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S4GRU

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Blog Entries posted by S4GRU

  1. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, April 10, 2012 - 1:31 AM MDT
     
     
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates has completed announcements on the first two rounds of Network Vision, naming just over 40 of Sprint's 97 markets as slated to begin deployment before the end of 2012. Sprint's Network Vision and LTE Deployment are in full swing with First Round markets cranking out production. Even some Second Round markets will begin deployment as soon as May.
     
    S4GRU has recently been apprised of some additional Network Vision information. As you may recall, when Sprint originally announced Network Vision details and explained their change to LTE for its 4G technology, Sprint also said that planning/design/permitting is under way at the first 22,000 sites. S4GRU has now been able to see information on those initial 22,000 sites. Sprint originally said that these sites were the first sites to receive Network Vision upgrades.
     
    In the data for all these sites, there were not many surprises. But two things immediately jumped out. Or, I should say, two markets. All of the markets comprising the 22,000 sites are in the first two announced rounds, except two. There are two markets that it appears Sprint is proceeding with complete site planning and design that have not been announced to date by S4GRU.
     
    Missouri and Oklahoma
     

    Missouri/Oklahoma. There are over 1,175 sites in the Missouri and
    Oklahoma Sprint markets.
    The Missouri and Oklahoma markets are included in Sprint's initial 22,000 sites planning. However, in a cross check, these two markets are not in the Sprint schedule for the first two rounds. It's quite possible since all the planning and permitting for these two markets will be done in advance, they may actually be moved up in to the second round. We cannot say with any certainty at this time. This should be seen as good news though for the folks living in these two markets. 
    We do not have any more details than this to report on these two markets currently. S4GRU will keep pushing for all the latest information for you on Sprint's Network Vision and LTE Depolyment. Stay tuned to S4GRU.com for breaking Network Vision news.
     
     







    Photos Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


  2. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Friday, June 29, 2012 - 12:28 PM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is ...Tampa. The Tampa Bay area has yet to be announced by Sprint, but is expected to be announced in the near future. Perhaps around the time of the first market launches.
     
    The Sprint Tampa market encompasses all of the Sprint native coverage in the Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. This includes Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Largo, Dunedin, Brandon, Plant City, Riverview, Palm Harbor, New Port Richey, Tarpon Springs, Zephyrhills, Spring Hill and Brooksville. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Ericsson is scheduled to begin mobilizing with its subcontractors in August. Completed Network Vision sites should start coming online around the first of Septemeber.
     
    Tampa Market Launch
     
    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 Tampa, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    It doesn't much matter in this market if Sprint launches at 40% or 50% completion. Ericsson is scheduled to hit both the 40% and 50% milestones in the month of December (should they stay on schedule). It may seem that 40% - 50% site completion is not enough to launch LTE service, 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 December, 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.


     
    Schedule details and the bottom line
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" LTE service around the Tampa Bay. It is difficult to try to pick a date now this far out, but we will take a stab at it. In looking at the schedule as of today, it would indicate a December market launch (going on a 40% - 50% completion for launch). But there is no way to know if Ericsson and their subcontractors will actually hit their schedule dates this early in the deployment for this market. We will be able to gauge better after a few months of production.
     
    Ericsson will only need to hit a production rate of 45 sites per month to stay on schedule. This appears to us to be an achievable rate. If properly prepared and equipped and if backhaul is ready timely, this market shouldn't have problems staying on time. But this is easy to say before they get started.
     
    S4GRU has examined the schedule in great detail in this market and sees that most of the sites will be complete by March 2013. However, there may be a few sporadic sites that will linger past the completion.
     




    Photo of Tampa 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

  3. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, September 5, 2012 - 7:45 AM MDT
     
    S4GRU has received a tip that Network Vision was spotted underway in the Austin metro area. We were able to send out a core member to verify. We are happy to report that Sprint is indeed under way with Network Vision/LTE deployment in the Austin market.
     
    S4GRU Member ATX4G first reported the work at the site. Later S4GRU Member boomerbubba, went out to verify for this article. While at Site #SA14XC087, Boomerbubba was able to actually talk with one of the field techs working at the site, and offered this report:
     
     
    There you go. Verification of the first Austin site. Most likely, there are many more currently under active deployment all around greater Austin at this moment. We also reported this weekend more activity in the Austin market with a new site at Ft. Hood Medical Center.
     
    It looks like the Austin market is no longer being delayed and back on track with an active deployment. The original Network Vision schedule had work starting in the Austin Metro Area in June. So, it appears like it is starting 2-1/2 months later than originally planned. So perhaps we can expect an end of November launch and a January/February completion? By the end of September, they should be hitting their stride and we can better evaluate then. Stay tuned.
     

  4. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - 12:00 PM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is...the City of Angels. Los Angeles, a.k.a. "L.A." The LA Metro market has not been announced by Sprint, but appears to be on the way for a September launch.
     
    The Sprint LA Metro market covers all of Los Angeles County. Adjacent counties are in different Sprint markets. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent has been actively deploying in Los Angeles since March and is making good progress. As of this week, there are approximately 65 Network Vision sites that have completed upgrades. These sites are located throughout the market. Mostly in the SF Valley, Los Angeles Basin and the I-110 Harbor Freeway Corridor.
     

