supert0nes

I don't really like any of those options. 5x5 seems like it's going to work well as a nationwide part of Sprint's spectrum. People are getting up to 20-30mbps download.

Verizon will build out their AWS holdings pretty soon. They just have to make it work as they already built a LTE release 8 network on 700, but will want LTE-Advanced for their AWS spectrum. ATT will be building out WCS/700 in the same manner, except ATT is less ambitious about nationwide LTE and has crappier spectrum.

Carriers need to have guaranteed spectrum for a long period of time. They can't afford to have to upgrade everyone on their networks' phones every couple of years to use new radios, or climb up all their towers to add additional radios.

Other than spectrum being really expensive, I think competition has still won out and you get optimized spectrum. T-Mobile/Verizon/CableCo deal is an example of that. ATT WCS is as well. I don't think I would change much right now in this regard.

That's just one more antenna in already crowded phones with all the new LTE bands and carrier aggregation/MIMO.

Sprint roadmap says all phones that came out this year had to have CDMA-800, if that's any consolation, although Sprint gets pushed around by Apple pretty hard.

The roadmap does say that starting next year all phones have to support 800/2500 LTE.

I also think that there wont be any LTE-800/2500 in this version, or ATT WCS-LTE, or Verizon AWS-LTE.

Maybe, just maybe, a T-Mobile version will come out with AWS-LTE, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Hijacking this thread for a question. Could the Kyocera Rise usher in an Android App for SDC? They are touting it as not launching with SDC, but gaining the capability. Seems like that could mean an app released.

Keep in mind that a lot has changed since this article was written in May. LTE-800 was approved. SDC runs on 1x, etc.

These guys are on a Sprint role! I'm wondering why S4GRU didn't get the exclusive invite to tour Overland Park?!?

http://www.phonescoo...cle.php?a=10935

Lot's to pull from this article, especially speculation about phablets etc. I think the biggest standout to me was that I interpreted

Devices have to conform with Sprint's Network Vision project and timeline, too. For example, all Sprint phones needed to support CDMA in the 800 MHz band by this year. LTE 4G devices can support just 1900 MHz this year, but starting next year all Sprint devices need to support LTE in the 800, 1900, and 2500 MHz bands, and also include HD Voice technology."

as all smartphones starting January 2013 will have to have LTE-800. Please don't let me be wrong!

Sprint should have no interest in getting in to AWS. In my USCC thread, I realized they eat up a ton of useful spectrum for other companies. I wish they would focus on their 700, 850 coverage, with supplemental 1900 in areas they actually serve, and sell/trade the rest, especially that 1700. Try to get their network to line up more and do it with less antennas.

https://pay.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/xvuwn/iama_rf_engineer_ama/

Honestly, I haven't read much of the responses yet, but seems like he or she is pretty knowledgeable.

Not sure if anyone wants to discuss this, but looking at the omega map of USCellular:

http://specmap.sequence-omega.net/

They have to support 700, 850, 1700(ABC) and 1900 in their phones, and their coverage does not seem to line up very well.

It looks like 1900(as long as they support all bands) is the only block that they really support across their network.

I think they should sell the spectrum where they can't offer much/any native service, like in Minnesota (1900 F,C) however, preferably to Sprint.

850 is not supported in the southeast, but is their main cdma support for the northern markets. They should look to gain wherever they can, but they probably will never get the opportunity.

700(ABC) LTE are not supported in Chicago and only A is supported in Milwaukee, Madison. They should work to acquire the Verizon 700 Licenses where they offer service to bolster their LTE network.

Their AWS holdings are scattered all over the map. I think they should completely divest in this and consumers best interest would be if they were to sell it to T-Mobile.

This isn't any real analysis, but just observations that as a regional carrier, they hold some odd licenses, especially in areas they can't really service because the amount of spectrum they have is so small.

Is 1x better than EVDO coverage or is that just more towers out there serving 1x?

Seems very closely related to http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/1715-700-mhz-lte-on-verizon/ I think you would find good information from AJ in that thread about signal strength on 700. AJ, Robert, and others have also discussed LTE vs EVDO signal strength extensively.

