T-Mobile LTE & Network Discussion V2

[Arysyn]

I haven't listened to Jon Legere's Periscope, so while I'm leaving a lot here as just a perspective based on an assumption, I'm doubting Jon Legere meant T-Mobile acquiring another company, unless he specifically said that. Acquiring to me sounds like perhaps a spectrum acquisition, or possibly acquiring a deal helpful to T-Mobile in other ways than buying a company, unless there is a deal of another company acquiring them, such as Dish... unless, and this sounds far fetched even to me, T-Mobile is acquiring Dish.

 

Anyways, I can't imagine T-Mobile acquiring USCC or C-Spire, as Softbank/Sprint very likely will put up a bidding war for that, as some of you have mentioned. I think USCC is a great option for Sprint, and can't see that going to any other company, but Sprint. I don't know much about C-Spire, but I take the word of people here about it. I suppose we'll see...

[WiWavelength]

Don't tease me like that. Dear Lord, this would be amazing pretty much nationwide.

 

To call it "nationwide" is quite a stretch.  USCC is very much a regional operator.  It would fill in a few regions for Sprint.  But across most of the country, it would have no impact.

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

How many POPs are in a fuck ton? [emoji23]

 

And is that fuck ton a short ton or a long ton?

 

AJ

[cortney]

And is that fuck ton a short ton or a long ton?

 

AJ

 

Rather, is it a metric or imperial fuck ton?

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Metric+Fuckton&defid=942512

[thefisch6]

To call it "nationwide" is quite a stretch. USCC is very much a regional operator. It would fill in a few regions for Sprint. But across most of the country, it would have no impact.

 

AJ

Excuse me. Perhaps "across the country" would be more appropriate in this instance. Even you can't argue with the fact that they would fill in large swaths of coverage across the country. Sure they don't have a footprint across 100% of the nation, but I didn't anticipate anyone taking that comment in the strictest literal sense.

[WiWavelength]

Excuse me. Perhaps "across the country" would be more appropriate in this instance. Even you can't argue with the fact that they would fill in large swaths of coverage across the country. Sure they don't have a footprint across 100% of the nation, but I didn't anticipate anyone taking that comment in the strictest literal sense.

 

Do not get bent out of shape over the clarification.  But it is a common theme that people overestimate the extent of USCC licensed coverage.  They put USCC close to the level of Alltel after it merged with WWC.  That is not true, however.

 

I have posted this USCC map previously.  I will post it again.  The number of states and square miles where Sprint would gain coverage is greatly outnumbered by where Sprint would not gain anything.  By the standards that we use to define the four national operators, a USCC acquisition would not make Sprint qualitatively any more "nationwide" than it already is.

 

 

AJ

[thefisch6]

Do not get bent out of shape over the clarification. But it is a common theme that people overestimate the extent of USCC licensed coverage. They put USCC close to the level of Alltel after it merged with WWC. That is not true, however.

 

I have posted this USCC map previously. I will post it again. The number of states and square miles where Sprint would gain coverage is greatly outnumbered by where Sprint would not gain anything. By the standards that we use to define the four national operators, a USCC acquisition would not make Sprint qualitatively any more "nationwide" than it already is.

 

 

AJ

I wasn't and still am not bent out of shape, AJ. I have seen the USCC coverage map many times and was fully aware of the extent of their coverage when I made the comment. I'm not saying your clarification was wrong by any means, but this has been a purely semantic discrepancy from the start. [emoji3]

[S4GRU]

I blame the melancholy ferret people. You have to watch those bastards closely!

 

Using Nexus 6 on Tapatalk

[orangeblue]

T-Mobiles LTE coverage in LA seems a little overstated because my iphone is spending more time on 4G as on LTE especially along the Interstates.

[joshuam]

T-Mobiles LTE coverage in LA seems a little overstated because my iphone is spending more time on 4G as on LTE especially along the Interstates.

 

5S or 6? I've found the 5S to be an extremely weak on band 4, while the iPhone 6 is noticeably better. Plus I think T-Mobile's maps include Band 12 coverage, which no iPhone supports yet. I wish they would differentiate the two, but as every phone in the future likely adds band 12 support, it shouldn't be a problem.

[JeffDTD]

Perhaps Cspire's 700mhz holdings could be acquired? They've yet to be put to use. Cspire itself has ceased the sale of unlimited plans altogether in the last year and seems to be dumping more into expanding its wired broadband expansion than anything else. Its no longer clear that they intend on incurring the cost to build out that spectrum and spec their devices for the appropriate band.

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Fraydog]

USCC still has a pretty decent geographic dent, and the areas they cover are areas where neither Sprint nor T-Mobile has large amounts of coverage. I would still be in favor of Sprint getting USCC. If Sprint doesn't want it, I would say T-Mobile could put their 700 MHz to good use as well. 

 

Yet, I don't know if I want Sprint to overpay for USCC as well... That said, if T-Mobile buys out USCC, that leaves CSpire and the squatters between them and nationwide 700A. Remember how 800 MHz is a nationwide advantage for Sprint now? Not so much if T-Mobile obtains nationwide or almost nationwide low band. 

