Sprint quarterly results

[jeffcarp]

Neilson and root metrics are often mentioned. They previously have used Sensorly.

Likely customer reports from Sprint Zone as well.

[chamb]

Neilson and root metrics are often mentioned.  They previously have used Sensorly.

I do not know what "Crowd Sourced" means exactly, However, if you ever get to see the signal strength maps that Sprint generates for their technical use, you will be amazed.  They know exactly where they have signal strength issues.  They also can tell how each site is performing and how each carrier on the site is performing.  They really do not need crowd sourced info.  Hopefully they will not cut the employees that look at this type of info and rely on some guy yelling that Sprint needs to expand into his rural hunting cabin.

 

I mapped a whole county on Sensory over a year ago when we only had band 25 LTE.  Tried to go back and do it again when Band 26 went active.  The weak spots showing when I did the band 25 mapping are still there even though Band 26 should make the area dark purple. Using Sensorly to decide where to install a small relay cell would be like driving without headlights in the dark and looking out through your rear window.  It might be ok to look at Neilson, Rootmetrics and Sensorly, but they better only use the data as  a starting point and verify it all.

[Steve Dean]

Do you believe they might extend again?

 

Sent from my SM-G928P using Tapatalk

 

Hopefully not since Sprint gave in to the demands.  But with the judge that ruled last time possibly ruling again on 2/4, it could happen.

[IamMrFamous07]

Im excited my self... i think it's save to say we will see 3×CA this year .... i think we will see volte first in the chicago market (soft launch)... im just wondering how widespread small cells will be this year.. and will they use small cells everywhere.

 

Sent from my SM-G928P using Tapatalk

Couldn't tell you buddy. Best thing we can do is to check our local permits in our area to see how many and widespread they will be. Sprint is "Talking less and doing more"'now so who knows what's going on behind the scenes. As far as VoLTE, I expect Chicago, Kansas City, and Austin Tx for their soft launch

[nexgencpu]

Hopefully not since Sprint gave in to the demands.  But with the judge that ruled last time possibly ruling again on 2/4, it could happen.

I think we have a better shot at the shutdown considering they finally settled on an LTE plan for their current customers.

[S4GRU]

I do not know what "Crowd Sourced" means exactly, However, if you ever get to see the signal strength maps that Sprint generates for their technical use, you will be amazed. They know exactly where they have signal strength issues. They also can tell how each site is performing and how each carrier on the site is performing. They really do not need crowd sourced info. Hopefully they will not cut the employees that look at this type of info and rely on some guy yelling that Sprint needs to expand into his rural hunting cabin.

 

I mapped a whole county on Sensory over a year ago when we only had band 25 LTE. Tried to go back and do it again when Band 26 went active. The weak spots showing when I did the band 25 mapping are still there even though Band 26 should make the area dark purple. Using Sensorly to decide where to install a small relay cell would be like driving without headlights in the dark and looking out through your rear window. It might be ok to look at Neilson, Rootmetrics and Sensorly, but they better only use the data as a starting point and verify it all.

They know where all the dead zones are. But they want to focus on the dead zones that affect people most. By using croud sourced data (aka customer data), both internally and externally, they know which ones are causing the most problems. And they can focus on those first.

 

Crowd sourced does not always mean external from a third party. T-Mobile uses internal crowd sourcing as well. When you install the My T-Mobile app it asks you to opt in or out of the app monitoring the network performance and coverage with your device. Sprint either does the same already or can certainly do the same.

 

The purpose of crowd source data is to supplement and help triage priority areas. Start with the most affected first and score your biggest victories with customers early.

 

Using Tapatalk on Note 8.0

[ericdabbs]

Speaking of Wimax, did any of the analysts ask whether or not they were almost done with dealing with Mobile Citizen and Mobile Beacon?  All that extra spectrum being occupied by Wimax is just hurting Sprint's ability to #MoveForward with launching 2xCA B41 LTE. 

