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

[nexgencpu]

I appreciate that buddy. 

 

We live in an instant gratification world, and that expectation has now spread into industries where it never existed. Customers now expect things without a thought or care in the world of how it actually happens.

 

We've all experienced the changes that Sprint has gone through, myself more than most perhaps. I became a Sprint customer in 2000, when flip phones were the norm. I remember PCS Vision being announced, the first color screen phones, the first camera phones soon afterwards. When EVDO (Power Vision) was announced, I drove in circles around Newark Airport just to experience the speeds. When WiMAX was first announced I drove 3 hours to Philadelphia and had lunch near Independence Hall just to experience high speed internet for the first time. 

 

A lot of what Sprint has done could be looked as mistakes or missteps, but so much has been innovative to a fault. Customers today don't want innovation, they crave imitation, and Sprint isn't in that business, was never their strong suit. Some of the most intelligent engineers work at Sprint, on average submitting 100 patents a year for innovations in wireless and wireline.

 

At the end of the day Sprint's not going anywhere. They are continuing to invest in the network, work out new deals, and upgrade the network. Sure it will never be 100%, no one is. But it will be 100% for the 80% who need it and use it the most, and that's the benchmark they need to hit.

I see someone had their wheaties this morning..

[Fraydog]

I'm glad they're going in-house. The big problem with agencies is that stakeholder priorities aren't always aligned.

 

 

At least decisions are being made, it's better than when Sprint just sat there on marketing. 

[Deval]

I'm amazed at how much of Sprint's strategy was locked in by Gary Forsee and how little it has really changed in essence. Sure, Hesse tried, but he didn't change the fundamental parts of it. He couldn't. 

 

Is anyone holding Gary Forsee out as a shining light of corporate management? Forsee was only about long term bets. How many of those worked out? 

 

Quite a lot has changed, it's just not publicly posted for consumption. 

[Fraydog]

Quite a lot has changed, it's just not publicly posted for consumption.

I hope so.

 

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[Deval]

I see someone had their wheaties this morning..

 

Tired of the drama man, seriously. Every damn day it's people demanding change like it happens overnight from first ask.

 

The WiMAX shutdown -> 2nd B41 carrier is a perfect example of how short of a time period it takes to work a project when all the ducks are in a row.

[Fraydog]

Tired of the drama man, seriously. Every damn day it's people demanding change like it happens overnight from first ask.

 

The WiMAX shutdown -> 2nd B41 carrier is a perfect example of how short of a time period it takes to work a project when all the ducks are in a row.

 

 

It doesn't help the government forced Sprint's hand as far as not quickly deploying that. I get both sides of the argument, and I get that educational broadband users wanted fair pricing for the transition to TD-LTE since they are the ones leasing EBS back to Sprint.  I can understand the frustration when the network teams are trying to work and all the sudden, they have the whistle stopped. 

[nexgencpu]

Tired of the drama man, seriously. Every damn day it's people demanding change like it happens overnight from first ask.

 

The WiMAX shutdown -> 2nd B41 carrier is a perfect example of how short of a time period it takes to work a project when all the ducks are in a row.

I couldn't agree with you more. This forum has taught us a ton, and one huge take away has always been to tune out the noise from the outside and still allow some reasonable level of discussion to emerge from our finding's and opinion's. 

 

But sometimes a bit of that noise finds its way through the cracks and a lot of unnecessary FUD ensues.

[kg4icg]

I've been on Sprint since Dec 16th 1996. Sprint spectrum brought over to sprint pcs. I've seen all the changes and experienced all the pains and I'm still here alive and kicking.

 

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[skid71]

I couldn't agree with you more. This forum has taught us a ton, and one huge take away has always been to tune out the noise from the outside and still allow some reasonable level of discussion to emerge from our finding's and opinion's. 

 

But sometimes a bit of that noise finds its way through the cracks and a lot of unnecessary FUD ensues.

 

And spewed by the same FUDdites over and over.

At times free speech is a bitch.

 

[WiWavelength]

I'm amazed at how much of Sprint's strategy was locked in by Gary Forsee and how little it has really changed in essence. Sure, Hesse tried, but he didn't change the fundamental parts of it. He couldn't. 

 

Is anyone holding Gary Forsee out as a shining light of corporate management? Forsee was only about long term bets. How many of those worked out? 

 

I will offer something of a counterpoint.

 

I am not defending Gary Forsee.  I do not care at all to support or criticize the guy, am just presenting a neutral observation.

 

What if, by way of the Nextel merger, which came under his watch, Forsee and Sprint fell ass backward into a treasure trove of spectrum?  Low band SMR 800 MHz.  And especially droves of high band BRS/EBS 2600 MHz spectrum -- but soon to be considered mid band spectrum, relative to LTE-U, EHF, VLC, etc.

