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  1. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, February 20, 2012 - 1:33 AM MST
     
    OK, Sprint 4G Rollout Updates is prepared to name the second city that Sprint's Network Vision vendor Alcatel/Lucent is deploying during 2012...Boston, Massachusetts. Bean Town, and soon to be LTE Town for Sprint. On Friday, we announced that Sprint is working on Network Vision/LTE Deployment in the San Francisco Bay Market. And now we can tell you that the Sprint Boston market is also about to begin work.
     
    Sprint's Boston market is essentially the entire state of Massachusetts and includes 940 sites to be converted to Network Vision. Alcatel/Lucent is preparing for mobilization and work should begin soon. The entire market will take approximately 7 months to complete, wrapping up before years end. But in the interim, the market will be brought online one site at a time, tower by tower. So there will be some usable locations in Greater Bostonia by the time LTE devices start to be sold in the next few months.
     



     
    S4GRU currently does not have many more details about the rollout in Boston at this time. Hopefully in the not too distant future, we can provide a neighborhood by neighborhood analysis of this deployment like we have been able to do in Chicago.
     
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates can bring you this information about 2012 deployment markets because we have received extensive Network Vision engineering information from inside sources. We have information on all of Sprint's 97 markets nationwide. With this information we are able to reasonably conclude how and when Sprint intends to deploy Network Vision and LTE in every market in the country. The information is not a neat and orderly list, showing markets in deployment order from 1 to 97. If it were only so easy!
     
    We will continue to scour through the data and gather deployment information for your use. It is our intent to provide at a minimum, all the Sprint markets that will likely begin Network Vision/LTE upgrades in 2012. And we intend to do so in a series of articles over the next few weeks. We will not likely announce communities slated for 2013, because the dates we hold for 2013 markets appear tentative and subject to change. With the many variables between now and 2013, Sprint could make significant shifts in deployment plans. Based on dynamic need change, funding, market permitting difficulties, etc.
     
    With the release of Boston today, that brings the total of Network Vision markets announced to nine. Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Baltimore and Kansas City as announced by Sprint. Chicago, San Francisco and Boston announced by Sprint 4G Rollout Updates.
     
    Stay tuned to Sprint 4G Rollout Updates. On Wednesday we will be announcing another Network Vision/LTE market that Alcatel/Lucent will be working to bring online for Sprint in 2012. Check in at S4GRU.com for all the latest updates! Become a member today. Membership is free and easy.
     




    Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     
    Information about the source: The information for the Boston deployment and all of our Network Vision information has been obtained by several internal sources close to the Network Vision program who choose to remain anonymous. The documents will not be released to protect source anonymity.
     
    EDITED 3/5/2012: To include market map.
  2. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, June 30, 2015 - 1:30 PM MDT
     
    Update: at 7:00 p.m. MDT Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure announced the following on Twitter, "We heard you loud and clear and we are removing the 600 kbps on streaming video. #Allin and we won't stop"
    .
    We don't do many editorials here at S4GRU. We tend to editorialize in our forums. Where our opinions run rampant. We also don't do articles about plan offerings. We are a network focused site. However, our Staff here at S4GRU feels that one is due concerning Sprint's new All In plans.
    .
    We aren't sure where Sprint was going with this. Is it a new plan or is it a Trojan horse meant to protect the network from streaming?
     
    The title "ALL IN" and the hashtag #AllIn conjures up the thought of the poker strategy. Where you push all your chips in with your best and final bet. The one you do when you have a winning hand. The bet that ends all other bets. It's everything you can offer up. You have given your all. It's the best you can do and you believe it is unbeatable. Because you are putting it all on the line.
     
    But the All In plan doesn't appear to be a winning strategy. We believe it will not succeed for Sprint as they intend. It is not really less expensive or more attractive than existing plans or Tmo's new plans. And has a Draconian hard streaming cap of 600kbps throughput. That streaming cap is going over like a lead filled balloon.
     
    Simple is good, you're on the right track
    .
    We like the idea of simplicity. No more hidden costs and fees. You just pay one flat rate for phone and unlimited data. OK. The David Beckham video and the attractive Sprint store rep is good. It makes a great point, compared to your competitors. But it's an easy thing for your competitors to replicate. Simple pricing. And they don't have fine print limiting streaming to only 600kbps. That really is the kicker here.
     
    So we just aren't seeing the new and innovative thing with All In. You already have plans that price out the same way as All In (some even less expensive). It appears as a marketing gimmick that is disguising a desperate move to limit streaming. This is not popular with your current customers and your new customers are likely going to hate you for it. After they find out.
    .
    Marcelo, it's inappropriate that David Beckham touts unlimited movie watching and you reference unlimited watching videos in your Press Release. 600kbps video streaming can hardly run any YouTube or Netflix streaming. It will buffer significantly even with the lowest resolution settings. 600kbps is insufficient for most moderate quality video streaming on a smartphone screen.
     
    Unlimited only matters because of streaming
     
    Let's face facts here. Unlimited only matters to most customers because of streaming. I'm just pulling a number out of the sky here based on my experiences running a Sprint themed wireless blog, but I would venture a guess that 95% of your customers use just a gig or two of data monthly if you do not include streaming. It's not hard to offer unlimited data excluding streaming.
     
    Most customers who see Sprint as a value in wireless is because of unlimited streaming. If customers do not stream, they can live with reasonable data buckets. 1GB, 2GB, 5GB plans will work for almost everyone, excluding streaming. If you remove streaming from unlimited, most people don't care about unlimited when they understand it all.
     
    Yes, you will still allow unlimited streaming with All In plans, but at only 600kbps. That is way too low. It is a defacto removal of unlimited streaming. I'm sure it was put in place to reduce the burden on the network significantly. By getting people to stop streaming because of the poor video quality. And reducing the burden on the network for those who continue with poor quality streaming.
     
    With all that said, we get it. We get the need to do something about streaming. It is a problem. It is a huge drain on your network. But we need to call it what it is and not hide the problem in a new plan and then tout unlimited streaming to the masses. That part is a huge mistake. The media, bloggers and your customers are all crying foul.
     
    Unlimited data abusers are killing the network, we get it. But this is not the solution or the time
     
    The problem here is that the All In plan punishes everyone. But we see the issue here as data abusers. Customers who use vastly higher data amounts than everyone else. The five percenters, or even the one percenters. Tmo has decided to deal with these types by creating a monthly soft cap of 21GB on unlimited plans. So for Tmo, they have drawn a line and said that customers who exceed 21GB are the ones causing the most problems on their network.
     
    Most customers do not use more than 21GB per month. Probably 95% - 98% use less than that. To cite our own S4GRU internal poll, somewhere just north of 8% use that much data. And our members are typically pretty heavy users compared to the general population.
     
    But our data also illustrates that a minority of users, those who use more than 21GB per month, have a huge impact to the total usage. Just a small handful of abusers can account for 30% to 50% of all traffic. These people are killing unlimited data for all of us.
     
    S4GRU Staff and most of our members understand the burden that the abusers are creating to the network. We have been sitting by waiting for something to be done about it. We know something has to be done, and we support something to be done in general. But this is not it.
     
    The T-Mobile 21GB soft cap is one way. And frankly, it's much better than a 600kbps streaming cap. Your streaming cap affects all customers who stream. The Tmo 21GB cap affects only customers who have used more than their fair share. And it gets reset next month. Your 600kbps plan never gets reset. A customer can never do anything to have a good quality stream, except leave Sprint.
     
    I can understand why you wouldn't mind chasing away data abusers. But why would you want to chase away good customers who occasionally want to have a quality streaming experience? You're telling them they have to go to T-Mobile, or AT&T or Verizon if they want a quality video streaming experience. Bad idea!
     
    You need to remove the 600kbps streaming limit immediately from All In. Or it is dead on arrival. DOA. David Beckham can't save it as is. Like he is going to watch videos on his smartphone streamed at 600kbps. You need to do this in a way that punishes only those who abuse your unlimited offering. Not every day customers.
     
    Perhaps limiting video streaming to something more useful? Like 2Mbps. Or maybe a soft cap, like 21GB? Or 25GB? Also, the previous plans of only limiting users on sites that are over capacity. That at least was fair. I understand Net Neutrality all plays into this. But something better is needed. You're strangling your Golden Goose. It feels like you have just put Unlimited on life support.
     
    In conclusion
     
    We like the idea of simplicity. All In has good roots and the David Beckham video really drives home the point. It can be a good differentiator for Sprint. Although some of our members would like to see the pricing even lower to compete better with existing plans.
     
    That said, Sprint must do something else with the video stream throttling. It's nearly universal that 600kbps is too low. It's not even close to satisfactory. We have never had a virtually unanimous response before. Until now. Nearly everyone believes this is an outright awful move.
     
    We could find almost zero support even among Sprint's most loyal base. Marcelo, the tech media and the haters are eating your lunch today. You're being flamed, and All In will go down in flames if you don't do something about this. And fast.
    .
    Unlimited is what Sprint uses to differentiate itself from everyone else. And Sprint's unlimited reputation is being injured right now. Sprint cannot handle being branded as the network with unlimited, except streaming. It will drive customers away and keep them away in droves. The reputation is already starting to stick. Fix it! Fix it now!
     
    Marcelo, we are begging you to crack down on the data abusers. Not your everyday customers who may stream occasionally. Or may use a lot over one or two days every few months when on vacation. Most of your customers want to be able to have a quality streaming experience within a reasonable amount every month.
     
    But my real fear is new customers. They are expecting a quality streaming experience, as they received from their previous providers. Now just unlimited. It's not like Sprint sales reps are going to be telling everyone they are going to have a low resolution always buffering video streaming experience. It will be in the fine print that no one will read. And they are going to be pissed off at Sprint once they figure it out. And your competition and the Sprint haters are going to eat this up. John Legere is already grinning ear to ear like the Grinch who Stole Sprint Customers.
     
    There's still time to fix All In. But time is running out. Please make me look foolish for #AllInDOA. I want to eat my words. Err, hashtag. Marcelo did make me eat it! And it was tasty!
     