[RedSpark]

I thought this metric from the Quarterly Investor Update (Page 5) was especially important: 

• Tri-band phones represented 64 percent of the 25.3 million ending postpaid phone connection base compared to 27 percent at the end of the year-ago quarter and 54 percent at the end of the prior quarter. During the quarter, 93 percent of postpaid phones sold were tri-band, an increase from 78 percent in the year-ago period and 89 percent in the prior quarter.
• Two-channel (2x20 MHz) carrier aggregation capable phones, which allow for higher data speeds, were 76 percent of postpaid phones sold during the quarter, increasing the number of these phones within the phone base to 21 percent.

Tri-band penetration still isn't close enough to 100%, and if we assume a current rate of growth, it should be in the 90% percent range within another year. As for 2xCA devices, Sprint needs to make it easier for customers to upgrade to the newest technology, not harder. Get those handset leasing vehicles in place and launch "Android Forever" already so those numbers continue to improve.

[spotmeterf64]

I thought this metric from the Quarterly Investor Update (Page 5) was especially important: 

• Tri-band phones represented 64 percent of the 25.3 million ending postpaid phone connection base compared to 27 percent at the end of the year-ago quarter and 54 percent at the end of the prior quarter. During the quarter, 93 percent of postpaid phones sold were tri-band, an increase from 78 percent in the year-ago period and 89 percent in the prior quarter.
• Two-channel (2x20 MHz) carrier aggregation capable phones, which allow for higher data speeds, were 76 percent of postpaid phones sold during the quarter, increasing the number of these phones within the phone base to 21 percent.

Tri-band penetration still isn't close enough to 100%, and if we assume a current rate of growth, it should be in the 90% percent range within another year. As for 2xCA devices, Sprint needs to make it easier for customers to upgrade to the newest technology, not harder. Get those handset leasing vehicles in place and launch "Android Forever" already so those numbers continue to improve.

 

 

Android phones typically have much lower residual value than iPhones, so the leasing prices would be higher. An HTC Evo 4G LTE, for example, sells for less than $50 on Swappa while an iPhone 5 still commands prices of $140 plus. This is why Android forever leasing hasn't happened yet I would think.

[S4GRU]

Android phones typically have much lower residual value than iPhones, so the leasing prices would be higher. An HTC Evo 4G LTE, for example, sells for less than $50 on Swappa while an iPhone 5 still commands prices of $140 plus. This is why Android forever leasing hasn't happened yet I would think.

It definitely has to be the biggest factor. Not only do they not hold their value as well, but the range is highly variable.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[RedSpark]

It definitely has to be the biggest factor. Not only do they not hold their value as well, but the range is highly variable.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

 

So what do you think it'll take for "Android Forever" to launch viably? Marcelo originally said it would happen. What changed?

[Steve Dean]

Sprint stock up 22% as of 3:13 PM EST.  Hopefully there is not a big sell off tomorrow with the day traders.

[Steve Dean]

So what do you think it'll take for "Android Forever" to launch viably? Marcelo originally said it would happen. What changed?

 

I would ponder it is contracting with the Android phone providers or Apple stepping in with objections. 

[WiWavelength]

Tri-band penetration still isn't close enough to 100%, and if we assume a current rate of growth, it should be in the 90% percent range within another year. As for 2xCA devices, Sprint needs to make it easier for customers to upgrade to the newest technology, not harder.

 

If tri band handset penetration will continue at the current rate of growth and reach 90 percent by the end of the year, then that is good.  There is no problem.

 

And typical users do not need 2x CA or 3x CA handsets.  Those are for RootMetrics results, for Sprint bragging rights -- to gain back public perception.

 

But any band 41 will provide a great experience for most users.  They will not notice the difference between a single carrier and 2x CA.

 

AJ

[RedSpark]

If tri band handset penetration will continue at the current rate of growth and reach 90 percent by the end of the year, then that is good.  There is no problem.

 

And typical users do not need 2x CA or 3x CA handsets.  Those are for RootMetrics results, for Sprint bragging rights -- to gain back public perception.

 

But any band 41 will provide a great experience for most users.  They will not notice the difference between a single carrier and 2x CA.

 

AJ

 

You know a lot more about this than I do (in fact, you'd forget more than I'd ever learn), but based on John Saw's LTE Plus Blog Post from November 2015, it seems like even typical users would benefit from having 2xCA devices.

