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

[Terrell352]

20 minutes ago, Rawvega said:

 

Nice! I wish that they'd sign a similar deal with Cox as well.


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Yeah it's a good deal but 30 states are left out.

[Fraydog]

So the Altice deal is for both old Cablevision and Suddenlink areas?

[iansltx]

Hopefully Sprint gave Altice a sweet enough deal (e.g. at-cost MVNO capabilities including unlimited data) that Altice in return gave Sprint an amazing deal on backhaul, such that anywhere Altice has fiber (which will be most places in their footprint that you'd want to put a cell site, micro or otherwise) the cost to backhaul a site via wireline is negligible. That would allow Sprint to run an extremely dense 2500 MHz network in the parts of NYC (and the surrounding area) that Altice is in, as well as alleviate any capacity issues in Suddenlink markets, which tend to be more rural, by throwing well-backhauled B41+B25 at the problem at the macro level.

The reason I'm optimistic about Altice's fiber footprint is that, in addition to their FTTH build that's already happening in NYC, their existing cable plant doesn't actually use that much coax; you have smallish node sizes with few/no amplifiers, cutting over to fiber pretty quickly. Heck, in a ton of Suddenlink markets you can get gigabit down, 50M up over coax, so backhauling even CA B41 over cable wouldn't be the end of the world (as I recall OptimumWiFi already uses DOCSIS for backhaul).

Now Sprint just needs to cut the same deal with Charter...though maybe Charter already set something up with Verizon? Cable companies have fiber deeper into their network than you'd think, and if Sprint can use that to backhaul a dense B41 network they'll be in a good spot. This does mean, though, that their network experience may end up very different depending on who the cable provider is in a given area.

Final note: this also works out nicely at preventing Sprint from launching fixed wireless in Altice areas, unless it gets Altice's blessing. Or maybe Altice uses its MVNO agreement to sell branded B41 based fixed wireless in Suddenlink-adjacent areas that are too expensive to wire for cable. Of course, if they did that, CPEs would need to support uplink CA or the network would need to be configured less aggressively in favor of downlink, because a 30:1 downlink ratio on real world speeds is kind of brutal in a wireline-replacement situation.

[iansltx]

3 minutes ago, Fraydog said:

So the Altice deal is for both old Cablevision and Suddenlink areas?

No reason it wouldn't be. Say what you will about Altice's ruthless cost-cutting measures, all of ex-Cablevision and the vast majority of ex-Suddenlink areas are well-built. The latter particularly so, considering how small the towns are that we're talking about in some cases.

[grapkoski]

Yeah, here is too hoping they get something signed with Charter and Kabletown (Comcast for non-30 Rock-ers). Any preferred access to their physical plants should help speed up deployment of B41 services at better cost.

[Johnner1999]

....

FYI, I'm a bit of a Dan Hesse defender, as I don't believe he was so bad of an executive at Sprint that some people claim he is.

....


I'll stop for now before this post gets too long. But to add quickly, I'm not saying acting fiscally conservative necessarily is a bad thing, and Sprint certainly needed some of this, but not at the cost of the network.

Too late.

But on a serious note Dan knowingly walked into a mess. And did everything reasonably sound. But he also was his own worse enemy at times.


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[Rawvega]

Yeah it's a good deal but 30 states are left out.

Indeed, hence my comment about also perhaps signing a similar deal with Cox, which at some point was rumored to be an Altice acquisition target.

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[Tengen31]

I'm waiting to see if the report that SoftBank will buy the remaining 20% and, fund around 10 billion for the network.

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[nexgencpu]

42 minutes ago, Terrell352 said:

Yeah it's a good deal but 30 states are left out.

They are deploying fiber to home Nationwide.

[kg4icg]

The Sprint /Altice news getting out fast, already on Engadget and seeking alpha. 

[Johnner1999]

Yeah, here is too hoping they get something signed with Charter and Kabletown (Comcast for non-30 Rock-ers). Any preferred access to their physical plants should help speed up deployment of B41 services at better cost.

