CDMA vs EDGE vs HSPA vs LTE range

[red_dog007]

From personal experience PCS 3G is far superior than B26 LTE.  When I drop B26 LTE outside or inside, I get PCS 3G. 

 

Then 1x800 is CRAZY. Very unpredictable on where and how you get it.

[RAvirani]

From personal experience PCS 3G is far superior than B26 LTE. When I drop B26 LTE outside or inside, I get PCS 3G.

 

Then 1x800 is CRAZY. Very unpredictable on where and how you get it.

Sprint should really change that I think. If Verizon can get LTE13 to last until -98 on CDMA800, we can definitely get LTE26 to eclipse CDMA1900. Sprint just has to do it.

[JWMaloney]

Sprint should really change that I think. If Verizon can get LTE13 to last until -98 on CDMA800, we can definitely get LTE26 to eclipse CDMA1900. Sprint just has to do it.

With only a 5 MHz LTE carrier, CDMA is sometimes more "usable" in those conditions, so your device will move over at the threshold dictated by the eNodeB. This is configurable just like the power levels and electric downtilt.

[RAvirani]

With only a 5 MHz LTE carrier, CDMA is sometimes more "usable" in those conditions, so your device will move over at the threshold dictated by the eNodeB. This is configurable just like the power levels and electric downtilt.

My experience, although purely anecdotal, is that LTE 800 always works better than 3G in fringe areas. I can see your point though.

[JWMaloney]

My experience, although purely anecdotal, is that LTE 800 always works better than 3G in fringe areas. I can see your point though.

How about indoors?

[RAvirani]

How about indoors?

My aunt and uncle who I visit frequently get -114 B26 in their house and probably -98 to -100 3G in their house. The LTE is usable. I can surf Twitter and stream low def video. The 3G can't do s***. It's annoying that B26 isn't on at greater power because it drops to 3G sometimes which is unusable. Just a few dbm better signal would make the LTE stable and usable always.

[S4GRU]

B26 LTE was always expected to cover as much as CDMA 1900. It will not really ever cover more than that. LTE 1900 is not going to ever cover as much as CDMA 1900, either. It will cover less. CDMA and EVDO doesn't need as robust of an airlink as LTE. Some more increases may be obtained in the future with further optimizations, but we are talking about 1%-3% improvements. Not something earth shattering.

 

I can tell you that in all my experiences, VZW CDMA 850 still travels farther than LTE 750. However, VZW does some things that sometimes makes it appear otherwise. In my observations (especially in many rural areas), VZW will make the downtilt on their LTE 750 panels 0°, shooting straight out of the tower for coverage, whereas the Cellular 850 panel will have 4-5° downtilt. So when this happens, essentially VZW is REDUCING the effective range of the CDMA 850 to match the LTE 750, not that Verizon magically defied physics and makes their LTE so much better. And carrier widths do help as well. Sprint could do the same thing by putting CDMA 800 on another panel separate from LTE 800 and reducing the CDMA coverage to be similar to LTE. But that isn't a good thing.

 

Verizon is essentially reducing their CDMA coverage to match LTE. But since they are rapidly adding a lot of sites, densifying, it's working out for them. VZW could actually increase their CDMA coverage significantly if it wanted.

 

Tmo is doing something similar here. Their B12 panels are aimed with significant downtilt and their B4 LTE/WCDMA straight out. Creating similar coverage patterns. B12 provides very little extra coverage over B4, but does still at least provides better in building coverage within the footprint. Tmo could have significantly more B12 coverage around here if it wanted.

 

Sent from OnePlus 2 using Tapatalk

[chamb]

How about indoors?

Just yesterday morning, I walked into a restaurant for breakfast.  Laid my Galaxy S-5 on the table with SCP booted on screen.

Had LTE 800 showing at -115.  Ran a speed test.  Had 2.5 mbps.  Upload was a disaster at .04Mbps.  Ordered breakfast and all of the sudden, SCP beeped and I had CDMA 800 1X at -88.      LTE never returned until I walked out into the parking lot. Had a -108 in the parking lot and as I drove away, I had LTE on 1900 at -105

[caspar347]

Just yesterday morning, I walked into a restaurant for breakfast. Laid my Galaxy S-5 on the table with SCP booted on screen.

Had LTE 800 showing at -115. Ran a speed test. Had 2.5 mbps. Upload was a disaster at .04Mbps. Ordered breakfast and all of the sudden, SCP beeped and I had CDMA 800 1X at -88. LTE never returned until I walked out into the parking lot. Had a -108 in the parking lot and as I drove away, I had LTE on 1900 at -105

This accurately describes my (often frustrating) experiences with 800 LTE except that 1900 and 800 LTE are often at the same RSRP. And I frequently drop to -93ish EVDO from -115ish LTE.

[RAvirani]

This accurately describes my (often frustrating) experiences with 800 LTE except that 1900 and 800 LTE are often at the same RSRP. And I frequently drop to -93ish EVDO from -115ish LTE.

EXACTLY. It really bugs me that the LTE25 and 26 are only a few dbm apart. I feel like 800 is definitely capable of more than a few dbm better than 1900.

[JWMaloney]

EXACTLY. It really bugs me that the LTE25 and 26 are only a few dbm apart. I feel like 800 is definitely capable of more than a few dbm better than 1900.

RSRQ and SNR are the numbers you want to be comparing here, not RSRP.

[BlueAngel]

EXACTLY. It really bugs me that the LTE25 and 26 are only a few dbm apart. I feel like 800 is definitely capable of more than a few dbm better than 1900.

Welcome to unoptimized B26, I suffer from the same issue all of the time when I know if the power was increased I would never drop to 3G.