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eliezerlp

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Posts posted by eliezerlp

    Network Vision/LTE - Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Market

    in Markets

    Posted

    That's not the issue, the problem in the VI is that due to strict building codes most homes are concrete fortresses since there will always be a constant threat of hurricanes.

    FYI: Historically our building codes have been all the opposite; quite lenient. For example, only after Hurricane Marilyn (1995) when the codes were reformed did it become a requirement to use screws instead of nails to secure galvanized roofing. At the same time it became required to use appropriate anchors to secure the roof to the home. That was part of the reason you saw so many whole roofs blown off during Marilyn!

     

    Regardless of the building codes, masonry is an obvious and excellent material for the tropical, high humidity and hurricane prone part of the world we live in.

     

    Thankfully they were quick to mandate the building codes and most homes that got new roofs (since most masonry structures remained, albeit roofless) after Marilyn were mandated to follow them.

     

    Sent from my LG-LS970 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

     

     

    Network Vision/LTE - Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Market

    in Markets

    Posted

    OK...since people want to hear it from the horse's mouth...here is the backhaul plan at USVI Sprint sites from the Sprint Playbook from May 2012.

     

    Master backhaul for USVI sites is provided by an AAV vendor in USVI. It is not coming from Puerto Rico. That AAV vendor likely is connected to fiber to one of the underwater fiber connections from the islands to the Bayamon switch/core.

     

    Only about 1/3 of the USVI sites are connected with AAV backhaul. The rest are microwave connected to one of the AAV sites. So every USVI site has microwave. Either they receive backhaul via microwave from a donor site with AAV, or they have AAV and provide backhaul to a recipient site via microwave.

     

    Robert from Note 2 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

     

    Robert any idea whom the AAV is in the VI? I believe the VI was not a part of the national bidding process Sprint put out at the start of Network Vision...

     

     

     

    Everyone else needs to remember what the topic of this for forum is. If you don't recall this topic is about the "Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Market". If you want to bicker and argue go elsewhere. If you want to add something about the NV rollout in this market, post on.

     

    -Eliezer P

     

    Posted from my LG Optimus G.

     

     

    Network Vision/LTE - Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Market

    in Markets

    Posted · Edited by eliezerlp

    Thank you for the informative post, but let me ask you a question, are you saying that sprints current(and future) backhaul are(will be) microwave links from puerto rico?

     

    I believe that to be correct currently and in the near future (also doesn't make much sense to switch away from MW once built out as most of the costs are upfront with low ongoing costs)...

     

    Per Sprint regarding NV in general: "From the base station we'll have packet-base Backhaul using highly scalable, Ethernet and IP network leveraging both microwave and fiber optic technologies."

     

    Here in the VI fiber is simply not available yet, especially not to the towers...

     

    Per ljtmax's comment on this blog post (http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-92-puerto-ricovirgin-islands-is-scheduled-to-be-in-the-second-round-of-sprint-network-visionlte-deployment-in-2012or-is-it-sooner/) also in agreement:

    […] Part of the challenge with the islands is that up until now, 98% of the backhaul was via microwave only and that will definitely continue - specifically for USVI - as fiber had been lacking but is gaining ground quickly, especially with the recent Centennial/AT&T acquisition, which Sprint is now looking to leverage even though it sounds counterintuitive. The fact is that regardless of the carrier or location, the throughput required to provide LTE data speeds can only be accomplished via microwave or fiber. I mention this only because I've noticed other posts curious as to why and where LTE gets deployed and the part of the answer is because it's where the backhaul either exists or can be built quickly. In order to "upgrade" a network, you have to maintain the existing or "legacy" network and the challenges there are many... existing RAD (antenna) heights, lease space for co-locating equipment, renegotiation for lease space with rooftop/tower owners, etc., the list goes on... […]

    -Eliezer P.

     

    Posted from my LG Optimus G.

