speed.

 

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[S4GRU]

I was thinking along the lines of rural areas, to provide a b41 like experience where it isn't offered. Ubiquitous b41 has a logical path to it though. Thank you for pushing my train of thought up to speed.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Yes, that would be good.  But if the rural area is not in reach of any other band, CA will not help any.  I suppose there are rural reas that have both B25 and B26, but no B41.  In these instances, it could be good to do CA between the one B25 and one B26 carrier.  That would push throughout speeds.  However, I would guess that in the places where that would be helpful, Sprint probably wouldn't want to spend the money and efforts for those areas.  And it probably would be just as easy just to add B41 to those rural sites.

 

I like the idea.  But I'm not sure that Sprint will think there is a pay off there to do B25/B26 CA in select rural areas.  I'd do it , though.  But I'm a dork like that.

 

Robert

[kojitsari]

Yes, that would be good. But if the rural area is not in reach of any other band, CA will not help any. I suppose there are rural reas that have both B25 and B26, but no B41. In these instances, it could be good to do CA between the one B25 and one B26 carrier. That would push throughout speeds. However, I would guess that in the places where that would be helpful, Sprint probably wouldn't want to spend the money and efforts for those areas. And it probably would be just as easy just to add B41 to those rural sites.

 

I like the idea. But I'm not sure that Sprint will think there is a pay off there to do B25/B26 CA in select rural areas. I'd do it , though. But I'm a dork like that.

 

Robert

The areas I particularly had in mind were along i44 as it goes through Missouri. There are spots where it could fill a few nice gaps where the b25 is really weak(due to the tower servicing a town of 10-15k in addition to all the travelers). They do seem like spots where they'd throw up b41 if they do go ubiquitous.

Maybe if sprint picks up US cellular down the line they might consider it then, they could become easily the best carrier out by me(there's at least one USC tower for every other carrier tower, including one less than 500 yards from my house...).

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[CrossedSignals]

Another relevant point with regard to Sprint and carrier aggregation:  From the linked article below:

 

"Yet, while a 40 MHz pipe in Band 41 would certainly go a long way toward solving the capacity strains caused by rising video consumption, Alston noted that Sprint is not planning to pursue further capacity gains via complicated inter-band non-contiguous CA between the TDD and FDD flavors of LTE [emphasis added]. He said, however, that the concept is worth contemplating."

Read more: Sprint exec: Clearwire spectrum is our priority for LTE carrier aggregation - FierceWirelessTech http://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/story/sprint-exec-clearwire-spectrum-our-priority-lte-carrier-aggregation/2013-04-21#ixzz2vJV8uk8G

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/story/sprint-exec-clearwire-spectrum-our-priority-lte-carrier-aggregation/2013-04-21

[Steve Dean]

Kind of funny that the article said big blue was first.  Sprint did it several months ago did it not with Spark?

[anthony.spina97]

Kind of funny that the article said big blue was first. Sprint did it several months ago did it not with Spark?

Sprint hasn't really started using CA yet, and there haven't really been any handsets that support it. So, as much as I don't want to, we could say AT&T beat them to the punch.

 

-Anthony

[IamMrFamous07]

Once Sprint gets 600mhz from the auction can't they aggregate 600x800x1900?

[WiWavelength]

Once Sprint gets 600mhz from the auction can't they aggregate 600x800x1900?

 

Yes, and I am going to aggregate my bed, TV, and car.

 

AJ

[kojitsari]

Yes, and I am going to aggregate my bed, TV, and car.

 

AJ

Did you mean to describe a hippie bus, or a pedophile/stalker van?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

[RCM]

Did you mean to describe a hippie bus, or a pedophile/stalker van?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Oh, you mean this?

 

 

[IamMrFamous07]

Yes, and I am going to aggregate my bed, TV, and car.

 

AJ

 

let me know how that goes lol

[S4GRU]

Did you mean to describe a hippie bus, or a pedophile/stalker van?

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

[WiWavelength]

Did you mean to describe a hippie bus, or a pedophile/stalker van?

 

Neither.  My post got cut off.  I meant that I was going to aggregate my bed, TV, and carpaccio.

 

 

AJ

[kojitsari]

Neither. My post got cut off. I meant that I was going to aggregate my bed, TV, and carpaccio.

 

 

AJ

Doesn't a hippy van still work? They have kitchens too

 

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[WiWavelength]

Doesn't a hippy van still work? They have kitchens too

 

No, just no.

 

 

AJ

[Fraydog]

You all are thinking of the VW Bus. That's THE hippie van.