[Breaking News] Shentel to buy out Ntelos

[lilotimz]

The primary benefit is for us Sprint folks who live in nTelos-land. We will FINALLY get 4G service, which we've NEVER had before (unless we traveled elsewhere). It will take time - I read in one of those links that this deal doesn't close till early 2016 - and there's backhaul to get. However, Shentel was fast and thorough in upgrading their network, so it will be a quality product at the end. I'm hoping that maybe this project is on a slightly faster track, coming on the heels of the recent visit to Japan. :-D

 

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They'll need to do a rip and replace of most of nTelos network since ntelos barely had any work done. I wouldn't expect most of nTelos markets to be done til 6-9 months after Shentel fully takes over or next spring summer.

 

But when it's done it'll be glorious. Just ask those in Shentel land.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5

[ajm8127]

The primary benefit is for us Sprint folks who live in nTelos-land. We will FINALLY get 4G service, which we've NEVER had before (unless we traveled elsewhere). It will take time - I read in one of those links that this deal doesn't close till early 2016 - and there's backhaul to get. However, Shentel was fast and thorough in upgrading their network, so it will be a quality product at the end. I'm hoping that maybe this project is on a slightly faster track, coming on the heels of the recent visit to Japan. :-D

 

Sent from Tapatalk on either my HTC One M9 or Tab4 10.1, it kinda depends

 

Part of the advantage for Shentel is they can leverage their fiber network which is very complimentary to the nTelos acquisition.

 

Shentel stands at something like 98% PCS 4G (G Block) with 95% 800 LTE which will very soon be augmented by 2.5 LTE in the major metro (if you can really call them that) areas. Expect the same level of deplyment in the newly aquired territory.

 

The deal is set to close in early 2016 due in large part to the spectrum that needs to transition from nTelos to Sprint and the regulatory approval this requires. I really don't think this will be a problem, however. A lot of the spectrum is already used in Sprint markets.

[davidtm]

So, are you saying that Shentel's fiber business will likely supply the backhaul?

 

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[Trip]

That expansion map is beautiful.  Most of my drive to visit my parents is about to get filled in with service from Shentel. 

 

Look at Buckingham County, currently a giant void, full of yellow.  And US-15 between Culpeper and Gordonsville.  And Red House!  People in that area currently can only use US Cellular, no other carrier has service there.

 

Premiere Sponsors can see a map showing the overlap of Sprint/Shentel and nTelos tower sites in this post here:  http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/6784-trips-cell-tower-map-work-in-progress/?p=419133&do=findComment&comment=419133

 

- Trip

[davidtm]

The map is a little confusing to me. The existing coverage in light blue, I assume, is nTelos' current 3G coverage which will be converted to 4G. The light blue also includes Shentel's current native coverage. The orange blobs are planned additions. I'm assuming those are the 150 new sites. Is this correct?

 

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[Trip]

That's how I understand it.

 

- Trip

[davidtm]

Wow, this is SO exciting! It'll take what will feel like forever, but it'll be great eventually!

 

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[ajm8127]

So, are you saying that Shentel's fiber business will likely supply the backhaul?

 

Sent from my HTC One M9 on Tapatalk

 

Absolutely!

[lordsutch]

Good riddance to nTelos; a great day for Sprint and Shentel.

[PythonFanPA]

Premiere Sponsors can see a map showing the overlap of Sprint/Shentel and nTelos tower sites in this post here:  http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/6784-trips-cell-tower-map-work-in-progress/?p=419133&do=findComment&comment=419133

 

- Trip

 

Trip, pardon my ignorance in asking this, but in regards to Virginia in the above post of yours you linked here....does nTelos not cover the gap along 81 from roughly Mt. Pleasant south to roughly Atkins?  If not, who does?

 

Edit:  Or, is what you linked simply representative of duplicate site areas alone?  On further review it seems that may be what I missed at first glance, but please enlighten me either way.  Thanks!

[WiWavelength]

Oooh, I quiver with anticipation!  I love when you talk dirty to me.

 

Heh heh, Robert likes crappy 80s "hair band" music, heh heh...