 

That is not so bad.  Forsee may be the "Seinfeld" Kramer of Sprint.  Initially, a doofus.  But his bets pay off later.

 

In fact, I have heard that Forsee is working on a coffee table book about coffee tables.  Or a rubber bladder system to prevent spills from oil tankers.

 

AJ

[Fraydog]

 

 

I will offer something of a counterpoint.

 

I am not defending Gary Forsee. I do not care at all to support or criticize the guy, am just presenting a neutral observation.

 

What if, by way of the Nextel merger, which came under his watch, Forsee and Sprint fell ass backward into a treasure trove of spectrum. Low band SMR 800 MHz. And especially droves of high band BRS/EBS 2600 MHz spectrum -- but soon to be considered mid band spectrum, relative to LTE-U, EHF, VLC, etc.

 

That is not so bad. Forsee may be the "Seinfeld" Kramer of Sprint. Initially, a doofus. But his bets pay off later.

 

In fact, I have heard that Forsee is working on a coffee table book about coffee tables. Or a rubber bladder system for oil tankers to prevent spills.

 

AJ

I can see that as a payoff if Sprint has a quantum leap of implementation under SoftBank management. I just don't see it..yet.

 

Sprint is just now getting to the point where this will work 9, almost 10 years down the line, after a lot of financial pain and a complete rip and replace to make it work. That is crazy long as far as timelines go in technology.

 

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[richy]

Refarming, or as I call it, robbing Peter to pay Paul, can only go so far. Unless a carrier is ready to invest millions in new macro sites, small cells and other related network builds will pave the way for the future. At a certain point T-Mobile will have to go back and fill their B12 and B2 gaps by adding new sites or small cells. 

 

Not quite. It is not robbing Peter to pay Paul as that implies no increase in benefit. When Refarming to a more advanced technology you are increasing the effective capacity of the same amount of spectrum. LTE is more spectral efficient,  going to 4x4mimo will increase this again. Yes adding spectrum and density ingredients are other ways to achieve greater capacity and I am sure they are something all carriers consider. You have to factor in feasibility and cost. Refarming is the low hanging fruit so is being picket first.

[bigsnake49]

I will offer something of a counterpoint.

 

I am not defending Gary Forsee.  I do not care at all to support or criticize the guy, am just presenting a neutral observation.

 

What if, by way of the Nextel merger, which came under his watch, Forsee and Sprint fell ass backward into a treasure trove of spectrum?  Low band SMR 800 MHz.  And especially droves of high band BRS/EBS 2600 MHz spectrum -- but soon to be considered mid band spectrum, relative to LTE-U, EHF, VLC, etc.

 

That is not so bad.  Forsee may be the "Seinfeld" Kramer of Sprint.  Initially, a doofus.  But his bets pay off later.

 

In fact, I have heard that Forsee is working on a coffee table book about coffee tables.  Or a rubber bladder system to prevent spills from oil tankers.

 

AJ

 

$50B dollars would buy a hell of a lot of spectrum/sites and customers. Nextel owned the other half of the BRS. Sprint already owned the other half. Clearwire brought in the EBS leases.

[Deval]

Not quite. It is not robbing Peter to pay Paul as that implies no increase in benefit. When Refarming to a more advanced technology you are increasing the effective capacity of the same amount of spectrum. LTE is more spectral efficient,  going to 4x4mimo will increase this again. Yes adding spectrum and density ingredients are other ways to achieve greater capacity and I am sure they are something all carriers consider. You have to factor in feasibility and cost. Refarming is the low hanging fruit so is being picket first.

 

Of course, and I'm not downplaying refarming at all, just stating that nothing is for free. The 10% users who will be impacted aren't considered when the 90% are benefiting.

 

One of the reasons why Sprint took a different approach with NV and now NGN is to reduce that customer impact for every customer, not just the 90%.

[Ascertion]

Of course, and I'm not downplaying refarming at all, just stating that nothing is for free. The 10% users who will be impacted aren't considered when the 90% are benefiting.

 

One of the reasons why Sprint took a different approach with NV and now NGN is to reduce that customer impact for every customer, not just the 90%.

One thing you have to keep in mind when Sprint is compared to T-Mobile is that T-Mobile's was mainly an overlay.  Starting from scratch (installing fiber backhaul) is expensive and time consuming.  However, I think it is fair for Sprint to be questioned with the lack of B41 panels that are live, considering it should be a relatively similar roll-out to T-Mobile's B4.  (Heck, even around me there's a bunch of old Clearwire towers with Wimax panels.)  But, I will say for the downtime, Sprint is generally better than T-Mobile, thanks to the in-market roaming.  When Sprint was upgrading my tower in 2013 to B25, the site was offline for a few days, where Verizon's 1x/EvDo roaming came in handy for any texting/voice calls and I still had WiFi for internet use.  Whereas on T-Mobile, you'd have to completely rely on WiFi calling so if you were leaving your driveway and had to make a call, it'd drop the moment you went outside your WiFi range.

