WiWavelength

I think this recent filing in the FCC's 800 MHz reconfiguration docket will answer your question. Seriously. http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6017840577 AJ

Yeah, I concur with Ryan's sentiment above. Many T-Mobile fanboys are coming around on the buyout. As long as the class clowns Legere, Ray, and Sievert get to run the company, plus they get to keep their pussy T-Mobile branding, Magentans are okay with the merger. They view it more as T-Mobile taking control of Sprint -- even though the financials may be the opposite. AJ

Guys, some of these posts may be removed, and threads may be merged. But do not worry about it. Staff will take care of it. AJ

Yes, Robert and I probably do know the holdouts. But we decided long ago not to write about them at S4GRU. They are spectrum speculators. Any publicity they get only increases their buyout value. AJ

When you are back in the area, remember my airplane mode toggle method for EV-DO. That is the fastest, easiest way to initiate a new data session with a new EV-DO carrier hash. My bet, though, is that Swiftel has done just the bare minimum. It has enough spectrum for only three CDMA2000 carriers. For years, it likely operated with only a single CDMA1X carrier, then added just one EV-DO carrier. We shall see. But the wise configuration in this smartphone era would be one CDMA1X carrier and two EV-DO carriers. AJ

I will be interested to see if you find any new sites when you cross reference your observations with the known site coordinates. AJ

So, in Swiftel's 10 MHz disaggregation from Sprint, is it running two CDMA1X carriers and one EV-DO carrier, one CDMA1X carrier and two EV-DO carriers, or just one of each? AJ

There are a few other known Swiftel sites in South Dakota, but they are all south of Sioux Falls in the Sioux City BTA, which is part of the Des Moines MTA. AJ

...not at S4GRU. And I was born before 1981. AJ

Imitation had better be the sincerest form of flattery because somebody is stealing my references... AJ

Mellette Southlake Exit 177 Exit 164 Exit 150 Exit 140 Volga Brookings Brookings Exit 121 Exit 109 Exit 98 Crooks SF 2Way SF Cable 101 S.Mai Michaels North Cli Tuthill Brandon Burbank KTTW Kuehn Par Menlo Par Exit 62 Beresford AJ

No, the content on that CDG page is vague and probably at least 15 years old. The "1.2 MHz guard bands" cannot possibly be FDD. Otherwise, PCS 0025 would be a prohibited channel assignment, yet Sprint uses it for EV-DO on some sites in the Kansas market. Additionally, W-CDMA in the PCS A block could not be deployed at UARFCN 412. But that is not true, either. So, the "1.2 MHz guard bands" might refer to total, rather than FDD, just rounding off the 1.25 MHz sum of the 0.625 MHz guard bands in both uplink and downlink to "1.2 MHz guard bands." However, as I have noted, 0.625 MHz guard bands are not mandated. Instead, that number is the only logical possibility for CDMA2000 deployed in multiples of 5 MHz FDD blocks, making 0.625 MHz guard bands a de facto standard but not a de jure standard. AJ

Say hello to your fine, feathered, fried friend. AJ

Freudian slip or double entendre? AJ

Off the top of my head, some major markets where Sprint holds 20 MHz of PCS A-F block spectrum that is not contiguous nor adjacent are Cincinnati, Houston, and Memphis. This plan would not be deployable in those markets. AJ

Be careful. You could get hit with a charge from Amazon. Often when you activate a line through a third party reseller, you agree to a secondary contract that requires you to remain on the specified plan for a certain period of time. Otherwise, the reseller does not receive its full commission, so it hits you with a penalty fee. Double check the fine print of any agreement that you signed. AJ

Had Sprint, Clearwire, and their ecosystem partners pushed on with WiMAX, I have oft wondered if they could have gotten the Lower 700 MHz unpaired D/E blocks from Qualcomm, AT&T, and/or Dish. A 10 MHz TDD carrier in that spectrum would have done a lot to alleviate WiMAX coverage issues. AJ

Oh, I know you would "hold it." And tap it, watch it, listen with it, browse with it, play with it... AJ

