S4GRU

Some antennas can be doubled up for multiple bands. i.e. - USCC

"I want the phone with the bigger GB's."

The way I see it, the launch dates are what they are. Sprint decided to launch devices before LTE market launches with the GNex, Viper and EVO LTE. Because they wanted to give contract renewers device options. They would have released the GS3 early if it was possible. I suppose HTC could have waited ahwile to release their EVO. However, I bet HTC would rather be first than to be tied with LTE launch. And I think Sprint wanted them to be first, to capture EVO owners coming off contract. That's my two cents on it. But I bet Samsung will be happy if Sprint does start launching LTE markets with their device launch. Robert

I agree that perception is an issue. However, it can be mitigated and turned into a positive. Network Vision is rolling out pretty quickly in most markets they are active in. Sprint could easily keep the market informed and say that there are 150 sites live now and we will be adding approximately 20 to 30 every week. You will have partial coverage in the beginning and service will just get more and more solid week after week. This is what happened in WiMax markets with active deployments (except without any info to the customers). Service just grew and grew. People for the most part didn't complain, because Sprint didn't advertise it was ready. It was just bonus. People didn't start to complain about WiMax until Sprint announced the market was complete and they saw how spotty the service was. LTE will be completely different. In my opinion, to hold out all the early adopters from connecting their LTE devices from the network is a significant mistake. It just is penalizing their most loyal customers, and their best educated customers. The ones who will understand what is going on the most. Robert

failed logic

This is certainly true in my office. Most of my coworkers tune me out, or know not to mention wireless networks or devices in my presence. Robert

Well, I'll be... For some reason I thought is said 4G the one time I held one. Oh well. Robert

It would be cool if you could do a write up like Two Spirits did for the EVO LTE event: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/673-the-sprint-htc-evo-4g-event-observations-and-mini-review/ Let me know if you are interested. Robert

I am going to try to do one every day until all the markets that I have detailed schedules on have been covered. Robert

So far, speeds have been spot on the same between my EVO LTE and my E4GT here around Northern New Mexico and Albuquerque. Never more than 100k difference really. If you think about it, there is really no difference in speed tests between 1.1Mbps and 1.3Mbps. That's close enough to be the same given all the variables in a speed test and cell sector burdens. So there shouldn't be much pause between 100k and 300k differences either. Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

Download complete Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

Need two words...LOL Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

Sprint has not wavered from a Mid 2012 launch regarding Houston LTE. Anything other than that are maybes and possiblies. Sprint has also been quite cautious about not advertising the LTE network to these early device adopters. Robert - Posted from my E4GT with ICS using Forum Runner

SF Bay Status: LTE Launched/NV Upgrades Complete NV Sites Accepted = 100% LTE Sites Accepted = 98% LTE Launched = September 9, 2014 (North Bay launched 12/2012, East Bay 2/2013) Original Scheduled Completion = July 2013 NV Complete = Summer 2016

satellite orbit

i will do a full review of mine when I get it, including taking it to areas where I have had marginal reception issues where the OG EVO did better. This can perhaps help you decide. Robert

"Mr. Snake? Mr. Wentworth is on line 2 for you. Shall I ask him to call back?"

*sigh*

is Q3 2013 soon enough? I hope so, because that's when they are scheduling to start 800 LTE deployment. Robert

They aren't converting to 800, they are just adding 800 to existing multi-mode towers. So there will be no more reduction in sites with bringing 800 online. Sprint is installing 800 CDMA on virtually all sites and 800 LTE on approx. 80% of all sites. Robert

So far, the adds done before NV crews arrive have been with legacy equipment. However, Memphis is so close to starting you would think they would use NV equipment on any new installs. If you get a chance to go over to the new tower and take some pictures of the antenna panels and the base equipment, I can tell you if the site is being built with NV equipment. Robert