  3. S4GRU
    A letter to all our fans and supporters:
     
    As we get to the final business day of 2011, I can't help to think back on the past year. Some of you know my background, and others of you just joined along for the ride at some point in the past few months, or weeks.
    At the beginning of 2011, there was no S4GRU. I was just another Sprint customer with his Evo 4G, waiting for 4G service to come to his tertiary market. I bought the Evo on opening day, June 4, 2010. I had been an AT&T customer since they bought out Cingular a few years before. AT&T had great coverage in California and Nevada. But in early 2010, I moved to Northern New Mexico. And AT&T asked me to leave, because I was killing them in roaming costs in my new location.
    So in May 2010, I started looking for a new wireless carrier. Sprint had good coverage in my area and I heard they were coming out with a 4G phone. It also appeared like they were aggressively deploying their 4G network. Even before the phone started selling, they already had dozens of markets up and running though Clearwire. I thought it was smart to buy a 4G phone, since my contract would be for two years. I figured it would be crazy to buy a 3G-only phone for a two year commitment. So I chose Sprint and the Evo.
    All throughout 2010, Sprint and Clear announced 4G expansions quite readily. So I was largely happy with deployment progress. But just hoping it would pick up a little pace and start getting to secondary markets. However, 2011 started, and the announcements stopped. February, March...nothing.
    Then one day in late April, I am sitting at a stop light in Santa Fe, New Mexico and my Evo decides to randomly reboot (which it occasionally did before I installed a custom MOD). When it came back online, the 4G antenna came on and locked on to a signal. What??? So, I pulled into a parking lot and tried using it. First speedtest, and I got 9.1Mbps download. Whoa! This is the real deal. I've got 4G!!! WooHoo!!!
    This event caused me to be optimistic that 4G WiMax expansion must be alive and well. But I am a curious guy and wanted to know what was going on. If Sprint and Clear are still expanding service, why aren't they announcing it to their customers? I could see on forums that people were getting angrier and angrier about the state of Sprint's 4G rollout. Why aren't they trumpeting the expansion?
    I come across Clear's coverage maps and see little light green blobs in hundreds of locations all across the country. Are these test signals? What's going on? I drove to all the new service areas in my region and tried the signals. They all were up and running, but with varied results. In Las Vegas, New Mexico I couldn't get 4G speeds higher than 1.3Mbps, and in Albuquerque I was able to even get over 10Mbps.
    I started hitting about a half dozen forums and proclaiming to everyone who would listen, "turn on your 4G antennas and scan for service! Sprint has unannounced coverage all over the place!" By May 20th, I started posting service updates in assorted forums, telling folks about where Sprint and Clear had unannounced service. And that's when I started to learn the story of Protection Sites. That these sites were deployed by Clearwire to meet FCC buildout requirements for the spectrum and protect from losing it's FCC license. And then it all made sense.
    Regardless of why, these signals were usable. And millions of customers would be able to find a meaningful use for them. So I continued my quest to bring updates to the masses, letting them know where new Protection Sites were popping up. In July, we started our Facebook page, and that's when we really took off. In October we added Twitter. In November we added Google+.
    We really stuck our necks out there on November 10th when we started our own web page. Not just a simple static page, but a full online social community. A place where I can blog original stories and we can interact with them. We are still in the beta stage.
    So, now we are up to the New Year. 2012 lays mere hours away. And there has never been a more exciting time to be a Sprint customer. Granted, it is a painful process. 3G Data rates have been especially excruciating for many Sprint customers. But with Network Vision beginning and LTE deployment under way, 2012 promises to be a rocking year.
    One thing is for sure, not matter the outcome, Sprint 4G Rollout Updates will be along for the ride. Bringing you information as fast or faster than even most tech websites. And you won't have to sift through dozens of articles that are not relevant to the Sprint Network and 4G. Straight to the point stories and fast. That's our mission. And lots of geeky details that other websites won't report (or Sprint for that matter).
    Don't be surprised if we start selling advertising or do things to help pay for the costs to keep this thing running. But I'm now committed to this experiment for the long haul. I'm very excited to bring this info to you in the most dynamic way I can.
    And Dan Hesse, if you should happen to read this, when can I get my exclusive interview? Our fans have a few questions for you!
     
    Happy New Year,
    Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
     
     
    Follow link for my predictions for 2012: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-109-2012-predictions-from-sprint-4g-rollout-updates/
     
    And a special thanks to my wife Christina. She is the most loving, patient and loyal life partner a man could ever ask for. I have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours on S4GRU the past six months. Thanks for your support.
     
    2011 QUICK STATS:
    Total Fans & Supporters, all media: 1522
    Facebook Fans...726 Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Unique Visitors, not Members*...512 Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Website Members...133 Twitter Followers...81 Google+ Subscribers...70 S4GRU Member Breakdown
    87% Male 13% Female Top 20 Most Popular Cities S4GRU unique visits from:
    Phoenix, AZ Indianapolis, IN San Diego, CA Chicago, IL Tucson, AZ Virginia Beach, VA Milwaukee, WI Wichita, KS Tampa, FL Lexington, KY Louisville, KY Des Moines, IA Tulsa, OK Dayton, OH Lincoln, NE Detroit, MI Knoxville, TN Troy, OH Elkhart, IN Oshkosh, WI Languages site viewed in:
    91% English (US) 4% English (UK) 2% Spanish 1% Arabic 1% English (Pirate) 1% German Biggest External Referrers to Website:
    Facebook Twitter community.sprint.com google.com goodandevo.net sprintusers.com Yahoo Mail engadget.com forums.androidcentral.com howardforums.com s4gru.herronweb.com Gmail theverge.com ask.com Sprint 4G Rollout Articles in 2011: 180
    Top 20 Most popular articles:
    2,360 Page Views
    New Network Vision and LTE Deployment info released in Sprint Webinar today 2,109 Page Views
    Sprint deploys first Network Vision cluster in Kankakee, Illinois and promises LTE deployment info early in 2012 1,344 Page Views
    New Sprint Network Enhancements & Upgrades Site 1,196 Page Views
    Sprint announces first Network Vision tower with CDMA & LTE live 541 Page Views
    New Samsung commercial stirring controversies. Really? Get a life. 422 Page Views
    Sprint Announces Exclusive Event at CES in January 421 Page Views
    Sprint releases slides from today's Network Vision Strategy Update 396 Page Views
    Clearwire is Abandoning it's Legacy Pre-WiMax Service 357 Page Views
    BREAKING NEWS: Sprint rolling out Network Vision in Chicago right now! 347 Page Views
    Sprint not beginning LTE deployment necessarily in WiMax area first 332 Page Views
    Sprint 4G Strategy Update Conference - Our Facebook Wall Comments 317 Page Views
    Clearwire throws hail mary and ends up with $700+ Million for new TD-LTE network 299 Page Views
    Sprint changes LTE device due date from Mid 2012 to Q3/Q4 2012 and controversy ensues 293 Page Views
    BREAKING NEWS: Clearwire announces funding deal with Sprint 289 Page Views
    Sprint to Offload Commercial Airave's at Your Work and Favorite Destinations 255 Page Views
    Seeking Alpha: How Sprint & Clearwire Can Use AT&T to Unlock Billions in Value 251 Page Views
    Clearwire's future LTE network and the equity funding it needs to build it 240 Page Views
    Sprint VP talks up LTE-Advanced, VoLTE and HD Voice in new video 215 Page Views
    Jay Leno Mocks Sprint iPhone on Tonight Show 208 Page Views
    Sequans ties with Fujitsu for LTE chips * These are unique IP addresses who visited more than twice, and the IP addresses are not connected to any known registered Member
  4. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Friday, December 30, 2011 - 1:39 PM MST
     
    OK, OK! I can't resist the ridiculous speculations of what 2012 will bring. Some of these are things that I think will happen, some I think may happen, some are just fun guesses to stir up discussion and controversy.
    It was once said that, "Only fools, charlatans and liars try to predict earthquakes." I think the same can be said for those who make predictions for the upcoming year. I think the quote above is even fitting in our instance. You can decide for yourself which one of three I am. Here we go with nine bold and foolish predictions...
     
    1. LightSquared gives up and folds shop
    LightSquared fails to get the FCC off the dime, and stalled bureaucracy takes it toll. Without the ability to raise more money because of the bureaucratic limbo they are stuck in, LightSquared runs out of cash to keep operating. What happens to the spectrum and their satellite in orbit? I could see a wireless carrier picking up that satellite for a steal. And that satellite functions on LightSquared frequencies without interfering with GPS. Could be very interesting. Maybe a Verizon roaming satellite? Sprint? It could be juicy to offer nationwide coast to coast phone and data via satellite for any national carrier.
     
    2. Dish works out a deal with Sprint to host their spectrum
    I think Dish plays out a three way negotiations for the best deal it can get. Playing AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile against each other to score the best deal possible for itself and it's LTE ambitions.
    I think Dish Network wants to partner with Sprint the most, because it will be able to deploy their network nationwide the least expensive and fastest on Sprint with Network Vision. But Dish's CEO Charlie Ergen is so clever (so I hear) that he will make everyone think that's he's willing to make a deal with any of these carriers or even go it alone. And for this, Sprint will give up the farm in these negotiations. But in the end, Sprint and Dish both win from the agreement. Even if Dish gets it from Sprint at the lowest price ever imagined. And Wall Street will be pissed at Dan Hesse, as always.
     
    3. Sprint Network Vision deployment stays on schedule

    Contrary to what the loud naysayers say about Sprint, I believe Sprint will stay on schedule with Network Vision. I will predict that LTE will be live in 30 markets by the time devices get released. Progression of deployment will stay fast. Sprint will even slightly exceed it's 123 Million LTE POP's by the end of 2012. Yep, I said it. I'm believing the hype!
     
    4. Sprint LTE devices release after a slight delay
    Sprint's LTE device development will stay largely on schedule. However, devices don't come out until late summer. Maybe USB or a MiFi come out a little earlier, but no smartphones until Labor Day or early October.
    First device, HTC Evo LTE. A quadcore ICS device based on the HTC Edge (which will have already released on other carriers). A new Samsung Epic with an Unnecessarily Long and Awkward name (with LTE somewhere in the title) will also release soon after the Evo, and it will be based on the Samsung Galaxy SIII, which will also already have been released by other carriers months previously.
    The early smartphones will only support LTE on 1900 and possibly 800, but will not support Clearwire's TD-LTE on 2500. The first Sprint Android smartphones with 2500MHz TD-LTE capability will not be sold until 2013. One caveat for the iPhone with LTE, see below.
     
