Network Vision/LTE - Milwaukee Market (including Madison)

[sajanisch]

Ok, I'm a newbie, looking for some feedback as to sprint signal strength availability in the Milwaukee area.

 

I just switched to sprint from AT&T to join a family account with my girlfriend to save money on my monthly bill (old phone was provided thru work, no data provided by work)

 

I have a Samsung Galaxy S3.

 

I work downtown milwaukee area and it seems my 3G is not even that great, if I'm not at a wifi hotspot it seems I can barely do anything data related on this awesome phone.

 

I also spend about 3 nights a week a half hour north of downtown and I'm maybe off the freeway all of 3 miles and from there, even just making a voicecall is a challenge sometimes.

 

Aside from being completely dissappointed and locked into this for two years, I'm looking for any tips or other use experiences to compare to. At this point I'm not even sure what my expectations should be, as to reasonable or not.

 

thanks

[Geekslayer]

I live in southern Minnesota, and I was in the Milwuakee, Racine (Mt Plesant), and Ripon area over Labor day weekend for my daughter's soccer games. The speeds are about what I expected on Sprint's 3G network around 200-600kbps. I really didn't have a problem with signal either, and I was on the phone quite a bit. This area of the site is really focused on Sprint's LTE/Network vision deployment and questions pertaining to that. Which will be coming to your area at some point.

 

btw..I had the GS3 for a short time, but I had signal problems in my area with it. I have the EVO LTE and it's working much better "for me". I loved the GS3 and would have kept it, but if you don't get a signal, you might as well have a WIFI tablet.

 

Welcome to the site.

[sajanisch]

okay, thanks for the feedback, I downloaded speedtest this morning and tried a couple of tests (with my work wifi hotspot off). From my desk I get 217 kbps down and 16 up and seems I have to orient my phone just right to get a signal. The building I work in is pretty much a concrete bunker and I'm about 25 feet from a window. Friday someone left the company, his cubicle is right at the window. Ran a test there, 394 down and 105 up. I can probably live with that, especially with a more consistent signal until LTE arrives. I guess I better inquire about changing offices before someone beats me to it !

 

the technical information on this site is impressive, and at this point mostly over my head, but I'll learn !

Edited September 11, 2012 by sajanisch

[aackmann]

okay, thanks for the feedback, I downloaded speedtest this morning and tried a couple of tests (with my work wifi hotspot off). From my desk I get 217 kbps down and 16 up and seems I have to orient my phone just right to get a signal. The building I work in is pretty much a concrete bunker and I'm about 25 feet from a window. Friday someone left the company, his cubicle is right at the window. Ran a test there, 394 down and 105 up. I can probably live with that, especially with a more consistent signal until LTE arrives. I guess I better inquire about changing offices before someone beats me to it !

 

the technical information on this site is impressive, and at this point mostly over my head, but I'll learn !

 

 

I worked for the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office downtown in the Safety Building and during the daytime, 3g speeds were not good. I usually got like 25kbps download or so. I'm sure it didn't help that the safety building is like a steel trap, but I think that area of downtown Milwaukee is pretty saturated. I've since gone back to my old job in Waukesha where the 3g speeds are pretty good... anywhere from 300kbps to 1.3mbps

 

 

That's just data. I've never had a problem with voice calls with Sprint anywhere I go. Voice is usually fantastic, it's just the data that was slow for me downtown.

[jreuschl]

Hard to be patient waiting for 4G... Everyone else, including US Cellular, has 4G in Milwaukee.

[S4GRU]

Hard to be patient waiting for 4G... Everyone else, including US Cellular, has 4G in Milwaukee.

 

Work will likely start after the New Year. Milwaukee is definitely due.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

 

[pyroscott]

I sense a new beer coming out of Milwaukee when Sprint starts work.

 

[n9ovreric]

 

Work will likely start after the New Year. Milwaukee is definitely due.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

 

I hope soon after they start on the northern part of Wisconsin.

[kory108]

I just got off the phone with Sprint retention, which is where they send you for your account number to transfer to another carrier. They were quite good at giving the number up, and then transfered me to the technical team to get an update on when LTE would be rolling out in Miwaukee.

The tech I talked with stated they do have an ETA to complete the rollout of LTE in Milwaukee of mid July, with a start date in January. This is the first I've heard of an ETA from Sprint, so wanted to let everyone else know. Who knows if this is official or if the tech was just making a guess, but I did state that I hadn't seen any ETAs yet and she was still insistent that these were good.