    Network Vision Sites in the LA Metro market. Approximately 65 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, 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 LA, 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 LA Metro market, it would make the launch month to be October (should AlcaLu stay on schedule). That being said, if Sprint should launch in September (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 September, 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 the LA market as 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 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 LA Metro market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of September based on reports internally within Sprint. They will likely announce a launch date for this market, and a few others like Austin, Boston, Chicago and Washington DC around the time of the first market launches.
     
    Sprint's schedule for this market currently has 65 Network Vision sites complete. Alcatel/Lucent is continuing to progress and is planning to increase the production rate up to 110 sites per month from here forward. This seems like a very difficult rate of completion to achieve.
     
    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 currently pretty much on time, but may have issues meeting this rate identified in Sprint's schedule.
     




    Photo of Downtown Los Angeles 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

  5. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Thursday, March 8, 2012 - 1:00 PM MST
     
    Suffer from indoor coverage issues? Need a personal Sprint femtocell to supplant your indoor Sprint coverage? Enter in the Sprint Airave Access Point.
     
    Sprint is running a new pilot program. Telesales will be letting new customers know they can get a free Airave if they have indoor coverage issues. Customers will be directed to sprint.com/airaveaccesspoint to order. Sprint has created a special team to manage this program.
     
    There may be limits and certain terms and conditions that may apply. Established customers may also have some luck getting in on this promotion, even though they are not the intended candidates.
     
    Feel free to sound off in the comments section below if you are able to score one of the units. Share your experiences. Good luck!
     
    EDIT: Just to clarify...yes, Sprint has given away Airaves in the past. Their Retentions Dept. did have authority to give them out. But this is a new promotion with the Airave product. Now Sprint is dedicating staff specifically to this new promotion and being more proactive to customer concerns with indoor coverage issues, not reactive as a last resort before a customer leaves.
     
    We already have had several Facebook fans and S4GRU Members post that they called and was able to get one.
     
     




    Screen shot from Sprint site touting the new Sprint Airave Access Point. Click on image to enlarge.


  6. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - 5:09 PM MDT
     
    I hear from yous guys all the time, so I know that the Big Apple is ready to take a big bite out of the upcoming Sprint LTE network. So it is with great joy, that the next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is...New York City. This market has not been announced by Sprint, but appears to be on the way for a November/December launch.
     
    The Sprint NYC market covers all of the New York Boroughs, up into Westchester and the Lower Hudson Valley up through Newburgh and Poughkeepsie. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent has been actively deploying in the New York City market since April and is making good progress. As of this week, there are approximately 30 Network Vision sites that have completed upgrades. These sites are located throughout the market.
     

    Network Vision Sites in the New York City market. Approximately thirty 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, 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 New York, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    If Sprint waits for 50% completion to launch the NYC market, it would make the launch month to be as late as January (should AlcaLu stay on schedule). That being said, if Sprint should launch some time in November (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 November, 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 the NYC market as currently broadcasting 4G LTE, only 3G EVDO. According to the NV schedule, these should have started coming online in June 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 New York City market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of October based on reports internally within Sprint. However, after reviewing the schedule, we don't see how they could launch before November unless the market deployment speeds up faster than scheduled, or they lower the percentage for launch to be less than 40%. We will be listening closely when Sprint announces the next round of market launch projections to see if they include New York, or even if they so boldly announce a date.
     
    Sprint's schedule for this market currently has 31 Network Vision sites complete. Alcatel/Lucent is continuing to progress and is planning to increase the production rate up to 90 sites per month from here forward. This seems like a very high rate, but plausible with the right resources allocated to the job.
     
    S4GRU has examined the schedule in great detail in this market and sees that most of the sites will be complete by May 2013. However, there are several sites that will linger past the completion. In our estimation of the schedule, AlcaLu is currently a little behind schedule, but can recover if they start increasing production to 20+ sites per week in July.
     




    Photo of Manhattan 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

  7. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, June 27, 2012 - 6:00 AM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is The River City...Memphis. The Memphis market has yet to be announced by Sprint, but is expected to be announced in the near future. Perhaps around the time of the first market launches.
     
    The Sprint Memphis market encompasses all of the Sprint native coverage in western Tennessee, northern Mississippi and NE Arkansas. This includes the Memphis metropolitan area, Jackson, Dyersburg, Tupelo, Mississippi's Golden Triangle (Columbus, Starkville, West Point), Greenwood and Jonesboro in Arkansas. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Ericsson is scheduled to begin mobilizing in this area with its subcontractors in early August. Completed Network Vision sites should start coming online in September.
     
    Memphis Market Launch
     
    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 Memphis, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    If Sprint waits for 50% completion to launch the Memphis market, it would make the launch month to be December (should the OEM stay on schedule). If they plan on a 40% market completion for launch, that would be November. You may think that 40% - 50% site completion is not enough to launch LTE service, 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 November, 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. Some sites will are scheduled to be live in Jackson, Dyersburg and Jonesboro at the time. However, Mississippi sites won't start until early 2013.


     
    Schedule details and the bottom line
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the Memphis market. It is difficult to try to pick a date now this far out. And we know Sprint won't want to do that. But we will take a stab at it. In looking at the schedule as of today, it would indicate a November market launch (going on a 40% - 50% completion for launch). But there is no way to know if Ericsson and their subcontractors will actually hit their schedule dates this early in the deployment for this market. We will be able to gauge better after a few months of production.
     
    Ericsson will only need to hit a production rate of 40 sites per month to stay on schedule. This should be an easy to achieve rate. If properly prepared and equipped, and if backhaul is ready timely, this market shouldn't have problems staying on time. But this is easy to say before they get started.
     
