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Sprint announces that Baltimore is now formally launched, as well as some other communities in already launched markets


S4GRU

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by Robert Herron

Sprint 4G Rollout Updates

Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 7:20 AM MDT

 

Today, Sprint announces they have launched service in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as in Gainesville, Georgia (in the Atlanta/Athens market) and Manhattan, Kansas and Sedalia, Missouri (in the Kansas market).

 

However, S4GRU members have been reporting LTE service has been usable for weeks in these locations. Additionally, coverage showed up at coverage.sprint.com last Thursday. Service around Baltimore is pretty patchy, but better than some of the other launch markets on Launch Day. Additionally, there is a lone site in Annapolis for Sprint LTE customers to use while in Maryland's Capital City.

 

S4GRU Writer, AJ Shepherd, was in Manhattan, Kansas last Friday and reported good to spotty coverage. Good performance was observed in areas with good signal.

 

See the Sprint Press Release below:

 

 

Sprint continues nationwide 4G LTE expansion, adding four more cities to broaden its coverage

 

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), August 29, 2012 - Sprint (NYSE:S) today introduced its 4G LTE high-speed data network to customers in Baltimore, Md., Gainesville, Ga., Manhattan/Junction City, Kan., and Sedalia, Mo. Additionally, Sprint customers in Baltimore, Boston and Washington, D.C., are beginning to enjoy the benefits of Sprint’s all-new 3G service – which is expected to deliver an exceptionally clear signal, better in-building coverage and fewer dropped/blocked calls.

Sprint was the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G service in 2008, and today’s 3G/4G network improvements mark another step forward in the company’s overall network strategy, known as Network Vision.

 

According to a CTIA survey of wireless customers, wireless data traffic increased 123 percent from 2010 to 2011. Network Vision is specifically designed to meet the growing 3G and 4G LTE network demands of wireless subscribers. People want to use their smartphones, tablets and wireless hotspots where they live, work and play.

 

“Our customers are enjoying new applications and devices that increase the demand for mobile data,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “The network build-out – that today is playing out in four new cities – will provide nothing less than a state-of-the art network platform for the next generation of customers. Customers across the country will begin to experience better 3G service on their devices and will be able to take advantage of 4G LTE on cutting-edge devices as we continue to launch more cities.”

 

In Baltimore, customers will begin to see 4G LTE signals in the Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Federal Hill and Pikesville areas – with more sites being turned on in the days and weeks ahead. With the addition of 4G LTE and the upgrades to 3G service, the Sprint network in these areas can handle more voice and data traffic. Today’s network upgrades are expected to make sending text messages, surfing the Web, sharing photos, and streaming music and videos easier, faster and more reliable.

 

As consumers all over the country are becoming more dependent on their smartphones, network quality is becoming more important. In addition to Baltimore, Sprint is aggressively improving the 3G experience city by city. Today, customers in Boston and Washington, D.C., should also notice improved 3G cell coverage, reduced roaming and faster data speeds. The work to build Sprint’s all-new network will continue in other markets across the country. Sherman-Dennison, Texas, is expected to see 4G LTE service in the weeks ahead.

 

In today’s competitive wireless market, the value of unlimited has never been more apparent. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).

 

During the past several years, Sprint has been working hard to deliver the best customer experience. The 2012 American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Building an all-new network is the linchpin to make Sprint the company customers want to do business with.

 

Sprint 4G LTE made its debut in 15 cities on July 15, and the company plans to introduce more markets to the network in 2012. By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the build-out of its all-new 4G LTE and 3G nationwide network. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

 

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 56 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

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Checking the Sprint 'official' map of coverage is notoriously useless, in my experience. Sprint would seem to be less than forthcoming about its significant accomplishments, and appears to be working hard to minimize expectations. Maybe that's a good idea; like saying "It will be at least two weeks before we can get to you", when there's the likelihood of whatever you need being done in the next day or two. Lower expectations often lead to lower pressure and fewer gripes when the expectations don't materialize. HOWEVER, I am waiting for Sprint to turn on the service in the Austin area before I invest in a new phone for my wife, and some idea of a time-frame for launch would really benefit their sales, if others are like I am. Just sayin'.

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Boston's 3G got upgraded!? Where!? In somerville which is about 10-15 minutes north of Boston and the 3G is like dialup at best... ugh... i'm getting 579/22k on my Evo LTE

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Boston's 3G got upgraded!? Where!? In somerville which is about 10-15 minutes north of Boston and the 3G is like dialup at best... ugh... i'm getting 579/22k on my Evo LTE

 

It is being upgraded one site at a time and nowhere near complete. You know this.

