Network Vision/LTE - Boston Market (all of Massachusetts)

[jamisonshaw125]

I live in Boxborough 01719. Band 26 is available here. Not too strong but it's here.

 

I am a newb to all of this. Is Band 26 the latest and greatest?

For signal propogation, yes. Better indoor penetration. Longer range. etc. B41 is for speeds and capacity. 

[Loticdescant77]

My coverage in western mass seems to have gotten worse again. I am using a n5 and LTE is sparse. In downtown Springfield area its spotty. Actually spotty best describes it everywhere here in western mass. The network must be under a heavy load as speeds are all over the place. I know back haul issues are a concern but how long does it take? Anyone else experiencing the same or better here in western mass?

 

I'm still getting horrible speeds here in Western Ma - just did another round of speed tests and my numbers range from:

26.8 kB/s - 78.6 kB/s download

and

15.9 kB/s - 66.2 kB/s upload

 

Slower than a 56K dial up modem...

 

But it's an improvement over how it was back in January when I was getting from 1.7 kB/s - 63.2 kB/s down.

 

I'm going to take a ride tomorrow and see how the towers are near the pike.

[dnicekid]

I'm still getting horrible speeds here in Western Ma - just did another round of speed tests and my numbers range from:

26.8 kB/s - 78.6 kB/s download

and

15.9 kB/s - 66.2 kB/s upload

 

Slower than a 56K dial up modem...

 

But it's an improvement over how it was back in January when I was getting from 1.7 kB/s - 63.2 kB/s down.

 

I'm going to take a ride tomorrow and see how the towers are near the pike.

I wonder how long its going to take to catch up with the boys out east.. Starting to really second guess myself now that everyone else has again jumped ahead...

Our "new" network will just be "catching up"  once again  smh....

[dmchssc]

Apparently, Sprint will finally have 4G service underground on the T soon.

 

http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/05/30/mbta-wireless-connection-insite-partners-with-verizon-att-t-mobile-comcast/

 

The fact that they listed Sprint and T-Mobile in the same gives me doubts (do they think they're already one company?), but if this is true, I'm going to be pretty happy. This has been one of my only gripes with Sprint here.

[mikejeep]

Apparently, Sprint will finally have 4G service underground on the T soon.

 

http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/05/30/mbta-wireless-connection-insite-partners-with-verizon-att-t-mobile-comcast/

 

The fact that they listed Sprint and T-Mobile in the same gives me doubts (do they think they're already one company?), but if this is true, I'm going to be pretty happy. This has been one of my only gripes with Sprint here.

I thought I read a similar article a few months ago, but maybe not. In any case, it's good news. Verizon already seems to have solid 3G just about everywhere I have been on the Red and Green lines, as that's who I usually get bumped to once I go underground.

 

I think the author lumped Sprint and Tmo together in that list simply because the details were same for both providers. I don't think it was meant to infer anything else.

 

-Mike

[BrevardNole]

I posted a few pages back about a lack of LTE coverage in a large portion of the MetroWest area. I contacted them today regarding a loss of even 3G service at my home during the past week or so. Turns out they are upgrading the towers nearby for NV. Scheduled to be completed by tomorrow. I didn't get details on what actual work was being done, though. The coverage maps have been updated already.

[Kevster1321]

I picked up band 26 today in Sturbridge, MA

[mikejeep]

I picked up band 26 today in Sturbridge, MA

 

I've been catching glimpses of B26 here and there, mostly on 495 northwest of Boston.. but I have yet to see any Band 41, has anyone?

 

-Mike

[dmchssc]

I've been catching glimpses of B26 here and there, mostly on 495 northwest of Boston.. but I have yet to see any Band 41, has anyone?

 

-Mike

 

I looked through my SignalCheck log the other day, and apparently my phone connected to a few Band 41 towers in West Natick and Framingham about a month ago while I was on a train to Worcester. I think I was on the .15 radio.

 

Thanks for such a useful tool!

Edited June 23, 2014 by dmchssc

[jamesinclair]

Went to visit ym dad this weekend in Winchester.

 

Saddened to see that his house and the surrounding area have no 4G LTE.

 

His house had WIMAX, so even though the terrain is hilly, and theres many trees, if WIMAX could propogate, LTE damn well should be able to.

 

On the other hand, I was very surprised and very impressed that I was able to ride the T from JP to Alewfie (orange then red), and have an excellent voice and data signal the entire time. In days past, I would have to time my call while riding over the Charles to get picked up at Alewife. Now thats no longer an issue.

