S4GRU

They have stepped up their game. THEY ARE ACTIVELY DEPLOYING LTE IN YOUR AREA. They had to deploy fast mobile broadband starting in 2008 because of the build out requirements on EBS/BRS spectrum. They had no choice but to use WiMax back then. LTE was not ready to start being deployed until the 2nd Half of 2010, just before build out requirements were about to expire. WiMax was the only technology on the market at the time they could use. Also, WiMax was specifically designed for high frequency spectrum like EBS/BRS. Please do not complain any further. Your posts are just complaints. We do not host Sprint complaints. If you do not want to discuss Network Vision/LTE deployment, and just want to complain about it, you may want to go to another forum besides S4GRU. Robert

by Robert Herron Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Tuesday, November 12, 2012 - 12:39 AM MDT In the latest news from Sprint, they have added another nine additional communities that they anticipate having at least a prelaunch amount of service available to use by its LTE customers in the next few months. Based on a source, these are expected to have usable service by the end of January, barring any unforseen conditions. What's exciting in this list, is it includes not only areas where Sprint is already working (like Oakland/East Bay, Michigan City/LaPorte, Bloomington and Key West), but it also includes some starts in new markets like Minnesota, Oklahoma, Arkansas and South Texas. We have already had S4GRU members seeing activity in the Minnesota market recently. S4GRU has announcedg that work would begin in the Oklahoma market this Winter several months ago. However, the work in Arkansas and South Texas markets represent a move up in the schedule. This is welcome news. It is no accident that Sprint outlines that the LTE signals that are discovered in these areas are "prelaunch." Sprint is trying to set expectations that these are advance LTE signals that will be usable to customers. It's great that Sprint will allow these sites to be usable pretty quickly after they are complete. But as we have seen around our forums and our social media pages, there is a pretty vocal part of their customer base who expects to have wall to wall coverage immediately upon receiving their first LTE signal. It is important that these people understand that they are getting to use their LTE sites really early, before the whole network is ready. And this is a good thing. Most markets will take a long time from prelaunch phase until they have ubiquitous coverage over the whole area. A few months to a year, depending on the market. See the city list below and their corresponding markets: Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (Minnesota market) Fort Smith, AR (Arkansas market) Ardmore, OK (Oklahoma market) Oakland/Fremont/Hayward, CA (SF Bay market) Michigan City/La Porte, IN (Chicago market) McAllen/Edinburg/Mission, TX (South Texas market) Key West, FL (Miami/West Palm market) Bloomington, IN (Indianapolis market) Eau Claire, WI (Minnesota market)

Let's get one thing clear...I am not making excuses. I am explaining something to you, that you do not understand. And also, we are not Sprint. Verizon did not rebuild their network from the ground up. Verizon does not have multi-modal base stations. Verizon installed just a 700MHz overlay of LTE. They did not even install it on every site. They are banking on the better distances of 700MHz to cheaply and thinly deploy LTE. And their speeds are plummeting as a result. In my area Verizon LTE speeds are 30% - 40% what they were when they first deployed. Sprint is deploying their network much denser and on every site. It will take more time to deploy Sprint's LTE than it did Verizon to do theirs. It is just the way it is. Sprint is deploying theirs on 3-4 times more sites and all at once. Verizon also started their deployment two years ago. Sprint just recently switched to LTE technology, so no doubt they have a huge head start. You also have no idea how long it took for Verizon to do the install around LA because they turned it on all at once. In contrast, Sprint is allowing their customers to connect immediately to all the sites as they complete. If Sprint doesn't meet your needs, then go to Verizon. We won't stop you or beg you. However, Sprint is actively deploying LTE in LA County, and the coverage grows every week. And the service works great in the areas it has been deployed. And now with SoftBank investment in Sprint, the future is even brighter. It will not be too long in the future when being on Verizon's LTE network will not be much of an advantage at all. Robert

My battery life on the Note 2 has been about the following for a full day (about 16 hours, 7AM - 11PM): Virtually no usage...about 70% battery remaining Light usage...about 55% battery remaining Moderate usage...about 30% battery remaining Heavy usage...had to plug in around 9-10PM That is amazing in comparison to the GS3. Which is amazing compared to the GNex. Which was amazing compared to the OG EVO. I have not tweaked anything on my Note 2 and just let everything run like normal. I leave GPS on, too. Everything. I remember on the EVO, I had to turn everything off and set my screen to intolerably low brightness and become a battery resource Nazi, just to get 8 hours of light usage out of it. Oh, how far we have come. But with a mega large battery in the Note, it had better have great life. Robert

WHAT???? That's just stupid. YEEARGH!!! Robert

And to think I deleted about 200 members on Saturday who had not validated their account within 10 days. Robert

Actually, I just got through and made the purchase. However, Tmo will not allow me to buy a Micro SIM card online from them. They don't like my physical address, they say it's not a real address. LOL Looks like I will have to go to Walmart and pick up a Tmo SIM card today. Robert

Hmmm. I always find it amazing how many people screw up common expressions. I usually laugh at them. I think in this instance, I am the idiot. I have often used that expression "pull the plug" in this manner. It is stuck in my mind that way, even though not proper. DOH! On another note, I tried buying the Nexus 4 the moment it went on sale at 10AM MST. It would let me put it in my cart, but not check out with it. I tried about 5 times. I gave up and came back 30 minutes later, and then it says it is not available and to put my name on a notification list. Now there are news reports that they are selling out. Bummer. Robert

Allowed? Really??? I have no affinity for the Confederate flag. But I surely don't want to limit people's free speech. Robert

Not as far as I know. I don't expect anything until after Thanksgiving. Robert

There is a little variation how they are deployed on each site, and each vendors panels are slightly different. If you can take a pic and post it in our forums we can help you to identify them. Thanks. Robert

Sprint iPhones are holding their value very well and GS3 prices have dropped to reasonable. You probably made money on that deal. Robert via Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

desert caravan Robert via Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

LA did start in the beginning. But the LA market has over 1,000 sites. Sprint is not doing a thin LTE overlay over the whole city, but they are dismantling and replacing every piece of hardware in their entire network and creating multi modal base stations. An entirely new network from top to bottom, and adding LTE along the way. They are replacing all the equipment at every site and upgrading to new fiber and fiber backed backhaul. Sprint is adding LTE to every one of their sites in the country. In LA, it means it is going to take awhile to complete totally. But LTE service will grow and grow every week. And 3G also improves one tower at a time too. Robert via Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

Sprint has signed off the tower as complete. It doesn't mean it is live. Keep cycling through airplane mode and see if LTE appears over the next few days, and if it does, run Sensorly. If you get a chance, take some pics of the tower. It is the big one off Sleepy Hollow. Thanks. Robert via Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

This is not just adding LTE. Network Vision is a complete network overhaul. Replacing every single piece of hardware in the Sprint network, including upgrading backhaul. Robert via Nexus 7 using Forum Runner

Updated the list. Thanks Ian for the help. Robert

3G improvements are being done with Network Vision/LTE upgrades in Rhode Island. But once you have LTE, the 3G network won't matter much to you anymore. Robert