 

Robert

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It is being upgraded one site at a time and nowhere near complete. You know this.Robert

 

I like how they make it sound like the flipped a switch for the whole Boston market today to upgrade the 3G speeds. Fools.

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I like how they make it sound like the flipped a switch for the whole Boston market today to upgrade the 3G speeds. Fools.

 

Yeah, Sprint releasing PR's like that is not a good idea, IMHO. Because when people can clearly see that their 3G speeds have not improved, they think that Sprint's upgrade is not what it's cracked up to be. THey should take an extra sentence explaining a little more about the 3G upgrades. :tu:

 

Robert

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Or quote this site... we are happier knowing exactly what is going on and how it will be accomplished, then being sold a bag of hopes and promises that would let us down. If they said that "We have upgraded 50% of the towers to enhance the 3G experience of our customers in Boston, and will be deploying our 4G LTE in the coming months" people would understand just fine, and not think they were lying. But since my degree is in economics and not in PR, I'll shut up and go back to my math and statistics.

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Or quote this site... we are happier knowing exactly what is going on and how it will be accomplished, then being sold a bag of hopes and promises that would let us down. If they said that "We have upgraded 50% of the towers to enhance the 3G experience of our customers in Boston, and will be deploying our 4G LTE in the coming months" people would understand just fine, and not think they were lying. But since my degree is in economics and not in PR, I'll shut up and go back to my math and statistics.

 

Can't argue with such a reasonable and intelligent approach. Sprint should adopt this style right away. However, I do not have a PR or marketing background, either.

 

Robert

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Any updates on when Sprint will being to flip the LTE switch in the DC market(i live in PG Co)? i have notice a different like to the tower across from my apartment complex.

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guvnDMV, you at in the Baltimore market. You will receive lte soon as Sprint hasn't completed the upgrade to all the towers yet. If you noticed a difference in that tower, then it's likely

that's it's being upgraded right now.

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Any updates on Austin LTE lainch?

 

As far as I know, work still has not started in Austin.

 

Any updates on when Sprint will being to flip the LTE switch in the DC market(i live in PG Co)? i have notice a different like to the tower across from my apartment complex.

 

English please. :)

 

Kidding aside, the details per market are kept here http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/212-network-visionlte-deployment-running-list/ and Robert has DC's expected launch date as October.

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So, Baltimore is "Formally Launched" for the Inner Harbor Tourist, Lawyers living in the Condos by the Inner Harbor and the celebrity living in Fells Point known as Michael Phelps. I can pick up 4G LTE if I stand in one spot at my job's parking lot (Main Post Office downtown Baltimore) and in front of Giant in the Parkville Shopping Center everywhere else is Slow 3G.

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Any updates on Austin LTE lainch?

 

It's funny you should ask. I am planning an article in the morning. Good news. :tu:

 

Robert

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Any updates on when Sprint will being to flip the LTE switch in the DC market(i live in PG Co)? i have notice a different like to the tower across from my apartment complex.

 

Still actively being deployed. Since they didn't announce the market soon, I think the earliest they will launch DC market is Mid to late October.

 

Robert

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So, Baltimore is "Formally Launched" for the Inner Harbor Tourist, Lawyers living in the Condos by the Inner Harbor and the celebrity living in Fells Point known as Michael Phelps. I can pick up 4G LTE if I stand in one spot at my job's parking lot (Main Post Office downtown Baltimore) and in front of Giant in the Parkville Shopping Center everywhere else is Slow 3G.

 

Yes, and more and more sites will be added every week. You are in a much better position than most of us.

 

Robert

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I can honestly say that living 15 minutes from the Inner Harbor, that service is spotty at best. I did get decent on again and off again LTE in Columbia, MD where I work. I do see improvement and it will get better for sure.

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I was in Jessup, MD(howard Co. MD) today switched my SGS III to LTE/CDMA and get a good singal when i finally did notice it was on, wasn't able to do a speed test

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In launched areas, service is still being deployed. There will be more coverage and the LTE service will get better and better every week until the entire market is complete.

 

Robert, S4GRU.com

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I was in the Baltimore area today (Sonics on Liberty Rd) and conducted four speed tests. Results are as follows:

 

(Download/Upload/Ping)

 

1. 26.67 Mbps/6.52 Mbps/54 ms

2. 32.71 Mbps/6.17 Mbps/59 ms

3. 26.92 Mbps/8.50 Mbps/55 ms

4. 23.49 Mbps/9.56 Mbps/50 ms

 

I tried to load a pic of the last test, but didn't work.

 

John

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BTW - I'm John. I'm new to the site, and to Sprint as you can tell by my user name. Good to meet you all.John

 

Thanks for you reports and welcome to S4GRU!

 

Robert

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