IT'S THE WiMAX COUNTDOWN!!!

[Cataract2]

So, what does the shutdown of WiMax mean for us overall?  I see WiMax is in use here in Denver.  Dunno if I will see much of a change though.

[ericdabbs]

So, what does the shutdown of WiMax mean for us overall?  I see WiMax is in use here in Denver.  Dunno if I will see much of a change though.

 

You won't see any effects at all right away but off the top of my head, here are a few things that help Sprint directly.

 

1) Reclaim the 2.5 GHz spectrum that Wimax has occupied that can be used for intraband backhaul or adding another 20 MHz TD-LTE carrier for additional CA in the future. This is probably the most important benefit.  I am sure NV sites that do not have Wimax network setup have been deploying that 2nd B41 carrier for 2xCA.

 

2) Reducing OPEX costs (not having to pay anyone to maintain both Wimax and LTE networks).  Always better for a wireless carrier to cut any costs where they can.

 

3) Allows Sprint to eventually begin rip and replace the dual Wimax/LTE RRUs with 8T8R RRUs on its Clearwire sites to support those blazing speeds envisioned in NGN project.  I am not sure how many Transmitters and Receivers the current dual Wimax/LTE RRUs have but it certainly is not 8T8R.

 

4) Not having to deal with the maintainance of Clearwire customer base (sorry for those that rely on it).

[Samappz]

Is sprint waiting until the last week/day to tear down the clearwire equipment or has it already begun? It seems in the so-cal area in heavily clearwire areas, nothing has really changed and I still connect to clearwire all the time.

[ericdabbs]

Is sprint waiting until the last week/day to tear down the clearwire equipment or has it already begun? It seems in the so-cal area in heavily clearwire areas, nothing has really changed and I still connect to clearwire all the time.

 

When Sprint did the 800 MHz iDEN shutdown it went down to the very last second.  Now with iDEN they had plenty of redundant iDEN sites due to the range of 800 MHz so some of those were shut down earlier but with 2.5 GHz it would be very apparent if your local Clearwire tower went down.

 

 So yes I expect Sprint to do the same thing with Wimax as they did with iDEN.  Keep in mind that there are Clearwire retail customers that still pay and utilize the Wimax network so they are already getting the brunt end of the stick by having the network shutdown.  Last thing they need is to have Wimax shut down prematurely.

[Samappz]

When Sprint did the 800 MHz iDEN shutdown it went down to the very last second.  Now with iDEN they had plenty of redundant iDEN sites due to the range of 800 MHz so some of those were shut down earlier but with 2.5 GHz it would be very apparent if your local Clearwire tower went down.

 

 So yes I expect Sprint to do the same thing with Wimax as they did with iDEN.  Keep in mind that there are Clearwire retail customers that still pay and utilize the Wimax network so they are already getting the brunt end of the stick by having the network shutdown.  Last thing they need is to have Wimax shut down prematurely.

Thanks for explaining that. I wonder what happens if they are not able to make their deadline and still leave the clearwire towers running after the deadline due to tardiness.

[Dkoellerwx]

Thanks for explaining that. I wonder what happens if they are not able to make their deadline and still leave the clearwire towers running after the deadline due to tardiness.

 

They are not tearing down towers at this point. The network will go dead on Nov. 6th. There will be no issues making that deadline. They simply turn it off. (Obviously not that simple, but there are not site visits required).

 

WiMax thinning has already begun in markets where they can deploy 2nd carrier B41 and Carrier Aggregation on existing Clearwire equipment.

 

In markets where the Clearwire equipment supports B41, the equipment will not be shut off. Only the WiMax side. Over time, those Clear B41 sites will be replaced with Sprint equipment, or decommissioned if they are determined redundant. 

[WiWavelength]

Thanks for explaining that. I wonder what happens if they are not able to make their deadline and still leave the clearwire towers running after the deadline due to tardiness.

 

What happens?  Nothing.

 

This is not a regulatory issue.  It is a legal, billing, and service provision issue.  Clearwire WiMAX users have been given notice that their service terminates on a given date.  Any service provision beyond that date is just happenstance.

