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

[Deval]

iPhone, but that doesn't have a good way of checking what band one is on with Field Test more or less borked at this stage of iOS and Apple's policy on signal apps which is ancient and needs overhaul. Given Apple is good with unlocked phones, I don't see why they can't be better here. I've considered writing Phil Schiller and seeing if something could be done but I don't anticipate a response on his end. Carriers should all be more transparent here as well. 

 

The HTC 10 is a small phone in a weird way, but not under 5". It is certainly thin and light, though. 

 

Go with the HTC A9 if you can find one. Pretty good phone and it feels smaller than the larger devices. My wife calls it the fake iPhone (She has an iPhone 6S).

[Fraydog]

Go with the HTC A9 if you can find one. Pretty good phone and it feels smaller than the larger devices. My wife calls it the fake iPhone (She has an iPhone 6S).

What price range would I have to go for if I wanted a used one for Sprint frequency finding? Daily driver is out of the question as I'm not in a good Sprint area, obviously.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Deval]

What price range would I have to go for if I wanted a used one for Sprint frequency finding? Daily driver is out of the question as I'm not in a good Sprint area, obviously.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

Actually now that I think of it, what about the Nexus 5? Supports almost all the necessary bands, abet no CA.

[Fraydog]

Actually now that I think of it, what about the Nexus 5? Supports almost all the necessary bands, abet no CA.

If I got a 5x for $199 and activated it on Fi, could I lock Fi to Sprint only when I wanted to populate Sprint's SCP log? Could I do the same for T-Mobile?

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[WiWavelength]

If I got a 5x for $199 and activated it on Fi, could I lock Fi to Sprint only when I wanted to populate Sprint's SCP log? Could I do the same for T-Mobile?

 

I cannot vouch for their efficacy on the Nexus 5X, but others have posted Nexus 6 network selection dialer codes that lock Project Fi to either Sprint or T-Mobile.

 

AJ

[Deval]

If I got a 5x for $199 and activated it on Fi, could I lock Fi to Sprint only when I wanted to populate Sprint's SCP log? Could I do the same for T-Mobile?

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I did read somewhere that you could. Not sure since I skipped on getting Fi.

[JWMaloney]

What price range would I have to go for if I wanted a used one for Sprint frequency finding? Daily driver is out of the question as I'm not in a good Sprint area, obviously.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

 

If I got a 5x for $199 and activated it on Fi, could I lock Fi to Sprint only when I wanted to populate Sprint's SCP log? Could I do the same for T-Mobile?

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon will allow non-activated devices to authenticate to their LTE networks (although T-Mobile will not allow previously-activated SIMs to do so). You can get the 2015 Moto E (which supports the 4.2 Cell ID API and works well with CellMapper) cheaply for each one.

[Trip]

Verizon SIMs only seem to allow that for 90 days at a time, at which point a new SIM is needed.

 

- Trip

[JWMaloney]

Verizon SIMs only seem to allow that for 90 days at a time, at which point a new SIM is needed.

 

- Trip

 

I saw your post about that, and I can't confirm it; mine has been working longer.

[RedSpark]

Saw this Article on FierceTelecom:

 

Sprint ropes in Ethernet over Copper, Ethernet over DOCSIS into Ethernet strategy

 

Would these Sprint circuits ever be run/used as backhaul for the CommScope S1000 Small Cells for In-Building Wireless Coverage, or would those Small Cells instead depend on customer provided backhaul?

[lilotimz]

Saw this Article on FierceTelecom:

 

Sprint ropes in Ethernet over Copper, Ethernet over DOCSIS into Ethernet strategy

 

Would these Sprint circuits ever be run/used as backhaul for the CommScope S1000 Small Cells for In-Building Wireless Coverage, or would those Small Cells instead depend on customer provided backhaul?

 

Sprint Telecom landlines are separate from Sprint the cell phone provider. Sprint itself has almost no last mile connections to cell sites. 

[RedSpark]

Sprint Telecom landlines are separate from Sprint the cell phone provider. Sprint itself has almost no last mile connections to cell sites. 

 

Do you ever see this changing in the future with the planned macro site and small cite expansions?

 

Seems like Sprint would save money over the long term running its own fiber backhaul to these sites vs paying AT&T/Verizon.... and Marcelo has said that he wanted to stop writing checks to his competitors for roaming...

 

Along the same lines?

[lilotimz]

Do you ever see this changing in the future with the planned macro site and small cite expansions?

 

Seems like Sprint would save money over the long term running its own fiber backhaul to these sites vs paying AT&T/Verizon.... and Marcelo has said that he wanted to stop writing checks to his competitors for roaming...

 

Along the same lines?

Nope. Far too expensive. The last mile providers will transport the days to sprint link.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

[JosefTor]

I cannot vouch for their efficacy on the Nexus 5X, but others have posted Nexus 6 network selection dialer codes that lock Project Fi to either Sprint or T-Mobile.

 

AJ

Correct. There are also apps that you can do the same thing as well. Just realize that once you restart the phone, it defaults to auto switching so you have to put in the dialer codes again.

[nexgencpu]

LTE-U has CSAT which is very similar in implementation to LBT. I don't think interference will be a problem. In essence LTE-U is designed to yield to WiFi, not overpower it. I think a lot of the FUD comes from Public Knowledge which in essence has misled a lot of people about the technology as if it was being implemented without CSAT. More and more I think Public Knowledge is just taking the position they are to poke Verizon, the largest backer of LTE-U, in the eye.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Healthy skepticism isn't a bad thing, and can breed better results. In this case, I have yet to see any real world testing, so yes I am skeptical.

 

Do you have any links to real world testing?

