S4GRU

I definitely prefer Emergenetics than Myers Briggs. Much more useful in the workplace when assembling teams of employees, etc. Robert

Only 14 days of sponsorship left. We will be auctioning off the 29th (the final day) on E-Bay in the next week or so. Robert

LTE and Chickfila. Is there a better combo? I think not! Robert

Yeah that really isn't that bad for 3G all things considered. It is definitely usable. Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I think you can support free markets and the ability to have the choice to purchase something made in America. I don't see these as contradictory philosophies. Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Your market is in active deployment. It is going to take some time to get to every area. If you cannot wait, we understand. You have to do what you have to do. However, please do not post slow screenshots. We all know that the Sprint legacy network sucks. Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Couldn't have said it better myself. Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Being a Swiftel market, there is no timetable for upgrades in Sioux City. The Swiftel market will likely be the last market to be upgraded. We are waiting to even hear Swiftel even will start upgrades. Sorry. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Work is starting here now. I cannot say with 100% certainty that the message was geographically targeted to specific NV areas. But I have heard enough widespread reports that I have my doubts. Work is going on in the East Kentucky and New Mexico markets right now regardless. We have had a verified site sighting near Lexington and I seen one myself in New Mexico. It's beginning! Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Often with a city like Berekely, there are meetings far in advance to try to negotiate reasonable terms for planning submittal. These can take months, and extreme cases, years. I had to do the same in Napa back in 2008. You don't walk into a city like Berkeley or Napa, fill out an application for planning/zoning approval and wait to hear back in 90-180 days what they say is wrong with your application. You schedule a meeting with bureaucrats and find out everything they want, how they want it and start negotiating the things they don't like. Try to head off the problems up front. However, cities usually come up with much more than they initially said up front. Then the next step in most places like Berkeley, after you think you have everything you need, you have to go to a stupid Neighborhood Advisory council and get their blessing. That can take 30-180 days and may take multiple submittals. Then after getting neighborhood advisory permission they can then go and get formal city planning/zoning approval. If they approve, it will take 30-180 days. If they don't, you may go back and forth. Then after all this, you can file for a building permit. It truly is amazing that any entity would subject themselves to such insanity. It took my company four years to get approval and a building permit in Napa for a hotel. Four years! And if there is a zoning variance existing, or a new one is required, it can even further lengthen the process more. Those usually require City Council action with community comment in a public meeting. Most likely why only two sites have been formally submitted for planning/zoning approval is because the others are somewhere in the presteps. The city or a neighborhood council may still have issues with the other sites, but were willing to allow these other sites to go forward because they are less controversial. If I were Sprint, I would probably go the GMO route now and come back and do these as full builds whenever in the future the City of Berkeley deems Sprint worthy enough. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Berkeley even required a GMO to have a permit, even though they would just be switching out ground equipment one for one. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

It is not possible to get an existing Sprint LTE 1900 phone to run on LTE 800 with a firmware upgrade. Sprint customers will have to upgrade to Tri-Band LTE devices to use LTE 800 or Clearwire LTE. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Sprint and SoftBank can close right after FCC approval without Clearwire, if SoftBank wants to do that. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

That's probably a better plan than mine. I was going to let it go dark during unsponsored periods. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Each site is worked on the moment it is ready. Which is after backhaul has been installed, zoning and permits are approved and the equipment is delivered. So the order is very random, and it is not known when any specific tower will go live. However, once a site is complete, Sprint fires it up. Robert

Just 30 more days! WooHoo! Anyone else want to Sponsor the clock? We will run out of Sponsors soon! Robert

It's fine. But it is nothing on par with the HTC One or the HTC EVO LTE. Robert

AT&T finally got smart and stopped the foolishness of trying to buy up all the spectrum in the country. This is a way better route to take. Something AJ and I have been advocating for a long time. It illustrates how we do not have a spectrum problem in this country. We've just had a wireless industry that has refused to fully use the spectrum it has. This will go a long way to adding a ton of capacity to the AT&T network without any additional spectrum resources being added. Robert

Emmm...smoked turkey. *drool* Robert

After November 30th, the requirement of 50% of Clearwire minority shareholders to approve the deal can be changed. The 5 years expires November 30, 2013. I beleive come December 1st, then it could be modified by a majority of shareholders to just require a simple majority (which Sprint already has). Robert

