Network Vision/LTE - Colorado Market (Denver/Colo Springs/Fort Collins/Pueblo/Grand Jct)

[CrimsonKnightDX]

Antenna and RRU equipment can't be visible.

Think giant ugly tubes instead of cell towers.

Or hiding one inside a building roof.

Awkwardly thick church cross, anyone?

Thank you for that information, why in the world would they not want to do stuff towers? You would think they want to at least to help out the eyesore of cell towers.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Thank you for that information, why in the world would they not want to do stuff towers? You would think they want to at least to help out the eyesore of cell towers.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

Stealth towers cost more, are usually single carrier (resulting in more "stealth" towers), aren't as good for signal clarity, lower to the ground, cause more heat related issues, and just are a pain to work with. The only ones I don't mind are the fake trees.

 

Highlands ranch also severely limits mounting antennas to buildings.

[CrimsonKnightDX]

Stealth towers cost more, are usually single carrier (resulting in more "stealth" towers), aren't as good for signal clarity, lower to the ground, cause more heat related issues, and just are a pain to work with. The only ones I don't mind are the fake trees.

 

Highlands ranch also severely limits mounting antennas to buildings.

 

Does mounting antennas to buildings have some of the same issues as stealth towers?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

[dwilson6]

1)

Yes, Zayo is handling a bit of the fiber. Most of their connections are from existing network connections to sites. Century Link is also handling quite a bit more connections. It's hard to explain exactly the relationship between the two. Basically, whichever network of fiber is closer gets connected up. Zayo is a bit ahead of CL in this game.

 

2)

Highlands Ranch is tricky because they don't allow non-stealth towers. Good luck telling which sites are which.

 

Yeah, I haven't had a chance to stop by any of the stealth towers recently (which, as you mentioned would not be that useful unless you can see the cabinets).  The couple that I saw aren't technically in Highlands Ranch.  One is on the south-west corner of County Line and University Blvd.  It is a building mounted antenna on the south side of the plastic surgery building.

 

 

Does mounting antennas to buildings have some of the same issues as stealth towers?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

 

Here is a picture of a stealth tower.

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Does mounting antennas to buildings have some of the same issues as stealth towers?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

 Buildings are preferable. Usually taller, in more populated areas, and easier to work on. They can sometimes be a hassle for antenna direction adjustments. Cabinets have to be put on the roof most times which isn't as fun for the techs.

 

Yeah, I haven't had a chance to stop by any of the stealth towers recently (which, as you mentioned would not be that useful unless you can see the cabinets).  The couple that I saw aren't technically in Highlands Ranch.  One is on the south-west corner of County Line and University Blvd.  It is a building mounted antenna on the south side of the plastic surgery building.

 

 

 

Here is a picture of a stealth tower.

I believe I have been to that exact site.

[CrimsonKnightDX]

Sweet! Thanks guys for the answers and info, I Appreciate it!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

[DjQball]

Has anyone noticed bad connectivity today for 3g throughout the metro area? I remember someone saying that happens when they light up a new tower, but can't recall if that was accurate or not. This is me being hopeful.

 

Alternatively, maybe my phone is just boning out, which would suck.

[Cloaker]

Nope. I was having serious issues yesterday.

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

 

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Has anyone noticed bad connectivity today for 3g throughout the metro area? I remember someone saying that happens when they light up a new tower, but can't recall if that was accurate or not. This is me being hopeful.

 

Alternatively, maybe my phone is just boning out, which would suck.

Nope, that's not really how it works.

 

Nope. I was having serious issues yesterday.

 

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

Just part of the process, especially with weather moving in. 

[CrimsonKnightDX]

The weather slows it down right, but it doesn't come to a stop when we have a snowy day in colorado like today... Is that correct?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

[Dkoellerwx]

The weather slows it down right, but it doesn't come to a stop when we have a snowy day in colorado like today... Is that correct?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

Most on tower work likely comes to a stop, but work can continue on the ground, though at a much slower pace as well. Depends on the magnitude of the storm. Often these contractors are paid on a site by site basis, so the more they get done, the better for them. Just depends on how badly they want that paycheck!

[crd3818]

Hey all! So I just went to Safeway off 38th and Sheridan and had an LTE signal for about three seconds. Not ideal, but hopeful for sure. There is a tower right there in the lot containing the new equipment. I am still a noob here, so try not to be too harsh on my question; once an LTE signal pops up near a tower, has there been a noticed pattern in regard to a timeframe for it to go live, or is it more a shot in the dark depending on when they can accept the site?

[Craig]

Hey all! So I just went to Safeway off 38th and Sheridan and had an LTE signal for about three seconds. Not ideal, but hopeful for sure. There is a tower right there in the lot containing the new equipment. I am still a noob here, so try not to be too harsh on my question; once an LTE signal pops up near a tower, has there been a noticed pattern in regard to a timeframe for it to go live, or is it more a shot in the dark depending on when they can accept the site?

 

Do you have any way of telling how strong the signal was? Signal Check app or something similar? You may have gotten a weak signal from some other tower that was lost quickly. I've gotten a random, very weak LTE signal on I-70 right near Harlan before. I would bet that your LTE is from some distant tower.

