S4GRU

I plan on using NFC in a big way. I have had my credit card number stolen and fraudulent activity occur to me 5 times in 15 years. I also take a risk every time I go to the ATM. Could get robbed. There are also many ATM and PayPoint scams out there at retail stores, etc. for people to gleen your PIN number. I just gotta live my life. And the way I look at hacking, is that it will motivate Google and others to keep improving the security even farther. Just gotta keep on keeping on! There will always be crooks. And can't you link your Google wallet to a credit card? That way you get the additional fraud protections of your credit card company.

Sorry Eric...I added a little more to my post after you quoted me. I do that often. I hit POST and then think of more.

The reason why it is being discussed is two fold... They anticipate there could be a huge reduction of WiMax customers by the time TD-LTE has devices operating on the network. One carrier could possibly carry all the remaining WiMax traffic at that point in Mid 2013. WiMax subscriber numbers are anticipated to be static next quarter. Then the next quarter when Sprint LTE devices start to sell in a big way, WiMax subscribers are expected to begin a significant and steady decline that will never end until WiMax is decommissioned. WiMax carriers were typically deployed in the choicest spectrum Clearwire has. They are on the frequency sets that they have generally nationwide, in 80%+ of their markets. The remaining unused spectrum is more fractured, especially in EBS. 10MHz here, 10MHz there. The big contiguous 20MHz pieces are not as typical to be found on the same frequency set nationwide. However, where two carriers of WiMax now currently sit are a big contiguous 20MHz piece that runs nearly nationwide. And for the long term, the choicest piece of spectrum real estate you have would be better served for a 20MHz TD-LTE carrier, instead of two WiMax carriers. So I guess it's possible that they could relocate these two WiMax carriers to other frequencies. But I've been told that Clearwire is now thinking about just scratching these two WiMax carriers altogether. But the determination has yet to be made, AFAIK. And if WiMax performance suffers, they will just probably encourage people to upgrade to a LTE device. EBS spectrum is highly variable. Schools kept chunks for themselves, for their use. And often they were right smack in the middle of the EBS band, with Clearwire getting disjointed chunks on either side. Some schools kept 20MHz, some schools kept more. Some schools divided up chunks with other schools in their network. It's messy and creates some weird spectrum resources in some places. That's what makes the 20MHz chunk that two of the WiMax carriers sit on now so valuable. They are the closest thing that Clearwire has to a nationwide 20MHz chunk. In some other markets, they have several good 20MHz chunks, but then the markets they have that exact frequency set in are nowhere near nationwide. Etc., etc. Sometimes we get hung up on spectrum resources just as an aggregate number. It is a very important part of the discussion to know exactly where that spectrum is and how it can be used. Managing spectrum and network is very difficult. But if you're Clearwire, it's even more difficult. And since Clearwire holds it's EBS spectrum in BTA's (400+), and virtually every one is different, there is no real central source to go to to figure out how much spectrum Clearwire has and where. I started to put that together. However, I got through about 30 BTA's. It was overwhelming and time consuming. And I already have a huge backlog of S4GRU projects that are more important!

I wouldn't put the odds at very high. Seems like devices with equal specs are getting shafted by OEMs to get ICS upgrades. However, it is possible as other devices from your OEM get upgraded to ICS, it will give MODers a better opportunity to create a custom ICS ROM for your device.

Excellent update, AJ. Thanks!!! If you ever are up to the task of wanting to update the Sprint spectrum maps, I will be glad to do the graphic art and maps. You just have to prepare the data in a spreadsheet for me to work from. Let me know if or when you want to collaborate on the project. I think I would make separate maps by block type, then an aggregated map with totals. Could be fun and a great new resource.

I think Unlimited is around for at least 12 to 24 months, even on LTE. Here is the one caveat for me, though. If Sprint LTE starts bogging down (or projects it will start bogging down) before Clearwire's extra capacity TD-LTE starts coming online in 2013, then I think Sprint could end unlimited LTE for the purpose of preserving its new LTE performance. I believe Sprint would rather have the reputation of having a solid LTE network than they are in having an unlimited network. It's possible they may keep 3G unlimited and allow performance on EVDO to languish and encourage people to buy and upgrade to 4G devices. But I don't think this is a wise move. Sprint needs performance to stay up on all NV sites for reputation sake. If people have no faith in the new Sprint 3G network, they will think the same things will get repeated on their 4G LTE network.