I suspect Kabletown will stick with VZW


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[lilotimz]

1 hour ago, iansltx said:

ely at preventing Sprint from launching fixed wireless in Altice areas, unless it gets Altice's blessing. Or maybe Altice uses its MVNO agreement to sell branded B41 based fixed wireless in Suddenlink-adjacent areas that are too expensive to wire for cable. Of course, if they did that, CPEs would need to support uplink CA or the network would need to be configured less aggressively in favor of downlink, because a 30:1 downlink ratio on real world speeds is kind of brutal in a wireline-replacement situation.

@20 MHz CFG2 64 QAM 2x2 = 15.5 mbps

@20 MHz CFG2 64 QAM 4x4 = 31 mbps

@20 MHz CFG 2 64 QAM 4x4 2xCA UL = 62 mbps. 

More than enough for uplink in most cases I would think. 

 

[iansltx]

1 minute ago, lilotimz said:

CFG2 64 QAM 2x2 = 15.5 mbps

CFG2 64 QAM 4x4 = 31 mbps

CFG 2 64 QAM 4x4 2xCA UL = 62 mbps. 

More than enough for uplink in most cases I would think. 

 

I'm guessing I'm behind on which devices currently support 64QAM up. If that's common enough, my fictional Altice product could support 5 Mbps up provisioned speeds, using oversubscription ratios similar to what they've used on cable. Then of course you can go up from there, though you'd probably want to make that TD-LTE carrier invisible to mobile traffic so you don't have a disproportionate amount of airtime sucked up by 16QAM (or worse) users.

[lilotimz]

6 minutes ago, iansltx said:

I'm guessing I'm behind on which devices currently support 64QAM up. If that's common enough, my fictional Altice product could support 5 Mbps up provisioned speeds, using oversubscription ratios similar to what they've used on cable. Then of course you can go up from there, though you'd probably want to make that TD-LTE carrier invisible to mobile traffic so you don't have a disproportionate amount of airtime sucked up by 16QAM (or worse) users.

All "gigabit class" devices must support 256 / 64 QAM. Practically any recent radio chipset supports that. 4x4 requires RF front end work which should be no problem with the significantly larger size of LTE Routers.  

If anything I imagine they will, if they do, offer wireless lte broadband in rural areas where the cost would be a hindrance to landline deployments. In these low use / low density areas, I doubt there will be much impact from QPSK and 16QAM connections. Incidentally this is what ATT offers for LTE home broadband in rural areas via their 2.3 GHz holdings (4x4 + 256 / 64 QAM + 10x10 MHz FDD) .

[dkyeager]

3 hours ago, Arysyn said:

....He sure made things difficult by not ensuring his company could fund Sprint and get Sprint improved quickly.

...Surely, Sprint's financials have improved do what over the years due to the work of employees at Sprint (not Softbank)

Softbank did provide various amounts of capital to Sprint it the earlier years https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sprint-softbank/japans-softbank-snaps-up-sprint-in-20-billion-deal-idUSBRE89A0I520121015, and more through indirect channels in recent years.  Look back at this: http://www.barrons.com/articles/SB50001424053111904034104578060690989363534

You forget about Tiger teams with the softbank engineers going to numerous individual sites.

To achieve what you wanted, Sprint would have been fully merged into Softbank communications division.  Don't forget that Softbank overall is best described as a conglomerate/venture capital firm.

[Arysyn]

44 minutes ago, Johnner1999 said:

 

 

Too late.

But on a serious note Dan knowingly walked into a mess. And did everything reasonably sound. But he also was his own worse enemy at times.


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Dan Hesse obviously inherited a job that was left to him as a mess by his competitors. So, I really don't blame him for what was beyond the scope of what he could do to help Sprint. I don't even blame Marcelo Claure for Sprint's financial problems either. Mostly I like Claure, though I don't think he's as good a CEO of Sprint than Dan Hesse was (I'm not judging the CEO role of either of their capabilities in general, only in charge of Sprint). Although I have had some criticisms of Claure in the past, I've become more focused in my thinking of Softbank as Sprint's main problem.

