Official Tmobile-Sprint merger discussion thread

[BlueAngel]

16 hours ago, dkyeager said:

I hope they have started to use their data for this. Plenty of Samsung S20 users had netter Sprint service and non-existent T-Mobile service in some cases.

In my experience in my area they're pretty evenly matched, and now with 5G my experience has only gotten better.

[IrwinshereAgain]

1 hour ago, RedSpark said:

True. However, the number of 5G customers is going to ramp up substantially once the iPhone 5G is released this fall so they need to be ready for that when it drops.

It looks like there will be a number of 5G midrange phones released this fall also.

[Paynefanbro]

3 hours ago, bigsnake49 said:

I will keep repeating myself, I hope they prioritize the integration of the LTE network over the deployment of 5G. There are not a lot of S20 customers right now and probably close to 120M of LTE customers. Give your current customers a reason to stay by optimizing access to both networks for customers.

I don't think it's an either-or situation. This isn't like the transition from 2G to 3G networks to 3G networks to LTE. LTE and 5G go hand in hand. T-Mobile will likely employ DSS before year end and the more spectrum they have online for LTE, the more spectrum they'll have online for 5G. The only work being done right now that strictly benefits 5G users is the deployment of n41 and mmWave 5G.

[dkyeager]

On 6/12/2020 at 11:31 AM, bigsnake49 said:

I will keep repeating myself, I hope they prioritize the integration of the LTE network over the deployment of 5G. There are not a lot of S20 customers right now and probably close to 120M of LTE customers. Give your current customers a reason to stay by optimizing access to both networks for customers.

5G is the focus because it is really the only item that is required by the FCC for the merger. We could say the speed targets are related to density, but could also be achieved by reducing the number of customers. Doubt the later is their plan, but if T-Mobile/Sprint becomes the next Sprint/Nextel merger...

[bigsnake49]

19 hours ago, dkyeager said:

5G is the focus because it is really the only item that is required by the FCC for the merger. We could say the speed targets are related to density, but could also be achieved by reducing the number of customers. Doubt the later is their plan, but if T-Mobile/Sprint becomes the next Sprint/Nextel merger...

You could end up with an empty 5G network and a overcrowded 4G network and then you will have to subsidize your customers moving to  5G handsets. You better be able to share your M-MIMO between LTE and NR either through EN-DC or through DSS or you will have a lot of unhappy Sprint customers. You also better integrate band 2/25 quickly.

Edited June 14, 2020 by bigsnake49

[dkyeager]

2 hours ago, bigsnake49 said:

You could end up with an empty 5G network and a overcrowded 4G network and then you will have to subsidize your customers moving to  5G handsets. You better be able to share your M-MIMO between LTE and NR either through EN-DC or through DSS or you will have a lot of unhappy Sprint customers. You also better integrate band 2/25 quickly.

Don't disagree, but not required by the FCC.

[radem]

18 hours ago, bigsnake49 said:

You could end up with an empty 5G network and a overcrowded 4G network and then you will have to subsidize your customers moving to  5G handsets. You better be able to share your M-MIMO between LTE and NR either through EN-DC or through DSS or you will have a lot of unhappy Sprint customers. You also better integrate band 2/25 quickly.

Unloaded 5G and overloaded 4G is unlikely to be in place for long since most customers replace their mobile phones every couple years.  As new phones come out that support 5G and the phone makers stop making phones that do not support 5G, customers will naturally purchase new 5G enabled phones thus moving themselves to 5G.  I would expect greater than 2% of customers will move to 5G each month over the next couple years as new phones are purchased by customers.  This mass migration to 5G may not start until this fall when all the flagship models will support 5G but when it does, it will be unstoppable.

[Terrell352]

Unloaded 5G and overloaded 4G is unlikely to be in place for long since most customers replace their mobile phones every couple years.  As new phones come out that support 5G and the phone makers stop making phones that do not support 5G, customers will naturally purchase new 5G enabled phones thus moving themselves to 5G.  I would expect greater than 2% of customers will move to 5G each month over the next couple years as new phones are purchased by customers.  This mass migration to 5G may not start until this fall when all the flagship models will support 5G but when it does, it will be unstoppable.