    5. iPhone LTE comes out but does not support Sprint's LTE frequencies
    In the one scandal of the year (and we will have to give the Sprint naysayers at least one), the iPhone with LTE comes out in October. It will have a new form factor, a larger screen (around 4") and the world will be stoked.

    However, in a shocking and deeply saddening turn of events for Sprint customers, it won't support LTE on 800 or 1900. But it will on 2500 (because of China Mobile). And chaos ensues because Sprint customers will only be able to use LTE on Clearwire spectrum, and not on Sprints LTE. Pressure mounts for Clearwire to start deploying it's LTE, which is likely just beginning. And never will provide the coverage that will be acceptable.
    BTW, I sure hope this doesn't happen. But it's something I fear, since Sprint is the only carrier planning LTE on 800 and 1900 in the world in the near future, AFAIK. And it may be one of the reasons why Sprint has buried the hatchet with Clearwire, because Sprint has already been given a heads up about the frequency issue. Just sayin'...
     
    6. Clearwire deploys first TD-LTE tower
    By October, Clearwire starts testing a few towers of TD-LTE on 2500. A slow but steady TD-LTE rollout begins in November/December time frame. Clearwire sets up a two-prong approach for it's LTE deployment.
    The first goes around and adds LTE to existing primary markets, starting in the largest cities and completely ignoring the many tertiary markets (like Abilene and Modesto).
    The second goes around adding hotspot LTE capacity where Sprint needs it. But this will start slow, because I believe the only Sprint device that will support Clearwire TD-LTE in 2012 is the new iPhone (and possibly some USB and MiFis). This will deploy on a tower by tower basis, and only on Network Vision converted towers.
     
    7. Third Party WiFi roaming deals catch on for Wireless Carriers
    As carriers start feeling the spectrum crunch for data, large full city WiFi deployments become an answer. The company Towerstream, and possibly other startups, gain traction with their business model of city-wide WiFi. Carriers work out roaming deals with Towerstream (and others) that their customers devices can roam on their WiFi network. This is actually a genius idea and carriers need to get on board. It's a great idea in dense primary markets, where most of the network strain occurs. And TV white space is not going to be an option in the largest markets. If you can get 20MB download speeds off Towerstream WiFi all over the city included in your wireless carrier's service...well, I think we'd all be happy with that.
     
    8. TV White Spaces start to gain momentum for Wireless
    So many people are putting hopes on TV White Spaces. And they are very exciting for the thought for use in wireless. TV White Space frequencies, from 100MHz to 600MHz carry far distances and penetrate everything except for earthen concrete bunkers (slight exaggeration). Can you imagine a 100MHz LTE tower? Living in rural New Mexico, I sure can. Although it will take years to develop networks and devices to run in white spaces, 2012 will be the year where it really starts to get traction.
    Each TV channel is 6MHz wide. So it takes two contiguous TV channels to place one 5x5 LTE carrier, and it takes 4 contiguous TV channels to place one 10x10 carrier. Separate carriers, aggregated with LTE Advanced could also be a solution. However, this will not be a solution for primary markets, as most do not have 2 to 4 free TV channels to use. Some secondary markets will have some available, especially west of the Mississippi. However, the big winner in TV White Space are tertiary and rural markets, especially in the West and Midwest. Lots of TV White Space to be had.
    And given that it's the tertiary and rural markets who need access to wireless broadband the most, and will benefit most from the vast distances of 100MHz and 200MHz signals propagation, well it's going to be a winner. But since devices that run on TV White Spaces will need to be able to run on the whole frequency set from 54MHz to 699MHz, and are not interfered with from adjacent TV broadcasts (whichbroadcast at much higher power limits). It's going to be a little bumpy developing devices and chipsets that do this all seamlessly and without killing device batteries quickly.
    However, the thought of setting up giant 200MHz towers out in rural Western states that reach 30 miles radius out from the tower really get me excited. No more dead spots in the boonies!
     
    9. AT&T gets very aggressive trying to secure more spectrum

    This is kind of a no-duh prediction. But AT&T will have to get creative and aggressive to get the spectrum it needs for data. It will either grossly overpay and drive up spectrum costs for any spectrum that ends up out there on the market, or they may even get down in the trenches and make a deal with their sworn enemies Sprint and Clearwire for some EBS/BRS spectrum. But there will be a lot of news about AT&T's pillaging quest for spectrum in 2012.
  5. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - 4:00 PM MDT
     
    It appears that the logjam has been cleared and the 32GB Samsung Galaxy S-III pre-orders by Sprint customers are finally starting to roll. And yours truly has been one of those affected, sitting in backorder purgatory. We informed you all last week about the delay affecting 32GB models reportedly caused by overwhelming global demand that Samsung couldn't keep up with.
    The sources say that devices started shipping out today, and that customers should see an update at Sprint's website. However, in checking my status just before going to print still showed my device as backordered. Also note that I finished up my pre-order only minutes after the pre-order sent went live.
    So hopefully this info is legit and the devices are on their way. It appears my wait is nearly over, as well as for thousands of other Sprint customers who boldly stepped out and pre-ordered the 32GB version of the Galaxy S-III. Soon I will be able to write that radio performance article comparing the GS-III, EVO LTE, Galaxy Nexus, Epic 4G Touch and EVO 3D. Stay tuned for that!
    EDIT: I received a tracking number late tonight and see my GS3 is at the Louisville Airport on its way to me. The end is nigh!!!
     

     
    Source: Phandroid, Sprint
  6. S4GRU
    BACK ONLINE: Houghton/Hancock, Michigan
     
    The Upper Peninsula communities of Houghton and Hancock are back online. They disappeared off the Clear coverage map a few months ago, but showed back up today. This is roaming territory for Sprint customers, which means that older generation WiMax devices may have problems connecting to this site.
     
  7. S4GRU
    SERVICE RESTORED: Fortuna Foothills, Arizona (east Yuma)
     
    The Fortuna Foothills tower east of Yuma, Arizona was taken offline at the beginning of the month. But today it's back up again. Rumor I heard was that it was creating interference across the border in Mexico with a foreign broadcaster. I guess it's been taken care of!
     

  8. S4GRU
    by Kristofer Maki
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 11:00 AM MDT
     
    With great patience comes great reward. And with all the waiting that Sprint customers in South Florida have been doing lately, many are wishing it will pay off in spades, and soon. Indeed, I am referring to the 800MHz spectrum embargo that is still occurring in South Florida today.
     
    If you aren’t aware of the background of the issue, fret not, I will cover the background in detail so you are aware of what it entails. By the end of this article, my goal is to hope you understand a bit more about the current impasse with the ability to release B26 LTE (LTE 800) in South Florida, as well as give you an idea on when the blockade will eventually be lifted.
     
    Background
     
    It all started back in 2004, when the FCC adopted a resolution to completely reorganize the 800MHz SMR band. The FCC was quoted in saying that the plan was to, “Migrate Incompatible Technologies to separate segments of the band.” [1] The purpose of the reorganization was to alleviate interference with public safety agencies within the Sprint-Nextel coverage areas. The final plan ended up placing the public safety agencies within the 806-815/851-860MHz range and Sprint Nextel within the 817-824/862-869 MHz range. In between the ranges is an Expansion Band of 1MHz (for future use of Public Safety Agencies as need grows) and a Guard Band of 1MHz (To place a buffer in between two-way/trunked and cellular frequencies). For a visual of the band see the image below.
     
    [1]
     
     
    The original plan also provided a three year time frame for the changes to take effect. The plan was slated to start on June 27, 2005 and finish by June 26, 2008. Sprint was also obligated to pay for any reasonable costs associated with the transition of any license holder within the 800MHz band that was relocating to a new frequency. Finally the plan provided the creation of an independent agency to oversee all financial and technical specifics of the transition between the licensees, Sprint, and the FCC. This agency is called the 800MHz Transition Administrator.
     
    But wait, it’s October 2014! Wasn’t this all supposed to be completed by the end of June 2008? What gives?
     
    FCC Extends Rebanding beyond initial 3 years
     
    The short and sweet answer to that question is the FCC realized that the initial time frame wasn’t long enough to deploy the complicated communications systems, so the FCC ordered a process for filing waivers (Extensions to exceed the initial deadline).
     
    I requested comment from Miami-Dade County on the issue and they stated, “The first waiver extension was ordered by the FCC across all agencies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico since it became obvious that the deadline was not realistic.”
     
    Many agencies have applied to extend their deadlines, so many in fact that the Transition Administrator had set up a section of their web site dedicated to waiver requests. Some of the reasons that deadlines were extended were due to issues with obtaining costs estimates, finding compatible hardware, and even some agencies just not sure with what hardware they were wanting to transition to.
     
    The additional delays with Miami-Dade County
     
    Now let’s consider the issue in particular of Miami-Dade County and all of South Florida. I was interested in their side of the story. I wanted to know more about what issues may have risen from the deployment process, and if there were any other issues initially foreseen that would cause a delay with the deployment to the new communications systems. So I took to my email. I sent requests out for comment from both sides of the spectrum. I contacted Sprint and Miami-Dade County on the issues and received quite the plethora of information.
     
    In an email interview, I asked Miami-Dade County for comment on the issues that have implicated the deployments of their transitioning to the new 800MHz frequencies.
     
    “Miami Dade County has the largest and busiest public safety radio system in the entire State of Florida.  With more than 90 million transmissions a year being generated by over 30,000 subscriber radios and with over 100 local, state, and federal agencies operating on the network, the planning and deployment process to install equipment at 11 radio sites and physically touch 30,000 subscriber radios with their own independent radio personalities, is critical and complex in nature.” States Rey Valdez, Major with the Communications Bureau of Miami Dade Police Department.
     
