WiWavelength

Not until VoLTE. If you want tri band Spark, you have to give up SVLTE. Those are the facts. AJ

If you seek "vibration intensity," you are looking in the wrong place. Maybe you need to get yourself one of these... AJ

People like to cite the 37 Mbps max figure, then use it in their calculations. But that is attainable only if all mobiles in the sector have ideal signal. It never happens in the real world. That is why I am using 15 Mbps as a more realistic figure for longterm average capacity. AJ

If that 3 Mbps is sustained, then a 5 MHz FDD sector can support roughly five simultaneous users before it is maxed out. Does that really sound reasonable? AJ

No, your math is way off. If we put Sprint's postpaid sub base at 30 million, then 5 percent is 1.5 million. Quite simply, the odds are exceedingly high that there are always multiple top 5 percenters in every sector of every site in the Sprint network -- outside of the most rural/highway sites. AJ

The argument -- not that I support it -- that some will make is that the first use case is illicit but the last two use cases are legitimate, not excluded by the Ts and Cs. After all, they are just using "unlimited" data on the handset -- even if they are then transferring GBs of that data via SD card over to a computer or outputting that data via an MHL connection to their flat panel TV. AJ

Sadly, yes, people are doing impactful things. They are using illicit tethering as Internet connections for their whole apartments; they are downloading large files, then transferring those files to laptops; they are using video streaming as a replacement for cable, etc. AJ

No. FCC auctions prohibit collusion. AJ

That will depend, in part, upon the finalized rules for the 600 MHz auction and the amount of spectrum that is made available. If Sprint and T-Mobile bid against one another as separate entities, they will end up paying more aggregate than they would as a single Sprint-T-Mobile. Think of it as two fiancés bidding against each other at an auction. That additional cost must be factored into the equation. AJ

The problem is that all of the major choices are bad in some way. Pick your poison: VZW = anti competitive, anti Net Neutrality AT&T = same story as VZW Sprint = slow in more ways than one T-Mobile = poor overall network coverage If you care about the future of our nation's wired and wireless broadband infrastructure, then you do not give money to VZ/VZW and AT&T. You starve them with your wallet. But, then, your choices are Sprint's slow dysfunction or T-Mobile's spotty coverage islands. That is not what I would call consumer choice. AJ

Good. That is a bargain. The lifetime supply of pomade that I proposed for Mr. Greasy Hair would have cost at least $1.5 billion. AJ

Either that is a joke or no, you do not understand. This throttling policy has nothing to do with tiered data plans, nor with guaranteed reliable data speeds. It is an attempt to reduce some of the network burden imposed by the heaviest of heavy users. And that may lead to more reliable data speeds. AJ

We are a bit "hostile" toward heavy data users because they have caused Sprint and other users considerable grief. But I agree with you that Sprint should continue to offer a truly "unlimited" (or, at least, very high quota) and unthrottled option -- albeit at a proportionally heavy premium. And then, mark my words, many of the heavy users will bitch and moan that they want "unlimited," unthrottled data for the $20 per month that they had been paying. Basically, a lot of the heavy users are not willing to pony up to pay for their actual usage. They would rather exploit the current "unlimited" option at the expense of other users. AJ

I do not get the impression that jamesinclair is concerned about peace of mind for himself. Rather, he thinks that Sprint should be concerned about the peace of mind of many current and potential subs. I agree with him to an extent. This will affect some perception of Sprint -- even among the 95 percent who will be unaffected. But network congestion also affects the perception of Sprint, and it affects the perception of Sprint among basically everyone. So, Sprint needed to do something. Taking action is better than doing nothing. AJ

If you are talking LTE, those sites were already nearing capacity. There you go. This throttling policy may help to "fix" that. Sprint cannot just wave a magic wand and say, "Abracadabra, let there be faster data for everyone all the time!" AJ

Well, Sprint was trying to use "unlimited" and unthrottled data as its unique marketing hook. But it has not been working. Rather, it has been just retaining and attracting the excessive data users who want to take, take, take as much and as fast as they can. That has been to the detriment of more normal data users, many of whom have been churning because of network congestion. We shall see if this new policy helps alleviate network congestion over the next few months. AJ

Yes, they do... AJ

But what happens when you pull back the curtain? AJ

That is not likely to happen. Robert is still busy. Regardless, his answer is likely to be no different. Respect all moderator directions. AJ

What kind of campus has Sprint DAS but not Wi-Fi? That sounds like a bad IT department. AJ

Apparently, it is not "pretty low." Rather, it is a telling statistic, if true, meaning that 95 percent of users consume less than 5 GB of macro network data per month. It would be interesting to see the actual distribution curve. My guess is that most of the top 5 percent is not just barely breaking the 5 GB barrier but instead pushing the standard deviations way out there past 25 GB. AJ

That seems statistically sound, but it is not. Now, it would be relevant if there were only one heavy data user constantly moving in and out of various sectors. That would geographically spread out the load, lessening the impact on other users. But there is not just one heavy data user -- there are many. And the odds are just as good that as one heavy data user exits a sector, another one enters that sector around the same time. Basically, it is the law of large numbers. Plus, I get the impression that Vince is consuming much of his data during mandated downtime. So, he is likely parked within one sector for hours on end. AJ

It may be just as well. Let them eat T-Mobile cake. People have short memories. I do not. And not so long ago, T-Mobile was utter shit -- because it had no wireless broadband solution. Now, T-Mobile is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. What goes around comes back around. It will not last. You see, John Legere, Neville Ray, Kathleen Ham, and company do not crap magic beans. If enough bandwagon jumpers pile on to the T-Mobile network, it is going to become congested. What T-Mobile offers now is about as good as it is going to get for the foreseeable future. The rest is downhill. So, let T-Mobile steal away Sprint subs. Their departure just frees up more capacity for those who remain, positioning Sprint for its renaissance down the road. What goes around comes back around. And so the cycle goes. AJ

Sorry, but being a truck driver without "the luxury of an office" does not entitle you to special wireless data privileges. You will not get much sympathy for that here. Millions of truck drivers before you survived on AM/FM and CB radio. So, with the new throttling policy, you may have to curtail your usage or have it curtailed for you. Those are the breaks. And if significant data access is that important to you, you may need to reconsider your chosen profession. People do that every day. AJ

No, you are wrong about that. You have long been wrong about that. But, like the users I am about to describe below, you refuse to give up. If the so called top 5 percent are consuming 50 percent of the actual capacity, they are potentially creating congestion. They do not give up -- they just keep taking and taking, even as the network slows down, while more normal users often give up. Remove or curtail those 5 percent and their demand for data, then the more normal users get additional breathing room. I mean, give me a break. This is a long established principle in wired networks. I have heard from network admins who say that among the top percent of users, some can be taught to manage their use, some just need to be permanently barred from the network. AJ