[mikejeep]

Went to visit ym dad this weekend in Winchester.

 

Saddened to see that his house and the surrounding area have no 4G LTE.

 

His house had WIMAX, so even though the terrain is hilly, and theres many trees, if WIMAX could propogate, LTE damn well should be able to.

 

On the other hand, I was very surprised and very impressed that I was able to ride the T from JP to Alewfie (orange then red), and have an excellent voice and data signal the entire time. In days past, I would have to time my call while riding over the Charles to get picked up at Alewife. Now thats no longer an issue.

 

I'm a bit surprised that you didn't have LTE in Winchester; looking at the map, there are only two sites that might cover that area that are not 4G-accepted. But they might not be broadcasting for some reason; I know there was one site up the road in Tewksbury that was 4G-accepted for 6+ months before it started broadcasting a couple of weeks ago.

 

Are you saying you had excellent data coverage underground? I was on the Red and Green lines a few times last month and was roaming on Verizon 1X the entire time; I know work has been ongoing to add more service underground, it would be a nice surprise if there were already results.

 

-Mike

[jamesinclair]

I'm a bit surprised that you didn't have LTE in Winchester; looking at the map, there are only two sites that might cover that area that are not 4G-accepted. But they might not be broadcasting for some reason; I know there was one site up the road in Tewksbury that was 4G-accepted for 6+ months before it started broadcasting a couple of weeks ago.

 

Are you saying you had excellent data coverage underground? I was on the Red and Green lines a few times last month and was roaming on Verizon 1X the entire time; I know work has been ongoing to add more service underground, it would be a nice surprise if there were already results.

 

-Mike

 

I thought hed have LTE because the map shows the closest site as 4G accepted, but I guess its not broadcasting. He lives at the western edge of town, near Lexington.

 

Yes, I had excellent underground coverage on the moving trains.

 

It did alternate between native and roaming, but the roaming was still usable for what I was doing (just reading through a text forum)

[irev210]

I've been catching glimpses of B26 here and there, mostly on 495 northwest of Boston.. but I have yet to see any Band 41, has anyone?

 

-Mike

 

I'm able to pick up a weak B26 signal in brookline.

 

No B41 anywhere

 

I am hoping Sprint picks up the pace because B25 is getting really taxed in and around Boston.

[irev210]

So I am picking up Band 26 in downtown Boston now (back bay).

 

I just put the latest Nexus 5 modem on (android L preview) and it's definitely having issues with the way it is currently tuned.  When I can connect to B26 in the office, I get two bars (RSRP of -108dB) but falls back to band 25, then falls back to 3G.

 

Time to mess with settings...

 

Man... this needs to work.  For the first time ever I am getting reliable LTE in my office.

 

B26 is a game changer.

 

So, looks like I just fall from Band 26 to Band 25 because the signal jumps around, then Band 25 gets too weak and falls to 3G.

 

Band 26, when I can hold it, gives me a nice 10mbit.  Band 25 is so overcrowded in downtown boston that it doesn't work.  3G is offering 200kbit/sec.

 

Hopefully Sprint can tune this up and get this balanced out.  Seems like they are close.

[mikejeep]

So I am picking up Band 26 in downtown Boston now (back bay)...

 

So, looks like I just fall from Band 26 to Band 25 because the signal jumps around, then Band 25 gets too weak and falls to 3G...

 

Hopefully Sprint can tune this up and get this balanced out. Seems like they are close.

I have been seeing B26 pop up more and more north of the city. Others with inside info have stated that they are turning it on as quickly as they can but broadcasting at a low power until the site is optimized. That makes sense from what I have seen (weaker B26 than B25 from the same site). They are getting there.. from the reports on here, it's awesome when B25 and B26 are fully operational, not to mention B41..

 

-Mike

[S4GRU]

Recently a source mentioned to me there will be 70 B41 sites live in the Boston area before the end of July. Party time!

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[mikejeep]

Recently a source mentioned to me there will be 70 B41 sites live in the Boston area before the end of July. Party time!

That is great news! I have yet to see a single hint of B41 around here, so that is a huge step. Thanks for the heads up, Robert!

 

-Mike

[irev210]

Recently a source mentioned to me there will be 70 B41 sites live in the Boston area before the end of July. Party time!

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

 

Oh this is fantastic news!

