S4GRU

Here is a Work in Progress map of markets in North Carolina and South Carolina. This is much longer and more tedious of a process than I imagined! It took me two hours to do this much! Click on image to Enlarge. Counties in white have no Native Sprint site.

Duff Beer

I have the word on San Diego. But I am announcing them in order. Stay tuned.

Tri-Cities is in Nashville market. Shentel begins in Blacksburg, VA area and goes, north, northeast and east from there.

Sarge...thanks for responding. That is basically what I'm saying. All Network Vision upgrades include LTE installations. However, in the case of the Kankakee FIT, it was only installed to conduct 3G field testing of a cluster of Network Vision sites, working together. To check RF designs for accuracy, make sure everything on the 3G EVDO network was performing as expected, including handoffs between towers. The Hammond 4G FIT cluster did the same thing, but only the LTE portion though. Why they didn't do both in the same cluster? Because they both needed to use PCS G-block for testing. Sprint has mandated that all Network Vision testing be done in PCS G-Block spectrum so as to not interfere with existing customers. By doing two different clusters for 3G and 4G LTE, it allowed them to perform FIT testing for both at the same time. What I don't know is if the Hammond 4G FIT and the Kankakee 3G FIT also received full 3G and 4G gear when their FIT's were outfitted in December 2011. I'd guess yes, however, it probably is not all active until after testing completes. They will be using the same antenna panels and RRU's for CDMA and LTE, as well as 800MHz and 1900MHz. They also are in the same base cabinets. Since they share 75% of their hardware/systems at each site, it makes sense to install each of the FIT clusters with all the equipment, 1xA, EVDO and LTE. However, the 4G will not likely go live in the Kankakee cluster while FIT testing is still going on in the PCS G-Block spectrum. And vice versa with the Hammond cluster. And I have no idea when they will complete the testing in these clusters. They may even be done already, for all I know. All I know is what I'm told by my sources. I don't work for Sprint or their subcontractors myself. Robert

You can see a big difference in the design of the commercial. It felt like a whole different team managed it.

I just beat you. Try again!

square cat

RDU market does border Charlotte to the East. Winston/Salem market borders to the Northeast. I will work on the NC market map, so I can post a graphic showing what I mean. AFAIK, Sprint OEM's are not splitting markets up. They are doing the whole market in one deployment. They break that market into dozens of clusters. And work on several clusters per month, and over the whole deployment, all the clusters come live. Each market takes between 3 to 10 months to bring up all the clusters. Depending on size.

That's another great point. You can run WiMax and LTE simultaneously with voice. And of course, WiFi. It's just EVDO and 1x data.

Thank you for the clarification. I'm hoping for several devices coming out this year so the dual use critics can stuff it. For me, I wouldn't use SVDO while I'm barreling down a highway at 75mph. I only use voice and data together when I'm on WiFi (and then again, only occasionally). So I've not had a problem with the lack of SVDO, myself.

Philly isn't going to be snubbed. Stay tuned. Greensboro is in the Sprint Winston-Salem market, not RDU. The Winston-Salem market is just the Piedmont Triad area, down to Asheboro. The RDU market is all of Eastern North Carolina. The divider between RDU and Charlotte market is roughly US 220/I-73 corridor, south of Asheboro. I hope to have a Sprint market map up this week. It is a larger undertaking than I thought it would be! I believe Sprint is selecting markets based on Nextel subscribers. It was suggested to me last week by a S4GRU member, and I believe I'm seeing that trend as I look forward. However, most of the cities you mention above are coming soon. Stay tuned.