Original Reuters link with more backstory http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/02/idINL2E8J2EE420120802

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/article.php?a=10900

"The Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice are prepared to approve Verizon Wireless's proposed acquisition of 122 AWS spectrum license from a consortium of cable companies, but only if those companies agree to major concessions. According to sources cited by Reuters, the FCC and DoJ will allow the spectrum purchase itself to proceed with minimal adjustments. However, the DoJ has grave concerns about the cross marketing agreements that are part of the proposal, especially those between Verizon and Comcast. Reuters' sources say the DoJ would force Verizon and the cable companies to modify the side deals heavily in order to gain approval. For example, the DoJ would not allow Verizon and Comcast to market one another's products in areas where Verizon offers its FiOS internet and television services. In other markets, the cross marketing agreement would only be allowed for a specific amount of time. The companies hope the proposal's review will be completed by the end of the month. Both the FCC and DoJ declined to comment on Reuters' story."

The DOJ specified that a lot of the cross marketing stuff would not be allowed or limited. The cable companies made it pretty clear the cross marketing stuff had to stay. It will be interesting to see if this deal still goes through.

It's got to be hard for ATT to part with any of their PCS spectrum. I don't know how much they are utilizing what they own, but the omega map tells me they own quite a bit in all of their PCS bands.

Edit: Maybe they'll just buy the WCS spectrum from Sprint, which wouldn't be bad either.

This has been the most fun forum topic in quite some time. This is as close to the water cooler gossip as we get!

You know if Sprint were smart they would do a "how it's made" or let some one do a ride along so we could see the work involved in upgrading to a LTE tower/System. It would be facinating.

Ericsson did one for internal use and it got out. Sprint didn't like that too much at all!

Is southeast Wisconsin in this roll out? I hate being so close to the border because it always looks like we will be included and we usually aren't.

Definitely no Southeast Wisconsin until the later part of the second round.

Really? You are a first round market, just too big to launch right away. Heck Chicago might be the largest amount of towers to deploy in any market in the country. Jeeesh. Many people on this site wont see LTE from Sprint till the end of 2013 into 2014.

Personally, I think the Chicago market is getting Sprint's full attention right now.

It's also obvious that if Sprint announced a launch of Chicago right now there would be a gigantic backlash of everyone actually in Chicago. All the other networks were able to add LTE to sporadic sites within the markets to launch, where as Samsung chose (had?) to upgrade every tower in each outer sector before moving closer to the city.

Otherwise, back to earlier points, might as well just turn the towers on, not tell anyone, and let those who pick it up feel like they are on the inside of an awesome secret.

No way Chicago gets announced live LTE until you can get LTE in the Loop. Looks like October to me, but what do I know.

to question #2. Houston got 7 new sites as can be seen in the donor section maps. I think Robert comes back through and updates the percentage complete when he gets extra time to do so, I think he's still on vacation as well.

i called sprint today and asked her that why my internet was so slow she checked the system and after some minutes she came back to tell me that on this moments they are workin in my area upgrading to 4glte am in san jose ca and am wondering if thats really true

This is unrelated to the forum topic. There is an article related to san jose here http://s4gru.com/index.php?/blog/1/entry-298-san-josesouth-bay-network-visionlte-deployment-schedule-update/ . Short answer is not till fall or later.

Any audio of this out there?

different spectrum for CDMA 1xA and EVDO. Sprint still has been using in most (all?) areas the G block of PCS (from FCC compensation to Nextel) to deploy LTE 5x5 while using their older more established PCS spectrum for 1xA and EVDO

Yes all these reasons make sense for all other parties except me. It's obvious I'm being a selfish little android Sprint end user

That's nice, but it would be pretty sweet if there were no Iphone users on 800. They already crippled the legacy network. I think the benefits for the end user definitely outweigh the costs. Cell phone radios are some of the cheapest parts of the phone anyway. It's not about the most antennas. It's about coverage where you need it like 800 can deliver. I don't really have any reason to upgrade phones every 2 years and Sprint knows exactly what they are going to do wit that spectrum. Might as well future proof them as much as possible.