    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 may be a few sporadic sites that will linger past the completion.
     




    Photo of Memphis 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

  8. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Sunday, July 1, 2012 - 12:56 PM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is the City of Brotherly Love...Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Metro market has yet to be announced by Sprint, but is expected to be announced in the near future. Perhaps around the time of the first market launches.
     
    The Sprint Philly market encompasses all of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Including the Philly Metro area, up toward the Lehigh Valley (Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton) and over toward Reading and Pottstown. In does not include the Jersey suburbs, which are in the Southern Jersey market. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent is scheduled to be mobilizing their subcontractors around the market now. Completed Network Vision sites are scheduled to start coming online this month.
     
    Philadelphia Metro Market Launch
     
    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 Philly, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    If Sprint waits for 50% completion to launch this market, it would make the launch approximately January (should the OEM stay on schedule). If they plan on a 40% market completion for launch, that would be December. You may think that 40% - 50% site completion is not enough to launch LTE service, 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 December, 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.


     
    Schedule details and the bottom line
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" LTE service in Philadelphia. It is difficult to try to pick a date now this far out, but we will take a stab at it. In looking at the schedule as of today, it would indicate a December or January market launch (going on a 40% - 50% completion for launch). But there is no way to know if AlcaLu and their subcontractors will actually hit their schedule dates this early in the deployment for this market. We will be able to gauge better after a few months of production.
     
    Alcatel/Lucent will need to hit a production rate of 50 sites per month to stay on schedule. This is an achievable rate in our opinion. If properly prepared and equipped and if backhaul is ready timely, this market shouldn't have problems staying on time.
     
    S4GRU has examined the schedule in great detail in this market and sees that most of the sites will be complete by July 2013. However, there may be a few sporadic sites that will linger past the completion.





    Photo of the Philadelphia 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

  9. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, June 18, 2012 - 7:53 AM MDT
     
    Last Friday, we provided a few tease postings on social media about Sprint 4G LTE sites going on-air in Boston. First 4, then a 5th and later a 6th. Now this morning, two more. A total of 8 sites in the Sprint Boston market now are live with 4G LTE.
     
    As most S4GRU followers know, Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent has been very active in the Boston area for several months. However, until late last week, all the Network Vision completed sites in this market have only had 3G upgrades gone live. These are the first sites to actually have 4G LTE be complete thus far. This is really exciting when you consider that Boston is not even an officially announced market for Sprint.
     




    Live Boston Market 4G LTE sites. This is an overview map showing the location of all 8 Sprint sites



    with on-air 4G LTE in the Boston Market as of this morning.


     
    The first live sites are scattered around the market. A cluster in Lynn/Saugus area sports four LTE sites. Then a 5th one appeared in Dartmouth, just west of New Bedford. Over the weekend, another site in Rockport was discovered and updated in our Completed Network Vision site maps for Sponsors.
     
    This morning, we are happy to report to you a site near Burlington and another on Cape Cod near Yarmouth. This is fast progress in two business days. Expect more in the coming days and weeks. Viva la LTE!!!
     




    On-Air 4G LTE in North Boston Suburbs. In this map you can see all the Sprint 4G LTE sites on air in the Northern Boston suburbs, including: Lynn, Saugus, Burlington and Rockport.


     
    We did have a S4GRU member go out to the sites around Lynn this weekend. He was not able to connect to the sites in that area using his EVO LTE. Sprint must still be blocking LTE connections. If you are able to connect to any of the sites in the Boston market, please let us know about it. Or post it in our confirmed LTE sites forum thread.
     




    On-Air 4G LTE in South Massachusetts. These are the two on-air 4G LTE sites in the New Bedford/Cape Cod area of the Boston market.


  10. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, August 29, 2012 - 7:20 AM MDT
     
    Today, Sprint announces they have launched service in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as in Gainesville, Georgia (in the Atlanta/Athens market) and Manhattan, Kansas and Sedalia, Missouri (in the Kansas market).
     
    However, S4GRU members have been reporting LTE service has been usable for weeks in these locations. Additionally, coverage showed up at coverage.sprint.com last Thursday. Service around Baltimore is pretty patchy, but better than some of the other launch markets on Launch Day. Additionally, there is a lone site in Annapolis for Sprint LTE customers to use while in Maryland's Capital City.
     
    S4GRU Writer, AJ Shepherd, was in Manhattan, Kansas last Friday and reported good to spotty coverage. Good performance was observed in areas with good signal.
     
    See the Sprint Press Release below:
     
  11. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, February 13, 2012 - 4:19 AM MST
     
    A little over a week ago, Sprint 4G Rollout Updates brought you an article with some details about Network Vision deployment in Chicago. At that time, we reported that the Windy City would receive its Network Vision in cluster deployments. In this article we expand with more detailed information on how Samsung will deploy these clusters based on new information from an internal undisclosed source close to the Network Vision program.
     
    The Chicago market is just incredibly large and diverse for Sprint, with over 1,100 cell sites. Tearing down and rebuilding more than a thousand sites is mind boggling to coordinate and physically laborious to achieve. Samsung has prepared a detailed plan to get it all done by October.
     
    Many of you may be disappointed and think that October is a long way out, but follow along. There will be many miles before Samsung Network Vision field techs will sleep. Samsung and Sprint are hitting the Chicago market hard and will be going non-stop until Network Vision completes the market in the next eight months.
     