    He continues to comment, “The first of two large 800 MHz systems was deployed within schedule and budget December, 2012.  The second large system services law enforcement primarily was scheduled to be deployed by April 2014. The County encountered issues with the factory code of the radios and dispatch consoles that required to have more than 16,000 radios on the law enforcement system retouched.  As a result, the logistical process to coordinate with thousands of radio users had to be repeated for the entire base and in some cases, small pockets of radio users had to be retouched a third time.”
     
    In the most recent waiver request, Miami-Dade County requested until January 21, 2015 to complete the migration to the new frequencies. Sprint “Partially” opposed the extension, stating that the licensee has had since 2005 to complete its requirements. They requested that Miami-Dade relinquish all of the frequencies by October 2014. The FCC held in abeyance the request, pending additional information from Miami-Dade County. There was no other data provided on the FCC’s website stating what information was found, or if the waiver date was even granted. After doing some more searching around, I found on the Transition Administrators site that Miami-Dade County was granted the waiver date of January 21, 2015.
     
    I asked if they had any pending issues that would withhold the agency being able to meet the deadline and Major Rey Valdez stated, “Miami-Dade County has successfully migrated 40% of all the users in the law enforcement system as of September 30, 2014 with the rest of the users migrating over incrementally before January 21, 2015.” He continued to explain that, “Barring a natural disaster such as the landfall of a major hurricane, we do not foresee any other issue that would prevent us from meeting out commitment with the waiver request for January 21, 2015.”
     
    This is great news that hopefully we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel! When asking Sprint for comment, they declined until an official news release was given on the issue. No date or timeframe was given.
     
    So here’s to hoping that South Florida has another quiet year for tropical weather activity so Miami-Dade may peacefully and prudently finish their radio re-banding. Considering the size and scope of the project, it is more than understandable that having to touch over 30,000 subscriber units can take time and burn through resources.
     
    Just a few more months, with an eye to the sky
     
    We are hoping that we should be able to see B26 LTE (800MHz LTE) sometime around the beginning of next year here around South Florida. It does, in fact, affect a large area of South Florida, from the Florida Keys, all the way up to about 30 Miles north of Okeechobee, FL. Covering about an 80 mile radius around the perimeter of Miami-Dade County. It’s easy to guess which areas are affected by the, “Frequency Embargo” by checking out the B26 Sites Accepted Map & Discussion in the S4GRU Premier Sponsors Thread.
     
    You can read more about the 800Mhz Transition by visiting http://www.800ta.org. Special thanks to the Miami-Dade Police Department-Communications Division for their comments on the issue.
     
    Cheers!
  9. S4GRU
    by Ian Littman
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 7:05 AM MDT
     
    At around $100 with a contract (before the inevitable wave of promotional offers that have already hit its big brother, the Galaxy SIII), the Samsung Galaxy Victory falls under the definition of a midrange smartphone. It has specs somewhat reminiscent of the old Epic 4G: a 5 megapixel rear camera with 720p video recording, a front camera, a 4-inch 800x480 screen and a not-particularly-slim profile.
    However it differs from that older device by dropping the keyboard, upping the battery to the same-capacity (but, compared to my SIII, not the same model) 2100 mAh unit found in the SIII, pushing the Android version to 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and swapping WiMAX for LTE as its 4G technology.
    But that’s information you can get anywhere. What about the phone’s maximum output powers, simultaneous-data-and-voice capabilities, and antenna placement? You’ve come to the right place. Spoiler: this device looks solid.
     
     
    This phone isn’t nearly as hot of an item as the iPhone 5 (nor does it have the specs...or the price to give the Apple product a run for its money), however the iPhone happens to be a very fair device to compare the Victory to in terms of radio performance. On CDMA the iPhone marginally wins out on PCS (by 0.31 dB), however it’s trounced by the Victory in SMR with a 4.69 dB lead in transmit EIRP, showing the difference between a jack-of-all-trades and a purpose-built Sprint phone. On the LTE side, the iPhone wins out by around 3.3 dB on the EIRP front, however this number decreases to fall in line with the Victory if the iPhone’s upper antenna is used (the Victory only transmits EvDO and LTE with its upper antenna). Plus, the Victory can hold a voice call on 1x while utilizing EvDO or LTE for data.
    iPhone comparisons aside, the Victory is a phone very obviously made with Sprint in mind. Radio figures actually look better across the board than either the Evo 4G LTE or the Galaxy SIII, though these numbers only describe the device’s transmit power, not how well it can receive a signal in a marginal area. Still, as midrange phones with LTE go, the strong radio characteristics of the Victory (or, as Sprint calls it, the Samsung Galaxy Victory 4G LTE) add to the list of reasons to get this phone over something else of the same ilk.
     
  10. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 3:26 PM MST
     
    Can you believe it? The Amazon Kindle Fire tablet just came out and there is already talk of a smartphone offering from Amazon. But you can't let grass grow under your feet in this business. Everyone saw how quickly RIM fell from grace by waiting around and not jumping in and taking risks.
    Amazon is reportedly working with mega Chinese phone/tablet manufacturer Foxconn for a release in the fourth quarter of 2012. Preliminary estimates of a build cost for Amazon are between $150 and $170. And some are holding on to the belief that Amazon will sell these with little or no markup.
    Can you imagine buying a smartphone for $200 cash price? Granted, it is not going to be a high end flagship device. But it could remarkably transform the bottom market.
    No word on GSM, CDMA and/or LTE capabilities, yet. But it will probably be sold by Amazon and brought to the carrier of your choice to be activated. Many believe that Amazon is aiming directly at Apple.
    At this price point, it has a very good chance at being successful.
  11. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, September 9, 2014 - 5:55 PM MDT
    .
    The news so many of our members have been eagerly awaiting...the announcement of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus occurred today. A LOT of information has been leaked out the previous weeks. More than I can ever remember from an Apple product. But some new information did come out today. And of most interest to our readers, is YES, Sprint Band 41 is supported. Welcome to Spark, our beloved iPhoniacs. Your wait for that is over.
     
    Typically, FCC OET device articles are written by the S4GRU Technical Editor AJ Shepherd or his protege Josh McDaniel. But given tight publishing deadlines and even tighter work schedules, yours truly will take a stab at it. I pored through the Office of Engineering & Technology website to bring you these details.
     
    A Band for everyone...well, almost
     
    The number of LTE bands that all the new iPhone 6 variants support is staggering. Even supporting a few more than the Moto X+1 we told you about earlier today. The Sprint Model iPhone 6 (A1586) and iPhone 6 Plus (A1524) support 20 LTE bands! Including 4 TDD LTE bands, like Band 41. Sadly, all iPhone 6 variants do omit support for Band 12. So on Sprint that will limit some of the upcoming CCA rural LTE roaming (not to mention the sadness of Tmo subscribers for missing B12).
     
    Sprint has announced that it is moving to have its devices support LTE roaming on its partner networks in the CCA and Sprint's RRPP program. The new iPhone 6s cover all these new partner bands, like B4, B5 and B17. Just missing B12. The Moto X+1 will be the first Sprint device to support B12 roaming. iPhone users will likely need to wait until next year's iPhone 6s refresh to get Band 12 access.
     
    But the most exciting information is that the Sprint models of the new iPhone 6s both support Band 41. So now you data hungry iPhone users can start spreading your loads on the Spark network. Since the Spark network has a lot of capacity, and a lot of ability to add even more capacity (more than any other provider), the ability of iPhone users to use this band is extremely important. It may even start to alleviate some of the burden off Band 25, where many iPhone users now are stuck. But that may not be very likely as the uniband and dualband iPhones from previous years get traded in and handed down to offspring.
     
    ERP/EIRP numbers to help anticipate RF performance
     
    Below find the maximum ERP/EIRP Numbers for the LTE Bands relevant to the Sprint variant:
    Band 25 5 MHz FDD channels: max EIRP 23.18dBm 3 MHZ FDD channels: max EIRP 23.07dBm 10 MHz FDD channels: max EIRP 23.14dBm [*]Band 26
    5 MHz FDD channels: max ERP 19.00dBm 3 MHz FDD channels: max ERP 18.85dBm [*]Band 41 (Spark)
    20 MHz TDD channels: max EIRP 31.86dBm 15 MHz TDD channels: max EIRP 32.00dBm 10 MHz TDD channels: max EIRP 31.97dBm 5 MHz TDD channels: max EIRP 31.65dBm [*]Band 4 (Roaming)
    5 MHz channel - 23.97dBm 10 MHz channel - 23.96dBm 15 MHz channel - 23.99dBm 20 MHz channel - 23.88dBm [*]Band 17 (Roaming)
    5 MHz channel - 23.98dBm 10 MHz channel - 23.99dBm NOTE: This is using the better antenna, on the best channel in the band, and with robust QPSK modulation. Although Sprint currently does not use B25 3MHz or 10MHz channels, nor B26 3MHz channels, nor B41 5, 10 or 15MHz channels, they were included for interest as it is plausible that Sprint could use these in the future at some point.
     
    Simultaneous Voice/Data and VoLTE
     
    As always, a hot question is whether the Sprint variants of the iPhone 6 support simultaneous voice and data. And the answer is...no. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus do not support simultaneous voice on CDMA2000 networks. So neither the Verizon nor Sprint variant can do simultaneous voice and data using CDMA1X voice. Just like the previous CDMA2000 iPhone models.
     
    The Verizon version will support simultaneous voice and data on VoLTE. Verizon is just beginning to deploy its VoLTE network. Sprint will not begin deploying VoLTE (Voice over LTE) until mid-2015 at the earliest. It is not known if the Sprint variant can receive a software update in the future to enable VoLTE on Sprint iPhone 6 and 6 Plus when Sprint VoLTE starts to go live next year. In the mean time, Sprint iPhone users will only be able to use voice and data at the same time over Wi-Fi.
     
    Carrier Aggregation/LTE Advanced Support
     
    And the last point to cover is Carrier Aggregation. Yes, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus do support Carrier Aggregation (an LTE Advanced feature). However, this new iPhone is only limited to 20 MHz total aggregation.
     