Somebody talk to me here. Is this massive mimo or mmwave?

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[bigsnake49]

31 minutes ago, Terrell352 said:

Somebody talk to me here. Is this massive mimo or mmwave?

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MMwave, the NR41 and B41 MMIMO panels are a bit bigger than that but still square.

[clbowens]

On 6/11/2020 at 5:01 PM, RedSpark said:

Neat!

Anybody here part of the lucky 1M?  Or anybody notice any differences today?

[S4GRU]

1 hour ago, bigsnake49 said:

MMwave, the NR41 and B41 MMIMO panels are a bit bigger than that but still square.

I don't know.  The n41 panels Sprint/Ericsson use in Kansas City, Houston and Atlanta are pretty small and squarish like this one.  Is Tmo re-using any Sprint equipment?

Robert

[Terrell352]

I don't know.  The n41 panels Sprint/Ericsson use in Kansas City, Houston and Atlanta are pretty small and squarish like this one.  Is Tmo re-using any Sprint equipment?
Robert

Nope not in my market. There was no massive mimo in the county and if it was it would be Ericsson.

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[S4GRU]

7 minutes ago, Terrell352 said:

Nope not in my market. There was no massive mimo in the county and if it was it would be Ericsson.

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Not all antennas are made by the Network Vendor OEM's.  Antenna panels can be pretty agnostic.  It's possible to use the same 2.5GHz antenna panel with Nokia as Ericsson as another vendor.  So long as the radio is separate and not integral.

So it could be possible that Tmo is taking NR41 panels from Sprint installs (anywhere in the country) and re-using them.  And if not reusing them (anywhere in the country), reallocating units that had not been installed anywhere yet or were in the supply chain, and resending them out to new installs.  I'm not saying they are reusing Sprint NR41 antenna panels.  I do not know.  But I am wondering.

Robert

[Terrell352]

Not all antennas are made by the Network Vendor OEM's.  Antenna panels can be pretty agnostic.  It's possible to use the same 2.5GHz antenna panel with Nokia as Ericsson as another vendor.  So long as the radio is separate and not integral.
So it could be possible that Tmo is taking NR41 panels from Sprint installs (anywhere in the country) and re-using them.  And if not reusing them (anywhere in the country), reallocating units that had not been installed anywhere yet or were in the supply chain, and resending them out to new installs.  I'm not saying they are reusing Sprint NR41 antenna panels.  I do not know.  But I am wondering.
Robert

Better ask Tim.

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[mdob07]

I wonder how many markets have the same equipment vendor for both T-Mobile and Sprint. Here in Ky Sprint was Ericsson but T-Mobile is Nokia. I'm assuming they'll stick with the existing T-Mobile vendor for their regions like they've shown in New York.

[Terrell352]

I wonder how many markets have the same equipment vendor for both T-Mobile and Sprint. Here in Ky Sprint was Ericsson but T-Mobile is Nokia. I'm assuming they'll stick with the existing T-Mobile vendor for their regions like they've shown in New York.

For me in Fl both are Ericsson so idk but Sprint does have a ton of Nokia 8t8r just not in my market. Its all Ericsson 8t8r.

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[mdob07]

4 minutes ago, Terrell352 said:

For me in Fl both are Ericsson so idk but Sprint does have a ton of Nokia 8t8r just not in my market. Its all Ericsson 8t8r.

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I'd assume the 8T8R equipment will be of little value to T-Mobile since they're planning on using the spectrum exclusively for N41 I believe. I'd say your area will get either new Ericsson equipment or they'll ship down deinstalled M-MIMO equipment from markets like mine to reuse there. If they do decide to mix equipment we have several co-located sites in Louisville with M-MIMO that was recently installed late last year. Hopefully they thought ahead and ordered the hybrid cabling long enough to leave enough to move the radio to T-Mobile's rack and connect to their ground equipment. Those should be very fast to retrofit I would think if they go that route.

[dro1984]

1 hour ago, clbowens said:

Anybody here part of the lucky 1M?  Or anybody notice any differences today?