[RedSpark]

Nope. Far too expensive. The last mile providers will transport the days to sprint link.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

 

It's far too expensive? I'm sorry, but I don't understand the economics here well. Sprint wouldn't save money over the long term by bringing more of its backhaul in house "at cost" instead of writing checks in perpetuity to AT&T/Verizon for it?

[payturr]

It's far too expensive? I'm sorry, but I don't understand the economics here well. Sprint wouldn't save money over the long term by bringing more of its backhaul in house "at cost" instead of writing checks in perpetuity to AT&T/Verizon for it?

its not economically feasible because it would require Sprint to first acquire massive quantities of fiber which isn't cheap to begin with, then extensive permits to rip up concrete and roads to install tens of thousands of miles of fiber, and then the regular cost of maintaining it for their cellular network which produces no profit as it stands. They'd be so over their head in debt that the second they even bought some fiber they would have to either close up shop or hope to be bought out again by a cable company or Dish.

 

T-Mobile doesn't have its own fiber network yet it produces healthy, regular profit. Paying for fiber from companies isn't what's killing Sprint, it's a balance of a poor public image, still a poor network in comparison to the rest of the major players, and years of bad management and an overpriced merger that offer little returns.

[nexgencpu]

its not economically feasible because it would require Sprint to first acquire massive quantities of fiber which isn't cheap to begin with, then extensive permits to rip up concrete and roads to install tens of thousands of miles of fiber, and then the regular cost of maintaining it for their cellular network which produces no profit as it stands. They'd be so over their head in debt that the second they even bought some fiber they would have to either close up shop or hope to be bought out again by a cable company or Dish.

T-Mobile doesn't have its own fiber network yet it produces healthy, regular profit. Paying for fiber from companies isn't what's killing Sprint, it's a balance of a poor public image, still a poor network in comparison to the rest of the major players, and years of bad management and an overpriced merger that offer little returns.

I do believe backhaul pricing and availability has negatively impacted Sprint's growth and profitability. There is no question that supplying backhaul for your competitor (from ATT and Verizon) caused "delays" and price gauging.

 

I do not believe Tmobile was viewed as a real competitor when they first started deploying fiber and hence wasn't such a big deal, whereas V and ATT clearly saw Sprint as a formidable opponent.

[clbowens]

I do believe backhaul pricing and availability has negatively impacted Sprint's growth and profitability. There is no question that supplying backhaul for your competitor (from ATT and Verizon) caused "delays" and price gauging.

 

I do not believe Tmobile was viewed as a real competitor when they first started deploying fiber and hence wasn't such a big deal, whereas V and ATT clearly saw Sprint as a formidable opponent.

 

I would disagree that AT&T and VZW didn't see T-Mobile as a real competitor when they deployed fiber, but I could be wrong.  

[RedSpark]

I do believe backhaul pricing and availability has negatively impacted Sprint's growth and profitability. There is no question that supplying backhaul for your competitor (from ATT and Verizon) caused "delays" and price gauging.

 

I do not believe Tmobile was viewed as a real competitor when they first started deploying fiber and hence wasn't such a big deal, whereas V and ATT clearly saw Sprint as a formidable opponent.

 

The FCC has looked into this issue:

 

FCC moves forward with special access reforms, marking a win for T-Mobile and Sprint

 

The Commission voted 3-2 along party lines to approve an order prohibiting ILECs (incumbent local exchange carriers) such as Verizon and AT&T from charging early termination fees from T-Mobile, Sprint, or other major users of fixed-line services. The order also bars "demand lock-up contracts" that prevent customers from seeking alternative sources for such connectivity, and calls for the creation of a "new technology-neutral framework" that would extend regulations in markets deemed uncompetitive.

 

The FCC specifically called out AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink and Frontier, saying an investigation had found "certain terms and conditions" to be unjust and unreasonable and had the effect of decreasing competition and slowing the transition to new technologies. "These companies will be required to withdraw the illegal terms of these tariffs and file new tariffs within 60 days of release of the Order," the Commission wrote.

[nexgencpu]

I would disagree that AT&T and VZW didn't see T-Mobile as a real competitor when they deployed fiber, but I could be wrong.

 

Tmobile had just over 30 million customers while Sprint had just over 50 million. It's not hard to see why they would have that mind set.

[payturr]

Tmobile had just over 30 million customers while Sprint had just over 50 million. It's not hard to see why they would have that mind set.

Any percent of market share marks a competitor, relative size means nothing

[payturr]

I do believe backhaul pricing and availability has negatively impacted Sprint's growth and profitability. There is no question that supplying backhaul for your competitor (from ATT and Verizon) caused "delays" and price gauging.

 

I do not believe Tmobile was viewed as a real competitor when they first started deploying fiber and hence wasn't such a big deal, whereas V and ATT clearly saw Sprint as a formidable opponent.

Sprint's current financial state traces back entirely to the Nextel merger which resulted in massive transfer of assets and creation of new liabilities just to write off majority of the purchase weeks later, which they're still paying for today, as well as the failure of WiMAX (although that didn't have as huge as a negative effect - it was more like tripping and landing on your already broken leg). While I'm sure paying for fiber doesn't help, it definitely isn't the barrier preventing Sprint from turning a profit.

 

Had Sprint's management focus on acquiring spectrum through Clearwire, FCC auctions, and network quality, Sprint would probably be the number 2 network now and this forum wouldn't exist.

[bigsnake49]

If I got a 5x for $199 and activated it on Fi, could I lock Fi to Sprint only when I wanted to populate Sprint's SCP log? Could I do the same for T-Mobile?

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

I use the FiSwitch app to switch between T-mobile and Sprint or auto-select.

[nexgencpu]

Any percent of market share marks a competitor, relative size means nothing

If you think relative size means nothing, you have a lot to learn bud...