heavy metal

One thing that is good to understand that in most cases on a wireless network, the difference between pass and fail, especially on data, are so close together. A sector at 90% of design capacity at peak times, runs fine with acceptable performance. No complaints. But if that same sector pushes out to 110%, then chaos and poor performance results. And Sprint pushed many sites well beyond 110% with no meaningful capex spending for two years. So it isn't too difficult to fathom how there were so many sites running at 90% to 100% prior to the Evo. And the Evo pushed thousands of sites over the edge performance wise. Often, without even adding subscribers. And then after the Evo, many sites that were running less than 90% previously, were now pushed into the 90's near a pass/fail threshold. So add an iPhone and increase data use some more, and voila, another 10k sites are pushed over the threshold. That's why so many people said they didn't have any problems with the network until the iPhone. And why others disagree and say the problem existed since the Evo. They both are right. They are just explaining how it was in their local segment. Enhanced backhaul and additional carriers will solve most of this issue. And even LTE will help relieve some of the burden off EVDO. But in spectrum constrianed markets, Sprint will have to deploy smaller cells for more permanent lasting solutions in places where backhaul isn't enough and carriers cannot be added. Posted via Forum Runner

True. But I am expecting more SVDO handsets from Sprint this year. With all these antennas these new devices will have it shouldn't be a big deal at all. We will know soon enough. Posted via Forum Runner

And also I would add that we have crony capitalism. The corporate friends of whomever is in office gets their bureaucracy largely waived, getting an unfair advantage over their competitors. This is why AT&T is so indignant. AT&T (and its previous owner SBC) were huge friends of the Bush administration and received all the perks associated with that. They cannot now grasp why things are just not being handed to them. And the Obama Administration has its friends now too who benefit. Like General Electric. The winners and losers just change with whomever is in charge. And some corporations find a way to ally themselves with all Administrations. In a subverted capitalistic system like this, the self regulating system by consumers is indeed thwarted. And there is not an easy solution to keep wireless competitive in this type of environment, - Robert

Sprint will be upgrading all of their remaining 38,000 sites to Network Vision, including rural sites. For the most part, Sprint is not decommissioning any CDMA sites in Network Vision. Only a small handful. Like around 100 out of 38,000. They are actually adding more CDMA than they are removing. Almost all of the sites being removed are iDEN sites (Nextel). The Chicago article covers a lot of information of how they are deploying in rural areas within a macro market. In the S4GRU.com Chicago case study, the Network Vision OEM Samsung is starting with rural clusters of NV sites and working their way into the denser Central part of the market. If Sprint can stay on schedule, they will have started work in all markets by December 2013. - Robert

Dance Fever!