     

    • Like 1

    Network Vision/LTE - Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Market

    in Markets

    Posted · Edited by eliezerlp

     

     

     

    So we're waiting on the fiber optic?

     

     

    Well basically yeah thats what they been putting down all over the island which I am sure will run through puerto rico.

    False.

     

    There are two different entities running fiber (one of which is also running coax) all around our islands.

     

    The one that you are most likely referring to is viNGN (Virgin Islands Next Generation Network) who is building out an all fiber network across all four Virgin Islands (yes, even Water Island gets love too!). Their network will be middle mile only without any last mile build out (except to the Gov't, schools, libraries, and the "Public Computing Centers" that are part of the project). Last mile coverage will be left up to current and future ISPs. They are the ones who are responsible for tearing up almost all our roads around the islands to lay conduit. Their network rollout is far from complete and it is extremely unlikely that Sprint plans to tie into it at any point in the near future. Also, for the time being, viNGN will get bandwidth from Global Crossing's Tier 1 submarine cables that make that landfall on St. Croix and lease fiber capacity from AT&T to connect St. Thomas (Magens Point) to St. Croix. In the future viNGN will build out their own submarine fiber system to connect all four islands together with redundant fibers (they were just granted a Submarine Cable Landing License by the FCC for this purpose). As St Croix has one of the largest concentrations of bandwith (and if I am not mistaken the largest concentration of unused bandwith) in the world there will be no cables run to Puerto Rico.

     

    The other entity is Innovative whom is in the process of converting their entire system (both telephone and cable) to a HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coax) system. They will be eliminating POTS and DSL over copper entirely; essentially a completely new network. They will run fiber links to PoP's in different areas on each island and then locally run coax. They laid their fiber using microtrenching alongside the roads, using existing underground infrastructure, and aerial runs in certain areas. The coax part of the system seems to be mostly aerial unless there was existing underground infrastructure (downtown Charlotte Amalie for instance). They get bandwidth from several separate providers that make landfall in St. Croix (and possibly St. Thomas; not sure though). In all likelihood Sprint will not be using them for their backhaul either.

     

    The most likely backhaul solution Sprint is employing between Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (also within each island) is microwave. Sprint's PR/VI market had been previously been exclusively serviced by microwave backhauls. There can be many things that may delay the rollout of microwave links such as FCC licensing or waiting on equipment/installation, even tower leases...

     

    Perhaps @Robert has something to add on the last piece of this 4G puzzle...

     

    -Eliezer P.

     

    Posted from my LG Optimus G.

    • Like 3

    Network Vision/LTE - Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Market

    in Markets

    Posted

    According to Sprint they have had a voice/data outage from 6/7 with an ETA of being resolved today. I think the outage actually started earlier but likely went unreported.

     

    I am often the first to log a network ticket, even 24-48 hours into an outage. I guess we are all so used to terrible service that we don't even bother. In case you all didn't know, you can ask them to note in your account the details of the outage and call back to get a credit once it has been resolved.

     

    Not sure how difficult it is when going through regular CSRs to log a ticket but its pretty painless through the employee care line...

     

    Speed test on the St. John tower from just now:

    Posted Image

     

    Posted from my LG Optimus G.

     

     

    Network Vision/LTE - Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands Market

    in Markets

    Posted · Edited by eliezerlp

    Here in St . Croix vi I've seen speed of 800kbps to as much as 2300kbps on 3g. I have also seen eHRPD sometimes ....still waiting for completion.

    Out on the East End of STT my 3g data has been consistently eHRPD on the Red Hook and St. John towers for at least the last few weeks, possibly more.

     

    Can't wait to see the 4G in my status bar someday. I remember the first time using 4G on an EVO 4G stateside over WIMAX... It was awsome getting more Mbps on my phone than what I get at home from our local ISPs.

     

    Below is a screen of the best speed test in my history:

    Posted Image

    Posted from my LG Optimus G.

     

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