Thomas L.

Same here! I know there are a lot of naysayers on this forum who don't think wifi calling is a useful/needed feature, but there are always going to be places where it is more reliable than a cellular signal.

Well it's sort of counterintuitive - as far as I know there are no devices that are LTE compatible and not wifi compatible, so it would be a redundant addition, at least until we start seeing VoLTE.

I actually thought about that after I posted it and did research about ZTE's LTE products - they don't produce a single dual-mode chip, just separate TDD and FDD LTE chipsets.. Hopefully that's the case!

This article is already a month old, but I never saw it posted here, and I thought it would interest people, as it shows how imperfect the technology still is that will be required for Sprint to integrate Clearwire's 2.6ghz TD-LTE into their handsets. The ZTE Grand Era runs on China Mobile's TD-LTE and FD-LTE ('regular' LTE) networks, but to switch between the two, you currently have to reboot the phone. It's also interesting to see the difference in performance between the FD-LTE and TD-LTE network. http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/18/zte-grand-era-lte-launches-in-hong-kong-with-dual-mode-lte/

I should have specified that 2600mhz is shaping up to be the second most common frequency for LTE worldwide. The nice thing is that all chipsets being released for TD-LTE will be dual-mode FDD/TDD - they will support both TD-LTE and FD-LTE. You can read about it more here: http://www.fiercewireless.com/europe/press-releases/gsa-confirms-lte-mainstream-145-networks-commercial-service

Bingo! I think people are underestimating the importance of Clearwire: in my view, the Softbank/Sprint deal was predicated on Clearwire being acquired - the whole point is that 2.6ghz LTE is going to be the 2nd most common band for LTE in the world (after 1800mhz), with China Mobile, the largest mobile provider on the planet, moving towards it, and Son using it for LTE in Japan. I don't even know if Son would find it worthwhile to continue with the Sprint/Softbank deal if Clearwire was out of the picture.

Ugh stomach ache.

I think it really is mostly just marketing. It also makes since now that they are going to be merging with MetroPCS and it acts as a common technology between the two carriers. Also, in the long term, LTE is more efficient in terms of spectrum usage, so it makes sense from that perspective as well.

I was under the impression that they had NOT committed to the conversion of the entirety of their GPRS/EDGE only network, that they had in fact made the decision to focus only on areas that were already "3G/4G" to do the HSPA+ overlay and 1900 refarm, along with add LTE. Last I checked they had said they were leaving current GPRS/EDGE areas alone for now. Did they make a change in that decision?

Nationwide? What exactly does that mean, that there are now two spots on separate ends of the US where, were two people to theoretically stand and call each other with the right equipment, you would be able to have an HD voice conversation? Sorry to be cynical about T-Mobile, but their coverage is so incredibly lacking in my experience....

I read, and I believe it was a statement by a MetroPCS exec. BEFORE the T-Mobile/MetroPCS merger, but they said they were going to begin, around the end of this year, start integrating band 25 LTE in devices, in anticipation for roaming with Sprint.

I can't imagine they'll kick it up any more than they already have. They are already mobilizing in markets all over the country, some ahead schedule. I think delays at this point are due to backhaul issues or contractors/birds/other issues out of their control. I don't think they are like, holding back at 80% of what they could be doing, I think they are already at 100%.

It shouldn't complicate things to greatly, as the vast majority if not all LTE chipsets are dual-mode TD-LTE/FD-LTE. TD-LTE essentially divides spectrum in a different way and has requirements that are less strict for deployment carriers (you don't need paired spectrum)

Since we know that part of Mosayoshi Son's strategy with the Sprint and indirect Clearwire acquisition was to take advantage of economies of scale with equipment, it seems likely that removable SIM cards will become necessary to take advantage of that between handsets in the US, Japan, and perhaps on China Mobile's TD-LTE network. What do you guys think the likelihood is of us starting to see removable SIMs in Sprint devices now, and when do you think we might start seeing them? Or am I off in thinking this is a change that will happen? Tommy

I think the end result if the FCC gives Sprint any trouble about the buyout is most likely to be them returning their leased spectrum to the educational institutions, etc, that Clearwire had leased it from so they can just retain all of what Clearwire actually owns. As for the investors, well, without Sprint, both as a customer and a funder of debt, they'd be holding stock worth pennies in all likelihood if Clearwire didn't end up bankrupt - they are certainly going to make a lot of noise, it´s expected as they want as much money as possible, but I don't know what would really come of it.

