S4GRU

wilkes-barre falls under central PA correct? i'm assuming we will see no LTE =(

Correct. Deployment will no begin in the Central PA market until some time next year.

Robert

So does Western Anne Arundel County, MD fall under the DC or Rockville rollout?

All of Anne Arundel County is in the Baltimore market. It is not associated with the DC market deployment. The area is actively being deployed.

Robert

Had occasion to be in a Sprint store (Austin, TX) yesterday and found a couple of extremely apologetic CSR's to go with the ones I had talked to on the #2Talk line on Wednesday. The folks who have to meet the public are seriously concerned about the company's 'policy' of overstating the progress in rolling out 4G LTE. I also find it more than curious that the rollout here in our city, the home of AMD, Samsung, Intel, and IBM facilities and allegedly a tech-savvy place, is so slow in getting the latest and best. For Sprint to continue to push the Samsung GS3 as brazenly as they are doing while their front-line people have to field complaints about signal strength, etc., is ridiculous. Too, the rollout here seems to be from the more affluent to the less affluent areas of Travis County; the major exception being a 'bedroom' community named Dripping Springs! It is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma as to how Sprint/Ericsson makes the decisions about where to start and where to go next. I'm not sorry about pushing the button on purchasing an SGS3, as its faster operation almost makes up for the sacrifice of available signal strength. We actually have to have an Airave device in our home now, just to get acceptable strength level on 3G! Fortunately the WiFi makes up for that lack, but we can't get apps to download via WiFi, which puzzles everyone from Sprint techies to the local in-store CSR's. I don't regret having Sprint as my carrier, but their perpetual habit of stubbing their toes and getting ahead of themselves for what appear to be solely marketing gambits is way past frustrating. Thanks. I feel better now!

You may feel better, but after reading your comment, I do not. I don't feel your post is accurate on any of your points, except for your personal observations in your home.

First off, Sprint is not pushing the GS3 heavily as an LTE device. They don't even list LTE in the device name. Second, the GS3 is a solid device and is not encountering wide spread signal problems. I have no idea what you're talking about there.

Third, the deployment in Austin is going better than most markets. And there is widespread coverage over approximately 50% of the area and the coverage is growing every week. Please review the ever growing coverage on Sensorly: http://sensorly.com/fullscreen/map/4G/US/USA/Sprint/lte_310sprint#q=austin,texas

Fourth, Sprint is not overstating the progress of its LTE deployment. Other than a Press Release saying they are beginning LTE deployment in Austin over the next few months, what else have they said? They are clearly not overstating at all.

Fifth, deployment is not being scheduled in areas that Sprint, or anyone, thinks is the most worthy of LTE. This is a completely ignorant assumption. Sites are deployed in the order that they are ready. The moment a site has everything ready...backhaul, permitting and equipment delivered, then it begins. Regardless of its location. The date backhaul shows up and permitting are extremely variable dates that Sprint doesn't have any direct control over. But instead of waiting for all the sites in the market to be ready, they are sending crews out to a site immediately when conversion can begin. This will result in the market being completed sooner, though the duration from start to finish feels longer. But at least they are allowing people to connect to a site immediately upon completion. I live next to a VZW LTE site that went live today where the work was completed 9 months ago. But VZW waits until everything in the area is ready. If Sprint did that, Austin would not have gone live until April next year.

Please review our posting guidelines regarding negative comments. We are especially firm on inaccurate negative comments. Your post is completely meant to bash Sprint and has no value whatsoever to this community. Sprint complaints need to be directed at Sprint Customer Service channels. We neither desire, nor are able, to handle them.

Robert

I heard that Nashville will have LTE by like August. its almost December. I think by the time Sprint will have 4G LTE coverage Verizon and ATT will be deploying 5G or something lol.They just keep adding cities for the media and news but no actions. Their website shows that they have done capacity upgrades in Nashville, TN area. Honestly since their so called capacity upgrades, my 3G coverage and speeds are worst. I regret signing a 2 year contract with them.

These announcements are just explaining cities that they are starting work in. It is absurd to say they cannot start work in other cities while they are also working in Nashville. They need to work in as many cities as possible.