    So the iPhone 6 can aggregate two 5 MHz channels (5+5). And it can aggregate two 10 MHz channels (10+10). However, the total of the downlink channels cannot be greater than 20 MHz. So the iPhone 6 cannot bond two 15 MHz channels or do a 20+20 combination (because these exceed 20 MHz total downlink).
     
    Since Sprint is only deploying Carrier Aggregation (LTE Advanced) to its Band 41 (Spark) network at this time, the iPhone 6 cannot handle that. This is due to Sprint currently only deploying B41 in wideband 20 MHz carrier widths. So the minimum two carriers being aggregated for Sprint would be 40 MHz wide, far exceeding the capability of the iPhone 6. The same is true of Verizon and T-Mobile wideband channels. They cannot do Carrier Aggregation on the iPhone 6 either on wideband. Of the big four, only AT&T currently has no wideband LTE carriers (i.e. none that exceed 10 MHz).
     
    Conclusion
     
    The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus offer some pretty good ERP/EIRP numbers for Sprint customers, especially in Band 41 Spark. We expect some good and meaningful RF field results from our members soon. With Sprint announcing a new unlimited plan to lease a new iPhone 6 (16GB) for only $50 per month, some people are going to find a Sprint iPhone model irresistible.
     
    And, as always, you can already start making your wish list for the presumed iPhone 6S next September. For wireless network enthusiasts like us, 40 MHz or 60 MHz Carrier Aggregation in Band 41 and support for Band 12 are at the top of most of our lists.
     
    Oh yeah, and there was something about a wristwatch...
     
    Source: FCC
     
     
     
     
     
    EDIT: Removed Carrier Aggregation limitation of equal sized channels............................................
  12. S4GRU

    Anonymous on the Rampage!

    By S4GRU,

    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 4:09 PM MST
     
    Anonymous is on the rampage! It appears that the famous (or infamous) hacking consortium is displaying its displeasure of the FBI raiding and arresting the head of MegaUpload today.
    Anonymous is believed to be responsible for taking down the websites of the DOJ, White House and FBI in retaliation.
    Additionally, just for good measure, Anonymous has also attacked the sites of the Universal Music, MPAA, RIAA, Copyright.com and Senator Chris Dodd's website to apparently demonstrate that it is not pleased at attempts to censor the web through efforts like the SOPA and PIPA bills.
    Is it just me, or does anyone else picture the creepy record exec from South Park shouting, "I am above the law!" every time I think of SOPA and PIPA? And I don't know about you, but I use MegaUpload all the time for legitimate and legal purposes. A very high number of Android ROM and Theme developers use MegaUpload. There are probably more links to MegaUpload from the XDA website than anywhere. They better leave XDA alone!
    This site definitely benefits from the ability to exercise free speech. So, here, here, I say!
     

  13. S4GRU
    Danny Bullard
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - 9:45 AM MDT
     
    Hello S4GRU readers. In this article, I will give you my 3 reasons why Apple is successful. I will go into extensive detail on each reason why Apple is successful. These are my opinions, so feel free to comment telling me your reasons why Apple is successful and how you think Apple could improve in each category.
     
    Note: These are in no specific order.
     
    1. Marketing
     
    Apple markets their products like no other. If you've ever seen Apple's TV commercials, you'll notice how they're simple and cut to the chase. During most Apple commercials, Apple talks about the simplicity and beauty of their products. Example, Apple's new ad for the new iPad talks about the iPad's new retina display saying "When a screen becomes this good, it is simply you and the things you care about."
     
     
     
    When it comes to presentations, Apple is no slouch. When going over the product and such, they explain it all where the common buyer can understand everything about the product, not just tech geeks. Apple isn't only about marketing, they are also about engaging with their fans, and that is exactly what Steve Jobs did and Tim Cook is doing.
     
    2. Simplicity
     
    The average consumer usually doesn't usually care about specs when looking into purchasing a smartphone or a tablet. They just want something that is easy to use and just "works". If you have ever used the iPhone or iPad, I'm sure you know how simple they are to operate/use on a daily basis unlike other devices.
     
    The iPhone 4S is so simple that your younger children can operate it without any hiccups (ever seen the Sprint iPhone Unlimited ad with the young child?). Apple's programs like iTunes and the App Store provide seamless experiences for downloading music and apps. Almost everything Apple releases is easy to use, and that's why we love them. Simplicity is a virtue to Apple, case closed.
     
    3. Innovation
     
    Apple is known for innovation. They are always thinking of ways to improve their products while making them "different" from others. If you've seen the new iPad, I'm sure you've noticed the iPad's new display packing a whopping 2048x1536 resolution. That is the highest resolution of any tablet/mobile device. Impressive huh? Apple doesn't stop innovating there. Apple's iPhone 4S rocks an 8MP camera with F/2.4 Lens. It's the "The you-can't-believe-it's-on-a-phone camera." Innovation never stops at Apple.
     
    Those are my three reasons why Apple is successful. Please weigh in with your thoughts below! Constructive and well thought out comments only, please.
  14. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, April 2, 2012 - 1:00 AM MDT
     
    Oh my friends in Milwaukee, you have been so patient. Well, most of you. Especially my pal, Frank! It seems like I am harassed every day by someone in Beer City USA. Some of S4GRU's most loyal fans hail from Milwaukee. We are very happy to provide you an update. For you and your fellow Great Lakes neighbors in Cleveland.
     
    As most of you who are reading this article know, Sprint 4G Rollout Updates has released the list of First and Second Round markets that Sprint is focusing on in the first half of Network Vision and LTE Deployment. Last Friday, we also brought you a story how it appears that Phoenix and Tucson appear to be moving up the schedule. We can report the same thing appears to be happening with Milwaukee and Cleveland.
     
    Officially, Milwaukee and Cleveland are in the Third Round. However, S4GRU.com can reveal to you that the dates for RF Design and backhaul dates for these two markets are significantly earlier than other 3rd Round markets. Additionally, in a Network Vision schedule update S4GRU obtained a few weeks ago, both the Milwaukee and Cleveland markets engineering schedules moved up from previous schedules. And are now the same as Phoenix and Tucson.
     




    Photo of Milwaukee skyline from Lake Michigan provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
    Photo by Michael D. Strande.

     
    Now with the latest schedule updates, the Milwaukee and Cleveland markets engineering and design are only 30 days later than what is shown for the last 2nd Round markets. Whereas 3rd Round markets are typically 4 to 5 months later. However, even with the improved dates, Samsung still shows these two markets being in the 3rd Round.
     

    Are these markets being moved up to the Second Round? Will they be in a no man's land schedule wise between the 2nd and 3rd round with Phoenix and Tucson? We cannot say with certainty at this time.


     
    It appears that something is afoot. We will continue to monitor schedule progress and let all of you know of any more changes that occur with Milwaukee and Cleveland. If I were a betting man, I would wager that you will start seeing sites come live before the end of the 2nd Round.


    Photo of Cleveland skyline provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates also recently seen some new documents at the end of last week that could provide a little hope for two additional markets. We are reviewing the details more thoroughly and may have an article about it soon. Then, the market announcements will stop for awhile. I can't think of why we would announce 3rd Round markets so early. There is way too much variability to what can happen with their schedules. We may repeat this exercise again with 3rd and 4th Round markets later in the year.
     
    Source: Undisclosed internal source
  15. S4GRU
    by Scott Johnson
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Friday, February 3, 2012 - 2:00 PM MST
     
    The iPhone is something many people see as a status symbol. Many who have never owned one, long for their upgrade date so they can go out and buy the "exclusive" iPhone that they have been denied access to for years. Even some who had the iPhone, and then switched carriers, long to repurchase another. Yes, the iPhone is a well made smartphone with access to a loaded app store, and has many desirable features. But is it really better than Windows Phone, Blackberry or Android models?
    When Apple entered into a contract with AT&T, they remanufactured the RAZR craze and how the artificial scarcity of the device created such huge demand. The RAZR was a good device, and you may argue it was well ahead of other phones at the time of its release, but the other manufacturers caught up quickly. Apple used a similar strategy and it has paid off immensely. The iPhone is now available on the top 3 carriers in the U.S., but is still seen as a status symbol in many circles. As if only a few people have access to it. One could make a strong argument that the Samsung Galaxy SII is a superior smartphone, but still many customers line up to get the iPhone instead, because their inner hoarder says they NEED it, and the products perceived coolness and limited availability only add to the whole experience.
    The concept of artificial scarcity is simple. You take a product that is plentifully available to manufacture in mass, but limit distribution to a limited time, limited area, or in the case of the iPhone, limited retail outlets.
    The strategy has worked perfect for Disney. Why let your movies make the gradual descent to the $3.99 Wal-Mart bargain bin? Just keep "taking them out of the vault" and offering them at full price for a few months every couple years and people pull their credit cards out to pay $17.99 for an 85 year old movie and thank Disney for "allowing" them the opportunity to purchase Snow White. Oh, and you get to be a part of a limited privileged club.
    Another notable example is McDonald's McRib. If it was on the menu full time, many people either wouldn't bother going to McDonalds or would order something else, but artificial scarcity commands us to rush in to McDonalds and get several McRibs at a time because we won't have another chance at it for another year. What do we end up with, besides a belly ache and a reason why we don't normally eat at McDonalds?
    We should be immune to this form of advertising by now, as we are constantly inundated with limited time availability and special edition products all around us. However it is still alive and well here on Planet Earth, because it still works. Big time.
    Can Apple keep the air of exclusivity over its iPhone as it continues to broaden its distribution? Or will smartphone buyers move on to other devices? Only time will tell. But many doubt that Apple will play its hand as well in an era post Steve Jobs.
     
