Marcelo Claure, Town Hall Meetings, New Family Share Pack Plan, Unlimited Individual Plan, Discussion Thread

[anthony.spina97]

Has Sprint been performing well at CES in previous years or is it just this upcoming year that they are being proactive about it? I haven't been to Vegas at all this year so I don't know if the Strip has improved indoors and outdoors in 2015.

I'm pretty sure one of our members said that they had Band 41 up and running at the convention and that the network was working rather well the entire time.

 

-Anthony

[sbolen]

I'm pretty sure one of our members said that they had Band 41 up and running at the convention and that the network was working rather well the entire time.

 

-Anthony

Last time I was in Vegas, coverage on the strip and inside buildings was awful. I can't wait to see the difference of 18 months.

 

 

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[MacinJosh]

I'm pretty sure one of our members said that they had Band 41 up and running at the convention and that the network was working rather well the entire time.

 

-Anthony

Band 41 was not fully covering the convention center, however, Band 25 was usable in there at 20+ Mbps at SEMA at the beginning of November. Band 25 uploads left a lot to be desired at less than 1.5 Mbps, but I wasn't concerned about the upload.

 

 

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[RedSpark]

Progress!

 

Sprint Network Shares #1 Ranking in Reliability and Call Performance in Washington D.C.

This is the first time Sprint has received a RootScore Award in Washington D.C. for network reliability. And this is the first time Sprint has received a RootScore Award in Washington D.C. for call performance since January 2012.

 

 

Congrats Sprint!

 

In addition, Sprint has improved service and upgraded the wireless systems at Verizon Center, Washington Dulles Airport, Reagan National Airport, United State Senate and Capital Buildings, House of Representatives, Smithsonian Museum Complex at National Mall, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Future upgrades are in progress at Nationals Park, WMATA, and the Fashion Centre Mall at Pentagon City.

 

Really great to see these investments being made.

 

By the way, here's the latest on the WMATA build: Article

 

Metro announced last month that it had reached a new agreement with four major wireless carriers on a plan to make service available throughout the transit system’s 101 miles of tunnels by the end of the decade.

 

The original contract had called for the four companies to install the necessary cables in the tunnels, but the project has been mired in delays that probably would have continued.

 

So, under a new plan, expected to be finalized soon, the consortium of carriers will pay Metro tens of millions of dollars to do the tunnel wiring. That prospect concerns some observers, who cite Metro’s troubled performance record.

 

So we'll see how this goes. At least it'll be a progressive build that will be live as new equipment is added.

 

Some additional background.

[Trip]

I was at the Air and Space Museum's Dulles facility on Saturday and as best I can tell, Sprint was the only carrier with a DAS in that building, and the DAS had B25 and B26.  Signal was generally around -80 dBm, while the other carriers were closer to -110 dBm.

 

I knew Sprint had a DAS there, but was surprised to find the others didn't seem to.

 

Here's the link to RootMetrics:  http://www.rootmetrics.com/us/rsr/washington-dc/2015/2H

 

And I hope Pentagon City is done soon.  Verizon and AT&T have LTE there, T-Mobile appears to have LTE from a nearby building, and Sprint has 3G that often drops to 1X if you're in the wrong part of the mall.

 

- Trip

[NYC126]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/appeals-court-says-fcc-has-authority-streamline-tower-and-small-cell-deploy/2015-12-21

 

This might help Sprint regarding the densification project.

[RedSpark]

I was at the Air and Space Museum's Dulles facility on Saturday and as best I can tell, Sprint was the only carrier with a DAS in that building, and the DAS had B25 and B26.  Signal was generally around -80 dBm, while the other carriers were closer to -110 dBm.

 

I knew Sprint had a DAS there, but was surprised to find the others didn't seem to.

 

Here's the link to RootMetrics:  http://www.rootmetrics.com/us/rsr/washington-dc/2015/2H

 

And I hope Pentagon City is done soon.  Verizon and AT&T have LTE there, T-Mobile appears to have LTE from a nearby building, and Sprint has 3G that often drops to 1X if you're in the wrong part of the mall.

 

- Trip

 

I'm glad that Sprint is being specific in listing these venues. Is installing a Triband DAS more expensive? I'm surprised that Sprint wouldn't also deploy Band 41 at venues like the Museum facility in Dulles where there are heavy concentrations of people.

 

Hopefully, Band 41 is deployed at the Pentagon City Mall as well given the crowd surge and size. WMATA stations also could benefit substantially from Band 41 being deployed.

 

Final question: Can these upgraded wireless systems support 2x20 CA for Band 41 and Beamforming, or is that only on the Macro Network?

[ericdabbs]

Band 41 was not fully covering the convention center, however, Band 25 was usable in there at 20+ Mbps at SEMA at the beginning of November. Band 25 uploads left a lot to be desired at less than 1.5 Mbps, but I wasn't concerned about the upload.

 

 

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Sounds like Vegas could really use a 2nd B25 carrier in addition to more B41 coverage overall.  It doesn't help that Vegas is still blocked from deploying B26 LTE.

[MacinJosh]

Sounds like Vegas could really use a 2nd B25 carrier in addition to more B41 coverage overall. It doesn't help that Vegas is still blocked from deploying B26 LTE.

A 2nd B25 carrier? Yes please! Overall LTE coverage is really good city wide from my experiences of driving around. There are a few places where my phone still drops to 3G, but even EVDO isn't unbearable most of the time. I would like to see B41 the city over, but I know these things take time. I still would rather see LTE in Pahrump sooner rather than later, but back haul vendors here are few and far between.