    The Sprint Chicago Market is Deeper than any Windy City Deep Dish
     
    The sheer size and amount of work involved is the big reason why Chicago has not been announced by Sprint like the cities of Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta, Baltimore and Kansas City have been. Sprint thus far has been focused on releasing the names of Network Vision and LTE markets that will largely be complete by mid-year. Even though the Chicago market started slightly earlier than the already announced markets, Samsung will not be complete with Network Vision there by mid year. Although many Chicagoland residents with soon-to-be-for-sale Sprint LTE devices will be able to use the new network at that time, as each new cluster goes live.
     
    The Sprint Chicago market is made up of about 1,120 sites that have been broken down into over 40 conventional Network Vision clusters and two FIT (field testing) clusters. Deployment began in November with the FIT clusters. And once field testing was completed with these, the conventional deployment began in January.
     
    Two Field Testing Clusters, including some unannounced live 4G LTE action in Hammond, Indiana
     
    There are two FIT's that are included in the beginning of the Chicago Network Vision deployment. These were used to test some initial Network Vision deployments. Testing all the engineering and planning that was a year in the making and to see if any anamolies occured or technical adjustments that would need to be made in the Network Vision plans.
     
    The first one, the Kankakee FIT, was announced by Sprint back in December 2011. The Kankakee FIT was well publicized through the tech media. However, there was a second 4G LTE FIT in Hammond, Indiana that also rolled out over a month ago. This one has not been covered in the media, until now.
     
    That's right. You've heard it here first. Hammond, Indiana has a full Sprint 4G LTE deployment active right now. Of course, without any Sprint LTE devices out there at the moment, you cannot use it. Tens of thousands of Northwestern Indiana residents are being bathed in a Sprint 4G LTE signal at 1900MHz right now from 22 sites. This 4G LTE FIT runs from Central Hammond, bleeding a little over the Illinois border and running SE all the way to Merrillville. (see map)
     



     
    What was referred to as the Kankakee FIT was really a 3G-only Network Vision FIT. Many news outlets reported these as including 4G LTE because it was assumed all Network Vision towers had LTE. Interestingly, the Kankakee Network Vision FIT did not even include the community of Kankakee, but rather was represented by 15 cell sites straddling the Indiana/Illinois border. The communities covered by the 3G Network Vision FIT include Momence in Illinois and Roselawn, Hebron, Rensselaer, Morocco and Kentland in Indiana. Sprint's reference to these in December as being in Kankakee turns out to be quite a misnomer. (see map)
     



     
    Conventional NV Rollout anything but conventional
     
    Last month, Samsung began conventional Network Vision deployment. The first clusters receiving Network Vision overhauls are distant rural Chicago communities. Places where they can cover lots of square mileage per site and master their learning curve on fewer customers in a less dense environment.
     
    January clusters include one near the community of Rochelle and extend to approximately a dozen sites in surrounding Ogle, Lee and DeKalb counties. The other cluster is around the town of Morris with another 20 sites spread around rural portions of Grundy, Kendall and Will counties. These are largely active now.
     
    In February, Samsung endeavors to be complete with the cluster in the I-90 Tollway corridor that runs from Elgin to the edge of the Rockford cluster (between Marengo and Belvidere). March brings about the first moves into the suburbs with a cluster around the Fox Valley Mall between Naperville and Aurora, a cluster around Addison (including Lombard, Glendale Heights and Villa Park) and finishing up out in the Northwestern exurbs with a cluster in the area around Cary and Wauconda.
     
    The month of April, Samsung plans to extend deeper into suburbia expanding the Addison cluster westward into Carol Stream and Bloomingdale. April will also begin the Joliet cluster. And the month will wrap up with an expansion west from the Hammond cluster into the Illinois communities of Calumet City, South Holland, Dolton and Harvey. NV service will also be added to sites out in distant Sterling and Rock Falls.
     
    Activity is scheduled to really pick up momentum in May, when a more central cluster around the Evanston/Skokie area starts to come online. Other clusters seeing activity in May include Waukegan/North Chicago, Naperville, Bolingbrook/Downers Grove and the Kankakee cluster that actually includes the city.
     
     


    Chicago Cluster Map. This is a color coded map showing all the sites in the Chicago metro area. Each different color represents a different cluster.


     
     
    The remaining clusters to be deployed:
     
    June Clusters
     

    · Schaumburg/Elk Grove Village
    · Aurora
    · Valparaiso/Portage/Michigan City, Indiana
    · Crown Point, Indiana/Chicago Heights, Illinois
    · Gurnee
    · McHenry/Woodstock
    · St. Charles/DeKalb
    · Freeport
    · Ottawa/Peru/LaSalle/Princeton I-80 Corridor  
    July Clusters
     

    · Rockford/Harvard
    · Palatine/Arlington Heights
    · South Chicago
    · Tinley Park/Orland Park
    · Cicero/Berwyn/Brookfield
    · Oak Park/Maywood
    · Wheaton/West Chicago
    · Crystal Lake
    · Whiting/East Chicago, Indiana  
    August Clusters
     

    · Streamwood/Elgin (east of the river)
    · Glenview/Niles
    · Harwood Heights/Northwest Chicago (city)  
    Septemeber Clusters
     

    · The Loop/Downtown Chicago
    · Remainder of Urban Chicago
    · Oak Lawn
    · Des Plaines/O'Hare
    · Northbrook/Glenview/Wheeling
    · Highland Park/Deerfield
    · Lake Forest/Mundelein
    · Plainfield/Homer Glen
    · Gary, Indiana  
    As you can see, the Chicago market is going to be a bear to tackle for Sprint and Samsung. And likely this difficult deployment will repeat itself in markets like New York and Los Angeles. When you look at the sheer numbers, it's amazing that Sprint is going to largely complete Network Vision in 24 months.
     