 

AJ

[Samappz]

Do you guys think Sprint has already done testing in clearwire markets to adjust their native towers when clearwire towers go down in order to optimize coverage and speed in the gaps, or will this begin after the clearwire service goes down. I am worried about severely degraded service for months as they take their time to make resulting adjustments in all the clearwire markets.

[ttwiitch]

 

 

Do you guys think Sprint has already done testing in clearwire markets to adjust their native towers when clearwire towers go down in order to optimize coverage and speed in the gaps, or will this begin after the clearwire service goes down. I am worried about severely degraded service for months as they take their time to make resulting adjustments in all the clearwire markets.

Good point. I doubt we'll suffer from degraded service like NV times...

 

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

[Dkoellerwx]

Do you guys think Sprint has already done testing in clearwire markets to adjust their native towers when clearwire towers go down in order to optimize coverage and speed in the gaps, or will this begin after the clearwire service goes down. I am worried about severely degraded service for months as they take their time to make resulting adjustments in all the clearwire markets.

 

Shutting off WiMax should not degrade service at all (unless you still use WiMax....).

 

They main thing that will come of the shutdown will be the ability to deploy a second B41 carrier on capable equipment. I'm not sure there is much optimization to be done.

[RAvirani]

Shutting off WiMax should not degrade service at all (unless you still use WiMax....).

 

They main thing that will come of the shutdown will be the ability to deploy a second B41 carrier on capable equipment. I'm not sure there is much optimization to be done.

Just to clarify, on WiMAX/LTE towers, only the wimax will be shut off.

[Dkoellerwx]

Just to clarify, on WiMAX/LTE towers, only the wimax will be shut off.

Yes

 

Sent from my LG G4

[Trip]

Article about people dependent on WiMax.

 

http://www.twincities.com/technology/ci_28935274/disadvantaged-twin-cities-households-face-loss-internet

 

- Trip

[njjdnt]

Article about people dependent on WiMax.

 

http://www.twincities.com/technology/ci_28935274/disadvantaged-twin-cities-households-face-loss-internet

 

- Trip

This headline calls out Sprint and references that article. 

Sprint will cut off Internet service used by thousands of low-income Minnesotans

 

14,000 in the Twin Cities seems like an excessive number. 

[leozno1]

Shutting off WiMax should not degrade service at all (unless you still use WiMax....).

 

They main thing that will come of the shutdown will be the ability to deploy a second B41 carrier on capable equipment. I'm not sure there is much optimization to be done.

With the sheer amount of 2.5 Ghz spectrum that Sprint has at it's disposal, is it really a REQUIREMENT for them to shut down the WiMax Network for them to be able to deploy a second B41 carrier?

 

Don't they have upwards of 100+Mhz of this spectrum across the entire country?

[Dkoellerwx]

With the sheer amount of 2.5 Ghz spectrum that Sprint has at it's disposal, is it really a REQUIREMENT for them to shut down the WiMax Network for them to be able to deploy a second B41 carrier?

 

No, in most markets it is not. (There are a couple of exceptions, where WiMax usage is high enough they have not done any WiMax thinning. WiMax sites tend to use different spectrum on each sector, so it eats up a lot of the available spectrum.)

 

But that's not what I'm talking about. I mean deploy a second carrier on the Clear equipment. Not deploy a second carrier in general. In dual mode WiMax/LTE, Clear equipment can only broadcast one LTE carrier. With WiMax shut off, they can deploy a second (or more) carrier.

[anthony.spina97]

With the sheer amount of 2.5 Ghz spectrum that Sprint has at it's disposal, is it really a REQUIREMENT for them to shut down the WiMax Network for them to be able to deploy a second B41 carrier?

 

Don't they have upwards of 100+Mhz of this spectrum across the entire country?

Yes, they do have a lot of 2.5 GHz spectrum. BUT, the way WiMAX was deployed, each sector used a DIFFERENT 10 MHz slice of spectrum. So one site used 30 MHz, and other sites may use other 10 MHz slices of spectrum also, so even MORE spectrum is used. Therefore, a lot of spectrum can get used very easily.