 

As shown in the chart below, the combination of carrier aggregation and beamforming is giving our customers a much improved throughput experience, especially at the cell edges and indoors.

 

In response to your statement "Those are for RootMetrics results, Sprint bragging rights -- to gain back public perception"...

 

​Isn't that what's needed here? People aren't Sprint customers sometimes because of RootMetrics results (though that's now changing) or because Sprint doesn't have the bragging rights... or doesn't have the right public perception.

 

For many customers, I'd wonder how much their overall Sprint experience would change if you took a Dual Band or Tri-Band device out of their hands and swapped in an LTE Plus device.... Would they call Customer Care less often? Would they report Speed/Coverage issues less often? Would they tell their friends/colleagues: "Hey, I've got Sprint and it's awesome now. I'm also paying a lot less than you are."

 

At some point, these 2xCA devices would seem to pay for themselves either through higher customer satisfaction/retention, new customer acquisition or lower care costs.

 

I hope Sprint is being aggressive about making it appealing for customers to upgrade to an LTE Plus device and roll their old Single/Dual/Tri-Band devices off the network.

[Deval]

I think the fact that almost every device, even mid tier like the HTC A9, supports CA, will help with more tri-band CA penetration. As customers who are still on legacy 2 year contracts come up for upgrades, we should see an increase in that number.

[WiWavelength]

You know a lot more about this than I do (in fact, you'd forget more than I'd ever learn), but based on John Saw's LTE Plus Blog Post from November 2015, it seems like even typical users would benefit from having 2xCA devices.

Who knows how much of that reported improvement comes from 2x CA and how much comes from beamforming?  But neither helps on the uplink, which is most likely to fail at cell edges and indoors.  In those more signal challenged locations, band 25 and band 26 are there to take over.

 

In response to your statement "Those are for RootMetrics results, Sprint bragging rights -- to gain back public perception"...

 

​Isn't that what's needed here? People aren't Sprint customers sometimes because of RootMetrics results (though that's now changing) or because Sprint doesn't have the bragging rights... or doesn't have the right public perception.

 

For many customers, I'd wonder how much their overall Sprint experience would change if you took a Dual Band or Tri-Band device out of their hands and swapped in an LTE Plus device.... Would they call Customer Care less often? Would they report Speed/Coverage issues less often? Would they tell their friends/colleagues: "Hey, I've got Sprint and it's awesome now. I'm also paying a lot less than you are."

 

At some point, these 2xCA devices would seems to pay for themselves either through higher customer satisfaction/retention, new customer acquisition or lower care costs.

 

I think you misconstrue my point.  In no way do I suggest denying people 2x CA handsets.  However, they do not need them.  What they need is just any band 41.  Most who have 2x CA handsets do not even know that they do.  You can sell the general public on Sprint being #1 in data speeds, but you cannot sell them on Sprint deploying 2x CA.  They do not have the knowledge to understand that.

 

Oddly enough, I am a case in point, even though I am far removed from the average user.  But because of engineering screen quirks, I have no confirmation if 2x CA is active on my 2015 Moto X and Nexus 5X.  And for actual usage purposes, I could not care less.  I care for network diagnostic purposes.  That, though, is of no consequence to the general public.

 

AJ

[RedSpark]

Who knows how much of that reported improvement comes from 2x CA and how much comes from beamforming?  But neither helps on the uplink, which is most likely to fail at cell edges and indoors.  In those more signal challenged locations, band 25 and band 26 are there to take over.

 

 

I think you misconstrue my point.  In no way do I suggest denying people 2x CA handsets.  However, they do not need them.  What they need is just any band 41.  Most who have 2x CA handsets do not even know that they do.  You can sell the general public on Sprint being #1 in data speeds, but you cannot sell them on Sprint deploying 2x CA.  They do not have the knowledge to understand that.

 

Oddly enough, I am a case in point, even though I am far removed from the average user.  But because of engineering screen quirks, I have no confirmation if 2x CA is active on my 2015 Moto X and Nexus 5X.  And for actual usage purposes, I could not care less.  I care for network diagnostic purposes.  That, though, is of no consequence to the general public.