I'm still working on the Network Vision deployment article. I've not had time in the evenings this week. I'm speaking in a lecture series this week. And my evenings have included much more social interaction with attendees than I was anticipating. I will start to get to a more normal evening schedule tonight. However, I am now thinking I am not going to make my 2PM Friday deadline. I may wait to post late Sunday night as a Monday article. There is a lot of data to go through. The data I have is not a simple list of the 97 Sprint markets in order. That would be too easy. But it does include a lot of good meaty stuff, too. It will be worth the wait. Robert

The EBS leases are troublesome. Don't get me wrong, they are a good thing to have and Clearwire has picked them up at very reasonable prices. But they are troublesome as an asset. Here is the biggest reason why...inconsistency. Clearwire tried to get the leases to go out to 2030. This was a good move. However, many EBS license holders would not go out that far, or were subject to their own internal regulations or local state laws that prohibited such a long lease. So Clearwire is managing hundreds of EBS leases with differing expirations. Some expire as soon as this year. As AJ points out, Clearwire did put in provisions of renewal and first right of refusal...where it could. But in some places these provisions could not be put in because of, again, the school's insistance, school bylaws or local/state laws. Here locally, Clearwire leases EBS from the Santa Fe University. I go to church with one of the members of the USFAD Board of Directors. They are one of the early expirations, and they are very unhappy with Clearwire. They feel that Clearwire grossly undervalued the EBS asset in their dealings with them. Clearwire values the spectrum publicly about ten times per megahertz than they were claiming to EBS lessors during negotiations. And then on top of that, they have not built out their network using EBS assets as promised. This has made for a very unhappy lessor. And I believe USFAD will not renew their lease with Clearwire at the same terms, when it comes up for renewal next year. They are hopping mad. I could see them sitting on the asset themselves or even going into a short term lease with a local ISP. However, also as AJ points out above, if AT&T decided to really organize and go after these EBS leases that are expiring in an aggressive manner, they could pick up some cheap spectrum. It will be much less expensive to subleases EBS spectrum from educational institutions than it will be buying the leases from Clearwire. But I'm not sure if the amounts of spectrum coming from expiring leases is worth the trouble to AT&T. They want big spectrum assets, fast. So this would be a change of course in AT&T's style. But it's something I would consider if I was them. Although I don't know of very specific instances like this in other parts of the country, I do believe it is common. And about one third of the EBS leases expire between now and 2015. The other third between 2015 and 2030. The final third are out to 2030. EBS makes Clearwire spectrum assets very unwieldy to manage and a difficult asset to monetize. And with every article that gets published that Clearwire is sitting on a gold mine of spectrum, the more EBS lessors get ticked off. Robert

"You killed Leap Wireless! You bastards!" S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

You are in good company here. S4GRU is available on our full website, as well as our Mobile site, and using the Tapatalk or Forum Runner apps. Hope to see you around regularly. We will be publishing an exclusive article on Network Vision launches in the next few days. Stay tuned! - Robert, S4GRU

to S4GRU. S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

stop ahead S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

In most markets, Clearwire is only using 30MHz for WiMax of an average 150MHz of spectrum holdings. Clearwire has plenty of spectrum to just add TD-LTE carriers to WiMax sites. However, one source from Clearwire told me that they may remove two WiMax carriers and only leave one in places where they deploy TD-LTE. That this is currently under consideration.

I thought of you when I read this earlier today. I pictured a big grin on your face. Now if we can just get ICS for the E4GT and I too can have a matching grin.

danger zone

When I read the FCC release it refers to Cellular bands, and never mentions ESMR. So I'm not clear if it affects Sprint at all.

weak spirit S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

Yeah, I use Roam Control out of the Android Market. I have never had a freeze up issue. I force roam every time I drive down the mesa from Los Alamos. Verizon has 850 service that can reach into the canyon. The 1900 service won't make it in that canyon. S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

Deep thoughts... by Jack Handey!

I've given up hope that there will be 2500-LTE support on any of Sprint's initial LTE phones. And I'm starting to get bearish on 800 LTE support. - Robert

http://people.ku.edu/~cinema/wireless/spcs_map.html This does not include the 10MHz of G-Block PCS, in which Sprint has another 10MHz nationwide. Which it is using for a 5x5 LTE carrier. This file is quite dated, but is mostly still accurate. I don't know if Sprint has picked up more spectrum in Central Illinois. Perhaps if AJ (WiWavelength) wanted to weigh in, he probably would know the specifics about Central Illinois. Seeing how he created the attached map.

stupid mistake S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

AJ is considering doing a write up on this today or tomorrow in my absence. S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

Loyal S4GRU members: I will not be around much this week. I have a conference in Los Alamos this week. I will not be back much in the scene until Friday. So if it appears I am answering some people but not others, its probably because they have a subject that I can easily respond to with a few lines that's easy to do on conference breaks via mobile. Please be patient with me and I will respond when I can. AJ is covering the news desk for us. Thanks and best to you all! Robert Herron Bored to tears in Los Alamos S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner