lynyrd65

Is this really a ramping up of deployment in urban areas (faster time to market) or actually a scaling back of rural deployment (maintain the current pace in urban areas but cancel exurban and rural deployment plans)?

That is the real question. I hope we really see an acceleration.

For all the Apple folks, I would just be happy you got band 26. Coverage issues are the biggest problem with Sprint's LTE network for now and band 26 solves that problem. Capacity will only become an issue after you've upgraded to your next iPhone which will (probably) support band 41 with a built out network at that time.

Agreed, waiting a few months may not be a bad idea. Your options will only expand, not contract. That said, I would not exactly hold out hope for a Google Nexus handset. A CDMA2000/LTE version -- especially a Sprint LTE version -- may not be an option. Much to the delight of 3GPP fanboys, the Nexus trend going forward may omit any CDMA2000 capability.AJ

The word on the street is this new device will not technically be a nexus but a device close to it receiving AOSP updates. It will have features the nexus series does not like MicroSD card slots, CDMA/LTE Support and higher-end feature sets (where it would be impossible to market at Nexus unsubsidized pricing).

I'm excited for it but the reality rarely lives up to the hype.

Yay for no more blocking!

Can't wait to see some sites closer to my neck of the woods show up as NV complete!

They've already brought the 3G network back up to snuff. It will be cool to make the next jump to LTE.

I don't think it is too far out of line. Seems like we are seeing movement on the "Purgatory Markets." Markets that appeared to slot between 2nd and 3rd Round, like Oklahoma, Missouri, West Kentucky, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Phoenix and Tucson. We have now had good field confirmations from Louisville and Sprint's acknowledgement of work in Missouri, this makes me optimistic for these other markets also stuck in purgatory.Robert

It looks like it might be (in the case of missouri) before round 2, round 1.5? I'm most curious to see if the Joplin is just one exception or if more of missouri starts lighting up.

It could be Joplin is just one sub-market that they happen to be able to deploy in. I hope not though!

Well if the missouri market is starting early, maybe Okrahoma can start too? Wishful thinking I know but at least I might catch a taste of LTE on my annual Branson trip.

I will say it was a grave mistake by Sprint not to try and make ammends with this rollout. Phoenix especially deserved better, sure logistics may have been difficult but they really needed to make that one happen, somehow.

This is the best thing I've heard officially from Sprint!

Is it the truth though?

I'm only mad they decided to go to WiMax markets first.

As far as living in a market that is launched but not having coverage goes, buy an amplifier! It works wonders and to borrow a term from the late Steve, its magical. I get service in areas well outside of Sprints coverage map. The wilson Sleek is only $70 too! I'm actually about to buy another one tonight.

This article is nearly six months old.Robert

It's on the front page though.

Hmmm?

Obviously, the answer is they can't. Not that they have chosen not to.Robert

Now I'm really confused. So are the 3G complete towers using the same old hardware and backhaul with the new antennae or is it just that the towers have no central switch to connect to (or both?)?

I really don't understand why Sprint would do a half job on a site like this. How much more work is it really to enable LTE?

Interesting. In my opinion i think all carriers should enable wifi calling. I think that would be very beneficial to costumers and carriers with offloading data and less dropped calls.on another note with this "spectrum crisis". can the FCC just create more spectrum??

That's not physically possible. There is a finite electromagnetic spectrum, waves can only be real lengths.

The FCC can only remove spectrum licenses used for frivolous applications to allow private users to bid for, then lease that section of the electromagnetic spectrum.

I think that if they use clearwire's spectrum right and deploy that spectrum in small cells, they will never have capacity issues. That 150mhz should really make the problem more of a backhaul issue than a spectrum issue. With 150 mhz, they can deploy seven 10x10 LTE channels and two 5x5 channels which along with its short range, (actually a strength for this purpose), essentially make spectrum constraints a non-issue. I just can't see that many people packed in such a small space that more carriers would be necessary. Even if they were, they could break up that spectrum into 53 1.4x1.4 channels. For less dense urban and rural areas the 1900 and 800 will fill the rest of the demand. All Sprint has to do is look at where today's hotspots are then deploy a 2.5ghz small cell to it.

It would mean no more dropped calls at the Texas State fair, near theoretical maximum speeds at CES, and more importantly no more 250kbps "3G" speeds everywhere else.

I reported about Sprint LTE speeds in early testing in this article: http://s4gru.com/ind...ral-sites-live/Go down to Item #3 near the bottom of the article. Performance is not as fast as Verizon, but it's fast enough that you can't possibly notice any difference in speeds on a smartphone. Only in tethering would you notice the speed difference. But Sprint's LTE speeds will still be faster than most people have for their personal home ISP.Robert

Also, with your next upgrade (2014-2015) it should obliterate Verizon with all the additional spectrum (LTE Advanced aggregating 1900 A-G, 800 SMR and 2.5Ghz BRS)

Yay!

One thing I have always wondered about, Why are spectrum configurations "down x up", ie. 5x5mhz rather than "down + up", ie. 5+5mhz. The x could imply multiplication to some while it's really a summation,

Many have said it before but I will say it again. Carriers and device manufacturers should be allowed to add their overlays and customization but should also be required to make available an up to date AOSP build, with source, to every device they sell to remain part of the open handset alliance.

They have to make these builds anyway before they can add their overlays. Users and developers should have access to these builds.

Edit: They also should be forced to open the bootloaders on every phone sold.

^ Definitely the post of the day!!!

One more experiment I'll try. At my cabin Sprint signal is NEARLY non-existent. On a window, my phone picks up Zero bars (the absolute limit of connection) which can't even send texts but it is something. So I bought an amplifier and it works great for what I want but the range is limited (10 ft away = 1 bar, right next to it = full bars). So, I might use a homeplug system to use Sprint 3G to make more Sprint 3G.

This could cause a problem with the phone connecting to the airrave instead of the tower / overamplification but I'm sure with some clever ingenuity I could make it work.

So, If I tether with AT&T 3G then plug this device into the tethered laptop (set up to share the connection) can I create Sprint coverage using AT&T coverage?

Cellular Inception

I think I'll give it a go at my cabin.

I'm on the phone right now. I hope I get it!

Edit: It's in the mail.

You aren't comparing apples to apples. You are comparing WiMax's best, to Sprint's LTE worst. I have used a WiMax protection site with fiber backhaul being the only person on it (completely unburdened) and was getting 14MB - 15MB speeds. I have never, ever gotten 20MB anything ever on WiMax the way it is currently deployed by Clearwire. And most full deloyment markets get 3MB to 5MB typical speed on WiMax. 12MB WiMax speeds are atypical.However, I suggest you stay on WiMax, and the rest of us will move to LTE. K?- Robert

I tether from my cabin which is in the middle of nowhere. I have to use a a signal booster to even get a usable Sprint signal (no one lives near the cell site), So, when NV is complete I pretty much will have this one unburdened tower to myself and 12-20mbps is what I get on my home (Tulsa) cable connection, so I'm excited.

5-6mbps would be a welcome change in the city too, I could finally stream without skipping. I could also tether to get faster speeds than my College has (fail).

Cool beans

Do want

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

YES! YES! Oklahoma please!