 

 

AJ

[Joski1624]

And Sprint's acquiring another company that is actually using compatible technology, but we all knew that already. I'm looking foreward to the better network the next time I visit nTelos land, and giving Shentel the task of management and upgrades is a good move too They're one of the few really bright spots of the NV 1 upgrades

[IamMrFamous07]

And Sprint's acquiring another company that is actually using compatible technology, but we all knew that already. I'm looking foreward to the better network the next time I visit nTelos land, and giving Shentel the task of management and upgrades is a good move too They're one of the few really bright spots of the NV 1 upgrades

Wait what company? Lol

[IamMrFamous07]

How will this affect the Dish/NTelos partnership?

[S4GRU]

How will this affect the Dish/NTelos partnership?

 

Unknown.

[lilotimz]

From ours truly

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-395-sprint-affiliate-shentel-to-buy-regional-wireless-operator-ntelos-bringing-customers-and-spectrum-to-sprint/

[Trip]

Trip, pardon my ignorance in asking this, but in regards to Virginia in the above post of yours you linked here....does nTelos not cover the gap along 81 from roughly Mt. Pleasant south to roughly Atkins?  If not, who does?

 

Edit:  Or, is what you linked simply representative of duplicate site areas alone?  On further review it seems that may be what I missed at first glance, but please enlighten me either way.  Thanks!

 

Those maps are just the areas where the two companies have overlap.  If you want a map of all the nTelos sites, see here:  http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/6784-trips-cell-tower-map-work-in-progress/page-2&do=findComment&comment=435523

 

- Trip

[cdk]

Those maps are just the areas where the two companies have overlap.  If you want a map of all the nTelos sites, see here:  http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/6784-trips-cell-tower-map-work-in-progress/page-2&do=findComment&comment=435523

 

- Trip

 

Trip,

 

Do you have a map just showing the overlap in nTelo's eastern markets? I know many of those sites are collocated with Sprint, but I was curious to how many are not. Unless something has changed with this announcement, all of the sites in the eastern market are suppose to shut down. It would be nice to see those non collocated sites be incorporated into the Richmond and Norfolk markets to help densify them...

[Trip]

Trip,

 

Do you have a map just showing the overlap in nTelo's eastern markets? I know many of those sites are collocated with Sprint, but I was curious to how many are not. Unless something has changed with this announcement, all of the sites in the eastern market are suppose to shut down. It would be nice to see those non collocated sites be incorporated into the Richmond and Norfolk markets to help densify them...

 

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/6784-trips-cell-tower-map-work-in-progress/page-2?p=435535&do=findComment&comment=435535

 

- Trip

[S4GRU]

 

 

It would be nice to see those non collocated sites be incorporated into the Richmond and Norfolk markets to help densify them...

Project Ocean East? I like it.

 

Using Nexus 6 on Tapatalk

[chamb]

GREAT article about Shentel/nTelos on the wall.   Amazing how much knowledge exists here at S4GRU about these two companies.  The wall article is so much better written than any of the other articles that have shown up. 

Thanks Robert for your work on this.

 

[S4GRU]

GREAT article about Shentel/nTelos on the wall. Amazing how much knowledge exists here at S4GRU about these two companies. The wall article is so much better written than any of the other articles that have shown up.

Thanks Robert for your work on this.

I took the lead on the write up, but had useful assistance from AJ and Seth (Mr.Nuke). AJ's historical references are priceless to keep an article in perspective. Thanks for the acknowledgment.

 

Using Nexus 6 on Tapatalk

[cdk]

Project Ocean East? I like it.

 

Using Nexus 6 on Tapatalk

 

My rough count is 240 non collocated sites. Even if they only got around 200 of them, that would be great. (Although it would have been better if they never let the PCS spectrum in those markets go earlier this year.)

[S4GRU]

My rough count is 240 non collocated sites. Even if they only got around 200 of them, that would be great. (Although it would have been better if they never let the PCS spectrum in those markets go earlier this year.)

My guess is that negotiations were under way before the disposition of the Eastern markets. It was likely a condition of the sale. The Eastern markets in the deal was probably too big of a chunk for Shentel to capitalize. And they would have needed to sell all of it to get back to the deal being equal in cost to what it is now. Same boat either way.

 

 

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[caspar347]

Upon closing of Shentel’s purchase of nTelos, Sprint will receive nTelos spectrum assets covering 5.4 million people in parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina.

Anyone know which licenses will be transferred in NC? A quick search on the (buggy) spectrum dashboard turned up nothing and a quick manual check of the specmap didn't do any better. I'm guessing that the licenses are in western NC (if they exist), but all I see over there are Carolina West, USCC/King Street/Carroll, and the big 4.