S4GRU

I have heard this comment a lot. It seems to be more than anecdotal. It seems that in many places, Protection Sites are located in less than ideal locations. I have two theories... Tower rents are cheaper in the hood Population density is higher, so you can cover more POP's with less sites and get to the FCC requirement easier Or maybe, it's both? Clearwire did not put up Protection Sites so they could be used and appreciated. They put them up for the sole purpose of keeping their license with the FCC. If anyone could actually use the signal, that was just a bonus for them. These were never seen as generating any revenue for Clearwire, quite the contrary. The Protection Sites are a huge financial drain on the company. So, where they went was not strategic in any way for consumers or usability, only to maximize coverage area for purposes of FCC reporting. Robert

I think AJ's article on the Wall may have beat Engadget. By two minutes it appears. Yay for us! You had me beat. My certainty level on it was in the low 90's! Robert

Where is my welcoming committee? They were supposed to bring you milk and cookies. Or was it beer and chicken wings? Oh well... to S4GRU. Robert

ping test

You aren't throttled. The EVDO network is overloaded. Sprint's Network Vision will fix those issues permanently. Robert

beer keg

Tell me about this poop party. I have never attended one. Sounds messy.

I think most customers want to stick it out with Sprint and they want Sprint to succeed. They just want the information to give them hope to stick it out. That's my impression anyway. When I get an angry customer that stumbles upon S4GRU or our social media sites, I try to determine whether they want Sprint to succeed and they just want information and a reason to keep hope, or if they are pissed beyond a reasonable level. If they are pissed beyond that point, I just suggest they find the carrier that's best for them and move on. You cannot convince someone who hates Sprint why they should stay. I was to that point with AT&T in 2010, and no one could have convinced me to stay. I needed to move on. However, there are millions of customers who like Sprint, but are frustrated that data is not meeting their needs. These people I can work with. Because I can tell them what Sprint is doing for them and when. Then they can make the determination if that's going to work for them or not. I find that 90% of these people stick it out. Because the information we provide them gives them hope in Sprint. Robert

Welcome, fellow New Mexican! Robert

Sorry for the quiet. I am extremely busy this week. I am "bi-vocational." Robert

Today is a really busy day for me, so I will be scarce. I am busy dealing with my real job. But I do want to say I appreciate the feedback. I believe the sponsorship method is superior to advertising in several respects. And we reward sponsors, especially our premier sponsors. We had sponsors and premier sponsors before we had sections for them. The chief reasons for content in sponsor sections is not revenue generation, but content protection. The type of stuff in our protected areas CANNOT be published publicly. I wanted to bring you all some of this great content I have, but it needs to be to a smaller and more manageable pool of people. I would never publish a site by site NV schedule publicly. It would be chaos and Sprint would likely shut us down. I am not a cruel and heartless capitalist. S4GRU was funded out of my pocket for almost a year before I received our first donation. We broke even the first time at the end of February. Our cash reserves equal the increased cost of our growth projections over the next 90 days. I have given lots of complimentary upgrades for people who help us. Even for sob stories I get by PM. I also have a few IOU's. I need to get to the capitol now for meetings. I will check back in tonight. Robert Robert via NOVO7PALADIN Tablet using Forum Runner

tropical punch

I think Sprint is sitting back and not announcing a lot of information because schedules, for devices and network, are so shaky right now. And by the data I have seen, I'd be very tempted to be cautious if I was in their shoes. The information we release, but Sprint doesn't, is probably for good reason. Sprint feels if they announce dates and specific info and it slips, the press, the public and the general mood will come down on them hard and pessimism will reign. Sprint is trying to play the under promise, over deliver card. I understand why. However, even though I understand what Sprint is doing, I disagree with them. I think S4GRU has proven that information is what customers want. And if it changes, they're OK with that. They just need to know. They need to know early and often what is going on. That's why people love S4GRU. That's what we do. I don't live in paranoia that our info that we reported three months ago could be off by a week when it comes due. Because things change. Schedules slip. Mistakes happen. Materials and manufacturing gets delayed. It happens. Just tell the folks what you know, and as you know it. I think Sprint PR would be in a much better position if they implemented a S4GRU style of informing their customers. Heck, I'm willing to be a consultant for the right price. Robert