The subcontractors working in Nashville aren't even working in other markets. Delaying other markets will not make things deploy faster in yours.

Robert

Ya...thanks. I know how to do that. I only ever see "cellular" as the network type. My question was where are folks seeing ehrpd?

iPhones never show network type. Just show "Cellular."

Robert

Great news! Thanks for the update Robert!Do you think that on either on Black Friday or soon afterwards Sprint will release a statement where they add all these cities to their official LTE Market count list?

I believe they will release a Press Release Thursday night or Friday morning. They are already showing some of these coverages on the official Coverage maps at http://coverage.sprint.com

Robert

Hi Robert, Do you have any updated news regarding the New Orleans market.

Our members in the NOLA market have photographed work under way at some sites. So the work is beginning. It will probably be a few weeks before some sporadic testing signals start to appear. Launch will not be until Q1-2013. However, Sprint will likely leave on each site as they complete. So once they start going live, the coverage will just conintue to grow every week.

Robert

I think if sprint has the towers up. They should turn them on even if they are still working on them to at least give someone's phone speed because 3g is so slow in my area I only get connection lost tap to retry on every website

For the most part, they are now. In most cases now, when the site has everything it needs to operate 4G LTE, they will allow customers to connect to it.

Robert

I don't see the Brownsville/Harlingen area listed in the South Texas Market. Will we receive 4g LTE when the McAllen area does?

McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen, Corpus Christi are all in Sprint's South Texas market. Once they start work in a market, they will not stop until the whole market is complete. Even though they are starting with McAllen area, they will likely also be in the large South Texas cities shortly after starting there. So your area may not be first, but work will likely start in your area in the next 90-120 days or so as well.

Robert

i went to the tower with binoculars i can see the big panels but it only looks like it has 2 wires coax cables going into it not like the ones ive seen in these pics u have posted that have like 4-5 coax cables so idk maybe im just wishing and hoping for something far sooner to come than it is

If you get a chance, post the pics in the the West Kentucky market forum: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/2413-network-visionlte-west-kentucky-market-louisville-evansville-bowling-green/

Thanks.

Robert

Anyone in these areas seeing anything yet? I am in the Mission/McAllen/Edinburg area and have yet to see a bleep of 4G.

You will probably not see a bleep of 4G LTE for awhile. They are just now starting to do any work in the market. I would guess the first LTE testing signals will be around the first of the year.

Robert

I noticed Sprint 4G LTE on my GS3 yesterday im in the DC market in Suitland, MD, near Suitland Rd and Shadyside Ave did a couple speed test this morning inside and outside, the one thing i notice is i get faster speeds inside my than i do outsideInside/OutsidePing (MS) Download (Mbps) Upload (Mbps)52/81 4.11/2.51 0.97/1.47 56/52 9.39/2.34 1.49/2.4439/51 9.46/2.46 1.61/1.7560 7.22 1.73

Yeah, if you are outside a building, on the opposite side of the building that where the signal is coming from, it is not completely unusual to get a better signal inside the building (in certain types of construction). You also must have a pretty weak signal with those speeds. So it may even get better when a closer site goes online.

Thanks for posting your info.

Robert

Any News if inland empire has been started for NV? Specifically lake elsinore?

Yes. Sites have just started being upgraded in the Riverside/San Bernardino market. Including a site in the Lake Elsinore area. In our Sponsor section of our site, we show all the sites that have completed Network Vision upgrades.

For more information about how to become a Sponsor, you can follow this link: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1195-information-about-s4gru-sponsorship-levels-and-how-to-become-a-sponsor/

Robert

So my question is: when do these installs typically take place? During daylight hours or during off peak? I'd be curious to see if these poor installer guys get bombarded with massive RF doing the installations while the older equipment sits atfull power right next to them.

Most of the work is during daylight hours. I imagine they are exposed to a lot of RF. However, there are OSHA limitations to how much exposure is allowed.

Robert

We will not entertain comments about "What about my market?" Yes, you may feel your market is more superior and worthy. But such comments are off topic from the posted article. Off topic comments will be deleted. Please go to the Forums and find an appropriate place to discuss other markets. Thank you.