    Oh yeah, and a little 800MHz info
     
    Some of the biggest questions that many Sprint Network Vision followers ask are related to 800MHz ESMR band recommissioning for CDMA/LTE in Network Vision. Although we haven't discovered answers to all of Sprint's 800MHz mysteries out there, we can tell you that Sprint is fully deploying 800MHz in Network Vision now.
     
    The entirety of the 800MHz portion of the network from antennas, radios, base station equipment...everything...it will all be in place as a part of Network Vision. It just will not be active until interference from the iDEN network goes away. Final dates to be determined, market by market.
     
    Another 800MHz factoid is that not every Sprint cell site will receive 800MHz service. Part of the Network Vision program includes installing radios (RRU's) up high on the towers, directly behind the antennas. However, some sites will have to keep ground mounted RRU's for varying reasons. Sites with ground mounted RRU's will not be receiving 800MHz deployment. Since most of these locations occur in denser urban/suburban deployment environments, there will be virtually no effect on 800 coverage area in total.
     
    EDITED 3/5/2012: To include cluster map.
  12. 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

  13. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Thursday, April 5, 2012 - 1:41 AM MDT
     
    ¡Hola mis amigos en Puerto Rico! Aquí está su información...I finally am able to bring you a schedule update for Isla del Encanto and the Virgin Islands. Samsung and their subcontractors are indeed beginning work in the PR/VI market this month and will get started on the first 22 sites.
     


    NV Schedule Map of Puerto Rico. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    The Network Vision schedule for the entire market will run from April, out into November. We have included several maps of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the this article. In these maps you can get an idea of how and when they will be deploying throughout the islands.
     
    The entire PR/VI market deployment does not start in one city and then spread out across to other areas. Rather, each part of the market gets more towers month after month until the whole market is complete. If this schedule holds, Sprint will likely announce the market as live in August. The San Juan area will be largely complete by the end of September.





    NV Schedule Map of San Juan. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    One thing that is not for certain at this time, is whether 4G LTE will be complete and live in conjunction with these dates. Some of the source information appeared as if 4G LTE was being deployed later. However, we cannot confirm this information at this time. As we know more specificity about LTE deployment in Puerto Rico, we will bring that information to you. As always, stay tuned to Sprint 4G Rollout Updates for all the latest Network Vision news.
     


    NV Schedule Map of the Virgin Islands. Click on image to enlarge.


  14. 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

  15. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, April 23, 2012 - 1:59 PM MDT
     
    Can you hear me now? No, I mean really? This isn't some Verizon TV commercial joke.
     
    This is really the situation in Sprint's Chicago market. Many of you, especially in outer Chicagoland, like in Joliet, Aurora, Elgin, Addison, Rochelle and Morris are getting dropped calls like crazy. And other performance issues. As any of you who closely follow S4GRU.com, you know that Samsung is rolling out Network Vision in the area in a big way. First starting in the outer market and working their way in.
     
    A problem started occurring quickly after Network Vision sites started to go live in Chicago at the end of February. Calls started dropping, at a much higher rate than normal. And the complaints started rolling in. It took awhile to actually isolate the issue and discover the cause. Which Sprint and Samsung now well understand. However, the solution will not be easy, and maybe not even implemented.
     
    What's your problem???
     

    Courtesy of verydemotivational.com
    The problem, as many already know, exists at handoff between Network Vision sites and Legacy sites (existing sites). But this problem so far is only really happening in the Chicago market, and not the other markets actively deploying Network Vision upgrades at this time. Something unique is happening in Chicago. The new equipment being deployed is from Samsung. The existing legacy equipment is from Motorola. It is only in Chicago, so far to date, where this problem occurs. 
    Also, Sprint/Samsung has discovered that the site handoff problems only occur when transferring to the same channel. For instance, if you are on Channel 325 when on a Network Vision site, and your device gets handed over to Channel 325 on a legacy site, you may get dropped. However, if you get handed over to Channel 375, then you are safe and will not likely get dropped. The problem does not exist when being handed off to a new site on the same channel if both sites are NV sites, or both are legacy sites. Only the same channel transferring from a NV Samsung site to a legacy Motorola site.
     
    The problem is exacerbated in rural and in less dense suburban areas, because most sites in these areas only have one, or possibly two, voice carriers. And in places where only one or two carriers are deployed, they were most often deployed on the same exact channel. Making it much more likely that you will be transferring to the same channel between NV and legacy sites in these areas. Since Network Vision work in the Chicago market started in more rural and exurban areas, this problem is occurring more often than it will when Samsung starts working in the Loop and there are multiple voice carriers (on different channels) at each site.
     
    Solution options are slim
     
    Sprint is working with Samsung and their network manager Ericsson to try to resolve the problem. However, no easy answers have been discovered. The first thought that comes to my mind, is to start trying to mix up voice carrier channels at legacy sites, so the number of transfers to NV sites on the same channel could be reduced significantly. However, this would involve a "truck roll" to every site and would likely be cost prohibitive.
     
    If Sprint does nothing, the problem will work itself out in time. Since sites are being converted from Legacy systems to Network Vision every day, it's only a matter of time before the whole market is complete and there are no more handoffs between legacy and NV sites on the same channel. The areas where the drops occur are shifting every day as new sites come online.
     