I really don't know if Claure is responsible or not for the network delays, but looking at it like I have been lately, my guess is that Claure's only flaw in this is his reluctance to get help from Softbank. Sprint has lost alot of customers and sadly I have to agree with some of the anti-Sprint people who criticize Sprint for the free year of service offer, because it really isn't a good business decision to do. Better to offer free trial periods, say perhaps extending to 90-day trials with leased "loaner" devices to potential future customers who are unsure about the network quality, etc.

However, if Softbank were to have intervened by spending money on the network immediately after getting Sprint, they could have stopped the flow of churn with people leaving Sprint for network reasons, then with a strong Sprint in place, could have then focused on the spending cuts, etc and in making Sprint strong on its own. Sprint didn't need austerity right then, it needed massive funding. The lack of financial input on the network has lost Sprint customers over to T-Mobile and the non-uncarriers. Dan Hesse though with his spending plans may have worsened Sprint financially for a while, but would have turned Sprint's fortunes around later on.

Softbank didn't support that, didn't support that, didn't want to spend on Sprint, other than getting Sprint merged with T-Mobile. When that didn't happen at first, it made Masa sad, when all he had to do otherwise was to take the money he was prepared to use to buy T-Mobile during the early deal talks before DT gained so much confidence and support behind T-Mobile, and spend that money on Sprint. Imagine those billions of dollars behind massive macro tower site densification and all of that additional band 41 deployment. Sprint would be doing splendidly by now with that. Still, I think Marcelo probably really wants this too, just like Dan Hesse did, but its a matter of dealing with Softbank that is the issue.

[Arysyn]

3 minutes ago, dkyeager said:

Softbank has provide various amounts of capital to Sprint it the earlier years https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sprint-softbank/japans-softbank-snaps-up-sprint-in-20-billion-deal-idUSBRE89A0I520121015, and more through indirect channels in recent years.  Look back at this: http://www.barrons.com/articles/SB50001424053111904034104578060690989363534

You forget about Tiger teams with the softbank engineers going to numerous individual sites.

To achieve what you wanted, Sprint would have been fully merged into Softbank communications division.  Don't forget that Softbank overall is best described as a conglomerate/venture capital firm.

Somewhere along the line I heard that Sprint couldn't use that money for anything on its network development. However prior to my seeing that, I figured that money could and I use to bring that up here too, but I got responses just as I have several times over the years saying that Softbank couldn't fund Sprint for various reasons.

Still, I'd really like it if perhaps someone with inside knowledge or a greater understanding of the situation even than the most of us could perhaps address the issue fully, and explain Softbank's funding role, etc., along with what we could expect to see from them.

Your information is pretty compelling though and I don't fully doubt Softbank if there are restrictions, except for what then would have me question their role getting involved with Sprint to begin with.

[Arysyn]

From PocketNow :

http://pocketnow.com/2017/11/05/sprint-and-altice-tie-up-partnership-as-softbank-pours-money-into-carrier

"Charter, which had been in Sprint’s reticle for an acquisition, will start an MVNO service on top of Verizon network in the near future. Comcast also uses that network for its Xfinity Mobile operation."

This makes me think even more about the potential behind a Comcast/Charter partnership or merger that could lead to something similar with Verizon later on. If there were that, or a merger, the two cable companies could increase their wifi spots and create a mobile wifi handoff network in tandem with using Verizon's network to create a massively dense wireless network that would free up alot of Verizon's already heavily utilized spectrum, without having to search for ways to get added spectrum or merge with another wireless company, such as Sprint.

I still think something is going to happen where Sprint ends up involved with a group of cable company ownership in order to provide bundles to Sprint customers throughout the country. This could work without having a merger of the cable companies, but small percentage purchases into Sprint, possibly also allowing Softbank a percentage of ownership in Sprint along with the cable companies, where Sprint could be seperate from Verizon, but still share the network and spectrum.

