1x Advanced deployment scheme

[ericdabbs]

Anyone know how Sprint is deploying 1x Advanced and what schemes they are using to maximize the benefits of 1x Advanced.  I remember reading the brochure from Qualcomm that said that 1x Advanced can provide up to 70% more coverage OR up to 4x more capacity for users. 

 

I think at this point, Sprint should be maximizing 1x Advanced by deploying the 4x more capacity users scheme on their 800 MHz and 1900 MHz spectrum so that they can eventually shut down some extra 1x carriers to free up more 1900 MHz spectrum for additional LTE carriers.

 

https://www.qualcomm.com/invention/technologies/ev-do/1x-advanced

 

[EvanA]

Their deployment strategy is going to vary based on individual cell needs. There's not a hard and fast rule for how they set up every site.

 

Sprint is already aggressively refarming voice capacity for LTE. In the Dayton OH area they are down one 1x and one EVDO carrier with 10MHz FDD LTE in PCS. The only other voice carrier is the one in SMR. The only way they can squeeze more LTE capacity out of PCS at this point is when EVDO is shut down, which will probably be a ways out.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[lilotimz]

The full effects of 1xAdvance is only realized if every single connected device utilizes 1xAdvance.

 

It 1x only devices connect the advantages that a 1x advanced cell is not truly realized.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

[avb]

The full effects of 1xAdvance is only realized if every single connected device utilizes 1xAdvance.

 

It 1x only devices connect the advantages that a 1x advanced cell is not truly realized.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

 

Has Sprint stopped selling devices that don't have 1xAdvance capability?  If so how long has it been?

[JWMaloney]

The full effects of 1xAdvance is only realized if every single connected device utilizes 1xAdvance.

 

It 1x only devices connect the advantages that a 1x advanced cell is not truly realized.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X

 

There are devices that don't support 1X Advanced over 800 MHz SMR?

[MrZorbatron]

Everything that supports CDMA 800 supports 1xA.

 

The system can always bump you to another available 1x carrier to keep 1xA channels "clean" of non 1xA devices.  If I understand what I read from Qualcomm correctly, 1xA devices still have some benefits on a 1xA cell, even if shared by non 1xA devices, just not all of them.  Higher capacity remains, for example, as do additional voice encoders.

[ericdabbs]

There are devices that don't support 1X Advanced over 800 MHz SMR?

 

Sprint has been selling 1xAdvanced devices since 2011 really.  Even the old Wimax devices had 1xAdvanced on them.  To me, I would expect the majority of phones that exist on the Sprint network currently should be 1xAdvanced capable.  I feel that it is time for Sprint to start imploring the full 1xAdvanced capabilities especially for capacity purposes so that more spectrum is freed up for LTE.

[centermedic]

Sprint has been selling 1xAdvanced devices since 2011 really.  Even the old Wimax devices had 1xAdvanced on them.  To me, I would expect the majority of phones that exist on the Sprint network currently should be 1xAdvanced capable.  I feel that it is time for Sprint to start imploring the full 1xAdvanced capabilities especially for capacity purposes so that more spectrum is freed up for LTE.

This may be an added benefit of purging those handsets that cannot update their prl. Presumably, they do not support 1xAdvanced.

[RAvirani]

This may be an added benefit of purging those handsets that cannot update their prl. Presumably, they do not support 1xAdvanced.

While sprint is replacing devices that cannot update their PRLs, I think they should also sunset 3G only and non 1xA devices. Maybe they are quietly doing so?

[centermedic]

While sprint is replacing devices that cannot update their PRLs, I think they should also sunset 3G only and non 1xA devices. Maybe they are quietly doing so?

And replace it with what? The natural evolution is VOLTE but Sprint does not have the tower densification to pull that off yet. For now Sprint has to keep CDMA.

[RAvirani]

And replace it with what? The natural evolution is VOLTE but Sprint does not have the tower densification to pull that off yet. For now Sprint has to keep CDMA.

I'm not suggesting a removal of CDMA on the network side by any means. Just a removal of devices that can't access 1x Advanced and/or LTE. This will make the future a lot easier for sprint in terms of moving towards an all LTE (with possibly a bit of 1x Advanced) network. Plus having all 1x Advanced devices will allow sprint to better harness the benefits of 1x Advanced today.

[centermedic]

I'm not suggesting a removal of CDMA on the network side by any means. Just a removal of devices that can't access 1x Advanced and/or LTE. This will make the future a lot easier for sprint in terms of moving towards an all LTE (with possibly a bit of 1x Advanced) network. Plus having all 1x Advanced devices will allow sprint to better harness the benefits of 1x Advanced today.

Ah. I think they are doing this in a secondary way. There is another thread that addresses certain phones that will not work on the Sprint network after they realign frequencies. The gist was that these phones were so old that they could not update their prl.

Found it......http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/7525-certain-phones-wont-work-after-7116/

[greenbastard]

I'm not suggesting a removal of CDMA on the network side by any means. Just a removal of devices that can't access 1x Advanced and/or LTE. This will make the future a lot easier for sprint in terms of moving towards an all LTE (with possibly a bit of 1x Advanced) network. Plus having all 1x Advanced devices will allow sprint to better harness the benefits of 1x Advanced today.

