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

[CrimsonKnightDX]

I must re examine my entire childhood now that I know Santa lives in Littleton Colorado! 

[Svenska]

Hey all.  It's been fun following this thread for the past few months.  I'm getting cautiously optimistic that we are getting close to the rollout here in Denver.  Got a quick question though, can someone expain what lte "network" we are getting here in Denver?   Are all the lte networks the same or are there more advance versions?  I've been hearing alot about 800/1900/2500Mhz, but not really sure what differences are or they they are implemented.  Thanks (and a particular thanks to Merlin for keeping us updated)

[Craig]

Hey all.  It's been fun following this thread for the past few months.  I'm getting cautiously optimistic that we are getting close to the rollout here in Denver.  Got a quick question though, can someone expain what lte "network" we are getting here in Denver?   Are all the lte networks the same or are there more advance versions?  I've been hearing alot about 800/1900/2500Mhz, but not really sure what differences are or they they are implemented.  Thanks (and a particular thanks to Merlin for keeping us updated)

 

The 8/19/25 you've heard about are all the "same" LTE network. Each band has its own advantages. The 800 band will have better in-building coverage and longer outside coverage, but a lower theoretical peak speed. The 1900 band is a decent compromise between coverage distance and speeds. This is the LTE that single band LTE phones currently utilize. The 2500 band is for short range/high density high speed coverage. If you get a tri-band LTE device, you will be able to utilize all of the bands in the Denver area. We have a very large number of the 2500 sites already active, and the 800 LTE should start going live soon. Maybe someone else has better info about timeframe on that, as well as what the upgrade to LTE Advanced entails and what those benefits will be. 

[asuman1179]

I found the forum the other day and pretty happy to hear we might be close.  I started to give up on Sprint because we are so far behind the race.  I am in Technology and understand how hard it is to get things updated.  It is also hard when your phone can hardly pull and content down from the web!  Thanks for the time people have taken to post what is going on.  It might keep me on Sprint Network a little longer now since it finally seems that we are almost at the Finish line.

[CrimsonKnightDX]

I found the forum the other day and pretty happy to hear we might be close.  I started to give up on Sprint because we are so far behind the race.  I am in Technology and understand how hard it is to get things updated.  It is also hard when your phone can hardly pull and content down from the web!  Thanks for the time people have taken to post what is going on.  It might keep me on Sprint Network a little longer now since it finally seems that we are almost at the Finish line.

 

Not mention with the news that just came in today, about Sprint possibly purchasing T-Mobile in the first half of 2014. Sprint is turning around, and getting everything in motion, especially when you consider Sprint Spark. A little more patience will pay off. Good to have you on the forums!

[ashirley751]

The T-Mobile headline is intriguing. I'll be watching with great interest as well!

[CrimsonKnightDX]

At the Aspen Grove shopping center now, and this place really could benefit from the NV upgrade.

 

Yikes!

 

 

 

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[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Most likely that was our tower location. (Willow St and county line road) Yesterday we had an Ericsson

truck and a guy in the cabinet "room" and some major drops in signal (normally I get 64-84dbm) and for awhile I was getting -125dbm or so. 

 

So during that time someone might of got a hit off the tower.

Unlikely, the switch over is not done on site. But the site may have been down for some other reason. 

 

This is for Merlin. I have been trying to get information on Sprint's 4GLte rollout in Denver for 6 months. Online I found the Sensorly site, and am cranked to see the LTE network moving into the Denver area. Sprint needs to take your article below and publish it for all of Denver to see. You are the first person with the Company I have heard that speaks clearly, answers all of the questions I have, and offer insight on tearing down one infrastructure and replacing it with another, while trying to maintain the current 4G Wimax system. Needless to say, I am cranked. One question, will this new network require the new tri band phones (Samsung Mega,Mini, Htc Mega etc.) to work, or will the 4GLTE Sprint phones on the market work with these new towers? Thanks Santa

Thank you for your kind words. The only way I am even comfortable sharing what I know is because it is unofficial. The people on here are some of the best eyes/ears Sprint could ask for. They are actively seeking and sharing information about a behind schedule project. (BTW blame Samsung).

 

As for your question, see Craig's response below.

 

Hey all.  It's been fun following this thread for the past few months.  I'm getting cautiously optimistic that we are getting close to the rollout here in Denver.  Got a quick question though, can someone expain what lte "network" we are getting here in Denver?   Are all the lte networks the same or are there more advance versions?  I've been hearing alot about 800/1900/2500Mhz, but not really sure what differences are or they they are implemented.  Thanks (and a particular thanks to Merlin for keeping us updated)

see Craig's response below

 

 

The 8/19/25 you've heard about are all the "same" LTE network. Each band has its own advantages. The 800 band will have better in-building coverage and longer outside coverage, but a lower theoretical peak speed. The 1900 band is a decent compromise between coverage distance and speeds. This is the LTE that single band LTE phones currently utilize. The 2500 band is for short range/high density high speed coverage. If you get a tri-band LTE device, you will be able to utilize all of the bands in the Denver area. We have a very large number of the 2500 sites already active, and the 800 LTE should start going live soon. Maybe someone else has better info about timeframe on that, as well as what the upgrade to LTE Advanced entails and what those benefits will be. 