 

So yes, WiMAX does have to be shut down in areas that not much thinning has been done in order to launch a second carrier.

 

Edit: DK got his post out before mine

 

-Anthony

[Dkoellerwx]

Edit: Tim got his post out before mine

 

Tim?

[ericdabbs]

With the sheer amount of 2.5 Ghz spectrum that Sprint has at it's disposal, is it really a REQUIREMENT for them to shut down the WiMax Network for them to be able to deploy a second B41 carrier?

 

Don't they have upwards of 100+Mhz of this spectrum across the entire country?

 

It sounds like a lot of spectrum currently but if Sprint wants to use some of that 2.5 GHz spectrum for intraband wireless backhaul it won't be that much especially if Sprint can ramp up to 5xCA at some point  .  The reason I say 5xCA is because I think I read that LTE can be aggregated up to 100 MHz currently.

 

 

No, in most markets it is not. (There are a couple of exceptions, where WiMax usage is high enough they have not done any WiMax thinning. WiMax sites tend to use different spectrum on each sector, so it eats up a lot of the available spectrum.)

 

But that's not what I'm talking about. I mean deploy a second carrier on the Clear equipment. Not deploy a second carrier in general. In dual mode WiMax/LTE, Clear equipment can only broadcast one LTE carrier. With WiMax shut off, they can deploy a second (or more) carrier.

 

 

Didn't know that the Clear equipment is only limited to 2 LTE carriers max.  So yeah I think its crucial that Sprint decommission the Wimax network quickly so that a 2nd LTE carrier can be fired up for 2xCA.

[S4GRU]

Sprint isn't going to waste money maintaining a dying technology with few subscribers. They aren't required to and they would be stupid to. It is better used boosting B41 speeds with 3 carriers. Even a second set of 3 carriers, then leaving the WiMax network operating.

 

WiMax's death was announced in 2012. Most of the customers that were around in 2012 are long gone. Most of these remaining subscribers became WiMax customers after the 2012 announcement that Sprint was going LTE and getting away from WiMax and Clearwire's subsequent announcement.

 

These really low cost WiMax plans came out to just use the network until its sunset. So it won't be a complete waste for 3 years and perhaps generate some revenue. Now these people certainly are in no position to demand to keep it now. They always only were going to have it for a short time. This should be a surprise to no one.

 

Using Tapatalk on BlackBerry Z30

[Dkoellerwx]

Didn't know that the Clear equipment is only limited to 2 LTE carriers max.  So yeah I think its crucial that Sprint decommission the Wimax network quickly so that a 2nd LTE carrier can be fired up for 2xCA.

 

It depends on the market. Some Clear equipment can do more than 2 carriers. However, it cannot do that with WiMax running. 

[WiWavelength]

Article about people dependent on WiMax.

 

http://www.twincities.com/technology/ci_28935274/disadvantaged-twin-cities-households-face-loss-internet

 

I would like to see the terms of the contract.

 

One, it was probably inked by Clearwire, not Sprint.  Two, it was ostensibly a charitable act by Clearwire.  Three, it sounds as if Clearwire gave away a certain number of incredibly low cost, maybe even free accounts to these non profit middlemen to redistribute through charitable organizations.  Four, the accounts may be for "unlimited" WiMAX data and cost users only around $10 per month.

 

If accurate and the non profit middlemen or charitable organizations think that they should get the same low cost or even free accounts on "unlimited" LTE data, that is not happening.  They can go jump in any one of the 10,000 lakes in Minnesota.

 

AJ

[anthony.spina97]

Tim?

Oops haha. Thought I saw his profile picture. 

 

-Anthony

[WiWavelength]

Tim?

Oops haha. Thought I saw his profile picture. 

 

Galaxy versus lightning.  I guess galaxy won.

 

 

AJ

[shawn_kc]

Has anyone seen any cost savings numbers for shutting down the WiMax network?  Hopefully it's a decent chunk of the 2 to 2.5 billion cost cuts.