 

I have been waiting for B41 for a LONG time

 

Thx for the heads up.  I will start monitoring for B41 availability.  There is one old Clearwire site that isn't an overlay with sprint where I live.  It fills in a critical deadzone and I've been waiting a long long time for them to convert it

 

Coverage around my home will go up significantly!

[irev210]

I have been seeing B26 pop up more and more north of the city. Others with inside info have stated that they are turning it on as quickly as they can but broadcasting at a low power until the site is optimized. That makes sense from what I have seen (weaker B26 than B25 from the same site). They are getting there.. from the reports on here, it's awesome when B25 and B26 are fully operational, not to mention B41..

 

-Mike

 

I am on the same serving cell and it works just fine in respect to signal.  I see a solid -15dBm improvement when it falls down to B26.

 

The issue is that it idles on B25.  When B25 is too weak, it drops to 3G and then obviously wont work on B26.

 

I think the solution is to have tri-band devices idle on B26 and shift to B25 on an active data session.  It seems like it would also help improve battery life as well since there is obviously a much stronger signal.

[S4GRU]

I am on the same serving cell and it works just fine in respect to signal.  I see a solid -15dBm improvement when it falls down to B26.

 

The issue is that it idles on B25.  When B25 is too weak, it drops to 3G and then obviously wont work on B26.

 

I think the solution is to have tri-band devices idle on B26 and shift to B25 on an active data session.  It seems like it would also help improve battery life as well since there is obviously a much stronger signal.

 

If the B25 neighboring cells was configured properly for B26, it would probably hand you off to B26 when B25 gets too weak.  Instead when you start to lose your B25 connection, it runs through neighboring cells and doesn't see a B26 to hand you off to.  So it sends you to 3G and then won't even scan B26 again until your LTE rescan timer runs through its cycle.  After that is over, you would likely pick up B26 again on its own.  But most people just cycle airplane mode to force a scan.

 

When B26 is fully optimized in your area, the neighboring cells will be properly configured.  As I understand it, pre-B26 optimization, they just use the same neighboring cells on B26 as they do on B25.  But since B26 propagates much better, the B25 neighboring cells needs to have their lists expanded to include many more B26 sectors that they would never have been able to connect to on B25.  So it will get better in time.

 

Robert

[irev210]

If the B25 neighboring cells was configured properly for B26, it would probably hand you off to B26 when B25 gets too weak.  Instead when you start to lose your B25 connection, it runs through neighboring cells and doesn't see a B26 to hand you off to.  So it sends you to 3G and then won't even scan B26 again until your LTE rescan timer runs through its cycle.  After that is over, you would likely pick up B26 again on its own.  But most people just cycle airplane mode to force a scan.

 

When B26 is fully optimized in your area, the neighboring cells will be properly configured.  As I understand it, pre-B26 optimization, they just use the same neighboring cells on B26 as they do on B25.  But since B26 propagates much better, the B25 neighboring cells needs to have their lists expanded to include many more B26 sectors that they would never have been able to connect to on B25.  So it will get better in time.

 

Robert

 

 

Yeah, I figure they have a lot of work to do.

 

The phone can't seem to stay on Band 26 when B26 and B25 are on the same serving cell.  It will fall up to B25, lose B25, flip to another B25 serving cell that doesn't seem to have B26 yet, then flip down to B26 and eventually fall to EVDO and park there.

 

Once they get things ironed out, I am a witness that -15dBm of signal improvement in urban areas is easily doable.  Once fully built-out, it seems like any area around Boston that had marginal service (say 1 bar) will instantly have 3 bars.

 

I am really glad that B26 is available and B41 is right behind B26.  B25 is absolutely smoked at this point in many areas of high traffic/usage.  Once all three bands are up and running, it seems like it will be hard to complain.

[ahecht]

I just got some b26 in Wilmington. Previously I lost 4G when going inside my apartment, but now I get 1 bar of 4G.

 

[Paynefanbro]

I'm picking up Band 41 in the Forever 21 by the Prudential Center. It's running at 31 Mbps on a -105dbm signal.

[WiWavelength]

I'm picking up Band 41 in the Forever 21 by the Prudential Center. It's running at 31 Mbps on a -105dbm signal.

 

Just talk like this:  "I pahked the cah in Hahvahd Yahd."  And do not tell anyone that you are from New York.  Otherwise, you might die.

 

You are probably safe there in the Back Bay.  Good area.  Just do not go to Roxbury -- unless you brought your nunchuks, pally.

 

 

AJ

[Paynefanbro]

I picked up Band 41 in Cambridge too. It dropped to Band 26 before I could get a snapshot.