I'm hearing more concrete rumors of a lot of LTE going active in 3 months, with the rest going active in 6.

This is due to the communication barrier between the ALU and Samsung cabs. It has to come up almost all at once or it will be a damn nightmare.

 

At the Aspen Grove shopping center now, and this place really could benefit from the NV upgrade.

 

Yikes!

Ohh, you mean a shopping mall next to an interstate highway 10 days before christmas, running off 3 T1 lines, isn't as fast as your home internet because all the channels were packed with voice calls? I bet parking was just as fast. :-)

 

[CrimsonKnightDX]

Unlikely, the switch over is not done on site. But the site may have been down for some other reason.

 

Thank you for your kind words. The only way I am even comfortable sharing what I know is because it is unofficial. The people on here are some of the best eyes/ears Sprint could ask for. They are actively seeking and sharing information about a behind schedule project. (BTW blame Samsung).

 

As for your question, see Craig's response below.

 

see Craig's response below

 

 

I'm hearing more concrete rumors of a lot of LTE going active in 3 months, with the rest going active in 6.

This is due to the communication barrier between the ALU and Samsung cabs. It has to come up almost all at once or it will be a damn nightmare.

 

Ohh, you mean a shopping mall next to an interstate highway 10 days before christmas, running off 3 T1 lines, isn't as fast as your home internet because all the channels were packed with voice calls? I bet parking was just as fast. :-)

 

 

Actually in context if you would have noticed it was 8 in the morning, and the parking lot wasn't full at all, considering most of the shops were still closed. Also, traffic was light as well... Considering it was ... 8am. Haha! Thus The point being.. This site is dire need of an upgrade badly, and I am sure the customers in this area could appreciate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Actually in context if you would have noticed it was 8 in the morning, and the parking lot wasn't full at all, considering most of the shops were still closed. Also, traffic was light as well... Considering it was ... 8am. Haha! The point being.. This site is dire need of an upgrade.

Is this the 8am that usually has a flood of cars on the highway all using voice lines? 

Every site could use an upgrade. I believe that is the plan? right?

[CrimsonKnightDX]

Is this the 8am that usually has a flood of cars on the highway all using voice lines?

Every site could use an upgrade. I believe that is the plan? right?

 

Absolutely it can use an upgrade, just as many sites can.

 

The point being is . As light as traffic and congestion was in the area, I was shocked to see the data so slow.

 

There was no flood of any traffic I. The area, Santa fe was very light. Different story on a week day... Or later in the day on a Saturday.

 

All that will change once the NV is complete.

 

 

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[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Absolutely it can use an upgrade, just as many sites can.

The point being is . As light as traffic and congestion was in the area, I was shocked to see the data so slow.

There was no flood of any traffic I. The area, Santa fe was very light. Different story on a week day... Or later in the day on a Saturday.

All that will change once the NV is complete.

8am is when the network is slammed. Keep in mind that you are not just competing for tower-phone bandwidth, you are competing with tower-network bandwidth. In a way you are competing with the entire metro area for bandwidth. 8am is when everyone wakes up on the weekend and checks the internet. This is the REAL upgrade of NetVision. LTE is handy for Tower-Phone bandwidth, but the real upgrade is in the network ring that connects them all. Which is just about done :-)

[CrimsonKnightDX]

8am is when the network is slammed. Keep in mind that you are not just competing for tower-phone bandwidth, you are competing with tower-network bandwidth. In a way you are competing with the entire metro area for bandwidth. 8am is when everyone wakes up on the weekend and checks the internet. This is the REAL upgrade of NetVision. LTE is handy for Tower-Phone bandwidth, but the real upgrade is in the network ring that connects them all. Which is just about done :-)

 

Oh wow! Tower network bandwidth is something I had not ever though of heard about. Another reason I love this site. Always learning something new!

 

Thanks for that information Merlin! Always appreciate your insight!

 

 

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[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Oh wow! Tower network bandwidth is something I had not ever though of heard about. Another reason I love this site. Always learning something new!

Like I said earlier. Sprint is the ONLY network that chose not to retrofit their network for LTE. Hench why they are late to the game. 

 

Sprint chose to build a whole NEW network, while also keeping the old one alive. This has huge implications for the future as we eventually move to "5g" (remember that 2500 spectrum, wink). All the other guys will have to do this same process or they will probably be severely limited. 

[CrimsonKnightDX]

Like I said earlier. Sprint is the ONLY network that chose not to retrofit their network for LTE. Hench why they are late to the game.

 

Sprint chose to build a whole NEW network, while also keeping the old one alive. This has huge implications for the future as we eventually move to "5g" (remember that 2500 spectrum, wink). All the other guys will have to do this same process or they will probably be severely limited.

 

Earlier this year I came across at a crossing point. Go with a carrier like Verizon or att, take advantage of faster speeds for a little more money, or stick with sprint, be a little patient , and take advantage of the fruits once the network upgrade is being finished ?

 

 

I came to this site , and realized the future is brighter with sprint, if they can execute it right. If they do.. They will have the advantage.

