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S4GRU

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Posts posted by S4GRU

    Sprint's first quarter financials are out

    in General Topics

    Posted

     

    On top of what Robert said' date=' most suburban/exurban sites have 1 to maybe 2 voice channels. The spectrum reclaimed will not be substantial. As Robert already said, Urban sites will be configured for capacity gains. In my hometown I have rarely seen more than one voice channel. They could probably serve us out of one 1x 800MHz channel every other site. That might not be true in other areas that have more Sprint subscribers per square mile, but I do believe it to be true of our area.[/quote']

     

    Same here in rural New Mexico.

     

    Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

    Los Angeles Deployment

    in Markets

    Posted

    Hi Robert,

     

    Any news (if you have any) to share about the NV/LTE deployments in LA? I read on your post that LA is coming in the first round and a Sprint Rep also told me they've begun working on LA. Any more recent details you can share? This site is awesome. Thanks!

     

    Welcome to S4GRU! :welcome:

     

    LA Metro market is already under way. You can see a screen shot below of the map showing the sites that are already live. S4GRU Sponsors have access to this map and many others. Sponsors can click on the map, zoom in and pan around, all over the country. There are currently already 500 Network Vision sites live around the country on these maps. More added every few days.

     

    Thank you for the compliments. I hope to see you around some more in the future.

     

    Robert

     

    gallery_1_1_7893.jpg

    • Like 3

    Sprint's first quarter financials are out

    in General Topics

    Posted

    I would much rather have Sprint configure the 1x Advanced 1900 MHz carriers to support 4x capacity so they can shut down more 1x carriers. The towers are located to account for 1900 MHz anyways so its better to max out more voice capacity to free up more spectrum for LTE. Now there are placed like in New Orleans were it makes sense to use the 70% coverage since the towers are not strategically located. CDMA800 no doubt does not need the 70% extra coverage and instead needs to max out 4x capacity especially if its going to handle indoor voice calls.

     

    I have asked all my sources this question, and most glaze over. However, I did have one Samsung RF Engineer tell me that they are configuring all 1xA carriers differently based on location. Urban sites will be deployed for capacity gains. Rural sites will be deployed for coverage gain. So there will be a lot of variability. We have detailed information about the deployment of every single Sprint site in the country. I wish it also contained 1xA configuration info.

     

    Robert

    • Like 1

    Sprint's first quarter financials are out

    in General Topics

    Posted

    There won't be any coverage gains in areas that are already covered well and were you do not adjust downtilt. There will be coverage improvements in cases were you were on the fringe of usuable signal and now you won't be. There will be an expansion of the "usable" coverage area. RF limits are RF limits and propagation is propagation but usable signal is something all-together. Outward facing sectors on the periphery of a coverage area can have the downtilt adjusted and their usable signal area expanded quite a bit. I also consider the thickening of coverage on the interior of a coverage area a tangible benefit, as in the increase of the percentage of the coverage area in which you get "Good" or "Excellent" signal instead of "Fair". I think that maybe that's what he's talking about. That instead of 50% of a heavily suburban area like Atlanta or Dallas being "Light Green" in the signal maps, only 25% is after NV 1900MHz. Add 800MHz NV and only 5% is light green, all this with no additional sites.

     

    Thank you for agreeing with me. This is what I said right above your comment. However, my chief point stands that the comment made will mislead many into believing that double the coverage gain comes from 1900 CDMA alone, when in reality that coverage gain stated is the difference between legacy 1900 and NV 800. That's what we do here at S4GRU, clarify and inform. Much better than Sprint does, I might add.

     

    Robert

    • Like 1

    Network Woes & Fixes

    in Network, Network Vision/LTE Deployment

    Posted

    The answer is T1's. And a lot of them. In my overall market which has been heavily neglected they are installing 230 T1's to cover them. So if they're doing that much or more for any of the others that aren't in the immediate NV future we should all start seeing much better speeds soon.

     

    The problem with the temporary T1 fixes, from what I have seen, is this:

     

    Site has insufficient backhaul for data demands in the cell and throughput speeds start dropping. As speeds start dropping, usage also starts to go down. As speeds start to drop below 100kbps, all streaming activity stops. Users actually modify their behavior and stop using data so much because the experience is so poor. However, they keep using it enough that the experience remains poor and does not improve.

     

    When this occurs, Sprint's network manager (Ericsson) orders additional T1 lines for the site. Usually one or two more. It takes between 3 months and one year for them to get set at the site and punched down for use. Yes, that's right. Sometimes it takes a full year! Once the T1's are punched down, Ericsson comes back out and connects the new T1 lines (and sometimes adds carriers too).

     

    Once the additional T1 backhaul is live, speeds shoot right up. 0.9Mbps to 1.4Mbps, on average. Sprint customers start to notice something is different within a few days. People start running speed tests. People start opening their minds to the possibilities of using their 3G data again at the site. People start using their Pandora again. People start streaming Netflix again. And within a few weeks, or a few months, the site is back down in the dumps again. I have seen this pattern happen over and over again. Better performance = more usage, in an unlimited usage network.

     

    However, not all of these speed upgrades being implemented are T1. Some are AAV. On those sites that are getting 2Mbps+ EVDO speeds, the backhaul in those places is AAV and not T1. These sites seem to be much less affected a few weeks and months down the road. Even though T1's are 'right-sized' for EVDO carrier backhaul, modern usage at dense cells just don't provide the performance needed. For Sprint to add more than one or two additional T1's is cost prohibitive. T1's are expensive creatures.

     

    The answer, of course, is enhanced backhaul. Like what's being offered in Network Vision. Almost all sites will be going to Microwave or AAV backhaul. Much more scalable ethernet based backhaul solutions. Sprint is getting closer and closer every day to abandoning their old archaic (and expensive) T1 backed backhaul. And I say good riddance!

     

    Robert

    • Like 4

    Sprint's first quarter financials are out

    in General Topics

    Posted

    My comments are not based on guesses. They are based on reports from Sprint's FIT's. The gains are approximately 20% in field testing from legacy to NV on 1900 CDMA. And from our members who have used NV sites, this seems to be substantiated. There are no wonderful sudden gains in coverage occurring.

     

    Due to downtilt at most sites, the gains will not be in coverage area, but in stronger signal. Only at sites at the periphery of existing coverages (rural areas) can you adjust the downtilit up to try to capture the 20% coverage gain.

     

    Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

    • Like 1

    Google plans to sell an unlocked GNex in Google Play for $399

    in Samsung

    Posted

     

    I just believe on the CDMA side it's very difficult to sell a non-contract phone. Don't know why that is' date=' but it just seems to be. I suppose it's because each phone has to be inventoried into Sprint's or Verizon's database. I'm guessing Google will only sell unlocked gsm phones and eventually wifi only tablets and unlocked 3g gsm tablets.[/quote']

     

    This may be, I don't know. But the fact that Apple sells the CDMA versions of their devices in their store, it gives me hope.

     

    Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

    Sprint's first quarter financials are out

    in General Topics

    Posted

    This is slightly misleading. They may be seeing a coverage doubling on NV 800 CDMA compared to legacy 1900 CDMA. Since they are not deploying EVDO on 800, this is 1x only.

     

    However, they are not seeing those kinds of gains between NV 1900 CDMA and legacy 1900 CDMA. That gain is not 100%, it is approximately 20% gain between the two.

     

    Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

    Wireless Financial Reporting Season

    in General Topics

    Posted

    I am headed to an important meeting, but I will add this point. The number of total sites being completed in 2012 is way down. They were initially aiming for 20,000 sites in 2012. NV is a total of 38,000 sites. This may not be a total schedule slip, as they may make it up in 2013. But it is a slip.

     

    If I were Sprint, I'd consider changing strategies. Perhaps whole market conversions are not the way with the current schedule. Instead of having four/five crews in each of the markets now, maybe break it up and get two of those crews moving on to another market. Even though it will slow down one market, the other one will start getting deployment early. And more markets can have some sort of LTE coverage.