 

The financing aspect of trying to eat USCC would be hard. That's something that T-Mobile can more easily do at this stage. I'm tempted to say NO but basically yielding the coverage advantage to T-Mobile for a long time would be a hard thing to swallow from Sprint's POV. 

[WiWavelength]

Remember how 800 MHz is a nationwide advantage for Sprint now? Not so much if T-Mobile obtains nationwide or almost nationwide low band.

 

If I had to make a prediction, T-Mobile will get close to nationwide band 12 spectrum.  Even AT&T does not have truly nationwide band 12/17 spectrum, but T-Mobile will approach that same level, though it make take several years.

 

AJ

[Ascertion]

If I had to make a prediction, T-Mobile will get close to nationwide band 12 spectrum.  Even AT&T does not have truly nationwide band 12/17 spectrum, but T-Mobile will approach that same level, though it make take several years.

 

AJ

I'd expect them to cover the B12 holes with their winnings from the 600Mhz auction.

[joshuam]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/america-tower-t-mobile-co-locating-gear-verizon-towers-we-bought/2015-08-12

 

Does anyone know what regions these towers are in?  T-Mobile looking to co-locate for LTE expansion on the recently sold Verizon towers.

[WiWavelength]

Perhaps Cspire's 700mhz holdings could be acquired? They've yet to be put to use.

 

As I recall, C Spire -- by the way, I still hate that ridiculous name change from Cellular South -- was in a similar position to USCC.  The band 12 ecosystem was stagnant, no thanks to AT&T and Apple.  So, C Spire went ahead with band 2, band 4, and maybe band 5.  Now that band 12 is finally gaining some momentum, it will be interesting to see what C Spire and USCC (King Street) do with that spectrum.  Keep it, or sell it.

 

AJ

[lilotimz]

As I recall, C Spire -- by the way, I still hate that ridiculous name change from Cellular South -- was in a similar position to USCC.  The band 12 ecosystem was stagnant, no thanks to AT&T and Apple.  So, C Spire went ahead with band 2, band 4, and maybe band 5.  Now that band 12 is finally gaining some momentum, it will be interesting to see what C Spire and USCC (King Street) do with that spectrum.  Keep it, or sell it.

 

AJ

 

C-spire has been using the same device models as Sprints since forever so it's predominately Band 25/26 but over Band 2/5 frequencies. Not entirely sure about band 4 though since only devices within the past year supports it. 

[Trip]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/america-tower-t-mobile-co-locating-gear-verizon-towers-we-bought/2015-08-12

 

Does anyone know what regions these towers are in?  T-Mobile looking to co-locate for LTE expansion on the recently sold Verizon towers.

 

Generally in the United States region.  (All over.)

 

- Trip

[joshuam]

Generally in the United States region.  (All over.)

 

- Trip

 

I guess this is the evidence of T-Mobile's organic network expansion finally happening...not sure it's early enough for anything significant in 2015 to match those maps they were bragging about in January though...lol

[nahum365]

T-Mobiles LTE coverage in LA seems a little overstated because my iphone is spending more time on 4G as on LTE especially along the Interstates.

I'm in LA right now as well and I was thinking the same thing. On I-15 from Vegas to LA Tmo's coverage map shows complete coverage once you enter CA, but that's definitely not the case. For much of the time I didn't even have EDGE. They were showing LTE on the coverage map. To be fair Sprint's map wasn't accurate either but they were showing 3G instead of LTE.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus

[mozamcrew]

Sprint can't let TMUS get USCC. However, they could agree to divest USCC's 700Mhz spectrum if they bought them. That would certainly ease the financial pain. And the 700Mhz is owned by King Street anyhow, so it would be easy to separate that business out.

[Arysyn]

Sprint can't let TMUS get USCC. However, they could agree to divest USCC's 700Mhz spectrum if they bought them. That would certainly ease the financial pain. And the 700Mhz is owned by King Street anyhow, so it would be easy to separate that business out.

King Street as a name for what is it, a spectrum holding company? I've heard the name mentioned here before, but I don't know exactly what it is, but am assuming so.

 

Alright, I googled it and it looks like it from what I can see. I'm perplexed by that name though, King Street. Just doesn't connect with wireless for me, though no worries; I won't make a thread/poll about it.

 

Anyways, I've watched more television lately since being at my aunt's. I've been seeing a lot of advertisements for T-Mobile. Anyone else notice this, or is it just typical of them to spend a lot on television advertising?

[Trip]

King Street Wireless, apparently, gets its name from the fact that it is based out of a building on King Street in Alexandria, VA.  Next time I go by I'll try and see what I can see.  (Probably not much.)

 

- Trip

[Vince]

Anyways, I've watched more television lately since being at my aunt's. I've been seeing a lot of advertisements for T-Mobile. Anyone else notice this, or is it just typical of them to spend a lot on television advertising?

They're always advertising on social media, and other forms of media. Sprint is running lots of radio ads for their 4 lines-10gb-$100 thing, too.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6

[JeffDTD]

Just when you can't make up your mind between Sprint and Tmobile...   Tmo reminds you how delicious a hot dog can be and its magenta 4 life.