S4GRU

It doesn't look like anything is going on on LI. The coverage map, as per Sensorly http://s4gru.com/ind...s-via-sensorly/ shows some coverage at a very tiny portion of the Queens/Nassau border, and absolutely nothing for the rest of Nassau and all of Suffolk.Now if they had tested any equipment, one would think there would be a data point in Nassau and Suffolk. Hey, we only have over 2.8 million people, you would think someone other than me would have loaded the Sensorly app and found 4g.

There about 3 dozen sites converted all the way across the island past the Hamptons. However, LI is an Alcatel Lucent market. A/L starts their market upgrades with the 3G side first, and after they get about 30% of the market complete, they start bringing online the LTE side too. It is probably another 30-45 days until the first LTE sites start firing up on LI. Ericsson and Samsung markets are handled differently.

Robert

How do i find out what sites are marked for GMO?

Deployment started in the Phoenix market a few weeks ago. They are upgrading towers now. However, it is still likely to be another 45-60 days before the very first LTE signals start to light up. But work is underway!

Robert

I'm a little confused so hopefully someone can clear this up. I notice that there are measurements for both the 800 and 850Mhz spectrum. It's my understanding that Sprint only uses the 800. is the 850 just the upper end of the 800? I figured this could be because the lower frequencies could be used for tx and maybe the higher could be for rx? Or do we just not have to bother with the 850Mhz measurements at all?

Sprint is using the 800 SMR band, as you figured. But Sprint devices also support 850 Cellular band for roaming purposes.

Robert

"if HTC said that it will support these LTE bands after they are turned on, that would be another matter"And yet China Mobile, which uses TD-LTE, has announced support of the HTC One phone (and the Galaxy S III). If the HTC One can support TD-LTE on China Mobile, why can't it on Sprint? Is this a diffrerently tuned phone? Or will the phone support Clearwire's LTE but they just haven't announced this support yet?I like Sprint's Network Vision future. I'd like to follow that future. But it would be easier if they actually sold a phone that would work with it, or at least tell us which phones that are coming up that will work with it.

It does work with Network Vision. The phone will not be obsolete. It will still operate just fine. Network Vision is not the addition of 800MHz. Network Vision is the rebuilding of all the hardware on the network and backhaul, which has nothing to do with LTE 800 or LTE 2600. To say it will not work with Network Vision is just not accurate.

We all want future proof phones, but it is impossible. There are always plans and changes coming in the future. It is no different with other carriers. People who have spent a lot of money on Verizon devices the past few years will not have AWS LTE when it first comes out. And Verizon could have technically added support in their devices years ago.

However, it can be a bad idea to early support new bands without testing. Look at all the problems the EVO LTE had. It is a wiser decision over all for Sprint to set up FIT's for these new bands and do extensive testing than to just stick in the hardware and hopes it all works out.

There are no surprises so far. Sprint and S4GRU has said that there will not be devices that support LTE Bands 26 and 41 until later in 2013. So I wouldn't count on any early escapees. If support of future bands is the most important thing to you, then you will need to wait.

And then when they come out, there will be something else on the horizon that you will be disappointed isn't included in your newest device. Like Carrier Aggregation, or 4x4 MIMO, or better battery performers. Your real issue is you need to upgrade more frequently if having all the newest bands is important to you. There is no way to future proof a device for 2+ years.

Robert

How do you know this lol, is there anyway for me to check the progress in midland like that?

sorry for asking what is gmo and nv mean? What is better?

...is that grumpy cat?

It sure is. Grumpy Cat is one of my wife's favorites.

Robert

Robert What will be the total percent of GMO sites in Sprints network? I know at one time you said 10%, but that was last year and i'm sure as time progress with NV things may change. It seems like SC (upstate area) is getting a large amount of them, but at least it still NV and LTE, the 800mhz would be nice.

Is Los Angeles Sites getting GMO sites?

there are only two live sites in midland? certainly feels like there are more. average speedtest shows around 7mbps and up. i have been mapping the coverage on sensorly.com however i am currently on vacation and can continue my solo efforts of mapping these sites lol. but have noticed in alot of areas that there is currently no 3g it all shows as 1x which if i remember from earlier reports that this is because the towers are being worked on. Thanks for all your hard work on this site, i have followed it for awhile now TY

For a being a complete noob at this, I have to admit this is a little confusing and frustrating. My understanding was that all but a small handful of towers were not going to get NV but for everything else, the remaining sites were getting completely stripped and overhauled. Okay, cool. Be one the lookout of panels with 2 RRUs except now that it's only one RRU in the 100km border zone in which I reside. Now add one more layer that some sites are GMO which may or may not eventually get NV. I guess I just need to keep a closer eye in the sponsor forums to keep up with site updates *then* go tower hunting.

I live in Midland MI and LTE has started to be deploying and pretty rapidly i must say. I was curious if anyone knew if the systems used in Midland MI are GMO or full on installs?

Robert do you know if site CT23XC410 will be a GMO.

I do not see any GMO's in the two Connecticut markets. Either it means that these markets don't have any GMO's, or the info was omitted from the source documents for these two markets.

Robert

So if some GMO sites are not receiving the additional backhaul...essentially the upgrades won't show performance improvements right now then? No 800, No LTE, no enhanced backhaul. Good for the future, but doesn't sounds like they do much for the customer right now.

Yes, but a majority of GMO sites will get new backhaul. One of the ones here in New Mexico recently went from 400-600kbps, to 2.5Mbps day and night. Additionally, this new equipment will be less expensive to operate and more reliable. Those are benefits that can be enjoyed right now and can be used for the next 16 months before the full build would start at these locations.

Most of the sites not getting backhaul upgrades are ones that cannot get them without a lot of extra effort and expense. They will likely get upgraded at the end of NV, though. But these sites not getting backhaul upgrades now are some of the lowest usage sites in the country. And they are likely served sufficiently by T1's.

Robert

In the Shentel thread Robert mentions that the entire Central PA market will initially be GMO sites.

The site in Central PA I reference is in a Shentel market, not the Central PA market. Additionally, the Central PA market is not 100% GMO's. Sites in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Lancaster areas are full build. But the Central PA market does have a lot of GMO's.

The Western PA market is the only one I know of that is all GMO's.

Robert

Good stuff. Wish you had more time to write articles like this. Maybe one about spectrum hint hint..lol

AJ writes our spectrum articles. If you are looking for a specific write up, send him a message.

Robert

Curious which site this is? Could you share the site id?

It is located in Mont Alto, PA.

Robert

Question regarding your map above that says "if Sprint launched the market in April, these are the anticipated sites that would likely have LTE complete at that time". Eau Claire, WI was listed back in November as lauching "within the coming months", but according to your map there is one tower way Northeast of Eau Claire and one way Southeast. Why are none of the towers in Eau Claire marked? Do you know something Sprint doesn't?

We know the same thing. Our info came directly from Sprint. However, Sprint started the market several months late and deployment is going slower than originally planned. It has allowed them to reorganize and plan deployment differently than they originally were limited to do, because more backhaul and infrastructure is complete. It allows them to have many more sites to choose from.

Initially, the backhaul vendor in the Eau Claire area could not get sites up in the beginning of deployment. But now they can meet the new schedule since they have slipped.

Robert

Deployment is slated to begin before the end of Winter. We are awaiting more details.

Robert

Has anyone else found a LTE site up and running besides the one at Baymeadows Rd? I was there the other day and was getting around 15 mbps...AWESOME!Is there any way we can get an update on how the Jacksonville 4g lte tower upgrades are going? I cannot wait to enjoy the full potential of my GS3!!!Thanks, Paul

Paul:

We have in our Sponsor section maps that show all the completed Spritn Network Vision/LTE sites. They get updated weekly. You can find out more how to become a S4GRU Sponsor here: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1195-information-about-s4gru-sponsorship-levels-and-how-to-become-a-sponsor/

Robert

I'd love to see a similar write-up on how GSM works... I've always understood the PRL concept--I know the GSM side of things is more "network/server-based", but not really figured out the specifics.Also with LTE being based on the GSM core, is Sprint and Verizon having to deal with 2 systems here, or are they able to merge them into one?I remember reading about C-SIMS for Verizon, but wasn't sure if Sprint was using the same thing--I assumed they weren't and that was why they initially weren't allowing swappable SIMs. The way I understood it, without the C-SIM app installed by the network (and on the SIM), the ANSI (CDMA) and MAP (GSM) cores couldn't both be updated when SIMs got swapped in devices, causing all sorts of screw up... IIRC the CSIM can even bring the ESN/MEID from the ANSI side over to it.I know the MAP system doesn't use PRLs, but isn't there some sort of acquisition table?Nat

I wouldn't mind that write up myself. But it is not something I'm qualified to author.

Robert

I think Robert wrote it for them. Sounds like what he's been saying to people over and over for the past 6-8 months or more.

It was nice to get official confirmation of the things I have been saying all along!

Robert

I wouldn't call it pessimism. It was optimism that had me check the Clearwire site daily for a year and a half and optimism that made me think Sprint might actually pull of their Network Vision as promised. It is abundantly clear now that the program is behind schedule and Network vision will be complete in late 2014. I think that is realistic and not pessimistic. It's best for Sprint if they begin to start managing expectations.

Late 2014? That's not clear. That's your wild ass guess and gut feeling based on your observations. It is not abundantly clear, as you say.

The final completion date of the entire upgrade is not important. Verizon and AT&T are not anywhere near complete with their upgrades yet, and they are not even doing a complete top to bottom overhaul of their network that Sprint is. So even if it is not until the end of 2014, it doesn't much matter. Sprint will still have completed their upgrade, start to finish in less time than the big two. And T-Mobile is not even upgrading all their sites to LTE, let alone a full nationwide upgrade.

What matters is total coverage. And more importantly for you, coverage in San Diego County. Well, deployment is under way in SDC, as you are aware. And furthermore, the first three sites started to go live in San Diego yesterday and today. So, you will have measurable coverage in San Diego in the next few months, and pretty close to total coverage before the end of the year.

So if they are still working on an obscure site outside Winston-Salem, North Carolina in Fall 2014, it wouldn't be very material to your circumstances. I find your lack of faith disturbing. Especially since there are tangible upgrades happening right around you that you have already experienced and written about in our forums.

Robert

I see they are already trying to soften the blow. I suppose its better to start managing peoples expectations now instead of waiting until December.

I didn't read that at all. All their forward looking comments were optimistic, without giving specific info. Are you an eternal pessimist, even as LTE started going live today in San Diego?

Robert