I was doing some brainstorming on this the other day. Even in markets where Sprint holds only 20 MHz of PCS A-F block spectrum, it may still be able to refarm soon for a second LTE carrier -- if that 20 MHz is contiguous and if Sprint is willing to rejigger the guard bands and carrier channel assignments to retain a fourth CDMA2000 carrier. Now, going forward, I will speak in FDD terms. So, that contiguous 20 MHz is 10 MHz FDD. And Ian's scenario of three CDMA2000 carriers would look like this: [ 0.625 MHz guard | 1.25 MHz CDMA2000 | 1.25 MHz CDMA2000 | 1.25 MHz CDMA2000 | 0.625 MHz guard | 5 MHz LTE ] That would be the conventional configuration. The problem is which gets the short shrift -- CDMA1X or EV-DO? One or the other would be left with only a single carrier. But let us say that Sprint wanted to get more aggressive. No rule nor technical standard requires 0.625 MHz guard bands for CDMA2000. That is just a product of CDMA2000 carrier bandwidth and PCS block sizes. The math works out only two ways: zero guard bands or 0.625 MHz guard bands. Also, remember that a 5 MHz FDD LTE carrier is actually 4.5 MHz FDD -- it already has 0.25 MHz guard bands built in. Add up two 0.625 MHz external guard bands with two 0.25 MHz internal guard bands, and Sprint has up to an additional 1.75 MHz. So, take that additional 1.75 MHz and put it in play: [ 0.2 MHz guard | 1.25 MHz CDMA2000 | 1.25 MHz CDMA2000 | 1.25 MHz CDMA2000 | 1.25 MHz CDMA2000 | 0.2 MHz guard | 4.5 MHz LTE | 0.1 MHz guard ] There it is. By rearranging carriers and guard bands plus updating PRLs, Sprint could keep four CDMA2000 carriers and deploy a secondary 5 MHz FDD LTE carrier -- all in a PCS A-F block 20 MHz contiguous market, such as Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, etc. AJ

I did not assume. I made a logical inference. He has satellite broadband for his house. He dislikes satellite broadband and wants to use LTE instead. Put two and two together. AJ

I concur that not everyone should be mucking around with internal screens/settings. There is good reason why they are hidden. In fact, I even turned down the opportunity for a video tutorial shoot with a mainstream newspaper recently because I warned that our methods of network observation would not be advisable for general users. But I know our audience here at S4GRU. And I know the member to whom I responded earlier today. My post was an appropriate clarification. Yes and no. Robert and I are the two primary content creators at S4GRU. As staff, we run the site, so we set the editorial stance. Members are free to disagree respectfully and debate our points. We even welcome that, as it leads to progressive discussion. However, if some members disagree repeatedly and flippantly, they bite the hands that feed them. And S4GRU is not a good fit for them. That does not necessarily apply to you, but we have experience with those sorts of members, unfortunately. AJ

We are sorry that our country's unduly profit focused broadband Internet providers have failed you. Trust me, we have criticized that dysfunctional system time and time again. However, we do not support discussion of illicit tethering -- particularly as a home broadband replacement. It is abuse of "unlimited" data and hampers the mobile experience. So, are you prepared to pay for and live within a tiered tethering data plan? Just FYI... AJ

Oh, I am mostly teasing. However, the Nexus 5 may be the first device in a long while with legitimate multi year longevity, even superiority. RF, processor, and screen are all pushing beyond the point of diminishing returns. I probably should not, for I might never use it, but I may even pick up a second Nexus 5 as a backup. AJ

You call that an upgrade??? AJ

First of all, welcome to S4GRU. I am not sure that anyone has appropriately greeted you since you became a member this spring. Now, do realize that you are responding to a staff member and contributing author at this site. Your responses to me repeatedly have been argumentative and inappropriate in tone. If you do not care for my matter of fact approach, then S4GRU may not be the right place for you. So, please do not arrive here and think that you can lecture our members -- and especially our staff -- after only a dozen or so posts. You have no known track record nor accountability. Those unpleasantries aside, we hope you stick around, find S4GRU a valuable resource, and consider contributing to our non profit operation. AJ