Exactly. Sprint doesn't need another mess, they just need to top up their PCS spectrum - and realistically, T-Mobile will have so much PCS spectrum post-merger that it won't hurt them to do so. In addition, how would it look to regulators if Sprint went after MetroPCS and Clearwire both? It would really make things even more difficult. Tommy

Reindeer sled

I'm willing to bet it's considerable. The TDD-LTE 2.6ghz band is going to be a huge advantage in terms of economies of scale and eventual global roaming. I think the spectrum is undervalued for its potential in the long term and for small cells.

I don't get it. Engadget says they are trying to get to deal done by about the same time the Softbank-Sprint deal closes, but isn't that just going to make the Softbank dealer harder to get approved? And isn't this going to make it more difficult for Sprint to be able to bid on the H-block? I can only think that maybe Dish was "making moves" on Clearwire or something, because this is just too odd a time for them to be bidding on Clearwire. It is also totally possible that there are other suspicions we don't know about, or Softbank doesn't want to wait, or who knows.

This is an article written by Zahid Ghadialy for Mobile Europe Magazine, who is a wireless consultant and one of the people I follow on Twitter. It's a pretty good overview of LTE-A and the elements that make it up, and he tries to make it "not too technical" (although I found it fairly technical). I thought it could answer a lot of questions for people who were wondering what exactly LTE-Advanced is, especially if you wanted some details: http://3g4g.blogspot.com/2012/11/quick-introduction-to-lte-advanced.html I recommend full-screening the slideshare window to read the article, it's just easier! Tommy

Isn't a big part of the allure of their current network that it essentially already just works for what they need? Besides being a big investment, time and money wise, to upgrade the network. it's a question of proven vs. unproven technology in a mission critical field (in this case a utility, though they also have other customers). Maybe they're waiting for Sprint to deal with all the initial problems and then swoop in when it reaches acceptable maturity. Also, if I understand correctly, one issue is that, even with a complete overlay of LTE 800, the increased fragility of the link will make the effective coverage area smaller. I get why they're being prudent, to be honest. The only thing I find a little difficult to understand in this conversation is why SouthernLinc would choose AT&T as their nationwide roaming partner, as it seems like it would take a fair amount of effort and money to integrate those chipsets and enable seamless roaming. That said, it's good to keep in mind that, though it's in decline, iDen IS still used in and has been used in quite a few countries, and I haven't checked to see if in those countries iDEN providers have created solutions with GSM carriers that maybe now SouthernLinc could adapt without fully engineering a new hybrid phone. If they are engineering a new hybrid phone, or having Motorola do that for them, what would the costs for that be like? How many units would they have to sell to break even with development costs and everything? I find it all very fascinating. Tommy

This is a somewhat related but somewhat unrelated question as well: does anyone know exactly how the bidding process happened, that is to say, how the country ended up split between the three OEMs? Did they bid by region, or is there a maximum size each one could handle, or how did it come to be that they decided to split it up? Was maybe Sprint trying to see if, in the end, one provider was better than the other, kind of like testing each one, or...? I find it very interesting they way they did it. Tommy

I believe the iPhone 5 still requires a nanoSIM for the LTE portion (at a minimum) of service. If you got it second hand, you might need to get a NanoSIM from Sprint Thomas

I think Sprint is just trying to force Newco to sell Sprint some of their PCS spectrum in return for Sprint leaving the deal alone. I also think that would be the most beneficial out for Sprint (and consumers) - Sprint doesn't need that AWS spectrum, nor do they need another network to try and integrate into their own... T-Mobile REALLY needs the AWS Metro PCS' spectrum and some of their PCS spectrum, but not all of the PCS spectrum (If you look AJ's spreadsheet on how much PCS spectrum Newco would have should the deal go through, it's bordering on obscene in some markets).I think this would also be the best outcome for consumers: it would create a much stronger Sprint and a much stronger T-Mobile, and more competition is much better. Tommy