Sprint and NTelos Announce Extension of Strategic Alliance

[marioc21]

Well, finally some news.  Looks like Sprint and NTelos finally agreed on a new deal.  The new extension will go through 2022.  

 

Highlights:

 

• nTelos remains exclusive provider to Sprint in current territory.
• Sprint customers gain access to nTelos LTE network.
• nTelos will gain access to Sprint 800, 1900 & 2500 spectrum.
• nTelos will continue buildout of its 4g network throughout its territory according to Sprint's Network modernization program.
• nTelos says the network improvements will be substantially complete by May 2017

 

A conference call will be held at 8am ET.

 

Sprint's Press Release:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sprint-ntelos-extend-strategic-network-100100325.html

 

nTelos' Press Release:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ntelos-holdings-corp-host-conference-100200833.html

 

Call is here: http://ir.ntelos.com/CorporateProfile.aspx?iid=4110676

[marioc21]

The conference call is going on now.  Will post any additional information.

[marioc21]

Other items:

 

nTelos will gain access to Sprint's device and equipment relationships.  Let's them offer a greater range of devices.

nTelos will buildout on top of its existing equipment.  Not rip and replace.

nTelos will use equipment from shared network vendors.

[clbowens]

Wow, it will take them 3 years.   Surprised by that.

[cdk]

Good news. I wonder how long before those nTelos sites that are already live with LTE are accessible to Sprint customers...

[S4GRU]

Wow, it will take them 3 years. Surprised by that.

3 years to complete the additional LTE bands, like Band 26 and 41. That doesn't surprise me. nTelos is a rather small company. However, nTelos' existing LTE network should open up to Sprint customers soon.

 

We will likely see their B26/B41 additions start coming online in 10-12 months. And it will steadily progress to 2017.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[S4GRU]

Good news. I wonder how long before those nTelos sites that are already live with LTE are accessible to Sprint customers...

You would think it would be imminent. Like less than 30 days. They likely have already worker out the physical network details. It's probably why there is a Sprint LTE Sensorly track NW of Charleston WV. I'm hoping for our Sprint customers in this region it's soon!

 

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[bigsnake49]

So who else is left? Cspire?

[Josh]

You would think it would be imminent. Like less than 30 days. They likely have already worker out the physical network details. It's probably why there is a Sprint LTE Sensorly track NW of Charleston WV. I'm hoping for our Sprint customers in this region it's soon!

 

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

2 questions:

 

First, what frequencies are nTelos using for their LTE? I know that they have their own spectrum & I thought I had read that they were using 700MHz for LTE. From what I am reading here, is sprint doing a spectrum sharing deal with this too?

 

Secondly, if nTelos does not provide the coverage or reliability that sprint expects, could sprint overbuild in the area or buy out nTelos in the future? I have never had a good experience anywhere in WV in cities or along major highways, so I don't really trust them to do better now.

[JeffDTD]

So who else is left? Cspire?

A cspire relationship that brings sprint customers cspire managed LTE would corode cspire's competetive advantage in its home turf as cspire struggles to keep up with the big 2 and instead finds itself competing with the little 2 more and more. Cspire has only slightly more LTE deployed in its mainstay, MS, than Sprint. Perhaps revenue from sprint and the rural carrier alliance helps pay for a full PCS buildout? They initially budgeted for a 700mhz buildout. The biggest complaint from cspire customers continues to concern their legacy data speeds which is **ding ding ding** a friendly coincidence as they are only competing based on the availability of unlimited, not price.

 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[Flompholph]

2 questions:

First, what frequencies are nTelos using for their LTE? I know that they have their own spectrum & I thought I had read that they were using 700MHz for LTE. From what I am reading here, is sprint doing a spectrum sharing deal with this too?

Secondly, if nTelos does not provide the coverage or reliability that sprint expects, could sprint overbuild in the area or buy out nTelos in the future? I have never had a good experience anywhere in WV in cities or along major highways, so I don't really trust them to do better now.

http://ir.ntelos.com/ShowFile.aspx?KeyFile=23743792&Format=HTML&Output=HTML

Not sure all of ntelos spectrum but it looks shared 800/1900/2500 ntelos and sprint spectrum. Not sure how much added spectrum ntelos will add.

 

Sprint can build towers but they have to ask ntelos to build the tower first. If ntelos says no sprint can build a tower. Ntelos also has the build the network in a reasonable time. Not sure what is a reasonable time means though.

[JimBob]

Awesome news! Too bad it did not lift Sprint's share price today.

[lilotimz]

Now we wait for USCC and other regionals like C-Spire...

[uecker87]

Now we wait for USCC and other regionals like C-Spire...

 

This --- I know USCC has been deploying 850 LTE over their 700 LTE sites for iPhone support, so the compatibility is there.  I would absolutely love to hear an announcement about the LTE deal between these two.  It would vastly improve the coverage in my area. 

 

Southern Wisconsin is pretty much a USCC stronghold too, so I doubt USCC customers would use any of Sprint's bandwidth here.  Would be a win, win situation for me.

[davidtm]

Yeah! But, cautious optimism being exercised here. Lots of "ifs" involved.

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

[Nickel]

nTelos will use equipment from shared network vendors.

Shared? does nTelos use vendors that Sprint does not?