That would be nice and all, but it won't work due to agreements with roaming partners. US Cellular, C-Spire, and other smaller CDMA network users are able to roam (with non 1x advanced handsets) on the Sprint Network, so full 1x Advanced implementation not may be possible if Sprint continues to thin out 3G services. Especially in markets where Sprint only owns 20 MHz of PCS spectrum (not counting G block).

[RAvirani]

That would be nice and all, but it won't work due to agreements with roaming partners. US Cellular, C-Spire, and other smaller CDMA network users are able to roam (with non 1x advanced handsets) on the Sprint Network, so full 1x Advanced implementation not may be possible if Sprint continues to thin out 3G services. Especially in markets where Sprint only owns 20 MHz of PCS spectrum (not counting G block).

Nobody seems to be getting the gist of what I'm saying. What I'm suggesting is that sprint move everyone on THEIR network to devices capable of using ALL PARTS of their network. 1x devices can access 1xA networks, they just can't access the benefits that 1xA brings. If sprint moves their full network to 1x advanced and puts all of their customers on 1x advanced for voice, the networks capacity will increase tremendously because 99% of usage of the sprint network is by sprint customers, not roaming partners' customers (don't quote me on my numbers that was an estimate to deliver my point). 1x aside, the other point I was trying to make is that sprint should get everyone on their network a device with LTE. Yes 3G cannot be fully shut down because of roaming agreements etc. but it would be great if sprint could thin PCS EVDO down to 1 carrier favoring LTE for data connection (and possibly voice in the future).

[centermedic]

Nobody seems to be getting the gist of what I'm saying. What I'm suggesting is that sprint move everyone on THEIR network to devices capable of using ALL PARTS of their network. 1x devices can access 1xA networks, they just can't access the benefits that 1xA brings. If sprint moves their full network to 1x advanced and puts all of their customers on 1x advanced for voice, the networks capacity will increase tremendously because 99% of usage of the sprint network is by sprint customers, not roaming partners' customers (don't quote me on my numbers that was an estimate to deliver my point). 1x aside, the other point I was trying to make is that sprint should get everyone on their network a device with LTE. Yes 3G cannot be fully shut down because of roaming agreements etc. but it would be great if sprint could thin PCS EVDO down to 1 carrier favoring LTE for data connection (and possibly voice in the future).

That makes sense. However, a wholesale move is probably cost prohibitive. It is far cheaper and easier to allow the devices to age out and then invalidate whatever is left over.

[RAvirani]

That makes sense. However, a wholesale move is probably cost prohibitive. It is far cheaper and easier to allow the devices to age out and then invalidate whatever is left over.

Haven't non LTE devices aged out by now tho

[centermedic]

Haven't non LTE devices aged out by now tho

Nope. In fact Sprint still sells 3g only devices 

[RAvirani]

Nope. In fact Sprint still sells 3g only devices

The [CENSORED FOR PUBLIC WELL BEING]. WHY?

[mozamcrew]

There are still people who want calling and SMS only. Not Smartphones... They are out there.

[RAvirani]

There are still people who want calling and SMS only. Not Smartphones... They are out there.

Calling and SMS only devices should be fine - they only require 1x (a standard that isn't going away any time soon). All devices that support data should support LTE though.

[mozamcrew]

My point was that the "3G only" device are really just the non-smartphones. I don't think they still sell 3G only smartphones.

[shockerengr]

There's a lot more than Sprint Customers and cell phones that connect to Sprint's network.  A lot of MVNO's run on Sprint and it's probably not practical too move those customers very rapidly (since a lot of them also re-use old sprint phones for the low end)

 

You also have a lot of machine 2 machine devices that can connect (think things like OnStar in cars or remote automation) that would be prohibitively expensive to simply 'upgrade'

 

1x800 should be good, but there will likely be a need to support legacy 1900 CDMA devices for quite some time.

 

 At some point the business case will change, but as long as the bulk of Sprint is using CDMA, it probably makes sense how they have it.

[telefunken]

And replace it with what? The natural evolution is VOLTE but Sprint does not have the tower densification to pull that off yet. For now Sprint has to keep CDMA.

 

I don think any carrier can really pull off densification for proper VoLTE (which is probably why we have seen minimal inter-carrier calling).

[Wireless Junkie]

I don think any carrier can really pull off densification for proper VoLTE (which is probably why we have seen minimal inter-carrier calling).

Verizon being the only CDMA carrier right now with nationwide VoLTE seems to be able to handle it just fine. They have enabled it as default on accounts now and has a very low failure rate. T-Mobile and AT&T of course have the advantage because calls will fall back to their older HSPA networks.

Sprint I hope can come up with a way to facilitate fall back to the 1x network when they implement VoLTE.

[red_dog007]

Verizon being the only CDMA carrier right now with nationwide VoLTE seems to be able to handle it just fine. They have enabled it as default on accounts now and has a very low failure rate. T-Mobile and AT&T of course have the advantage because calls will fall back to their older HSPA networks.

Sprint I hope can come up with a way to facilitate fall back to the 1x network when they implement VoLTE.

I was thinking that Sprint might wait a bit longer.  VZW doesn't shut down 1x until 2020, I could see Sprint waiting till into 2018. 

 

I think Sprint will strike some VoLTE roaming agreement that they use as fallback instead of handing calls off to 1x.  So they will wait to do VoLTE for a while to minimize how much roaming they payout and to give time for their current network to improve.

 

VZW is pretty solid, but they too will lose a lot of coverage once CDMA gets turned off unless they work on expanding around their cell edges  or places with poor terrain.