S4GRU

Alaska? I am certain there is plenty of roaming in and around anchorage. Verizon is really the only national carrier in the area, as far as I know.

We have no specific information about Alaska.  But it is plausible.  Especially in Anchorage where Sprint inherited a good amount of Clearwire Expedience sites that could be converted to Network Vision.  Sprint also has Clearwire WiMax Protection Sites in Fairbanks and Juneau that could be useful to provide fair coverage using 800MHz.

AT&T is the major provider in Alaska, providing much more coverage than Verizon.  Verizon is a rather newcomer to the Last Frontier.  We have very credible rumors that Tmo is making an Alaska move.

Hoping for new sites in east Texas!

I think any unique iDEN legacy coverage areas will be the most likely places to focus on first in your area.

Is their any updates In regards to launch of 800 lte in Miami dade county? As of January 21 2015 Miami dade should be finished, is that the case? Any updates would be great

Deployment has started.  S4GRU Members are reporting B26 LTE popping up all over South Florida.  More and more every day.  http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1801-network-visionlte-miamiwest-palm-market/?p=397151

I just received a message that Sprint is postponing until further notice. Stay tuned.

Based on what I have been reading, while Sprint will be interoperable with international carrier's VOLTE it will NOT be compatible with ATT and Verizon, who already have tested their interoperability. Are we on our way to another WiMAX fiasco, as Sprint misses out with VOLTE with any other US carriers?

Not necessarily.  It may be possible to make it compatible with both.  But Sprint is focusing on their VoLTE to be interoperable with their RRPP partners.  But given that Sprint + CCA/RRPP partner coverage brings it close to AT&T and Verizon voice coverage (and in some places superior), it really is not that big of a deal.

This article is nearly six months old.  The VoLTE plan then was established with the old CEO.  It is possible that Sprint has adapted its plans since then.  We have not heard anything at all relating to Sprint VoLTE since this was published.

This is an old thread/article but I found it helpful.  Does anyone know in a GMO build is the connection between the RRU on the ground and the panel/antenna up the tower done via optical or coaxial RF cable?  Thanks

It is coax.  It will not be switched to fiber until new panels are added up top when converted to full build.

Is there any idea when lte roam will go live?

No.  However, the first fully compliant CCA/RRPP device is being released...the Nexus 6.  Maybe it will start going live with the release of the Nexus 6.  But we are uncertain.

"Kristofer Maki" I am so confused.

You don't speak Suomi?

The ERP/EIRP numbers looks not so good, espeically B26... of course B41 doesn't hold a candle to the new iphone 6......  I'll have to read the real life experience review on reception performance before deciding on this phone

 

comparing the purely the B26 to the HTC One Max, which is my current daily phone

 

HTC One Max ERP/EIRP

B25 21.85 dBm B26 15.11 dBm B41 15.80 dBm

 

In my experience so far, by the time the B25 signal degrade so much that the tower switch me from B25 to B26 with that kind of ERP/EIRP performance, I'm getting nearly the same RSRP on B26 as compared to B25.  which mean I maybe getting a little bit more extra reach/coverage, but not any speed/performance benefit when being bumped to B26.

at this stage where the B25 to B26 hand off happen, I'll usually be lucky to pull in more than 3mbps download

 

The Note4 B26 ERP/EIRP only seems to be a little bit better than the One Max in this regard, with similar ERP/EIRP figure to the Iphone 6 B26 and HTC M8 B26 (both in the 18 dBm range).

 

Is there some reason why B26 ERP/EIRP seems to be consistently worse than other band?

EIRP is just an indicator how a device may do in the field.  EIRP essentially measures the uplink power.  The downlink power received can be different.  The Note 2 is a good instance of a device that had average EIRP and was a power house RF performer on Sprint.  No need to conclude that the Note 4 will be a mediocre B26 performer, yet.

However, one thing we have seen in the past though is really weak EIRP devices (like worse than 15dBm) never are good performers.

Do you know what outgoing number shows up on caller ID when you do this? Can you recive incoming calls or texts to your Sprint number via this method?

It shows as Unknown on recipient Caller ID with outgoing calls.  Texting only works via Hangouts, which requires both subscribers to have a Gmail address and Hangouts installed (AFAIK).  I have not toyed with it except to prove concept a few days ago, so I'm unsire about receiving calls.

Can you do wifi calling over Sprint on the Note 3? My friend say he does..

 

Why will the Note 4 not do it ? If the 3 does?

It can always be done on Google Hangouts over WiFi.

Okay, since you mention it -- I have "liked" the grandmaster flash facebook page after reading this website -- as he has embraced it after being flooded with them on his page: 

 

http://grampaandgrandmasterflash.tumblr.com/

Takes me back to my childhood.

So you're saying, don't push you, because you're close to the Edge? 

 

OK, Grandmaster Flash!

The USCC network does support CSFB. It added CSFB support and "visitor CSFB" (meaning that the USCC system can provision to fallback to a network it doesn't control) to the network after it got the iPhone. Of course, the overwhelming majority of USCC devices use SV-LTE, but with Verizon exiting the CDMA ecosystem (and eliminating all the profitability of SV-LTE with it, since China Telecom and KDDI don't use SVDO/SV-LTE either), the remaining CDMA operators will need to use CSFB to be able to get handsets that they can afford.

 

Sprint and Motorola have already confirmed that Sprint is not getting the 2nd Generation Moto X. US Cellular has confirmed that it will offer the 2nd Generation Moto X independently of everyone. As for the fact it supports GSM/WCDMA, my suspicion is that since AT&T doesn't allow LTE-only roaming, USCC will now begin offering devices with GSM/WCDMA so that roaming on AT&T band 17 networks will actually work properly. And of course, USCC would have the option of using T-Mobile as a roaming partner, too. Like AT&T, T-Mobile doesn't offer LTE-only roaming agreements. The agreements must include GSM and UMTS, too.

 

This is hardly unusual for CDMA operators. The U.S. was the only country where CDMA operators steadfastly refused to set up roaming agreements with GSM/UMTS operators. It was never a technical decision. It was purely a business decision to ensure lock-in to the technology and the carrier.

Are you saying you feel that USCC may be thinking of WCDMA roaming on AT&T and/or Tmo, or that you know that this is in the cards?  It's one thing to say this is something technically possible that USCC could do, but it's quite another to say that USCC is heading that way.

There is certainly nothing indicative in just the USCC Moto X that would make you draw that conclusion.  As WCDMA compatibility has been included in most flagship CDMA devices the past few years.

Robert

Since it does not support SVLTE, I doubt that this variant is specifically for USCC.

 

AJ

Ahhh, so USCC does not have a CSFB capable network?  So are you holding out that this is still a Sprint Moto device?

This could be a model for USCC.  It would also be usable on any Sprint RRPP member.  It would even be able to be used in Sprint if they were willing to manually add it to the whitelist, like AT&T does with the Nexus 5.

I believe the iPhone 5 has CDMA BC10, so, if the user can make and receive voice calls today without a problem but has problems with data reception then that is a very good sign that yes, upgrading to the iPhone 5c/5s or 6/6p should, as you said, significantly increase their data reception and battery life.

 

However, if the user has problems making voice calls in their location then upgrading to a newer iPhone probably won't make that much of a difference as far as data and battery life is concerned.

It will battery life, as the device camps on LTE.  So being able to park on Band 26 or a nearby Band 41 site could have significant difference on standby battery consumption.  It all depends on where the user spends most of his time in standby.

I have the iPhone 5 and my cell service and data is horrible where I live in the Chicago Burbs.  Would upgrading to the 6/6Plus be a great improvement?  I'm thinking it should but my house is in the middle of 2 towers and seems to be in a dead spot.  I do get 1-2 bars, but my phone cycles through 1x, 3G, LTE continuously and it just kills my battery.  I've gone though dan@sprint.com and it was escalated up the chains of command but they said they did drive-bys and the area is getting great reception/data.

 

Thanks,

Tony

Upgrading to either of the new iPhone 6's will increase your coverage significantly over the iPhone 5 in Chicago.  It will add Band 26, which will increase coverage exponentially.  It will also add Band 41, which will increase speeds and in some places coverage where Sprint has a Clearwire (Band 41) site only.

It may or may not help specifically at your house.  We cannot say specifically, not knowing where you live and how the nearest sites are configured.  However, the chances are extremely good that it would.  And even if it did not help in your home, it would be a night and day difference everywhere you go with a Triband iPhone.

If you have dropped calls at this point, I'd suspect the handset. I haven't had a dropped Sprint call in a couple years and I'm in a troubled Motorola -> Samsung market.

A lot of people equate losing a call in a no coverage area as a "Dropped call".  If that was the case, Tmo would have some of the worst dropped call performance known to man.  But as we know, that's not a dropped call.  A dropped call is when you remain in coverage with enough signal, but the network drops you because of handoff failures or other network caused issues.

This is all well and good, but what about the folks in the urban areas? Many areas do not even have LTE much less "high speed".

 

Yes, I do understand that the greater population centers have the dollar advantage (more subscribers).

 

 

But, remember the USA is a little bit bigger than Japan or South Korea or even Europe (combined).

So the fly over country should be important.

 

Lateck,

It is important.  Sprint will still be working in all areas of the country at sites that are over LTE capacity, bringing B41 8T8R as necessary to increase performance.  Also, Sprint will also still be deploying B25 LTE as backhaul arrives at Network Vision sites.  And also, Sprint will be adding additional B25 capacity with additional LTE carriers in markets where they have additional PCS spectrum, or can refarm it.

About this urban strategy, this is for complete build outs of the B41 overlay.  These urban areas being identified are getting more complete B41 8T8R build outs now.  Sprint will still deploy B41 8T8R nationwide, including secondary, tertiary and rural markets.  But they will not receive wall to wall build out until after this urban focus.

IF its optimized right.  But in my case not really 

It's highly variable.  While Sprint is suffering LTE capacity issues, they are reluctant to make many B26 as large as they could be.  Also, there are maximum power limitations on some of the OEM's B26 equipment.  B26 mileage varies significantly.

Probably both.  I think there are a lot of elements at play in this decision:

 

1.  The speed at which Sprint has been able to roll out roaming agreements...

2.  The upcoming 600Mhz auction...

3.  Marketing...

4.  Turning up the offense...

5.  Key markets, based on subscriber numbers...

 

This Bloomberg article clarifies some of Marcelo's comments today

So my guess New Orleans will be first on that list has there been any improvement In that market as of late?

If I were Marcelo, I'd have to see New Orleans as high on the list.  We don't really know much about B41 deployment in that area now.  But I doubt that Marcelo's new B41 strategy has been implemented anywhere yet.  This feels like a very sudden change in events.

This brings up another question I have.  Will Sprint go back and re-deploy new 8T8R RRUs for sites that have Samsung dual mode Wimax/LTE RRUs?  The Huawei ones I don't worry at all since they have to be replaced anyways.

Yes.  But it will not be the highest priority.  But put into context of what Marcelo said today, I'd have to think that if any of these legacy Clearwire sites are in high usage areas suffering performance issues, then some of them may receive 8T8R upgrades early.  Just a reasonable speculation on my part.

The city is Tucson and does 3g 800 require the permitting then for international?  Weird seeing Phoenix having really decent 3g 800 coverage then Tucson not even having one site.

Sprint currently cannot deploy 800MHz in Tucson because of the international boundary (CDMA Band Class 10 and LTE Band 26).  It currently looks like the best case scenario when Sprint can start that is Mid 2015.  But additional permits should not be needed for that work.

However, Sprint will be adding Band 41 8T8R to high usage sites in Tucson to spread out the burden and increase LTE speeds on existing sites.  This will require some additional permitting.

But this work is starting now.  And this will increase performance on these sites to 50-70Mbps speeds for Triband device owners, as each foes online.  And it will increase speeds on those same sites up to ~150Mbps when Carrier Aggregation starts to occur later this year and when CA capable devices start to be sold.