You won't be hearing any more Texas for awhile, though. - Robert

by Robert Herron Sprint 4G Rollout Updates Monday, March 5, 2012 - 12:01 AM MST Today, Sprint 4G Rollout Updates is prepared to tell you about two relatively early Round Two markets in Sprint's Network Vision/LTE deployment plans for 2012. Austin and Charlotte. Encompassing large sections of Central Texas and Western North Carolina. Sprint's Network Vision vendor Ericsson will likely begin Network Vision and LTE deployment in the Austin market and Alcatel/Lucent in the Charlotte market in 2012. This is not an imminent start in the next few weeks. These are Second Round starts. Which means that the start of these markets is dependent on when the previous market before it wraps up. There is no way for me to determine at this point which markets will precede them. Sprint's Austin market Sprint's Austin market basically covers all of Central Texas. Including the cities of Austin, Round Rock, Waco, Killeen/Fort Hood, Temple, Bryan/College Station, Lampasas, Stephenville and San Marcos. It is bordered by the DFW market to the north, Houston to the east and San Antonio market to south. All of these have been announced previously. The West Texas market borders to the west, but has yet to be announced. The Austin market will sport 387 sites in total after NV is complete. Sprint's Austin Market. All 375+ Network Vision sites are shown for the Austin market in this map. Click on image to enlarge. Sprint's Charlotte market Sprint's Charlotte market is the whole western portion of North Carolina and the part of South Carolina adjacent to the Charlotte metro area. It includes the cities of Charlotte, Asheville, Hickory, Salisbury, Boone, Hendersonville and Rock Hill, South Carolina. It is bordered by the Nashville market to the west, South Carolina market to the south, Raleigh/Durham market to the east, the Winston/Salem market to the Northeast and the Sprint Regional Affiliate Shentel to the north. All of these adjacent markets are yet to be announced. 446 Network Vision sites in all. Sprint's Charlotte Market. All of the approximately 450 Network Vision sites are shown for the Charlotte market in this map. Click on image to enlarge. We would love to give you the date, but... There is absolutely no way for S4GRU to be able to provide a start date for these markets, or any of the Second Round 2012 markets that will be announced after these. We are announcing these markets to you for your information, to give Sprint customers a rough idea of when these second round markets can be anticipated. There is absolutely no guarantee of the order in which these markets come live, because there is a lot of variability in the plan. The most significant variable being how quickly the preceding market before it wraps up. If things go quickly in the preceding market, work may start early. Things go late, these would likely start late. And to complicate start dates in each market, Sprint has said they may elect to slow down Network Vision in future quarters if cash flow becomes strained. Sprint has three different OEM vendors, with several different crews in many markets at once. There could be final permitting and design delays, some vendors and/or crews will work at different speeds, weather issues and any number of unforeseen circumstances to complicate matters even further. First round market starts are much easier to predict, but second round and third round markets starts are increasingly difficult to predict and put dates to. This is likely the reason why Sprint has elected not to announce these markets themselves at this time. But we know you don't want to wait for Sprint to tell you! With these caveats understood, we are releasing the Network Vision second round markets in the order that they are anticipating to start deployment, based on the schedules as they exist to date. We won't stop digging for you! Sprint 4G Rollout Updates will continue to scour through the data and gather deployment information for your use. It is our intent to provide at a minimum, all the Sprint markets that will likely begin Network Vision/LTE upgrades in 2012. And we intend to do so in a series of articles over the next few weeks. We will not likely announce communities slated for 2013, because the dates we hold for 2013 markets appear very tentative and subject to change. With the many variables to sort out between now and 2013. Sprint could make significant shifts in deployment plans based on dynamic need change, funding, market permitting difficulties, etc. With the release of Austin and Charlotte markets today, that brings the total of Network Vision markets announced to 17. We have created a thread in our forums where we are keeping track of all the markets announced by Sprint and S4GRU.com. Click on this link here to view the Network Vision Market Running List. Stay tuned to Sprint 4G Rollout Updates. On Wednesday we will be announcing the next two Round Two markets for Sprint Network Vision and LTE deployment. We will be talking about in a few hours in advance in a S4GRU Live Chat at 9:30 PM Mountain Time on Tuesday evening. Come join us! Photos Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Information about the source: The information for all of our Network Vision information has been freely provided by several sources close to the Network Vision program who choose to remain anonymous. No source information will be released to protect anonymity. Special thanks to S4GRU Member digiblur for creating the Austin and Charlotte Market maps! Thank you!

I like the hotel anaology, to a point. The crabs is just too much for me. Ewwww. Anyway, maybe a more fitting hotel analogy is a bed? In some markets the Sprint hotel has a deluxe Heavenly bed, in other markets the bed is uncomfortable and insufficient for your needs and in some more markets, your Sprint hotel has no bed at all (like in Baton Rouge)! The bottom line is that AJ is right. We should do everything we can to keep a vibrant and competitive wireless ecosystem. We all benefit from it. However, I recognize that for some people there is only so much you can tolerate. And you pay hundreds of dollars per month for a service you should be able to use. Some stories of how great these new NV markets are performing is going to be necessary soon to keep some of these people that are teetering. Because Sprint is also competing just to keep their current customer base. But if we all jumped to VZW or ATT, we would all be regretting it in a few years. We just are all hoping enough AJ's stay and keep the lights on over at Sprint. There are no easy answers. But Sprint is now making some of the best decisions it ever has...all things considered. And we all know soon enough if they are going to carry the day. Posted via Forum Runner