I do think that the shorter, one or two paragraph article idea could be a compromise and could work. It would deal with a lot of these info nuggets that we get. I had considered it before, but so many sites broadcast these short nuggets (especially BGR), and I have kind of despised this kind of reporting. When I go to these news tech sites with short stories, I always get frustrated. I want details! So I have always tried to sit and hold stories for something that can make a comprehensive and detailed article. But AJ is right. We are sitting on a dozen nuggets of info that you all would love to know about, but would not fit into a conventional S4GRU article. I think we have high standards of our writers. We produce much deeper and meatier articles than anyone else. So, whatever we end up doing here, I never want to lose that. Robert

If you are looking for the missing teaser posts, they were moved to a more appropriate thread. We didn't delete them. http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/734-s4gru-teaser-information/page__st__20 Please carry on with the EVO conversation... Robert

I have created this thread to move some posts that overtook the EVO thread. They deserve a home in the Suggestion Box thread instead of being a distraction to poor people wanting to discuss the EVO. Robert

I have settled this with Sarge, but obviously I need to go over it again publicly. We obviously think you are worthy, we are giving you some advanced heads up. We often give our members some advance information. It's one of the advantages of membership. It was the purposes of the chats. I'm probably not in the right mood tonight to have this discussion. I am so frustrated with many other things that I will likely take it out on some of you improperly. What you guys are doing, and you may not be meaning to, but what you will do with comments like this is make me second guess every darn thing I want to tell you about. In reality, I'm sure you all want to know what we know. But if I have to go around thinking, "before I mention this internal info, I wonder what people like Mofus and Sarge will think about it? I better just sit on it." Then you guys are going to end up with a lot less info overall. You want the guy who is leaking information to be an open spigot. Where you get anything and everything you can. I personally wouldn't want to discourage anyone with any inside information to be quiet. But that's just me. I don't make any commands or suggestions to my sources with any information they bring me. I just sit and listen. Robert

*sigh*

I always wondered if the FCC would care about T1's being used in protection sites. After all, the build out requirements called for mobile broadband. And it was my understanding that EVDO did not meet the definition of the FCC mobile broadband definition for EBS/BRS spectrum and exactly why they used WiMax. So how can T1 backhaul that would essentially render WiMax to EVDO speeds be acceptable? It's a great point. Robert

When it comes to Protection Sites, the backhaul is highly variable. It pretty much is potpourri. Whatever is convenient, that's what they use. Some Protection Sites only have T1's, if that's all they could get. In Las Vegas, New Mexico they have a WiMax Protection Site that is 1.5Mbps upload and download 24 hours a day. Because it's on a T1 for backhaul. However, the next Protection Site to the west in Santa Fe has fiber backhaul. There was a vendor already there that leased to Clearwire for dirt cheap. It has 9 - 15Mbps Download speeds. Robert

You have instances where site owners who have forums give some advanced information and it causes friction? I am providing information. In my format. Take it or leave it. I'm starting to get a little pissed. Robert

I have a feeling 95% of our readers disagree with you. We are telling you a little advanced information about articles we are planning and you are telling us you can't handle it??? You'd prefer to know nothing until we are ready to tell everything? Robert

It means that subcontractors will start to show up at sites in those markets and start setting new panels, RRU's, pulling coax, etc. Preliminary work like equipment deliveries and backhaul setup is happening in all the first and second round markets now. Even in some third rounders. Robert

tripple bagger

New York City (NYC/Westchester/Lower Hudson Valley) Status: LTE Launched/NV Substantially Complete/Difficult Sites Remaining NV Sites Accepted = 95% LTE Sites Accepted = 92% LTE Launched = October 31, 2013 (Bronx & Brooklyn launched 7/24/2013) Original Scheduled Completion = May 2013 Substantial Completion = January 2016