     

    However, I wouldn't slow down Chicago, given their problems. If anything, I would speed that one up.

     

    Robert via NOVO7PALADIN Tablet using Forum Runner

    Forum or Wall. Which is best to discuss the topic at hand.

    in Suggestion Box

    Posted

    The purpose of the article links in the forums is to give members who only access S4GRU via Tapatalk and Forum Runner a place where they can see the list of articles and click on a link to read the article.

     

    They are not there for the purposes of giving threads for members to comment. If you access the forums from a computer, there is a description below these forums that explain their purpose.

     

    Robert via NOVO7PALADIN Tablet using Forum Runner

    Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE

    in Motorola

    Posted

    Im going to throw this grenade out there. But there is a chance that the MSM8960 LTE device arriving in the Lenexa labs on 5/7 is this new Motorola Photon Q instead of the anticipated Windows Phone device we keep yammering about.

     

    Robert via NOVO7PALADIN Tablet using Forum Runner

    • Like 2

    Google plans to sell an unlocked GNex in Google Play for $399

    in Samsung

    Posted

    In a move not unlike the Nexus One, Google plans to sell the GSM Galaxy Nexus straight to customers from their Google Play store. The $399 pricetag should guarantee some sales, but might be seen as a slap in the face to Verizon buyers who paid $300 on contract for the LTE version of the device.

     

    http://www.fiercewir...-399/2012-04-24

    No plans about it. It's available now.

     

    https://play.google....Dg0NzM3NDkiXQ..

     

    If they do that with the Sprint CDMA/LTE version, I'm in!

     

    Robert

    • Like 1

    Athens, GA LTE

    in Markets

    Posted

    As a crow flies, I live 2.6 miles from a live, completed LTE tower as indicated on the completed LTE maps on here. I will not receive my nexus until Friday, so I have been unable to test thusfar. Does anyone know if I will be able to reach this tower being almost 3 miles away?

     

    It depends on your elevation relative to the tower, the foliage in between, what kind of structure and windows you have in your home, etc. However, you likely will get a LTE signal 3 miles away. But the problem you will more likely encounter that will prevent you from connecting is this: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-167-sprint-intentionally-blocking-new-lte-devices-from-accessing-live-lte-sites/

     

    Robert

    • Like 1

    Network Vision/LTE - Shentel Market (Shenandoah Valley/Hagerstown/Harrisburg)

    in Markets

    Posted

    Robert, I've been following this board for a long time and live in an area serviced by Shentel. Before I realized the area I live in is serviced by them, I always wondered why I saw no updates on network.sprint.com around my location. Do you have any information about their progress thus far with NV or is the documentation you have strictly tied to the areas serviced by Sprint?

     

    I have no contacts at Shentel. All my info related to Shentel is public. Here is my last write up relating to Shentel Network Vision plans:

     

    http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-20-sprint-regional-affiliate-shentel-releases-some-more-network-vision-info-in-conference-call-with-investors/

     

    Sorry I don't have more info. Would love to get a source from Shentel some day. All the NV data I have to date only focuses on corporate Sprint sites.

     

    Robert

    Another Hello from Chicago

    in Welcome

    Posted

    Hello everyone! I'm Elliot. My wife & i have been Sprint customers for 6+ years and don't want to leave Sprint (phones off contract soon) so this site has been helpful as we've been trying to determine what we will do.

     

    Unlike most, I get a decent WiMax signal in my home and the area and it's generally available on my daily train rides into & out of the city. My issue has been the deterioration of 3G in my area (probably due to influx of iPhone users) and the battery life on my Evo 4G.

     

    I'd consider a 4S on Sprint but the woeful 3G speed (and eminet arrival of the iPhone 5) gives me reason to pause.

     

    Great site, great info, great updates!

     

    Welcome! :welc:

     

    And thanks for the compliments.

     

    Robert

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