by Robert Herron Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Wednesday, June 6, 2012 - 8:44 AM MDT In the first article of our new Network Vision/LTE deployment schedule update series, S4GRU brings you to Atlanta, Georgia. Sprint announced to the world early in Network Vision that the Atlanta/Athens market would be one of their first LTE launches. Slated for the end of June 2012. Since the announcement last December, Sprint's Network Vision OEM Ericsson has been busy with deployment. As of this week, the Atlanta/Athens market has over 150 Network Vision sites broadcasting a LTE signal. These sites are all around the market. Network Vision Sites in Atlanta/Athens Market. Over 150 sites are complete in the market. All of these broadcasting Sprint LTE, but being blocked from accessibility by Sprint. 150 Live LTE Sites, but still being blocked by Sprint Despite the good news of so many live LTE sites, Sprint is currently blocking LTE connections, as most of our S4GRU readers already know. Sprint has put the decision of when to allow their LTE signals that are currently being broadcast over Northern Georgia in the hands of their "Business Teams." Now with the EVO LTE apparently selling like gangbusters and with the announcement of the new LTE capable Samsung Galaxy S-III, hopefully Sprint will allow their LTE network to open to connections soon. Sprint originally planned to allow sites converted to Network Vision standards to go live immediately upon completion by the OEM Contractor. This is still the case with 3G EVDO and even CDMA 800 sites when they are completed. In Sprint's original Network Vision plans, they were also planning to allow 4G LTE signals to be handled the same way. Turn them on and allow them to be discovered prior to the formal market launch at 50% site completion. Sprint did start releasing 4G LTE sites initially after they started coming online in April, but soon changed their mind about allowing customers to connect to them. Several S4GRU members were able to use 4G LTE and were posting impressive 30Mbps download speeds. However, since then Sprint decided to shut down access to LTE and started actively blocking. Now it is believed that Sprint may hold all LTE connections in a market until formal launch. We hope they allow it sooner. It seems to be a terrible waste to have a LTE signal being broadcast all around you that your device is not allowed to connect to. There have been many speculations why Sprint may be blocking access, including possible LTE connectivity issues with the new EVO LTE, but none have been confirmed at this time. Sprint can end this conjecture by just opening up their LTE network to existing LTE device holders. Market Launch and Remaining Schedule In recently seen correspondence, Sprint has decided to move up launches sooner than 50% completion. This is likely to maintain a Mid 2012 launch. In the case of Atlanta, should Sprint launch prior to the end of June, they would only be complete with approximately 35% to 40% of all NV sites. And even though this sounds like very few, keep in mind that Sprint's Atlanta/Athens market is all of Northern Georgia. With over 1,000 sites total. Anticipated Sites Complete at Market Launch. According to the Network Vision schedules that S4GRU has reviewed, if Sprint launched the market on June 30th, these are the anticipated sites that would have LTE complete at that time. This would provide pretty good LTE coverage over the market. Verizon did not get 100% of their total market coverage complete before launching in Atlanta. Maybe a hundred sites at first, then adding more incrementally. Sprint will do something similar. At market launch, some areas will be well covered with LTE, and others may be kind of spotty. However, more sites will come online every week until the whole market is complete. And even with one or two bars of LTE signal on your device, you will still get speeds that are double to triple that of 3G EVDO in most instances. And speaking of 3G EVDO, Sprint is not reporting any of these live Network Vision sites are currently broadcasting EVDO, only LTE. According to the NV schedule, these should have started coming online in May. However, none have shown up as NV 3G active to date. We know the new backhaul is in place at these sites since they are broadcasting LTE. That most likely means that the Switch Center is not ready for these sites. A huge backlog of 3G sites will probably come online in this market suddenly when the network is ready. The bottom line... We currently do not have a date that Sprint will formally "launch" the Atlanta market. We believe they are still targeting a launch date before the end of the month based on internal Sprint documents. However, we hope that they will actually remove LTE blocking before the launch, since there are so many active LTE sites that can be used now in this market. Sprint's Network Vision schedule for this market currently has 152 Network Vision sites complete. Ericsson is plotting continual progress from here until the last ones complete around Mid December 2012. Production is ramping up to turn over approximately 150 sites per month through the end. Although it was difficult for S4GRU to quantify looking at this complex schedule, it appears that Ericsson is a little behind schedule in the market, but not more than can be made up before scheduled market completion in December. Pretty much the last piece of the puzzle unknown at this time is when is Sprint going to light this thing up for customers? C'mon Sprint, we are waiting! Photo of Atlanta skyline provided courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. NOTE: S4GRU Sponsor Members can track regular updates of Network Vision sites completed nationwide. Completed sites are shown in an interactive Google Maps interface. Information about sponsorship can be found here: S4GRU Sponsorship

I'm not 100% sure what you're asking. However, on a Sprint device you will need to have a 3G, 4G, LTE or WiFi connection to run Google Maps. You can also sort of use it with a 1x connection, but results vary wildly. Especially with Google Maps Navigation. In the case of you losing signal because you travel out of coverage, newer version of Google Maps may still work if your device cached the maps in advance it would need when going into a no coverage area and you do not change your route. I recently had a three hour trip here in New Mexico where I used Google Maps Navigation and drove in and out of coverage. At one point I was out of coverage for over an hour and still was able to use Navigation. Since the device already plotted my whole route in advance, it knew which maps to get for me in advance. So when I traveled out of coverage, it kept getting info from the GPS radio and updating my course on the maps it downloaded. However, if I deviated my route any, it would not have the maps on the new route in the non coverage area. Worked pretty good. I hope this answers your question. Robert