Whether that or a more full merger happens, I don't know, but it would be great for Sprint. If Altice got involved that way, I could see their part with Sprint as a good thing too. However, just being an MVNO is not that big nor great of a deal regarding Sprint itself, except for giving a wireless option to Altice customers. The Charter MVNO deal with Verizon being the same thing. This really is the best cable companies can offer until they either partner in for national bundles through a wireless carrier, they do this through the sharing of national cable lines, or have a massive national merger.

[utiz4321]

8 hours ago, joshnys8913 said:

Still a bummer with the "future expansion" route 99 in Pennsylvania (was route 15) still not getting any, very disappointed. You get roaming from basically ny/pa border to just north of Williamsport, PA.  A side note to that stretch of route 99, T-mobile used to be roaming there too but finally got native coverage there just this year).

That future expansion map doesn’t make a lot of sense.  It show I-10 between az and california with Lte before and after the expansion.  The sprint coverage map shows it has lte now. Plus, 8000 macros, with the majority going for coverage expansion would cover more ground than what is shown. 

[S4GRU]

5 minutes ago, utiz4321 said:

That future expansion map doesn’t make a lot of sense.  It show I-10 between az and california with Lte before and after the expansion.  The sprint coverage map shows it has lte now. Plus, 8000 macros, with the majority going for coverage expansion would cover more ground than what is shown. 

Yeah, that expansion map is greatly outdated.  A lot has changed...for the better since then.  With the current network and planned expansion.

[Paynefanbro]

3 minutes ago, utiz4321 said:

Plus, 8000 macros, with the majority going for coverage expansion would cover more ground than what is shown. 

What we do know for sure is, there are areas that are planned for expansion that aren't even on that map yet. Also, Sprint could opt for their new coverage to be more dense as opposed to just having a giant square mileage gain. 

[utiz4321]

6 minutes ago, Paynefanbro said:

What we do know for sure is, there are areas that are planned for expansion that aren't even on that map yet. Also, Sprint could opt for their new coverage to be more dense as opposed to just having a giant square mileage gain. 

The slides I am referencing seems to suggest the vast majority of the macro sites are going for expansion and density was going to be handled largely by mini macros, airspans and magic boxes. 

I would have to think add ~20 percent more macro sites on to sprints network would expand coverage a great deal more than those maps show. 

 

It also looked like they were planing on getting LTE live on every site too. That would also expand LTE coverage. The maps just dont make sense. 

[lilotimz]

1 hour ago, utiz4321 said:

The slides I am referencing seems to suggest the vast majority of the macro sites are going for expansion and density was going to be handled largely by mini macros, airspans and magic boxes. 

I would have to think add ~20 percent more macro sites on to sprints network would expand coverage a great deal more than those maps show. 

 

It also looked like they were planing on getting LTE live on every site too. That would also expand LTE coverage. The maps just dont make sense. 

Expansion sites are a mix of mini macros (airspan / nokia) or traditional eNBs from samsung / nokia-a / ericsson. Lots of sites and locations are not on those slides. 

[RedSpark]

http://investors.sprint.com/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2017/Sprint-to-Host-Conference-Call-to-Discuss-Strategic-MVNO-Agreement-with-Altice-USA/

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sprint(NYSE:S) Chief Financial Officer Tarek Robbiati will speak with analysts and media on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017 at 9 a.m. ET about a new multi-year strategic agreement with Altice USA. Under the terms of the agreement Altice USA will utilize Sprint’s network to provide mobile voice and data services to its customers throughout the nation, and Sprint will leverage the Altice USA broadband platform to accelerate the densification of its network.

Sprint Conference Call Information
Date: Nov. 6, 2017
Time: 9 a.m. ET
Call-in Numbers: Toll free: 866-360-1063(US/Canada) – ID required: 5279439

International: 443-961-0242 – ID required: 5279439

Please plan on gaining access 10 minutes before the start of the call.

Replays of the conference call will be available shortly afterward by calling 800-585-8367 and entering the code: 5279439.

[IamMrFamous07]

So it’s safe to say they were talking about Altice when this news dropped back in May

http://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/sprint-confirms-trial-small-cells-cable-company

Hopefully deployment goes fast since they have been testing since May.