Either way I wouldn't recommend making a purchase decision based on this if you're not already a Sprint customer, but for those who are stuck in a contract this is a little hopeful news!

[S4GRU]

 

I just got off the phone with Sprint retention, which is where they send you for your account number to transfer to another carrier. They were quite good at giving the number up, and then transfered me to the technical team to get an update on when LTE would be rolling out in Miwaukee.

 

The tech I talked with stated they do have an ETA to complete the rollout of LTE in Milwaukee of mid July, with a start date in January. This is the first I've heard of an ETA from Sprint, so wanted to let everyone else know. Who knows if this is official or if the tech was just making a guess, but I did state that I hadn't seen any ETAs yet and she was still insistent that these were good.

 

Either way I wouldn't recommend making a purchase decision based on this if you're not already a Sprint customer, but for those who are stuck in a contract this is a little hopeful news!

 

This is right in line with the last documents we received regarding the Milwaukee market. So I would say this is likely legit.

 

Robert

[theg00ds0n]

3G speeds have vastly improved in central parts of the city recently. Previously I considered 300kbps down a "good" 3G speed. Now I'm getting about 1.5mbps pretty consistenly. Voice is generally good, except when you're in my apartment. Hopefully the Airave they're sending will help with the voice & txts, I alway use WiFi at home.

[aackmann]

I sense a new beer coming out of Milwaukee when Sprint starts work.

 

 

 

Aww man, don't say that! We don't want our LTE to be watered down!

[n9ovreric]

Now that's funny!

[Jswets]

So it sounds like Milwaukee will be getting some of its towers started with the NV conversion. I am in Waukesha and am wondering if they will start on the outskirts/suburbs of the metro area and work their way to the downtown area. Can't wait till i hear about the first confirmed LTE signals in the area. It has been a long time coming. Milwaukee only had a taste of Wimax with like 1 tower being converted.

[S4GRU]

Someone in the Milwaukee market should start doing permit searches and mapping like our Phoenix members are doing. I bet permitting is already underway.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

 

[aackmann]

Someone in the Milwaukee market should start doing permit searches and mapping like our Phoenix members are doing. I bet permitting is already underway.

 

Robert via Samsung Note II via Tapatalk

 

How would I go about doing those searches? I would have no idea where to start....

[keelerman8042]

 

 

How would I go about doing those searches? I would have no idea where to start....

you can try to search the city's website and try finding permits every city is diffrent with we're they place that information, but that's a good start unless if any one else has any other ways or ideas

[Jswets]

I have checked both Waukesha & Milwaukee County for permit listings. I have found nothing. I do not see any searchable permit listings on the county websites like the Phoenix one. I will check out others and let you all know if i come up with anything.

[Calvin200]

I checked 2 towers and neither have any permits pulled on them. I'm beginning to worry again. What is the normal amount of time they pull out a permit before they start working on a tower?

[Rickie546]

one tower in the market permits

http://www.city.fitchburg.wi.us/departments/cityHall/planning/documents/TFP-1939-12_ADR1778Blizzard.pdf

[kory108]

I tried to find a permit lookup function on http://www.wauwatosa.net but wasn't able to find anything. Would love to root through some of the permits and see what's out there.

[Calvin200]

We have to go in this site and then search by address? Any fast way of getting addresses of sprint tower sites?

Once we get the address we have to go into Department of neighborhood services and see if any permits were pulled for that address.

http://city.milwaukee.gov/DNS

Then go into "property data"

Then scroll down and enter "NSS"

Some didn't even have a registration number.

Suggesitons

[Calvin200]

http://www.city-data...-Wisconsin.html

This one shows locations and names, but not who is broadcasting. In addition to that if it is a sprint tower it doesn't give you an address it gives you something like this "Ml17xc186 E".

Edited January 5, 2013 by Calvin200

[S4GRU]

http://www.city-data...-Wisconsin.html

This one shows locations and names, but not who is broadcasting. In addition to that if it is a sprint tower it doesn't give you an address it gives you something like this "Ml17xc186 E".

 

And that code is the Site #. I have the same problem here in NM. You need to have the exact address that the permit filer used to look up permits online.

 

Robert via Nexus 7 on Tapatalk

 

 

[Rickie546]

http://www.city-data...-Wisconsin.html

This one shows locations and names' date=' but not who is broadcasting. In addition to that if it is a sprint tower it doesn't give you an address it gives you something like this "Ml17xc186 E".[/quote']

 

If you join as a sponsor you can see what site id matches that app

 

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