    Even if a solution is not figured out before Network Vision is completed in Chicago, it would still be important for Sprint and Samsung to solve this problem. Chicago is not the only market where Samsung is working on Network Vision and the legacy equipment was by Motorola. Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus are also in this position, but are not actively receiving Network Vision upgrades, yet.
     
    We will bring you more info as we learn of it.
  16. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, June 11, 2012 - 10:01 AM MDT
     
    In our continuing Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series, S4GRU brings you the latest information for Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. Sprint announced to the world early in Network Vision that the DFW market is one of their first LTE launches. Sprint boasted to the world that the Dallas area would be enjoying LTE and Network Vision enhancements by Mid 2012.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision OEM Ericsson has been steadily deploying around the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. As of this week, there are approximately 40 Network Vision sites broadcasting a LTE signal. These sites are all around the market from Waxahatchie to Sherman.
     

    Network Vision Sites in DFW. Forty sites are complete in the market. All of these broadcasting Sprint LTE, but being blocked from accessibility by Sprint.


     
    40 Live LTE Sites, but still being blocked by Sprint
     
    Despite the good news of these live LTE sites, Sprint is still actively blocking LTE connections. They 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.
     
    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 markets that have already been announced...like Dallas. If they waited for 50% now, it would delay launch until September. In the case of the DFW market, should Sprint launch by Mid July, they would only be complete with approximately 30% to 35% 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.
     




    Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market on Mid July, 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.


     
    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 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 Dallas/Ft. Worth market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of July based on internal Sprint documents. However, we hope that they will actually remove LTE blocking before the launch, since there are quite a few active LTE sites that can be used now in this market.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision schedule for this market currently has 39 Network Vision sites complete. Ericsson is plotting continual progress from here with production ramping 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, it appears that Ericsson is slightly behind in the market. But with the rate the schedule is supposed to pick up in June, Ericsson has ample opportunity to finish on time.
     
    You Sprint LTE device holders will have to ride it out there in North Texas for a little while longer. Hopefully Sprint will lift the LTE Blockade soon. LTE everywhere, but not a bit to spare...from Sprint at any rate.
     




    Photo of Dallas 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

  17. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Thursday, June 28, 2012 - 7:50 AM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is...Central Jersey. The Central Jersey market has yet to be announced by Sprint, but is expected to be announced in the near future. Perhaps around the time of the first market launches on July 15th?
     
    Sprint's Network Vision OEM Alcatel/Lucent initially deployed to the Central Jersey market quite early, starting work back in November 2011 at a site in Branchburg. AlcaLu later established their 4G LTE FIT (field testing) areas around the Marlboro/Freehold areas at the beginning of 2012. There are already 20 sites in this area with live Network Vision upgrades...both 3G and 4G LTE. And work is just about to begin in other parts of the market in the next 30 to 45 days.
     

    Network Vision Sites in the Central Jersey market. 14 sites are complete in the market around Marlboro/Freehold. All of these broadcasting Sprint LTE, and some of them have been reported as not 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 Central Jersey, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    If Sprint waits for 50% completion to launch the Central Jersey market, it would make the launch around the middle of December (should they stay on schedule). That being said, if Sprint should launch around mid November (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 November, 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.


     
    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 Marlboro have both 3G EVDO and 4G LTE complete. It is not known at this time if the new sites that start coming online will have both 4G and 3G complete at the same time. But we are keeping our fingers crossed.
     
    The bottom line...
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the Central Jersey market. We believe they are targeting a launch month of November based on our review of the schedule. Sprint's Network Vision schedule for this market currently has almost 15 Network Vision sites complete.
     
    Alcatel/Lucent is plotting continual progress from here with production increasing up to a rate of almost 50 sites per month. S4GRU has poured over the schedule in this market and sees a February 2013 completion date. In our estimation of the schedule, AlcaLu can certainly finish this market timely.
     




    Photo of New Brunswick 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Sunday, July 8, 2012 - 12:09 PM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is...South Bay. The South Bay market has yet to be announced by Sprint, and may not be announced until as late as this Fall.
     
    The Sprint South Bay market encompasses Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties. This includes the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Campbell, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Morgan Hill, Hollister, Gilroy, Salinas, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel and Soledad. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Samsung is scheduled to begin mobilizing their subcontractors around the market in October. The first completed Network Vision sites are scheduled to start coming online in November.
     




    Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market in February, 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.


     
    Schedule details and the bottom line
     
    Sprint has not selected a date to formally "launch" LTE service in the South Bay-San Jose area, yet. It is difficult to try to pick a date now this far out, but we will attempt to do just that. In looking at the schedule as of today, it would indicate a February-March market launch (going on a 40% - 50% completion for launch). But there is no way to know if Samsung and their subcontractors will actually hit their schedule dates before deployment in this market begins. We will be able to gauge better after a few months of production is achieved.
     
    Samsung needs to hit a production rate of approximately 35 sites per month to stay on schedule. This market shouldn't have problems staying on time as this is a lower production rate than many other markets.
     
    S4GRU has examined the schedule in great detail in this market and sees that most of the sites will be complete by August 2013. However, there may be a few sporadic sites that will linger past the completion.





    Photo of Downtown San Jose 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

  21. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - 12:30 PM MDT
     
    We ain't no ways tired! We are now prepared to tell you about two more Round Two markets in Sprint's Network Vision/LTE deployment plans for 2012...
     