 

I'm still keeping my eye on Sprint in hopes that they someday improve their network in a similar fashion to what T-Mobile has now and continue to improve/grow.  Even not being a Sprint customer, Sprint's very existence keeps prices low and affordable.

[WiWavelength]

$50B dollars would buy a hell of a lot of spectrum/sites and customers. Nextel owned the other half of the BRS. Sprint already owned the other half. Clearwire brought in the EBS leases.

 

I would have to go back and check, but I think that Nextel brought in the bulk of BRS spectrum.   In BRS and/or EBS, Nextel was testing its Flash-OFDM data network precursor to WiMAX and LTE.  As I recall, Nextel got significant BRS assets out of the MCI WorldCom demise around 10-15 years ago. 

 

On a related note, remember that Sprint and MCI WorldCom agreed to a $130 billion merger during the tech bubble, circa 2000.  Thank god that abomination did not pass regulatory scrutiny.  Sprint probably would have gone down with the Titanic -- would be absorbed as bits and pieces into the Twin Bells by now.

 

But as for the $50 billion, Sprint did not get much ROI on Nextel subs, no doubt.  Consider, though, the pre recession time frame of 2005.  Valuation was different then.

 

AJ

[bigsnake49]

I would have to go back and check, but I think that Nextel brought in the bulk of BRS spectrum.   In BRS and/or EBS, Nextel was testing its Flash-OFDM data network precursor to WiMAX and LTE.  As I recall, Nextel got significant BRS assets out of the MCI WorldCom demise around 10-15 years ago. 

 

On a related note, remember that Sprint and MCI WorldCom agreed to a $130 billion merger during the tech bubble, circa 2000.  Thank god that abomination did not pass regulatory scrutiny.  Sprint probably would have gone down with the Titanic -- would be absorbed as bits and pieces into the Twin Bells by now.

 

But as for the $50 billion, Sprint did not get much ROI on Nextel subs, no doubt.  Consider, though, the pre recession time frame of 2005.  Valuation was different then.

 

AJ

 

MCI/Worldcom pretty much split the BRS spectrum. Sprint used theirs for cable wireless and then wireless internet. My wife's office used them for a while (Sprint Broadband Direct). I don't think that MCI did anything 

I think both Nextel and Clearwire were experimenting with Flash OFDM at one time.

 

As far as valuations, yes they were very high. I think DT paid $40 B for T-Mobile?

 

The problem that I have with the Nextel acquisition is not necessarily the total price. It was the fact that the Nextelians left in droves and that it deprived Sprint of funds to pay for network expansion. Oh, I forgot the $5B that Sprint had to deposit against potential rebanding costs. So the merger actually cost them $55B.They could have acquired AT&T or Cingular for that.

Edited May 18, 2016 by bigsnake49

[MtnSierraSprint]

It's beyond ridiculously expensive to just throw up macro sites, unless they are warranted. You could get the same ROI by putting 3 small cells to cover a gap at 1/10 the cost.

 

Macros are good if you're going to expand the network beyond the base. If your goal is to blanket existing footprints and fix gaps within said footprint, small cells are the way to go.

 

I am unclear on expanding the base/expanding coverage in so far as when is a macro site called for and when will small cells do the trick in an urban area.

 

Do they have multi band small cells, I only saw an example of a 1900 LTE pico cell?

 

Can small cells make up for the lack of Spectrum here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Do small cells have the capacity and is the required density needed realistic?

[reedacus25]

One thing you have to keep in mind when Sprint is compared to T-Mobile is that T-Mobile's was mainly an overlay. Starting from scratch (installing fiber backhaul) is expensive and time consuming.

In the rural areas, it's absolutely an overlay.

 

They bring in Nokia system modules, and a single radio that handles GSM and LTE, cut over the feeders, and you're online with GSM.

 

If you have Ethernet backhaul, you fire up LTE, or you then wait for that backhaul to arrive and then flip the switch. So yes, the rural L1900 overlay is a very efficient overlay project.

 

However their urban L2100 projects were much larger scope and required almost a full rip and replace. All new antennas, RRH, and TMAs at the tower top, and new converged gear at the base. Backhaul almost always already in place.

 

But the modernization was not a bolt-on overlay, akin to the now L700 overlay.

[Fraydog]

In the rural areas, it's absolutely an overlay.

 

They bring in Nokia system modules, and a single radio that handles GSM and LTE, cut over the feeders, and you're online with GSM.

 

If you have Ethernet backhaul, you fire up LTE, or you then wait for that backhaul to arrive and then flip the switch. So yes, the rural L1900 overlay is a very efficient overlay project.