     
     
    Photos Courtesy of iPhone5rumor.net
  16. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, November 21, 2011 - 6:21 PM MST
     
    News is getting more and more bleak for the approval of the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. This weekend, and in to today, there have been several articles painting a more dire outlook on the merger getting the necessary government approvals.
    The Financial Times is reporting that most analysts now think that the $39 billion merger has less than a 50/50 chance of being approved. Some being so dire as giving chance of approval at 20%. It appears that it seems that most people gave AT&T the best shot at the time of the announcement. But as time has gone by, opinion has slipped lower and lower. And AT&T's case has largely been to attack Sprint directly and through surrogates. Largely ignoring the grounds of the antitrust case as presented by the DOJ that was filed to stop the merger.
    Just walking away is not likely though, at this point. Given that AT&T has $6 billion in cash and other incentives it is on the hook to pay to T-Mobile should the deal fall through.
    And the longer this drags out and the deal should be rejected, what will that leave of T-Mobile? The delay and dragging out of this deal is very bad for their subscriber counts. Leaving magenta girl and all her friends left to do the limbo. But now the rumors are starting suggesting T-Mobile could join forces with Dish Network, or even a buy out from Dish, in a post apocalypse merger failure.
    What are your thoughts on the merger?
     
     
    Sources:
    http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/2e731b6c-116f-11e1-a95c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1eOJgqYyh (Free subscription required) http://www.dailywireless.org/2011/11/21/attt-mobile-merger-unlikely/ http://androidandme.com/2011/11/news/at-leaves-t-mobile-customers-in-a-tight-spot/
  17. S4GRU

    AT&T pulls T-Mobile Merger

    By S4GRU,

    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, December 19, 2011 - 2:42 PM MST
     
    BREAKING NEWS: AT&T is pulling out of it's merger with T-Mobile. Coincidence that the tyrannical merger dies right after North Korea's tyrannical leader? I think not!
    AT&T said it had agreed with Deutsche Telekom to drop its $39 billion bid to buy the German company's U.S. wireless company T-Mobile given increasing regulatory obstacles and lawsuits attempting to block the deal.
    AT&T said in a statement on Monday that it will enter a roaming agreement with Deutsche Telekom. AT&T confirmed it would take a $4 billion charge as part of the break-up of the T-Mobile merger. The companies agreed to this break-up fee when they agreed to merge past Spring. AT&T said the companies will also enter into a mutually beneficial roaming agreement.
  18. S4GRU
    by Andrew J. Shepherd
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, January 25, 2012 - 9:59 PM MST
     
    On AT&T’s Public Policy Blog recently, AT&T Senior Vice President Bob Quinn makes some bold claims about Sprint "disinvestment" in rural areas. But, at best, AT&T has failed to do its homework. And, at worst, the AT&T blog piece is an old fashioned hatchet job. The claims of Sprint "disinvestment" in rural areas in this case are largely contradictory to the facts. And the disparagement from AT&T is hypocritical, as it conveniently ignores AT&T’s own neglect of rural areas, especially those where it holds only PCS 1900 MHz spectrum.
    The rural coverage in question in Kansas and Oklahoma was constructed and is managed by Cellular Network Partnership d/b/a Pioneer Cellular. Sprint, as part of its Sprint Rural Alliance program, assigned portions of its PCS 1900 MHz spectrum seven years ago to Pioneer so that Pioneer could greatly expand its services to adjacent rural areas.

    Sprint Native Coverages with Pioneer Cellular, and then after native service ends and converting to roaming coverage. Click on image to enlarge.
    And here is an excerpt from the
    Sprint-Pioneer spectrum assignment application that the FCC approved in 2005:  
     
    So, Sprint enabled increased investment – not "disinvestment," as Quinn incorrectly claims – improved wireless coverage, and enhanced competition in underserved areas in Kansas and Oklahoma. Rural residents benefited, Pioneer benefited, even Sprint benefited. It was a win-win all around.
    In a quid pro quo for that spectrum investment, Sprint was able to offer Pioneer footprint as pseudo native Sprint coverage. Obviously, that arrangement is coming to an end, with a more traditional roaming agreement to follow. Why? Only Sprint and Pioneer know for certain. But Pioneer has inked a pact with Verizon Wireless now, having joined VZW's LTE in Rural America program. So, that change in allegiance probably played a big role in the decision to end the Sprint-Pioneer arrangement.
    Regardless, AT&T’s criticism is misplaced. Sprint's infusion of spectrum has allowed a small carrier over the past seven years to expand rural coverage and deliver 3G mobile broadband to communities in Kansas and Oklahoma that generally lack choices in wireless or even wired Internet access. That type of universally beneficial cooperation in the industry should be cheered, not derided.
     
     
    And has the irony been lost on AT&T that it, too, relies upon roaming coverage in several counties in southern Kansas where Sprint-Pioneer have coverage? (see image above).AT&T lobs criticism at Sprint for soon to be roaming on Pioneer where Sprint has its own spectrum, but the same is true for AT&T. AT&T holds spectrum in these counties but has not built it out.
    Moreover, if AT&T truly wants to talk about "disinvestment" in rural areas, then Quinn really should turn the mirror upon his employer. For example, AT&T and its predecessors have held PCS 1900 MHz licenses for several quite rural Basic Trading Areas in North and South Dakota for the past 15 years. The FCC five year construction requirement deadlines for those licenses came up in 2002. AT&T met its five year benchmark by deploying typically single cell site "license protection" coverage in only the largest city in each BTA, often just barely meeting the minimum 25 percent population coverage. And AT&T proceeded to stand pat on that token coverage for the better part of a decade.
    To illustrate, compare an AT&T 2009 coverage map to the Aberdeen, SD and Minot, ND
    BTAs buildout coverage maps filed with the FCC in 2002. In the intervening years, AT&T failed to invest beyond the minimum coverage required to retain its licenses in the Dakotas and, instead, relied upon roaming for better than 90 percent of its coverage. Yet, Quinn has the temerity to castigate Sprint for strategically using roaming partners. (Story continues below...)
     

    AT&T Dakotas 2009 Coverage Map. Click on image to enlarge.  
    AT&T Aberdeen, SD 2002 Buildout Coverage Map. Click on image to enlarge.  

    AT&T Minot, ND 2002 buildout Coverage Map. Click on image to enlarge.  
    It was only once VZW acquired Alltel and was required to divest numerous properties – AT&T conveniently was the acquirer of divested Cellular 850 MHz spectrum with superior propagation characteristics and an already constructed network across the Dakotas – that AT&T finally took an active interest in both states about 18 months ago. AT&T knows all too well that PCS 1900 MHz propagation is a challenge, both technically and economically, to make work in highly rural areas. For AT&T to hold Sprint and its PCS 1900 MHz spectrum to a higher standard is really quite disingenuous.
    Furthermore, the situation in the Dakotas is not an isolated occurrence. Rather, it is really a microcosm of AT&T's approach to rural deployment in general. AT&T started its 3G W-CDMA network overlay more than six years ago. And, believe it or not, AT&T still is not even close to finished. A glance over an AT&T coverage map from late 2011 shows that large swaths of 2G GSM/GPRS/EDGE coverage (unstriped orange on the map) linger in Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, South Carolina, Texas (AT&T's home state, no less), Wisconsin, Washington, etc. Why has AT&T been so slow to bring the benefits of 3G W-CDMA to these areas and their residents? That is a very good question, and one that AT&T should be made to answer, especially after AT&T made such audacious claims that its failed merger with T-Mobile would have emboldened AT&T to expand rural 4G LTE deployment to 98 percent of the population. AT&T’s slow and selective 3G W-CDMA roll out would seem to suggest just the opposite. (Story continues below...)
     

    AT&T National 2011 3G/4G Coverage Map. Click on image to enlarge.
     
    In the end, this rebuttal is intended primarily to bring a more complete set of facts to the discussion. Nearly all wireless carriers are at least sometimes guilty of putting their own financial interests ahead of the public interest by deploying minimal “license protection” coverage, passing over low population density areas, etc. But, additionally, AT&T, in its failed T-Mobile merger bid and otherwise, has shown a disturbing corporate willingness to play fast and loose with the truth in order to achieve its aims. And, sadly, the trend continues with Quinn’s recent AT&T Public Policy Blog post. That is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged.
     
    Sources: FCC, AT&T, Sprint, Howard Forums
  19. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, June 6, 2012 - 8:44 AM MDT
     
    In the first article of our new Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series, S4GRU brings you to Atlanta, Georgia. Sprint announced to the world early in Network Vision that the Atlanta/Athens market would be one of their first LTE launches. Slated for the end of June 2012.
     
    Since the announcement last December, Sprint's Network Vision OEM Ericsson has been busy with deployment. As of this week, the Atlanta/Athens market has over 150 Network Vision sites broadcasting a LTE signal. These sites are all around the market.
     

    Network Vision Sites in Atlanta/Athens Market. Over 150 sites are complete in the market. All of these broadcasting Sprint LTE, but being blocked from accessibility by Sprint.


     
    150 Live LTE Sites, but still being blocked by Sprint
     
    Despite the good news of so many live LTE sites, Sprint is currently blocking LTE connections, as most of our S4GRU readers already know. Sprint has put the decision of when to allow their LTE signals that are currently being broadcast over Northern Georgia in the hands of their "Business Teams." Now with the EVO LTE apparently selling like gangbusters and with the announcement of the new LTE capable Samsung Galaxy S-III, hopefully Sprint will allow their LTE network to open to connections soon.
     

    Sprint originally planned to allow sites converted to Network Vision standards to go live immediately upon completion by the OEM Contractor. This is still the case with 3G EVDO and even CDMA 800 sites when they are completed. In Sprint's original Network Vision plans, they were also planning to allow 4G LTE signals to be handled the same way. Turn them on and allow them to be discovered prior to the formal market launch at 50% site completion. 
    Sprint did start releasing 4G LTE sites initially after they started coming online in April, but soon changed their mind about allowing customers to connect to them. Several S4GRU members were able to use 4G LTE and were posting impressive 30Mbps download speeds. However, since then Sprint decided to shut down access to LTE and started actively blocking. Now it is believed that Sprint may hold all LTE connections in a market until formal launch. We hope they allow it sooner.
     
    It seems to be a terrible waste to have a LTE signal being broadcast all around you that your device is not allowed to connect to. There have been many speculations why Sprint may be blocking access, including possible LTE connectivity issues with the new EVO LTE, but none have been confirmed at this time. Sprint can end this conjecture by just opening up their LTE network to existing LTE device holders.
     