Sprint just needs to ride out until the end of November, voting down every Dish deal until then and keep Clearwire solvent with cash. Clearwire will still deploy its TD-LTE during this time providing some benefit for new tri-band devices coming in the Fall. After November 30th, Sprint gobbles up the rest of Clearwire matching any deal Dish made in the interim. Sprint already owns 54% of Clearwire. It will only be paying for the rest. Even if they have to over pay by $1 to $2 per share, it will be worth it in the long run. Between now and then, If Charlie can agree to a reasonable offer for just the EBS spectrum, Sprint should agree to sell that. Also, a network hosting deal for Dish if reasonable terms can be reached. However, I believe that no reasonable offer will be accepted by Dish. He wants to own it, for two reasons. One, so he will have long term security and not be beholden to have to renegotiate in the future when a deal expires. And two, so he can have it for no cost. He cannot stand that someone would make a profit off him. I believe Sprint/SoftBank could work out a deal with anyone to resolve this. Except for possibly Charlie. The only way Charlie will agree to a deal is if everyone else loses. If everyone else doesn't lose, then he sees he left money on the table. Yet, he is willing to overpay for Clearwire. He's shrewd, but he's a dumbass. Robert

If you list a Site ID in a public forum, and the source was a permit or a placard at the site, just reference it in your post. Otherwise, it is not permissible to quote Sponsor content. However, Sponsors have access to our Site ID's and wouldn't go scavenging around a site to see if they can find a placard. They already know the ID's from our maps. I would typically only expect non sponsors to be the ones who may post a Site ID from the site in a public area. Most sites do not have Site ID's posted on the fence. Probably less than 10%. Most have them either on a sticker on the RBS or on labels on equipment. These most often are not visible outside the compound fences without binoculars or zoom lenses, and then having enough familiarity with vendor equipment to know where to look. Most people (especially non sponsors) don't even know which equipment is Sprints or even if they are at a Sprint site. It's just a good idea for Sponsors to avoid posting any Sponsor content in public forums. If you feel it is very pertinent to the post, then include it. But make sure you post a picture of it or explain where you obtained it publicly. Sponsor cannot quote Site ID's from our maps and then hide behind the probability that it's probably visible if you go there and then probably public info. That will not cut it, and lead to disciplinary action. Many of you feel this is not a big deal. But we have had many members pay to Sponsor just to get access to Site ID's. It is a significant aid when reporting to Sprint a site problem if you know the ID. If we allow our members to broadcast all the ID's from the Sponsor section, it removes the value of Sponsoring S4GRU to many people. And if people do not donate, there will be no S4GRU for anyone. And your investment will be lost too. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Since there seems to be no limit to what Charlie Ergen will pay, I'm thinking this is a good course of action: Sprint ups its offer for Clearwire to $5.40. Then Charlie will up his to $6 or $6.40. Then Sprint allows Charlie to over pay at the final price and take it's minority ownership in Clearwire. Sprint still buys out the Intel, Bright House, Comcast stocks that they have already agreed to sell to Sprint. Charlie Ergen then grossly overpaid for his minority stake and leveraged his company to do it. Sprint will still have majority control over the company. Then come November 30th, the shareholders vote to change to a simple majority for purchase. Softbank offers to buy the whole thing out, Sprint votes in favor...Charlie is screwed. I'm no financial guru, and do not understand all the implications. This may not be possible. But if it is, this is what I would do. It backs Charlie into a corner that he cannot do anything with. Otherwise, the only other options is for Sprint just to stand down, let Dish buy a minority stake in Clearwire and then deal with the devil...or, have SoftBank make an offer for Dish. I kind of hope for the latter just so Charlie could get a taste of his own medicine and be put on defense for once and distract him from an offensive. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

If it's tri-band, I'd probably pick one up. But it would depend on what other tri-band devices are out on the market around that time. I will not buy another device on contract or full retail price until tri-band phones are on the market. Although, at the rate Charlie Ergen is going, we may only need dual band. Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I would say the odds of the Clearwire deal passing shareholders tomorrow is next to nil. In fact, there's a good chance that Clearwire will delay the vote again and say they need to evaluate the DISH offer. I was reading the synopsis from Guggenheim Securities this morning, and thought this was an interesting take as a possibility: Robert via Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

If the minority Clearwire shareholders vote at least 50% for the Sprint deal, then it will be approved. I have no idea if Dish's latest offer will upset the apple cart. Robert