    Orange County and Raleigh/Durham!
     
    The Sprint Orange County market includes all of Orange County, California and the Raleigh/Durham market is the whole eastern third of the state of North Carolina, except for the coastal areas.
     
    Sprint's Network Vision vendor Alcatel/Lucent will likely begin Network Vision and LTE deployment in these two Sprint markets 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 to determine at this point which markets will precede them. Even Sprint does not know definitively at this point.
     
    Sprint's Orange County market
     
    Sprint's Orange County market includes the whole county. Including the cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Orange, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Westminster and Buena Park. It is bordered by the LA Metro market to the north, the Riverside/San Bernardino market to the east and the San Diego market to the south. The Orange County market will have 401 sites in total after Network Vision is complete.
     


    Sprint's Orange County Market. All 400+ Network Vision sites are shown for the Orange County market in this map. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    Sprint's Raleigh/Durham market
     
    Sprint's Raleigh/Durham market is the RDU suburbs, extending out to include alll of Eastern Central North Carolina. It includes Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Cary, Greenville, Lumberton, Southern Pines/Pinehurst, Kinston, Goldsboro and Wilson/Rocky Mount. It is bordered by the Richmond and Norfolk markets to the north, the Winston-Salem and Charlotte markets to the west and Myrtle Beach market to the south. A total of 501 Network Vision sites.


    Sprint's Raleigh/Durham Market. All of the approximately 500+ Network Vision sites are shown for the Raleigh/Durham 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 Orange County and Raleigh/Durham markets today, that brings the total of Network Vision markets announced to 28. We have have 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 Friday we will be releasing the next two Round Two markets for Sprint Network Vision and LTE deployment. We will be talking about it in a few hours in advance in a S4GRU Live Chat at 9:30 PM Mountain Time on Thursday evening. Come join us!






    Photos of Newport Beach and Raleigh skylines 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 Orange County and Raleigh/Durham market maps! Thank you!
  22. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Tuesday, July 3, 2012 - 6:00 AM MDT
     
    The next market in our Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series is, the Big Easy, the Crescent City...New Orleans. The New Orleans market has yet to be announced by Sprint, but is expected to be announced in the near future. Perhaps around the time of the first market launches.
     
    The Sprint New Orleans market encompasses all of the Sprint native coverage in the Southeastern Louisiana area. This includes New Orleans and its suburbs, up to Baton Rouge, around the north side of Lake Pontchartrain in Hammond, Covington and Slidell and then over toward Houma and Morgan City. Sprint's Network Vision OEM Ericsson is scheduled to begin mobilizing with its subcontractors before the end of August. Completed Network Vision sites should start coming online in Septemeber.
     
    New Orleans Market Launch
     
    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 New Orleans, we don't know if they will resume pushing back market launches to 50%, or if they will now settle on a 40% completion to be the new normal for market launches.
     
    It doesn't much matter in this market if Sprint launches at 40% or 50% completion. Ericsson is scheduled to hit both the 40% and 50% milestones in the month of January (should they stay on schedule). It may seem that 40% - 50% site completion is not enough to launch LTE service, 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 January, 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.


     
    Schedule details and the bottom line
     
    We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" LTE service around NOLA. It is difficult to try to pick a date now this far out, but we will take a stab at it. In looking at the schedule as of today, it would indicate a January market launch (going on a 40% - 50% completion for launch). But there is no way to know if Ericsson and their subcontractors will actually hit their schedule dates this early in the deployment for this market. We will be able to gauge better after a few months of production.
     
    Ericsson will only need to hit a production rate of 40 sites per month to stay on schedule. This appears to us to be an achievable rate. If properly prepared and equipped and if backhaul is ready timely, this market shouldn't have problems staying on time. But this is easy to say before they get started.
     
    S4GRU has examined the schedule in great detail in this market and sees that most of the sites will be complete by May 2013. However, there may be a few sporadic sites that will linger past the completion.
     




    Photo of New Orleans 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

  23. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 1:29 AM MDT
     
     
    From the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes to the gates of Graceland! We are now prepared to tell you about two more Round Two markets in Sprint's Network Vision/LTE deployment plans for 2012...
     
    Memphis and Minnesota!
     
    Sprint's Memphis market
     
    Sprint's Network Vision vendor Ericsson is scheduled to begin the Memphis market early in the Second Round. Ericsson and their subcontractors are scheduled to begin mobilization into Memphis in June 2012 with the first sites starting to come live before 4th of July weekend.
     
    Sprint's Memphis market covers Western Tennessee, Northeastern Arkansas, the little boot of Missouri and Northern Mississippi. Including the cities of Memphis, Jackson, Union City and Dyersburg in Tennessee; Jonesboro, Paragould, Blytheville and Forrest City in Arkansas; Tupelo, Columbus, Starkville, Oxford, and Greenwood in Mississippi. It is bordered by the Arkansas market to the west, the Mississippi market to the south, Alabama and Nashville markets to the east and the Missouri and West Kentucky markets to the north. The Memphis market will have 333 sites in total after Network Vision is complete.
     


    Sprint's Memphis Market. All 330+ Network Vision sites are shown for the Memphis market in this map. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    Sprint's Minnesota market
     
    Sprint's Network Vision vendor Samsung is scheduled to begin the Minnesota market later in the Second Round. Sammy and their bands of merry men are scheduled to begin to start work late in the Fall in Minnesota. This seems like a less than ideal time to start work in a place like the Upper Midwest. But if you live in this market, you have to welcome this over having to wait until Spring thaw. Although the weather this past winter would have been ideal for Winter work!
     