    Market Launch and Remaining Schedule
     
    In recently seen correspondence, Sprint has decided to move up launches sooner than 50% completion. This is likely to maintain a Mid 2012 launch. In the case of Atlanta, should Sprint launch prior to the end of June, they would only be complete with approximately 35% to 40% of all NV sites. And even though this sounds like very few, keep in mind that Sprint's Atlanta/Athens market is all of Northern Georgia. With over 1,000 sites total.
     




    Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market on June 30th, these are the anticipated sites that would have LTE complete at that time. This would provide pretty good LTE coverage over the market.


     
    Verizon did not get 100% of their total market coverage complete before launching in Atlanta. Maybe a hundred sites at first, then adding more incrementally. Sprint will do something similar. At market launch, some areas will be well covered with LTE, and others may be kind of spotty. However, more sites will come online every week until the whole market is complete. And even with one or two bars of LTE signal on your device, you will still get speeds that are double to triple that of 3G EVDO in most instances.
     
    And speaking of 3G EVDO, Sprint is not reporting any of these live Network Vision sites are currently broadcasting EVDO, only LTE. According to the NV schedule, these should have started coming online in May. However, none have shown up as NV 3G active to date. We know the new backhaul is in place at these sites since they are broadcasting LTE. That most likely means that the Switch Center is not ready for these sites. A huge backlog of 3G sites will probably come online in this market suddenly when the network is ready.
     
    The bottom line...
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the Atlanta market. We believe they are still targeting a launch date before the end of the month based on internal Sprint documents. However, we hope that they will actually remove LTE blocking before the launch, since there are so many active LTE sites that can be used now in this market.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision schedule for this market currently has 152 Network Vision sites complete. Ericsson is plotting continual progress from here until the last ones complete around Mid December 2012. Production is ramping up to turn over approximately 150 sites per month through the end. Although it was difficult for S4GRU to quantify looking at this complex schedule, it appears that Ericsson is a little behind schedule in the market, but not more than can be made up before scheduled market completion in December.
     
    Pretty much the last piece of the puzzle unknown at this time is when is Sprint going to light this thing up for customers? C'mon Sprint, we are waiting!
     




    Photo of Atlanta skyline provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     

    NOTE: S4GRU Sponsor Members can track regular updates of
    Network Vision sites completed nationwide. Completed sites are shown in an interactive Google Maps interface. Information about sponsorship can be found here: S4GRU Sponsorship

  20. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, March 5, 2012 - 12:01 AM MST
     
    Today, Sprint 4G Rollout Updates is prepared to tell you about two relatively early Round Two markets in Sprint's Network Vision/LTE deployment plans for 2012. Austin and Charlotte. Encompassing large sections of Central Texas and Western North Carolina.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision vendor Ericsson will likely begin Network Vision and LTE deployment in the Austin market and Alcatel/Lucent in the Charlotte market in 2012. This is not an imminent start in the next few weeks. These are Second Round starts. Which means that the start of these markets is dependent on when the previous market before it wraps up. There is no way for me to determine at this point which markets will precede them.
     
    Sprint's Austin market
     
    Sprint's Austin market basically covers all of Central Texas. Including the cities of Austin, Round Rock, Waco, Killeen/Fort Hood, Temple, Bryan/College Station, Lampasas, Stephenville and San Marcos. It is bordered by the DFW market to the north, Houston to the east and San Antonio market to south. All of these have been announced previously. The West Texas market borders to the west, but has yet to be announced. The Austin market will sport 387 sites in total after NV is complete.
     


    Sprint's Austin Market. All 375+ Network Vision sites are shown for the Austin market in this map. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    Sprint's Charlotte market
     
    Sprint's Charlotte market is the whole western portion of North Carolina and the part of South Carolina adjacent to the Charlotte metro area. It includes the cities of Charlotte, Asheville, Hickory, Salisbury, Boone, Hendersonville and Rock Hill, South Carolina. It is bordered by the Nashville market to the west, South Carolina market to the south, Raleigh/Durham market to the east, the Winston/Salem market to the Northeast and the Sprint Regional Affiliate Shentel to the north. All of these adjacent markets are yet to be announced. 446 Network Vision sites in all.
     
     
     

    Sprint's Charlotte Market. All of the approximately 450 Network Vision sites are shown for the Charlotte market in this map. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    We would love to give you the date, but...
     
    There is absolutely no way for S4GRU to be able to provide a start date for these markets, or any of the Second Round 2012 markets that will be announced after these. We are announcing these markets to you for your information, to give Sprint customers a rough idea of when these second round markets can be anticipated.
     
    There is absolutely no guarantee of the order in which these markets come live, because there is a lot of variability in the plan. The most significant variable being how quickly the preceding market before it wraps up. If things go quickly in the preceding market, work may start early. Things go late, these would likely start late. And to complicate start dates in each market, Sprint has said they may elect to slow down Network Vision in future quarters if cash flow becomes strained.
     
    Sprint has three different OEM vendors, with several different crews in many markets at once. There could be final permitting and design delays, some vendors and/or crews will work at different speeds, weather issues and any number of unforeseen circumstances to complicate matters even further. First round market starts are much easier to predict, but second round and third round markets starts are increasingly difficult to predict and put dates to. This is likely the reason why Sprint has elected not to announce these markets themselves at this time. But we know you don't want to wait for Sprint to tell you! With these caveats understood, we are releasing the Network Vision second round markets in the order that they are anticipating to start deployment, based on the schedules as they exist to date.
     
    We won't stop digging for you!
     
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates will continue to scour through the data and gather deployment information for your use. It is our intent to provide at a minimum, all the Sprint markets that will likely begin Network Vision/LTE upgrades in 2012. And we intend to do so in a series of articles over the next few weeks. We will not likely announce communities slated for 2013, because the dates we hold for 2013 markets appear very tentative and subject to change. With the many variables to sort out between now and 2013. Sprint could make significant shifts in deployment plans based on dynamic need change, funding, market permitting difficulties, etc.
     
    With the release of Austin and Charlotte markets today, that brings the total of Network Vision markets announced to 17. We have created a thread in our forums where we are keeping track of all the markets announced by Sprint and S4GRU.com. Click on this link here to view the Network Vision Market Running List.
     
    Stay tuned to Sprint 4G Rollout Updates. On Wednesday we will be announcing the next two Round Two markets for Sprint Network Vision and LTE deployment. We will be talking about in a few hours in advance in a S4GRU Live Chat at 9:30 PM Mountain Time on Tuesday evening. Come join us!
     
     
     






    Photos Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

     
    Information about the source: The information for all of our Network Vision information has been freely provided by several sources close to the Network Vision program who choose to remain anonymous. No source information will be released to protect anonymity.
     
    Special thanks to S4GRU Member digiblur for creating the Austin and Charlotte Market maps! Thank you!
  21. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Friday, June 15, 2012 - 12:40 PM MDT
     
    S4GRU has now completed schedule updates for all the official Sprint announced markets, but we will keep trekking along with schedule updates on the unofficial markets. The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is...Austin, Texas. This market has not been announced by Sprint, but it is on the way for an August launch, and work is already under way in this market.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision OEM Ericsson initially deployed to the Austin market quite early, starting work back in December 2011. Ericsson established their 4G LTE FIT (field testing) areas around Waco. There are already 20 sites in the Greater Waco area with live LTE. And work is just about to begin in other parts of the market, including in the Austin Metro area.
     

    Network Vision Sites in the Austin market. Twenty sites are complete in the market around Waco. All of these broadcasting Sprint LTE, and many of them are not even being blocked at this time.


     
    Market Launch and Remaining Schedule
     
    It was Sprint's original plan to launch markets when they reached 50% of sites converted to Network Vision. However, in recently seen correspondence, Sprint has decided to move up launches sooner than 50% completion in many instances. This is likely to maintain a Mid 2012 launch in markets that have already been announced. However, in an unannounced market like Austin, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 30% - 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    If Sprint waits for 50% completion to launch the Austin market, it would make the launch month in September (should Ericsson stay on schedule). That being said, if Sprint should launch around August 1st (as we suspect), then the market would be well under 50% complete. This doesn't sound like enough, but it would provide pretty good coverage. A little known item is not even Verizon launches on all sites in a market initially. Usually less than 50%, then filling in with more and more sites every few months.
     




    Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market in August, these are the anticipated sites that would have LTE complete at that time. This would provide fairly good LTE coverage over many parts of the market. Waco coverage would not change. Also, the College Station/Bryan areas are not scheduled to start until October.


     
    At market launch, some areas will be well covered with LTE, and others may be kind of spotty. However, more sites will come online every week until the whole market is complete. And even with one or two bars of LTE signal on your device, you will still get speeds that are double to triple that of well performing 3G EVDO in most instances.
     
    And speaking of 3G EVDO, Sprint is reporting that most of the Network Vision sites around Waco have both 3G EVDO and 4G LTE complete. It is not known at this time if the sites due around Austin soon will have both 4G and 3G complete at the same time. Most of the other Ericsson markets are only reporting 4G LTE live at NV sites at the moment.
     
    The bottom line...
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the Austin market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of August based on reports internally within Sprint. LTE deployment is just about to really take off in the market here in Mid June and into July. Hopefully as these LTE sites complete, Sprint will allow them to be usable by Sprint LTE device holders in the area.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision schedule for this market currently has 20 Network Vision sites complete. Ericsson is plotting continual progress from here with production increasing up to a rate of almost 70 sites per month. S4GRU has poured over the schedule in this market and sees a November 2012 completion date. In our estimation of the schedule, Ericsson may be challenged to complete such a high rate of sites monthly, but it is possible with the appropriate amount of resources.
     




    Photo of Austin skyline provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     

    NOTE: S4GRU Sponsor Members can track regular updates of
    Network Vision sites completed nationwide. Completed sites are shown in an interactive Google Maps interface. Information about sponsorship can be found here: S4GRU Sponsorship

  22. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 6:33 PM MDT
     
    Next stop, Baltimore! S4GRU continues our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series with "The Greatest City in America." I didn't come up with that Motto, but I did read it on Wikipedia. So it must be true! Back in February, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse broke the news that Baltimore will be launched with Network Vision and LTE in Mid-2012.
     