Robert

Ahh okay, I thought I saw someone mention in one of the forums that in new york there are hundreds of completed sites so I thought it was more like there are a bunch of sites that are complete as well but haven't been inspected by Sprint so they aren't on the maps yet.

Not much difference, really.

Robert

It really doesn't make sense I've read your explanations but it still makes no sense why alca-lu would be starting some markets early when they are already behind on markets that were supposed to start. Also, Alca-Lu's west coast area isn't showing anywhere near the progress of it's east coast one. It's like there is an Alcatel A team for the east coast and the west is stuck with the B team.

It may be. But the issues aren't because AlcaLu doesn't want to. The subcontractors they are using in each market are different. And those subcontractors are chomping at the bit. They cannot get paid if they do not work.

The issue has to be related to infrastructure, permitting or backhaul. Or multiples of these. They are starting North LA, VT/NH/ME, Upstate NY East & Central, Southern Jersey, Providence and Delaware markets early because they can. Not because AlcaLu likes them more.

Robert

Again, nothing from Alcatel-Lucent. Way to drop the ball Alca-Lu!

AlcatelLucent is already starting quite a few markets early. These announcements are only related to communities nearing a launchable amount of service. And thankfully it appears San Diego is finally starting.

Robert

Is La Crosse, WI in the same market as Eau Claire? Also, they can start working on Highway 41 any time they want. It'd be nice to get some upgraded speeds in the Fox Valley.

Yes. Both Eau Claire and La Crosse are in the Minnesota market.

Robert

Man, I feel like I am getting taunted by my neighbors! Rockford has LTE, Now Eau Claire is getting LTE....what about the Madison area!

The Milwaukee/Madison market will start this Winter. Eau Claire just happens to be in the Minnesota market, which is starting before the MKE market.

Robert

where the hell is Seattle? Why are they adding all of these smaller cities? can we please get an update on Seattle? Thanks.

Work in Seattle just began a few weeks ago, but it is under way. Sprint will probably be announcing it in the next update, or possibly the one after that. We should start seeing some sporadic LTE signals appear in isolated locations around the Puget Sound in the next 30 days. Stay tuned.

Robert

Hey Robert,Does that mean that there are upgraded towers all over new york city but users aren't allowed to connect to them? If so that is definitely great news because all they need to do is flip the switch. For some reason I felt like only the ones that appear on your Sites Complete maps are the ones that are done. And everything else is still under construction.

In our NV Sites Complete Map, you will see dozens upon dozens of sites marked 3G complete. At these sites, most of the 4G LTE improvements have been completed as well. You will start to see a lot of these switch over from just being 3G complete to 4G complete as well pretty rapidly in the coming weeks. And then the signals will be going live at the time too. This is pretty much what has happened in all AlcaLu markets, like Baltimore, Boston and LA as well.

Robert

Any word on when NYC will get LTE? 3G speeds here are ridiculously slow, and the unlimited plan is worthless when your data peaks at .1 mb/sec.I thought S4GRU predicted a "November 2012" roll-out in NYC. It's November. Any updates? Or is the CNET article indicating a March 2013 roll out more accurate?

Work is under way, hundreds of sites have been upgraded and some are already live. You can see some of the live sites here at Sensorly: http://sensorly.com/fullscreen/map/4G/US/USA/Sprint/lte_310sprint#q=new_york_city,new_york

Deployment will continue, with more sites going week after week. Launch is not likely to happen in November since the Hurricane. But it still may happen in December. Launch will probably occur with 60% - 70% coverage. But work will still continue even after the launch until every site is converted.

Robert

Son of a...Not only do we have awful weather these days, Cincinnati can't get invited to the cool kids' party. Is there a 5th or 6th round we can hope for here?Sorry, I'll stop venting now. I need to conserve heat anyway. =)

The Cincinnati market should start work in Q1-2013. Stay tuned.

Robert

Robert, maybe I missed this but do you know why they are completing Ardmore, OK but not any of the bigger cities here in OK?

They will be starting in locations all over the Oklahoma market. Once they start a market, they will not leave until the whole market is done. However, Ardmore will be the first one that will have a launchable amount of service. Stay tuned to S4GRU to hear about other work in the Oklahoma market.

Robert