    Sprint's Minnesota market is East Central, Northeast and Southeast Minnesota, as well as Western Wisconsin. It includes Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato, Austin, Winona, Grand Rapids and Brainerd in Minnesota; Eau Claire, La Crosse and Superior in Wisconsin. It is bordered by the Dakotas market to the west, North Wisconsin market to the east and Central Iowa market to the south. A total of 807 Network Vision sites.
     


    Sprint's Minnesota Market. All of the approximately 800+ Network Vision sites are shown for the Minnesota market in this map. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    Although we know the scheduled start date...
     
    It's exciting that we can tell you the start dates of the Memphis and Minnesota markets. However, we cannot guarantee at this time that things will not change. Sprint has not officially announced these markets and for good reason.
     
    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.
     
    The work hasn't started and they are keeping their options open. Sprint has said they may elect to slow down Network Vision in future quarters if cash flow becomes strained. And this could affect these markets.
     
    All of these reasons explain why Sprint likely 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 information about these markets as it exists to date.
     


    Photo of Memphis skyline courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     
    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 release the remaining unnamed markets in the next week. 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 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 Memphis and Minnesota markets today, that brings the total of Network Vision markets announced to 39. We have have 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 releasing our Final two Round Two markets for Sprint Network Vision and LTE deployment. We will be talking about it in a few hours in advance in a S4GRU Live Chat at 9:30 PM Mountain Time on Tuesday evening. Come join us!
     


    Photo of Minneapolis skyline 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 Memphis and Minnesota market maps! Thank you!
  24. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Monday, March 19, 2012 - 8:47 PM MDT
     
    Two Non WiMax markets to tell you about! We are now prepared to tell you about two more Round Two markets in Sprint's Network Vision/LTE deployment plans for 2012...
     
    Indianapolis and East Michigan!
     
    Sprint's Network Vision vendor Samsung will likely begin Network Vision and LTE deployment in these two Sprint markets 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 to determine at this point which markets will precede them. Even Sprint does not know definitively at this point.
     
    Sprint's Indianapolis market
     
    Sprint's Indianapolis market makes up the majority of Central Indiana. Including the cities of Indianapolis, Carmel, Bloomington, Lafayette, Anderson, Muncie, Kokomo and Columbus. It is bordered by the Central Illinois market to the west, the West Kentucky market to the south, the Cincinnati market to the east and the Ft. Wayne/South Bend market to the north. The Indianapolis market will have 323 sites in total after Network Vision is complete.
     


    Sprint's Indianapolis Market. All 300+ Network Vision sites are shown for the Indianapolis market in this map. Click on image to enlarge.


     
    Sprint's East Michigan market
     
    Sprint's East Michigan market is all of the east side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It includes Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, the Tri-Cities (Midland, Saginaw and Bay City), Jackson, Port Huron and Alpena. It is bordered by the West Michigan market to the west and Toledo market to the south. A total of 735 Network Vision sites.


    Sprint's East Michigan Market. All of the approximately 700+ Network Vision sites are shown for the East Michigan 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.
     


    Photo of Indianapolis skyline courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.


     
    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 Indianapolis and East Michigan markets today, that brings the total of Network Vision markets announced to 33. We have have 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 releasing the next two Round Two markets for Sprint Network Vision and LTE deployment. We will be talking about it in a few hours in advance in a S4GRU Live Chat at 9:30 PM Mountain Time on Tuesday evening. Come join us!
     


    Photo of Detroit skyline 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 Indianapolis and East Michigan market maps! Thank you!
  25. S4GRU
    by Robert Herron
    Sprint 4G Rollout Updates
    Friday, February 17, 2012 - 1:06 PM MST
     
    As many of you have seen and heard, Sprint 4G Rollout Updates is preparing a long series of announcements of Network Vision updates. We have been teasing you for over a week now. Well, we are prepared to release one market name to you. S4GRU has been able to obtain information that Sprint’s Network Vision contractor Samsung is actively working on Network Vision and LTE deployment in the Sprint San Francisco Bay Market.
     
    The SF Bay Area Market includes nearly 900 sites to be converted to Network Vision. Preparation for deployment is well under way and work will begin soon. The entire market will take approximately 6 months to complete. This means that NV/LTE will not be completely live in the area until approximately October/November. But in the interim, the market will be brought on line one site at a time, tower by tower. So there will be many usable locations in Northern California by the time LTE devices start to be sold in the next few months.
     
    Note that Sprint has several markets in Northern California, including South Bay (San Jose area), Upper Central Valley (Sacramento area) and Lower Central Valley (Fresno area). These areas will receive separate deployments and will not be a part of the SF Bay Area Network Vision deployment. You can stay tuned here to Sprint 4G Rollout Updates for more information about these and other markets in the future.
     



     
    S4GRU currently does not have many more details about the rollout in San Francisco 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.
     
    With the release of San Francisco today, that brings the total of Network Vision markets announced to eight. Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Baltimore and Kansas City as announced by Sprint. Chicago and San Francisco announced by Sprint 4G Rollout Updates.
     
    Stay tuned to Sprint 4G Rollout Updates. Early Monday morning we will be releasing another Network Vision/LTE market. This time from Sprint Network Vision partner Alcatel/Lucent. 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 San Francisco 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.
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