Yes, me too!   I'm wonder who the 1 million customers are and what sort of handsets they have? 

[mdob07]

Any word on the Shentel situation yet? I thought they only had so many days to make a decision after the merger closed. 

[dro1984]

There's a lot of unanswered questions... Shentel, the Dish situation... network conversion etc...

Later this week there are investor firm meetings and I'm sure most of that will be brought up.   I will listen in to find out what's going on and how far along they are in their network work.  

[floorguy]

2 hours ago, clbowens said:

Anybody here part of the lucky 1M?  Or anybody notice any differences today?

So maybe me??? I just got some S20s, a + and a few ultras.. I have a business account, so i am running 2 phones side by side right now.. an ultra and note 8.

The ultra has me pretty much parked on TMO... now I was a bit worried, because some spots around me were ehhhh.... BUT my short experience.. Has been good.. even in somewhat iffy coverage.. Sprint was 5.41 and .37 on band 25 with about a -107 reading, and TMO on band 12 and a -107, it was 32 and 2.. the difference in the 2 loading speed test was very noticeable to..

I have some screen shots, but need to remember the easiest way to get them off my phone to here.

Oh and the utah area must have the 5G turned on.. I thought it was a ploy like att seeing the 5g icon, but when i went through a carwash.. it dropped the 5G and showed LTE until I came out...  So there"s that

Oh and I pulled a 413\51 on 5g Band 2 with a  -71 reading  VS 78\10 -86 reading.. I think they were both on the same tower... about 100 yds away. I know it was a sprint tower, but no others were insight

 

 

 

[Trip]

1 hour ago, mdob07 said:

Any word on the Shentel situation yet? I thought they only had so many days to make a decision after the merger closed. 

They have 180 days to negotiate, which is until about 10/1.  Then 60 days for T-Mobile to buy out Shentel (until about 12/1), then 60 days for Shentel to buy out T-Mobile (until about 2/1), then if all else fails, T-Mobile has two years after that to shut down its network in Shentel territory.

I'm assuming they'll come to terms, good or bad, before all of that plays out.

- Trip

[iansltx]

45 minutes ago, floorguy said:

So maybe me??? I just got some S20s, a + and a few ultras.. I have a business account, so i am running 2 phones side by side right now.. an ultra and note 8.

The ultra has me pretty much parked on TMO... now I was a bit worried, because some spots around me were ehhhh.... BUT my short experience.. Has been good.. even in somewhat iffy coverage.. Sprint was 5.41 and .37 on band 25 with about a -107 reading, and TMO on band 12 and a -107, it was 32 and 2.. the difference in the 2 loading speed test was very noticeable to..

I have some screen shots, but need to remember the easiest way to get them off my phone to here.

Oh and the utah area must have the 5G turned on.. I thought it was a ploy like att seeing the 5g icon, but when i went through a carwash.. it dropped the 5G and showed LTE until I came out...  So there"s that

Oh and I pulled a 413\51 on 5g Band 2 with a  -71 reading  VS 78\10 -86 reading.. I think they were both on the same tower... about 100 yds away. I know it was a sprint tower, but no others were insight

 

 

 

Dial *#0011# and see what that info says. You may not have actually had 5G, as the indicator will show up when the anchor band is available. If you went into the car wash, you probably dropped from B2/66 (which can serve as an anchor band) to B12 (which can't).

Now, if you're pulling 413/51 on "band 2", that sounds like n41 with band 2 as the anchor.

[iansltx]

So, the Galaxy A71 5G will be available this Friday, running $600 at full price, or significantly less via lease or promos. Still not *cheap*, but well down-market of the OP8/S20, so the "please switch to 5G" subsidy can be less while getting more people on the network.

The A51 5G will also be out this summer, and that'll sell at a discount vs. the A71. I'm betting we see the A51 crack $500, as the non-3G version is under $300.

Both the A51 and the A71 support n41, so that band won't be the province of flagships for long at all.

[RedSpark]

3 hours ago, clbowens said:

Anybody here part of the lucky 1M?  Or anybody notice any differences today?

I haven't noticed any difference yet.

How could I tell on an iPhone?