 

As for a time frame for going full time active, everything LTE is on hold for the time due to some switching issues discovered when the tri-band devices were released. If there is an LTE tower ready to go, it will be brought online as the clusters of "fixed" 3G sites are accepted and activated. Consensus is that things are moving along very fast with the switching fix and majority of the towers in the Denver area have the NV equipment installed. Whether or not the upgraded backhaul is in place is another issue, but by the end of Jan, it sounds like a bunch of the 3G clusters should be online, and thus, any additional LTE sites that are ready to go as well. 

[vanhab]

Just activated all 3 LTE bands on my Nexus 5. Wondering if anyone is having any luck connecting to Spark anywhere in the Denver Metro area or if it is even turned on here yet?

[ashirley751]

Just activated all 3 LTE bands on my Nexus 5. Wondering if anyone is having any luck connecting to Spark anywhere in the Denver Metro area or if it is even turned on here yet?

 

I believe the consensus is that it's a bit unlikely at this point for a number of reasons. While theoretically possible there are some other hurdles in the way right now that we've been discussing here over the past 3-4 pages of this thread.

[mjfadaway]

I was driving down Gun Club last night heading towards the Southlands area of Aurora and got an LTE signal somewhere between Jewel and Hampden. I took a couple of screenshots of the speed test I did. By the time I passed Hampden it changed back to 3G

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[chefdementia]

In the morning my 3g service looks like the first picture, but give it a couple hours and it will look like the second picture. Really can't wait for 4g, that and a new phone HTC has really let updates slip on some of their phones.

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

In the morning my 3g service looks like the first picture, but give it a couple hours and it will look like the second picture. Really can't wait for 4g, that and a new phone HTC has really let updates slip on some of their phones.

Not to be a dick about this, but...

1) Your speed tests were taken 5 days apart

2) Based on your locations you are connected to two different towers.

3) The "bad" speedtest is inside a damn mall on a SUNDAY during Christmas shopping season.

4) That upload speed and ping tells me that you are on an overloaded tower (ie, mall)

 

Your test is bad, and you should feel bad.

 

That in mind, I'm still going to look into the issue for you. 

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

In the morning my 3g service looks like the first picture, but give it a couple hours and it will look like the second picture. Really can't wait for 4g, that and a new phone HTC has really let updates slip on some of their phones.

 

Follow up.

1) Your "good" test is literally in the morning shadow of a site. No competition there.

2) The Mesa mall is a deathzone and is very hard to work with. It is directly in between sites and there is (most likely) a sprint store/kiosk repeater inside. Those things are fantastic and hellish at the same time particularly due to signal noise that they generate just outside of their usable range. I have been in that mall several times with multiple carriers and there really isn't much that can be done for any of them. FYI, when I was in there with Verizon I couldn't even send texts in some places.

 

My advice would be to move to a part of the state with running water and indoor toilets.

 

 

 

[ashirley751]

Sensorly is showing somebody mapped LTE by Park Meadows Mall. Between the Costco/Best Buy and 470 westbound. Any thoughts?

 

Not the old hit from the call center by Centennial airport. This one is new, first time I've seen it on the sensorly map and I check that bad boy just about 3 times a day.

[chefdementia]

Didn't realize i posted the mall one, Yes I realize that place sucks. It's not any better from my house, here is one from like 10 minutes ago.

Only reason I'm ever at the mall is for Cabelas and Sears, past that it's a suck hole.

 

[chefdementia]

Follow up.

1) Your "good" test is literally in the morning shadow of a site. No competition there.

2) The Mesa mall is a deathzone and is very hard to work with. It is directly in between sites and there is (most likely) a sprint store/kiosk repeater inside. Those things are fantastic and hellish at the same time particularly due to signal noise that they generate just outside of their usable range. I have been in that mall several times with multiple carriers and there really isn't much that can be done for any of them. FYI, when I was in there with Verizon I couldn't even send texts in some places.

 

My advice would be to move to a part of the state with running water and indoor toilets.

 

 

 

And no I like my outhouses, nothing like a badger trying to bite your "dangley bits" off in the morning to make you wake up

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Didn't realize i posted the mall one, Yes I realize that place sucks. It's not any better from my house, here is one from like 10 minutes ago.

 

Only reason I'm ever at the mall is for Cabelas and Sears, past that it's a suck hole.

Again, the tower is overloaded with connections. High ping + Slow DL + much higher UL = overloaded.

Keep in mind that until that site gets fiber the entire site us most likely sharing 3 T1s. 3xT1 = ~ 4.5 Mbps to share with everyone else. It might be a bigger site and have a T3, but that is still sharing 45 Mbps with everyone. A site that size and location can easily have a few hundred connections rolling. Throw in some people playing pandora, spotify, iheartradio... and it's gone. The old equipment was never designed to prioritize traffic and thus it can't. 

[chefdementia]

Also Merlin did some farmer in the Hotchkiss/Cederedge area really topple a couple towers?

[PA32driver]

Yes, that is my understanding... Except it wasn't a farmer :-) Service it terrible in the Hotchkiss area.

 

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk