S4GRU

I think Sprint doesn't want nTelos at all for themselves. I think Sprint wants Shentel to buy them and would try to broker that deal. And maybe even finance it in part or total. Sprint may work out a deal to buy nTelos and resell it immediately to Shentel. Shentel is a much more compatible business and could handle all of nTelos' non strategic assets, whereas Sprint would just try to resell the NSA's. Also, I guess it's possible nTelos could just sell its wireless assets. But I think they just want out en toto. Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

It's always best to avoid political discussions in a public forum. But now, let's get back to making fun of Cleveland... SMH On another note, can you imagine if this had happened in Detroit? Egads! And to take a line from the video, "Don't slow down in East Cleveland, or you'll die!" I think the Boost Mobile store referenced in the article was in East Cleveland. One last final thought...is there a worse job than being a Boost Mobile store employee in urban Cleveland? I mean...really? Where did you go wrong in life? I would think you would almost have to be sentenced to work there. Gives me a flashback to a laundromat I once went to in Hallandale, Florida. Ask me about that some time. Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

The last time I recall hearing it, it was something like 50% of all their wireless revenue was from Sprint. nTelos is not a well run business. It could not handle losing 50% of its wireless business. Seeing how the typical American business works on a profit margin of 7%, a 50% loss of business would be catastrophic and likely result in bankruptcy. That's why Sprint's threats to overlay nTelos coverage with Shentel were so powerful. nTelos is probably begging Sprint to just buy them out. However, nTelos also has a lot of non strategic assets that makes a purchase a pain in the ass for Sprint. I'm not sure how this is going to play out. Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

This is the CSFB issue. The Pennsauken switch does not have CSFB active, yet. It will keep shunting you back to 3G when on a Pennsauken LTE site until that switch receives CSFB upgrades. It will probably be resolved within 2-3 weeks. Robert

Poison MInd

Site acceptance reports from Tuesday (12/17): Alabama - 1 update (3G) Albuquerque - 3 updates (3G) Arkansas - 1 update (LTE) Atlanta/Athens - 4 updates (1 LTE) Boston - 3 updates (3G) Central Iowa - 10 updates (3G) Central Jersey - 2 updates (LTE) Cincinnati - 1 update (3G) East Michigan - 24 updates (1 LTE) East Texas - 1 update (3G) Ft. Wayne/South Bend - 2 updates (LTE) Gulf Coast - 2 updates (1 LTE) Houston - 2 updates (1 LTE) Jacksonville - 3 updates (2 LTE) Kansas - 6 updates (1 LTE) LA Metro - 2 updates (1 LTE) Las Vegas - 1 update (3G) Long Island - 4 updates (3 LTE) Lower Central Valley - 14 updates (2 LTE) Miami/West Palm - 2 updates (1 LTE) Milwaukee - 5 updates (3G) Mississippi - 1 update (LTE) Missouri - 3 updates (2 LTE) Myrtle Beach - 1 update (3G) Nashville - 1 update (3G) New York City - 3 updates (2 LTE) Norfolk - 10 updates (1 LTE) Northern Connecticut - 3 updates (2 LTE) North LA - 1 update (3G) Oklahoma - 1 update (LTE) Oregon/SW Washington - 20 updates (1 LTE) Orlando - 4 updates (1 LTE) Philadelphia Metro - 1 update (3G) Phoenix - 8 updates (6 LTE) Raleigh Durham - 17 updates (3G) Riverside/San Bernardino - 4 updates (1 LTE) San Diego - 5 updates (1 LTE) SF Bay - 1 update (LTE) Southern Connecticut - 3 updates (1 LTE) Southern Jersey - 5 updates (2 LTE) Tampa - 4 updates (1 LTE) Tucson/Yuma - 3 updates (1 LTE) Upper Central Valley - 28 updates (5 LTE) Upstate NY Central - 1 update (LTE) Upstate NY East - 1 update (3G) VT/NH/ME - 1 update (LTE) West Iowa/Nebraska - 8 updates (LTE) West Kentucky - 2 updates (1 LTE) West Texas - 3 updates (3G) West Washington - 1 update (LTE) Maps are updated. Robert Links: Comments regarding this thread, NV Sites Complete Map

There is no usual time. Sometimes it is days, sometimes it is months. In a few noted and uncommon instances, it is a year. In many instances, Network Vision 3G cannot just be turned on as is. Network Vision gear often does not play well with legacy gear (especially when the adjacent legacy sites are from a different OEM. Also, Network Vision sites reach further (up to 20%). Just turning it on can cause interference problems, which can lead to even slower data speeds and dropped calls out the wazoo. And in severe instances no data or voice at all. This complicates just turning them on. Typically, NV 3G has to be brought online in clusters. So in many cases, when a site is 3G accepted, it may still run on legacy 3G until the whole cluster is ready. You will know for sure if a site is on NV 3G if they deinstall the legacy PCS panels and there is just one NV panel per sector remaining. Also, as mentioned above, NV 3G may not perform better at all if it is connected to legacy backhaul. Typically when they complete the hardware installs at a Samsung site and pass inspection, they will accept both 3G and 4G LTE if there is upgraded backhaul at the site. If they are still on legacy backhaul, they will accept only the 3G side. And even if you see 3G and 4G LTE accepted at a site, it is not for sure that 3G is hooked up to the new backhaul yet. It is possible that the LTE is on the new backhaul, but the 3G will not be on the new backhaul because it is staying on legacy until the whole cluster can be switched. You still only know that 3G is moved over to NV when the legacy panels are removed from the site. Hopefully this helps clarify the situation a little bit for you. Robert

Me too. I say that only partially in jest. My knowledge has grown exponentially as well since S4GRU started back in 2Q 2011. We have such an awesome community where we all learn so much from each other. Robert via Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Since State College is a GMO area, it will likely be one of the last places for LTE in all of the Sprint network. I don't expect for Sprint to even begin converting GMO's on any large scale until Mid 2014. Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

Fishing Expedition Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

And to think there is a corporate Sprint store right there. Must be a hard place to sell a phone these days! Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

More MIMO antennas. Not currently possible in something as small as a smartphone. But more easily done in fixed wireless equipment. Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

I have just now caught up on the Rochester thread. I hadn't been able to read this thread since August. Some notes: 1. I am not behind on Rochester NV Site update maps and never have been. I don't ever just do some markets and not others. In each update, I either do them all, or I wait until I have time to do them all. If you don't see Rochester in an update, that's because no sites were formally accepted in the Rochester market since the last update. 2. Acceptance means that the noted technology has been inspected and accepted as complete. In the case of LTE, you may receive signals intermittently prior to acceptance. Sometimes they may even leave a testing site online over night or a few days. Just because you are able to connect to a site not accepted does not mean there is an error in reporting acceptances. We report when a site is accepted typically the next day in the NV Sites Complete map in the Sponsor section. Over the weekends and in some instances there can be a day or two delay. 3. A 3G acceptance can mean absolutely nothing in performance improvement in and of itself. A 3G acceptance just means that the hardware has been fully installed, tested and functioning. It does not always mean that the legacy 3G is turned off. And even if the legacy is turned off and the 3G is running on the NV equipment, if LTE is not running at the same site, it probably means that new backhaul is not ready at that site. Since Rochester is a Samsung market, Samsung almost always fires up LTE if new backhaul is present. So if you're looking for a better 3G experience, it may not come until LTE is brought online at the site. 4. Samsung has blown through the Rochester market and has already installed NV equipment on every single site it could get permits and access to. It is finishing up now. 3G acceptances will reflect this as each site is inspected and approved. LTE will go live on each site as the backhaul is completed. One by one by one over the next 6 months or so. One here, two there. Until they all are done. Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

thin ice Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

Site acceptance reports from Monday (12/16): Albuquerque - 3 updates (3G) Arkansas - 1 update (3G) Atlanta/Athens - 9 updates (3G) Baltimore - 1 update (3G) Boston - 4 updates (3 LTE) Central Iowa - 7 updates (LTE) Central Jersey - 1 update (LTE) Charlotte - 3 updates (LTE) Cincinnati - 1 update (LTE) Columbus - 1 update (LTE) Delaware - 1 update (3G) DFW - 1 update (3G) East Texas - 1 update (LTE) GA/SC Coast - 1 update (3G) Jacksonville - 2 updates (3G) Kansas - 5 updates (1 LTE) LA Metro - 1 update (3G) Las Vegas - 3 updates (LTE) Memphis - 3 updates (LTE) Milwaukee - 1 update (3G) Minnesota - 6 updates (3G) Myrtle Beach - 2 updates (3G) Nashville - 1 update (LTE) Northern Connecticut - 1 update (3G) Oklahoma - 2 updates (1 LTE) Orlando - 1 update (LTE) Philadelphia Metro - 3 updates (3G) Phoenix - 4 updates (3G) Raleigh Durham - 36 updates (3G) Riverside/San Bernardino - 1 update (LTE) Rochester - 2 updates (1 LTE) San Antonio - 1 update (3G) San Diego - 2 updates (3G) Southern Connecticut - 1 update (3G) Southern Jersey - 2 updates (1 LTE) South Texas - 1 update (3G) Southwest Florida - 2 updates (3G) Tampa - 2 updates (3G) Upstate NY Central - 1 update (LTE) VT/NH/ME - 5 updates (4 LTE) Washington DC - 2 updates (LTE) West Iowa/Nebraska - 14 updates (3G) West Kentucky - 2 updates (1 LTE) West Texas - 2 updates (3G) West Virginia - 4 updates (3G) West Washington - 1 update (LTE) Winston/Salem - 15 updates (3G) Maps are updated. Robert Links: Comments regarding this thread, NV Sites Complete Map

Sprint customers will DEFINITELY be able to use the nTelos LTE network on PCS. That agreement is done and the ink is dry. The guy at the nTelos store is saying that to people to sell them service directly. He is a fool, charlatan or a liar. nTelos only keeps from going bankrupt based on its wholesale agreement with Sprint. Robert via Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Any divestiture of spectrum that counts in the screen is going to be painful, no matter which way you choose. SMR, PCS, AWS. It's all painful. Robert

It has. http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/5202-sprint-to-trial-fixed-wireless-service-with-dish/ Robert

Ahh, brings a smile to my face. I'd watch some Brian Regan now, but my new job is not conducive to such behaviors! Robert

I'm late to this discussion. I got way behind in this thread. But who in their right mind would want to give up Tmo AWS spectrum for equal amounts of EBS? EBS is leased, with no guarantee that you can renew it, or renew it for reasonable terms. If you have to divest, you divest EBS over AWS every time. And don't even get me started about the propagation benefit. Also, if Sprint buys Tmo, they will have inherited MILLIONS of customers it would want AND NEED to keep. They need to keep that AWS ecosystem alive for a long time to keep them happy. You can make sure they become less and less dependent on it over a realtively short period. However, Sprint will not be divesting AWS en toto to make this deal happen. No way. And the FCC wouldn't allow them to kick millions of subs to the curb that way anyway. Robert

I have no idea. Robert

Being a Dave Barry reader, I like the thought of Penultimate Wireless... ROFLMAO Robert

Pre-2010, unlimited data wasn't as important. And both AT&T and Verizon offered it. I think the wireless world has changed a lot since 2010. People now want as much data as possible for the lowest cost possible, with coverage an important contributing factor. Robert

I still have not been told this by one of our sources who is "close" to the Clearwire deployment. Seems kind of fast for almost double the amount of sites they did in 2013. Also, I can't imagine WiMax markets like Abilene TX, Modesto CA, Maui HI, Reading PA and Yakima WA having all their sites converted to Band 41 LTE by the end of Spring 2014. It certainly is not impossible, but seems like a tall order. Neither Sprint nor Clearwire ever moved with that kind of speed so far. But if they just hook up to existing backhaul and come back to take care of backhaul separately, that would be doable. We will know in short order with those types of deadlines. Robert

Phase 2 complete by Spring? The last I heard, Phase 2 was to be complete by December 2014. Robert