 

 

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[RedSpark]

A 2nd B25 carrier? Yes please! Overall LTE coverage is really good city wide from my experiences of driving around. There are a few places where my phone still drops to 3G, but even EVDO isn't unbearable most of the time. I would like to see B41 the city over, but I know these things take time. I still would rather see LTE in Pahrump sooner rather than later, but back haul vendors here are few and far between.

 

 

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Who are the local backhaul vendors?

[MacinJosh]

Who are the local backhaul vendors?

AT&T, maybe Suddenlink. I'm hoping my local electric cooperative with their new 1 Gbps Fiber broadband network would be game for cell site backhaul. They just launched in September.

 

 

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[WiWavelength]

Here's the link to RootMetrics:  http://www.rootmetrics.com/us/rsr/washington-dc/2015/2H

 

If all four networks had median downlink speeds in the 11.2-14.4 Mbps range while T-Mobile had a median uplink speed of 17.2 Mbps, we can conclude that T-Mobile once again had a slower downlink than uplink.  That network is teetering in the wrong direction.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

Final question: Can these upgraded wireless systems support 2x20 CA for Band 41 and Beamforming, or is that only on the Macro Network?

 

Beamforming is not likely on DAS, which often is designed to flood with signal a hard to cover space.  Beamforming typically requires large, phased antenna arrays.  That is better suited to the macro network.

 

AJ

[RedSpark]

Beamforming is not likely on DAS, which often is designed to flood with signal a hard to cover space.  Beamforming typically requires large, phased antenna arrays.  That is better suited to the macro network.

 

AJ

 

Thanks. Is implementing 2x20 CA actually possible on DAS? I ask because when Sprint launched its DAS at Kauffman Field, there was no mention of it supporting 2x20 CA on Band 41. Given the concentration of folks at a game, having 2x20 CA on Band 41 seems like it would be especially helpful in that circumstance.

[RedSpark]

AT&T, maybe Suddenlink. I'm hoping my local electric cooperative with their new 1 Gbps Fiber broadband network would be game for cell site backhaul. They just launched in September.

 

 

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Sprint has yet to name a President for Southern CA, and Northern CA/NV.

 

Perhaps we'll see some additional action once that happens.

 

Map Link: http://bizwire.tekgroup.com/media/86/ONE_Sprint_Map_12815_Highres.jpg

[WiWavelength]

Thanks. Is implementing 2x20 CA actually possible on DAS? I ask because when Sprint launched its DAS at Kauffman Field, there was no mention of it supporting 2x20 CA on Band 41. Given the concentration of folks at a game, having 2x20 CA on Band 41 seems like it would be especially helpful in that circumstance.

 

DAS does not limit CA.  As long as it has the bandwidth to support multiple carriers, then it can support CA.  I cannot confirm 2x CA on any of my current handsets, but the Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City has two band 41 carriers, more recently, two band 25 carriers, too.  If I were Sprint, though, I would disable 2x CA on band 41 at the stadiums.  High capacity, not super speed, is the key.

 

AJ

[RedSpark]

If I were Sprint, though, I would disable 2x CA on band 41 at the stadiums.  High capacity, not super speed, is the key.

 

Thanks. Can you explain this a bit more? Would having a separate B41 carrier be better than doing 2xCA?

[Ascertion]

Thanks. Can you explain this a bit more? Would having a separate B41 carrier be better than doing 2xCA?

You would need a second carrier anyways for CA. CA is just basically combining two carriers into one. Having two separate carriers will still be 40mhz of bandwidth, but will be treated as two separate carriers (for a maximum of 72mbps instead of 144.)

 

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[WiWavelength]

Thanks. Can you explain this a bit more? Would having a separate B41 carrier be better than doing 2xCA?

 

In order to have 2x CA, you must have at least two carriers.  I just would not link them together, would not allow 2x CA connections.  In an environment with thousands of people, it is better to provide two people with x speeds than one person with 2x speeds.

 

AJ

[dnicekid]

Long story short all test done inside a vzw store.. They jumped on me for having sprint started talking about data and speeds.

They couldn't get over 35 with their phones...... I explained they don't give enough data to use because most vzw people beg for wifi.... Nuff said after the speed tests they started talking about coverage in Montana..

If we are in Massachusetts why are we comparing coverage in Montana???!!!

[JonnygATL]

Long story short all test done inside a vzw store.. They jumped on me for having sprint started talking about data and speeds.

They couldn't get over 35 with their phones...... I explained they don't give enough data to use because most vzw people beg for wifi.... Nuff said after the speed tests they started talking about coverage in Montana..

If we are in Massachusetts why are we comparing coverage in Montana???!!!

#reaching

[Calvin200]

Marshmallow being pushed out.  This is news to me.    

[derrph]

Long story short all test done inside a vzw store.. They jumped on me for having sprint started talking about data and speeds.

They couldn't get over 35 with their phones...... I explained they don't give enough data to use because most vzw people beg for wifi.... Nuff said after the speed tests they started talking about coverage in Montana..

If we are in Massachusetts why are we comparing coverage in Montana???!!!

Too bad a potential Verizon customer wasn't around and saw that speed test happen. That really would have been a customer lost.

 

 

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[Dkoellerwx]

Thanks. Can you explain this a bit more? Would having a separate B41 carrier be better than doing 2xCA?

 

2xCA utilizes both B41 carriers. That means one user is taking up a slice of both carriers. If you disable 2xCA, then that user is only occupying a slice of one carrier. That frees up the other carrier for a second user. More capacity, but not the 100+Mbps peak speeds. Better use of spectrum. 

[RedSpark]

2xCA utilizes both B41 carriers. That means one user is taking up a slice of both carriers. If you disable 2xCA, then that user is only occupying a slice of one carrier. That frees up the other carrier for a second user. More capacity, but not the 100+Mbps peak speeds. Better use of spectrum. 

 

Thanks. Very helpful!