Analysts claim Spark will likely reach 100M POPs by year's end, Sprint to focus on small cell buildout next year

[payturr]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/analyst-sprint-likely-hit-spark-buildout-target-2014-will-focus-small-cells/2014-12-17?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Editor&utm_campaign=SocialMedia

 

YES more small cells means more band 41 and band 25 sites which means less cell site congestion, better speeds, not to forget better coverage. This is good.

[jamisonshaw125]

Can't wait for the rational discussion that will occur in that articles comments. Ha, just kidding. That won't happen.

 

Also, this would probably fit better in general topics.

 

Edit: I would just like to take a moment that Sprint is actually meeting its deadlines for what they said they would do. Probably around 150 million people with b26 by now, and probably close to 100 million with 2.5 ghz. A year ago, this is what they projected. 

 

Change is in the air. 

[payturr]

I figured it had to do with Network Vision since its NV 2.0. And yeah, comments on FierceWireless are terrible.

 

But look at that, dark fiber is being considered here, more small cells; exactly what Sprint needs to take NYC, Chicago, and LA by force on RootMetrics.

[Jones]

Bringing fiber to 1000's of small cells stuck on lamp posts/park benches/stuffed wildlife in central park sounds like a nightmare. I wonder how Softbank did it in Tokyo?

[joshnys8913]

They should use the old Clear sites too that will help because the Clear sites are not all on Sprint towers and that will help too. 

[Rawvega]

Can't wait for the rational discussion that will occur in that articles comments. Ha, just kidding. That won't happen.

 

Definitely not. Gotta love the dopey looking T-Mobile fanboi basically saying that Sprint should've hit their coverage goals six months before their projections just because.   

[jroepcke51]

Definitely not. Gotta love the dopey looking T-Mobile fanboi basically saying that Sprint should've hit their coverage goals six months before their projections just because.   

 I really wanted to say the same thing back to him about Tmo just because.

[JThorson]

They should use the old Clear sites too that will help because the Clear sites are not all on Sprint towers and that will help too. 

And after Clear sites add in some of the old Nextel sites

[joshnys8913]

And after Clear sites add in some of the old Nextel sites

You know where Sprint could gain an advantage is the old sites between Erie/Bradford, PA and Mansfield, PA, no other carrier has towers really between there. 

[caspar347]

And after Clear sites add in some of the old Nextel sites

 

 

They should use the old Clear sites too that will help because the Clear sites are not all on Sprint towers and that will help too. 

I really hope they do this. I'm working on a map of our market for the premier section to show non-redundant Clear and Nextel sites, and if they added gear to just half, even just a quarter of the towers I'd like them to it would do wonders for our market's site spacing issues.

[BlueAngel]

My area would be amazing with an optimized B26 signal, here's hoping.

[Deval]

They should use the old Clear sites too that will help because the Clear sites are not all on Sprint towers and that will help too. 

 

I believe they are doing that now.

 

A lot of the old Clearwire sites will probably be upgraded to B41 LTE only, and the Sprint ones get 8T8R B41.

[JimBob]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/analyst-sprint-likely-hit-spark-buildout-target-2014-will-focus-small-cells/2014-12-17?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Editor&utm_campaign=SocialMedia

 

YES more small cells means more band 41 and band 25 sites which means less cell site congestion, better speeds, not to forget better coverage. This is good.

My main disappointment is that LTE 800 is only 50% built out, possibly reaching 100% by end of 2015.

 

I live in Indianapolis, which is beautiful with Spark, but I want the rest of the country to get what I am getting.

[lilotimz]

My main disappointment is that LTE 800 is only 50% built out, possibly reaching 100% by end of 2015.

 

I live in Indianapolis, which is beautiful with Spark, but I want the rest of the country to get what I am getting.

 

50% LTE 800 was reached a couple months ago as per internal documents S4GRU has reviewed.

 

In the past 3-4 weeks a substantial amount of LTE 800 was activated in numerous regions and areas where they did not exist previously so they're way more than halfway done by now and probably around 2/3rds done.

 

Example: My market Sacramento -- 2.5 mil pops in the metro. 1 month ago no LTE 800 anywhere in the region. 2 weeks later and more than half the metro has LTE 800 to be found. Just last week I found more LTE 800 in the north side of City of Sacramento which I didn't find in my logs or observation since I first noticed it going live. 

 

Ofcourse it isn't all rainbows and butterflies since Ericsson didn't properly configure the sites that had 2.5 live to accept handoffs from the other bands.. :'(

[lou99/maximus1987]

50% LTE 800 was reached a couple months ago as per internal documents S4GRU has reviewed.

 

In the past 3-4 weeks a substantial amount of LTE 800 was activated in numerous regions and areas where they did not exist previously so they're way more than halfway done by now and probably around 2/3rds done.

 

Example: My market Sacramento -- 2.5 mil pops in the metro. 1 month ago no LTE 800 anywhere in the region. 2 weeks later and more than half the metro has LTE 800 to be found. Just last week I found more LTE 800 in the north side of City of Sacramento which I didn't find in my logs or observation since I first noticed it going live.

 

Ofcourse it isn't all rainbows and butterflies since Ericsson didn't properly configure the sites that had 2.5 live to accept handoffs from the other bands.. :'(

So they admit ibeZ will be resolved end of 2015?

[lilotimz]

So they admit ibeZ will be resolved end of 2015?

 

IBEZ is a separate issue. 

 

"we expect to be substantially complete with our LTE 800 MHz build by the end of 2015 in markets where the spectrum is available."

[lou99/maximus1987]

IBEZ is a separate issue.

Ok but what about ibez?

[lilotimz]

Ok but what about ibez?

 

What about it?

[lou99/maximus1987]

What about it?

How soon will it go away?

[lilotimz]

How soon will it go away?

Ask the Canadians and the Mexicans since they're the ones doing rebanding in their respective regions.

[danny12345]

Does 8t8r need to be optimized?

[Tengen31]

They should use the old Clear sites too that will help because the Clear sites are not all on Sprint towers and that will help too. 

They are doing that. at somepoint the clearwire equipment will be swapped out. in my area thats samsung.

[JossMan]

Does 8t8r need to be optimized?

If your referring to Band 41 when it is initially turned on, yes it needs to be optimized.  The first Band 41 8T8R site here couldn't even reach a couple blocks and the signal was strongest when I was almost directly under the site, a few weeks later it almost matches up with PCS LTE.  

 

Just a note this is my experience with Band 41 and every situation will be different.  Some sites are designed to cover a few city blocks and others are designed to cover miles.  I believe they will try to maximize every ounce of coverage with Band 41 to make customers data sessions more enjoyable.