    The Baltimore market essentially covers all of Maryland, except for the portions in the Sprint Washington DC market and Western Maryland which is mostly served by Sprint Affiliate Shentel. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent has been actively deploying in the Baltimore market since March and is making good progress. As of this week, there are approximately 55 Network Vision sites that have completed upgrades. These sites are pretty spread out around the market, from Inner City Baltimore, out to the suburbs, one in Annapolis and even three out on the Eastern Shore!
     

    Network Vision Sites in the Baltimore market. More than fifty Network Vision sites are complete in the market.


     
    Market Launch and Remaining Schedule
     
    It was Sprint's original plan to launch markets when they reached 50% of sites converted to Network Vision. However, in recently seen correspondence, Sprint has decided to move up launches sooner than 50% completion. This is likely to maintain a Mid 2012 launch in markets that have already been announced...like Baltimore. If they waited for 50% now, it would delay launch until September. In the case of the Baltimore market, should Sprint launch by Mid July, they would only be complete with approximately 25% to 30% of all NV sites. This doesn't sound like a lot, but it would provide pretty good coverage. A little known item is not even Verizon launches on all sites in a market initially. Usually less than 50%, then filling in with more and more sites every few months.
     
    At market launch, some areas will be well covered with LTE, and others may be kind of spotty. However, more sites will come online every week until the whole market is complete. And even with one or two bars of LTE signal on your device, you will still get speeds that are double to triple that of well performing 3G EVDO in most instances.
     




    Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market in Mid July, these are the anticipated sites that would likely have LTE complete at that time. This would provide fairly good LTE coverage over many parts of the market.


     
    Sprint is not reporting any of these live Network Vision sites in Baltimore are currently broadcasting 4G LTE, only 3G EVDO. According to the NV schedule, these should have started coming online in May with LTE. However, none have shown up as LTE active to date. This most likely means that either the backhaul is not quite ready to service 4G LTE, or the 4G cores that these sites are tied to are not quite ready for LTE traffic. A huge backlog of LTE sites will probably come online in this market suddenly when the network is ready.
     
    The bottom line...
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the Baltimore market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of July based on reports internally within Sprint. Currently Sprint continues to block LTE connections by its customers with LTE devices. Hopefully by the time LTE is ready at these Baltimore sites, Sprint will have stopped their LTE blocking schemes.
     
    Sprint's schedule for this market currently has 55 Network Vision sites complete. Alcatel/Lucent is continuing to progress and should increase the production rate up to 60 sites per month from here forward. S4GRU has poured over the schedule in this market and sees a December 2012 completion date. In our estimation of the schedule, it appears that Alcatel/Lucent is only slightly behind in the market and looks good to completing on time.
     
     




    Photo of Baltimore Inner Harbor provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     

    NOTE: S4GRU Sponsor Members can track regular updates of
    Network Vision sites completed nationwide. Completed sites are shown in an interactive Google Maps interface. Information about sponsorship can be found here: S4GRU Sponsorship

  23. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Friday, March 16, 2012 - 2:58 PM MDT
     
    Exciting breaking news from the S4GRU.com News Desk! Since our Central Jersey story broke on March 6th, we have received information from three separate sources about Network Vision upgrades that have been complete in the Boston market.
     
    Now S4GRU.com can confirm that 20 sites have been upgraded in the Sprint Boston market (see map below) to Network Vision. What is really exciting about this, is it is further confirmation of the validity of our inside sourced material. If you recall, Sprint hasn't even announced the Boston market yet. But we announced it as a First Round market back on February 20th! And now work is coming to pass as we said.
     
    The initial tip was for four sites complete out on Cape Cod. That expanded to a dozen all over the outer parts of the market, and now it's up to 20. All in 10 days time. I am not certain whether that this deployment in Boston is showing that sites are being deployed outside of the cluster sequence here, or if we are looking at work appearing in several scattered clusters (which is the most likely explanation).
     
    This is an exciting update for our Bay Staters! 20 sites down, 920 more sites to go. Network Vision is rolling out steadily now. If you live in any of these areas or want to travel to one of these sites to check things out, send me a PM. I will send you a zoomed in map of any one of these sites. You can then drive over, run some performance tests and take some photos for us. You can be featured right here at Sprint 4G Rollout Updates.
     




    Sites Complete in Boston market. Just over 2% of all Boston Network Vision sites have been overhauled. 20 of 940 down. Click on map to enlarge.


  24. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - 5:03 AM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is...Boston, Mass. This market has not been announced by Sprint, but appears to be on the way for a late August launch, and work is already well under way in this market.
     
    The Boston market essentially covers the entirety of the Bay State, from Pittsfield to the end of Cape Cod. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent has been actively deploying in the Boston market since late February and has a lot of sites up and running. As of this week, there are approximately 150 Network Vision sites that have completed upgrades. These sites are pretty spread out around the market, from Springfield to Suburban Boston and way out to New Bedford and Cape Cod!
     

    Complete Network Vision Sites in the Boston market. Approximately 150 Network Vision sites are complete in the market. The map on the left showing sites with 3G on-air and the map on the right showing 4G LTE on-air.


     
    Market Launch and Remaining Schedule
     
    It was Sprint's original plan to launch markets when they reached 50% of sites converted to Network Vision. However, it has now been determined that Sprint will move up launches sooner than 50% completion in several markets. This is likely to maintain a Mid 2012 launch in markets that have already been announced. However, in an unannounced market like Boston, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 30% - 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    If Sprint waits for 50% completion to launch the Boston market, it would make the launch month to be October (should AlcaLu stay on schedule). That being said, if Sprint should launch around the third week of August (as we suspect), then the market would be less than 50% complete. This doesn't sound like enough, but it would provide pretty good coverage. Even Verizon doesn't launch on all sites in a market initially. Usually less than 50%, then filling in with more and more sites every few months.
     




    Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market in late August, these are the anticipated sites that would likely have LTE complete at that time. This would provide fairly good LTE coverage over many parts of the market.


     
    Until recently, Sprint was not reporting any of these live Network Vision sites in Boston have 4G LTE complete, only 3G EVDO. But this weekend, 4G LTE sites started to go on-air in the Boston market. The 140 or so 3G only Network Vision sites will likely start coming live with 4G LTE very soon.
     
    The bottom line...
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the Boston market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of August based on reports internally within Sprint. However, after reviewing the schedule, it may actually pan out to be late August or the first of September. Sprint will likely announce a launch date for this market, and a few others like Austin, Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles around the time of the first launch.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision schedule for this market currently has 148 Network Vision sites complete. Alcatel/Lucent is plotting continual progress from here with production increasing up to a rate of almost 70 sites per month. S4GRU has examined the schedule in great detail in this market and sees that most of the sites will be complete by February 2013. However, there are several sites that will linger past the completion. In our estimation of the schedule, AlcaLu is right on time, and should have no problem meeting or exceeding the schedule.
     




    Photo of Boston skyline provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     

    NOTE: S4GRU Sponsor Members can track regular updates of
    Network Vision sites completed nationwide. Completed sites are shown in an interactive Google Maps interface. Information about sponsorship can be found here: S4GRU Sponsorship

  25. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Thursday, December 1, 2011 - 8:20 AM MST
     
    This morning Clearwire has come out with a Press Release stating that they have come to an agreement with Sprint on new funding. Up to $1.6 Billion in additional funding in total. This is significantly more than analysts were anticipating if Sprint were to come to the rescue.
    The deal, as reported from Clearwire on Thursday morning, would include keeping the existing WiMax network operating through 2015. Good news for WiMax device holders living in WiMax coverage areas. It also involves a path forward partnership between Sprint and Clearwire on a new 4G LTE network on Clearwire's EBS/BRS spectrum (2500-2600MHz). This is seen by analysts and Wall Street as necessary for Sprint's future spectrum needs for it's upcoming LTE network.
    In the short term, this will allow Clearwire to pay it's $237 Million debt payment that is due today. It always had the liquidity available to make the payment, but Clearwire was weighing options of non-payment to help keep it's cash reserves up. This new development should ease these concerns. And as Clearwire considers other means to raise cash, making this payment will help to those ends.
    Sprint is offering up to $926 Million to Clearwire for it's continued use of the WiMax network for it's 4G through 2012 and then will be transitioning to a usage based model for payment of services. Past deals involved flat per user fees. An extended deal will ensure that customers who purchase new WiMax devices will have access to WiMax networks at least through the completion of their two year contracts. The deal also allows for Sprint to wholesale Clearwire's network to it's MVNO and Enterprise customers.
    One of the key aspects that this blog is most interested in relates to Network Vision and the LTE network build out. This deal will help to better align Clearwire's spectrum into Network Vision when and where additional LTE capacity is needed and Sprint's owned spectrum will not provide enough capacity. This will ensure a better 4G LTE experience for many years to come and will help to squelch frequent concerns from the blogosphere and Wall Street about Sprint's 4G LTE network capacity that would likely result from only using Sprint owned spectrum.
    However, in the press release, it appears to be saying that Sprint will not release devices until 2013 that support Clearwire's TDD-LTE network. This likely means that the first LTE devices being released in 2012 will not support these additional frequencies. This may not be well received by LTE customers. And could result in many people delaying the purchase of LTE devices until devices are released that support all Sprint LTE frequencies.
    Sprint will not be providing funds for Clearwire's LTE network build out at this point. Sprint will provide up to $350 Million in Prepayments to Clearwire for LTE service if Clearwire manages to get funding for their LTE network on their own and meet build out time line requirements. Sprint and Clearwire will also start with a usage based fee model with LTE from day one. Additionally, starting in 2013, Sprint will work with Clearwire to add LTE to it's Network Vision towers where additional capacity is needed. These locations could even be in markets where Clearwire doesn't even offer service.
    Sprint may even offer additional equity funding to Clearwire. But only if Clearwire can secure other equity funding from other sources. Because Sprint does not want to increase the amount of equity it has in Clearwire greater than 49.6%. So additional funding from other sources would involve more monies from Sprint at a rate to maintain that pro rata basis.
     
     
    Updated at 9:05 AM MST with more details. Edited at 9:18 AM MST with readability corrections.
     
    Press Release: http://corporate.cle...eleaseID=629282
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