 

However their urban L2100 projects were much larger scope and required almost a full rip and replace. All new antennas, RRH, and TMAs at the tower top, and new converged gear at the base. Backhaul almost always already in place.

 

But the modernization was not a bolt-on overlay, akin to the now L700 overlay.

Or Ericsson RBS. There are rural areas with Ericsson, and you probably already guessed it, they have to replace most of everything with a big base station.

 

Even still the Ericsson/Nokia T-Mobile project was a site modernization but they were way ahead of Sprint on Evolved Packet Core, IP Multimedia System, and the other network core elements while Sprint had to rebuild network cores again at massive cost.

 

The Nokia rural LTE performance is laudable given the lack of RRU's that typically accompany T-Mobile rural builds. Can't speak to Ericsson performance on T-Mobile but it seems like their small cells here on Verizon do well for speeds. Fastest I have personally got on a mobile network was near 100 Mbps on an empty Ericsson small cell on Verizon in Sparta, IL. Also it is a mixed development here. Ericsson small cells over Alcatel-Lucent network for Verizon, though Verizon could go to Ericsson here and I suspect they will eventually. AT&T will do the same with Alcatel-Lucent to Nokia eventually as well here though I suspect Southern Illinois would be one of the last to be changed over.

 

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[ingenium]

I am unclear on expanding the base/expanding coverage in so far as when is a macro site called for and when will small cells do the trick in an urban area.

 

Do they have multi band small cells, I only saw an example of a 1900 LTE pico cell?

 

Can small cells make up for the lack of Spectrum here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Do small cells have the capacity and is the required density needed realistic?

If they're dense enough, yes. The planned Sprint B41 small cells in the bay area should greatly alleviate the congestion on B25/26 and let you be on B41 most of the time. I estimate Oakland alone has over 150 planned. The locations are pretty strategic, and are mostly on light or utility poles. Now if they actually deploy on all these planned locations is another story...

 

If you want an example of Sprint small cells, check out Noe Valley in SF. There is an outdoor DAS installation throughout the neighborhood with B25 and B26. There's a canister antenna on a utility pole every couple blocks. Then a little further south in Glen Park and the Excelsior is/was the test area for Clearwire Wimax small cells. They're very dense there, and those should all be converted to B41 small cells eventually. They're small omni antennas, not the big cylinders like the Noe ODAS or Verizon small cells.

 

It's also possible for Sprint to deploy a second B25 carrier with their existing spectrum here. They just need to slim down the CDMA carriers. Supposedly this is planned soon, but last I checked the CDMA carriers were still spread throughout the whole block.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[MtnSierraSprint]

Thanks for all of the information, it sounds promissing, and I will go take a look, both out of curiousity and also so I can identify them in the East Bay. Berkeley the hardest place on earth to get anything done is where I am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Was pleased to hear of the progress being made on BART.

[ingenium]

Thanks for all of the information, it sounds promissing, and I will go take a look, both out of curiousity and also so I can identify them in the East Bay. Berkeley the hardest place on earth to get anything done is where I am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Was pleased to hear of the progress being made on BART.

Ahh yeah Berkeley is tough. If you look at their permits they're like 100 pages per site just to replace antennas (on the plus side you can get a ton of details about each site). The site spacing sucks, and there are LTE dead spots in a few areas (on Dwight between MLK and Sacramento for example). To my knowledge there aren't really any small cells planned in Berkeley (I know of 2 and they aren't in areas that need help, so they may not be built).

 

To give you an idea of how long Berkeley's permit process takes, one of the permits for NV 1.0/2.0 on a site still had reference to Lightsquared equipment being installed. I think they were able to amend/substitute it to 8T8R for the final approval.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[MtnSierraSprint]

Glad your still there. I am about to sign out, but do you have a couple of cross streets in Noe Valley so I  can be sure I am looking at the correct small cell installations?

 

"on the plus side you can get a ton of details about each site" - yes that is how I found all that info on the one over by Alta Bates on Ashby.

 

"To my knowledge there aren't really any small cells planned in Berkeley (I know of 2 and they aren't in areas that need help, so they may not be built)." Unfortunately I am not surprised, but I was hoping.

[ingenium]

Glad your still there. I am about to sign out, but do you have a couple of cross streets in Noe Valley so I can be sure I am looking at the correct small cell installations?

 

"on the plus side you can get a ton of details about each site" - yes that is how I found all that info on the one over by Alta Bates on Ashby.

 

"To my knowledge there aren't really any small cells planned in Berkeley (I know of 2 and they aren't in areas that need help, so they may not be built)." Unfortunately I am not surprised, but I was hoping.

Sent you a PM with more details, but check the exit of the Walgreens parking lot https://goo.gl/maps/ibz8C8MebH12 the antenna has been upgraded since the street view picture was taken. You're looking for these:

 

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