 

AJ

 

 

Sprint has a very rudimentary chart on that page which shows BF vs. BF + CA. I'd like to see a lot more data on this. Isn't the long term plan for Sprint to use certain bands for downlink-only and others for uplink-only?

 

I agree with you. (Apple has shown equal neglect for the Field Test Screen on iOS) Customers would benefit from even having a Band 41 device... but for people who just want it to "work" (but don't understand why) and will stay a customer if it does, it seems to me that getting a 2xCA Device in their hands makes that all the more likely to be the case... and hopefully they tell their friends that Sprint "just works".

 

Sprint needs to relentlessly drive home the message: "LTE Plus means better speeds and coverage. Here are the devices which support it."

 

From Saw's Post:

 

PC Magazine looked at Speedtest.net results for LTE connections on Sprint iPhones from October 1-9. They analyzed more than 32,000 individual speed tests, including more than 10,000 taken on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. They found that the average download speeds on the two new devices are 50 percent faster than the iPhone 5/5c/5s. And they found much higher peak speeds on our network - 121Mbps for the iPhone 6s, as opposed to 78Mbps for the iPhone 6, and 42Mbps for the iPhone 5s.

[dkyeager]

If tri band handset penetration will continue at the current rate of growth and reach 90 percent by the end of the year, then that is good.  There is no problem.

 

And typical users do not need 2x CA or 3x CA handsets.  Those are for RootMetrics results, for Sprint bragging rights -- to gain back public perception.

 

But any band 41 will provide a great experience for most users.  They will not notice the difference between a single carrier and 2x CA.

 

AJ

 

High speeds are the draw, but the real benefit of CA is at the edge, where 2x speed matters.  Same with 10x10 B25.  At the edge customer may also notice in their regular apps.  The edge (or service weak areas or holes) is also the zone where many small cells will operate.

[WiWavelength]

Isn't the long term plan for Sprint to use certain bands for downlink-only and others for uplink-only?

The short answer to that is no. It is an oversimplification that has gotten traction through repetition.

 

From Saw's Post:

Somebody or something screwed up -- either in the PCMag testing or in the PCMag testing citation.  The iPhone 5S is dual band, not tri band.  It cannot hit peak speeds of 42 Mbps on 5 MHz FDD in band 25/26.

 

Regardless, most people will not notice the difference in peak or average speeds between single carrier and 2x CA on band 41.  The difference between 121 Mbps and 78 Mbps makes no difference to their usage.  In both cases, Sprint "just works."

 

The point is to get tri band handsets into the hands of Sprint users.  Any 2x CA is icing on the cake.  And that is my point.

 

AJ

[IamMrFamous07]

The short answer to that is no. It is an oversimplification that has gotten traction through repetition.

 

 

Somebody or something screwed up -- either in the PCMag testing or in the PCMag testing citation. The iPhone 5S is dual band, not tri band. It cannot hit peak speeds of 42 Mbps on 5 MHz FDD in band 25/26.

 

Regardless, most people will not notice the difference in peak or average speeds between single carrier and 2x CA on band 41. The difference between 121 Mbps and 78 Mbps makes no difference to their usage. In both cases, Sprint "just works."

 

The point is to get tri band handsets into the hands of Sprint users. Any 2x CA is icing on the cake. And that is my point.

 

AJ

The 5s could of possibly be connect to 10x10 fdd?

[Dkoellerwx]

The 5s could of possibly be connect to 10x10 fdd?

It could, but 10x10 channels on Sprint have not been around that long.

 

Sent from my LG G4

[tyroned3222]

It could, but 10x10 channels on Sprint have not been around that long.

 

Sent from my LG G4

10×10 is very very limited to sprint correct?

 

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[shannonbrian]

I think coverage should be the number one first.

[Dkoellerwx]

10×10 is very very limited to sprint correct?

 

Sent from my SM-G928P using Tapatalk

 

Not sure what you're asking. Other carriers have 10x10 LTE channels as well. Different bands, but 10x10 channels. Some have been widened beyond 10x10 though.