 

Band 41 and the sprint spark plan make it all worth while. While I do not have a tri band lte device, I my next one will, and I do agree with you, will be better off on the sprint network the I would with the other guys down the road.

 

 

The Aspen Grove shopping center is just like many other sites that will be night and day once the upgrade is complete. The point was.. Man .. I can't wait to see these speeds go from 200k to 10-20x faster. It's going to be well worth it.

 

 

 

 

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[socoking]

Hey guys and gals, im new to this site so work with me. I live in Pueblo West Colo, and wanted to gain some info on lte. I have been waiting patiently for years now and would like to get anyone's input on if we can be expecting it down here, I call sprint and they give me conflicting info. Please help

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Hey guys and gals, im new to this site so work with me. I live in Pueblo West Colo, and wanted to gain some info on lte. I have been waiting patiently for years now and would like to get anyone's input on if we can be expecting it down here, I call sprint and they give me conflicting info. Please help

Welcome, the short answer is "I don't know". But I have personally seen some of the sites in that area and most have been upgraded to NV equipment. So, my guess is 3-6 months.

[DamiusX]

I have what I imagine is a fairly large question, and this may not be the best thread for it, but the last part is specifically referencing the Denver area, so I will post it here and if it needs to be moved to a different thread, please do so.

 

My question pertains to the NV sites completed map.  I check in once in a while to see if anything is new and as I have looked at other cities, I have found that the buildouts look very different as far as which kinds of towers are installed around different cities.

 

Can you explain the reasoning behind cities like Las Vegas and San Diego consisting of almost all 3G/4G sites while cities like Knoxville and St. Louis are almost purely 4G only, and cities like Salt Lake City are an absolute grab bag of 3G, 3G/800, 3G/800/4G, and 3G/4G?  What affects the kinds of antennas that are installed?  Is it purely bandwidth, do geographic features play in, do tall buildings have effects, is population density a consideration?

 

Finally, my question that is Denver specific, what will the Metro Area buildout look like when it is finished (I realize it is never finished, just refering to this phase of buildout).  I notice that CO Springs is a mish-mash, is that what we can expect or will we have pure 4G goodness.

[Dkoellerwx]

I have what I imagine is a fairly large question, and this may not be the best thread for it, but the last part is specifically referencing the Denver area, so I will post it here and if it needs to be moved to a different thread, please do so.

 

My question pertains to the NV sites completed map.  I check in once in a while to see if anything is new and as I have looked at other cities, I have found that the buildouts look very different as far as which kinds of towers are installed around different cities.

 

Can you explain the reasoning behind cities like Las Vegas and San Diego consisting of almost all 3G/4G sites while cities like Knoxville and St. Louis are almost purely 4G only, and cities like Salt Lake City are an absolute grab bag of 3G, 3G/800, 3G/800/4G, and 3G/4G?  What affects the kinds of antennas that are installed?  Is it purely bandwidth, do geographic features play in, do tall buildings have effects, is population density a consideration?

Different vendors in each region. The same equipment (supports PCS CDMA & EVDO, PCS LTE, SMR CDMA, and SMR LTE) is installed at every site.

 

Ericsson covers the south plains into the Southeast. They tend to do 4G only for the most part. Most of their markets are just now catching up on 3G updates (Texas, Florida, Georgia)

 

Samsung, which covers the Upper Plains, Upper Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Colorado, tends to turn everything on as soon as they can. Whether it be 3G, 4G, or 800 CDMA.

 

Alcatel Lucent, which covers the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, as well as the Southwest (Las Vegas, Arizona, Southern California), tends to do 3G only for many months, sometimes 6 months before finally starting to turn on 4G. And only sites that have already had 3G get the 4G update.

 

Finally, my question that is Denver specific, what will the Metro Area buildout look like when it is finished (I realize it is never finished, just refering to this phase of buildout).  I notice that CO Springs is a mish-mash, is that what we can expect or will we have pure 4G goodness.

For Denver, you will see several waves of 3G (red) acceptances, followed by 4G trickling in over the next several days and weeks. it will end up looking like Colorado Springs fairly quickly.

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

800 LTE card spotted in the wild. ;-]

[CrimsonKnightDX]

800 LTE card spotted in the wild. ;-]

 

Where was this at?

 

 

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[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

Where was this at?

85 miles outside of denver, and is currently deactivated but powered up on a full 4g-fiber site. 

 

First one I have seen.

[BarnesShawn]

85 miles outside of denver, and is currently deactivated but powered up on a full 4g-fiber site. 

 

First one I have seen.

 Why would they want these towers deactivated once completed?  Seems to me, Sprint would want to fire these things up as soon as possible as people have been very patiently waiting. 

[AcctDeleted_Merlin]

 Why would they want these towers deactivated once completed?  Seems to me, Sprint would want to fire these things up as soon as possible as people have been very patiently waiting. 

The tower is not deactivated and is running 1900LTE. But there is no point in firing up one 800LTE card when there wont be a network to back it up. It may also be in the testing phase.

[socoking]

Ok, I donated some money to this cause, and really enjoy reading the threads, but it seems also like I can't access some of the other features. Any other help would be good. Again thank you