dmplus

Well I currently use my phones hotspot and its only 3g so it blows. I do a lot of s4gru work at work.....don't tell my boss lol....so it can be painfully slow sometimes. It would be nice to have in general. I don't have a contract uobfor another year and since the note 3 was a let down I don't know if I can justify full price for a device I really don't want. We will see I'm sure I could unload my note 2 for a good price to pay for a good part of an off contract phone? Who knows its only October I'm sure we will see more high end devices in the next 6 months.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 4

There's a pretty good chance that your note 2 would sell for most, if not all of the nexus 5.  Which should be triband.

On a side note you should grab an inexpensive no contract vzw/att/tmo lte hotspot from ksl until Sprint finally gets SLC built out, then sell the hotspot for the same or close to what you bought it for.  Then no more painful 3G for your s4gru tethering :-)

So I saw some trucks and people up by one of the towers here in ogden so I was thinking they might actually be doing something here in ogden. So I went up and talked to them and it turns out they are working on at&t. I didn't know we shared towers with at&t and thought maybe the guy just didn't want to tell me anything. Anyone have any ideas?? I won't say what tower since I found it on the sponsor page

Technically, (more often than not) all carriers share towers amongst each other.  Although carriers with similar frequencies find it more common to share towers (sprint/tmo/cricket).  In some cases you'll find 4 or 5 carriers on the same tower.

Also, these days most towers are owned by a tower managment company rather than a carrier, so while you may have ran into ATT people it may not have actually been an AT&T owned tower.

Problem is, this phone is meant for China Mobile. Apple still doesn't have a deal signed with China Mobile yet. To further elaborate, the Chinese use weird frequencies and standards the rest of the world doesn't use, specifically TD-SCDMA. A China Mobile iPhone would have TD-SCDMA support as well as GSM/UMTS/LTE/TD-LTE support. Now could you add CDMA1X/EV-DO to that? Possibly, but I don't have any clue how the RF works on the new iPhones yet so I have no clue. Is it worth Apple doing a short update for TD-LTE support? We'll see. They have done mid year updates for AWS HSPA, so I'm not going to say it's impossible. I did think that there would be a similar model for China, Japan, and Sprint with this update of the iPhone, so maybe Apple could just roll that out early on while iPhone supply is still short for the 5S. 

Apple did do a mid year frequency support upgrade on their GSM model to support HSPA+ on AWS, but that was not a software update, they rolled new hardware.  It had the same model number, but iphone 5's that do not have the new circuitry are not compatible with HSPA+ on AWS, nor will they ever be. 

It's not just Apple either, Samsung did the same thing wtih their t-mobile galaxy S3. It required a new hardware revision to add LTE support and so early t-mobile S3's do not support LTE but current ones do.

So, for this reason, I still maintain that it is foolish to sign a 2 year contract on a non triband iphone 5S.

im actually considering trading my iphone 5 back to sprint and buying a full price nexus 5 just for band 41 support.these damn phones really retain value compared to some of the other phones ive had...

You should be able to get ~350-400 dollars for it from KSL (depending on condition/storage).  That should cover the cost of a nexus 5 and then some (assuming it's priced like the nexus 4 was)

Just found this. It appears that the iPhone could get an update for the TD-LTE band. http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-and-china-mobiles-25-ghz-td-lte-left-out-apples-new-iphones/2013-09-10

Do not hold your breath on this.  I've seen similar things that never materialized.

What other phones are great on Sprint and is Sprint making moves to improve their network in the future? WiMax was a gamble that didn't work out for them. 

As my description says I have used most devices on all the carriers.  Sprints best devices are the GSIII, GS4, HTC One, moto x, and the iphone.  They should be getting the LG G2, and the nexus 5 in the next month or so.

As for your expierence.  As far as i'm concerned. If I have to use a femtocell at my home, then I have the wrong carrier, even if it's ATT or verizon.  End of story.  It's one thing to show up at a friends house for the evening and have crappy signal.  All carriers have that. But when you struggle in your own home, that's where I have an issue. 

Other observations:

the 3 other carriers already have LTE in south Jordan. 

I would not touch a non triband Sprint phone.  Especially if I were to sign a 2 year contract.  The iphone is not triband.

Be careful because often reps will tell you to buy a new phone because they want you to, rather than you actually need one.  Generally new phones don't fix reception issues, there are some exceptions though.

Where are you located?

Yeah, there are lots of resources for cell tower locations.  This one used to be great until most of the towers were moved to crown, but it still has lots of great stuff.  Like this for example:
http://www.t-mobiletowers.com/TowerDetail.aspx?towerid=SV00312A

Make sure you check out the PDF's at the bottom for complete details.

thanks all. i really want the 5s but not rereally if 2600 isnt supported. well... i mean if 2600 doesnt come to utah anytime soon maybe i will get it. but still not sure.

 

bosox, that would be uber sick.

I wouldn't touch a new device that doesn't support all 3. If I were you I would think about grabbing the nexus 5. I also heard that the 5s won't support wireless ac. AND the sprint device is the odd man out with the other 3 carriers all sharing the same model number (although it is still not clear if verizon will activate a phone that was originally activated on tmo or att)

I understood what you were saying :-)   Seems like lately you've been running into tmo subs more than Sprint subs :-)  Is it the same group of guys you keep running into?

i asked a sub that question today....they were doing tmobile      I was so excited...was driving by the tower and saw a lift  

 

came back by and chatted with them...t-mo...    

 

ruined my day

 

 

anyway...they had no idea...there was back haul brought in, because this was a site that had a guy working on it a few weeks ago i chatted with....and now i saw the "disturbed" dirt running from the street to the site......

 

lets hope that wasnt only t-mo

Which site was this?  The one at the top of 2nd north? The one by the Smith's in Farmington?

Hopefully this will answer your question...So t-mobile started putting in fiber backhaul a few years ago and getting their network ready for this kind of thing (amazing job done by the CEO and other head honchos) Then when it came time to update their towers the backhaul was installed and all they had to do was put up equipment.  As you've seen in our market once stuff started happening equipment went up very quickly on many sites within the matter of 1 month we have seen a lot of equipment go up on many sites.  Yes they had permitting to do but they didn't have extra permitting and problems with backhaul to deal with.  Sprint is struggling because they figured they didn't need backhaul when everyone else was putting it in because of WiMAX and WiMAX used microwave instead of fiber backhaul so they are playing catch-up.  Also another thing to take into consideration is some of the other carriers don't update every single tower like sprint is doing.  They do a "blanket" effect and they don't update every tower.  So updating every tower and getting permits for it and running backhaul to every single tower takes time.  hope that helps.

This is great, thank you.  I did not know that wimax used microwave as primary backhaul.  I know that the other carriers do use microwave, but usually only when local backhaul is not practical.

Would it be safe to say that if there is a tower where other carriers have already had centurylink run fiber, that sprint could have CL splice off of that for them?  Meaning, are we more likely to see towers with other carriers on it with backhual, light up first?

>tmo only had to add some hardware. Sprint is replacing everything and adding fiber backhual. That is a huge difference. Yes its a slow process but by this time next year thise who stuck it out will very pleased with there service and their lower monthly bill.

 

Sent from my rooted G Note 2 Using TapaTalk 4 Beta

 

Did they not have to do panels and cabinets as well?  Requiring permits and all the same stuff?  I read the link from njjdnt but it didn't address my question.  I'm starting to wonder if the pace is significantly based on cost controls.

I was at best buy sandy over the weekend adding a phone to our plan and the sales guy said something I wanted to get your opinion on. He said he knew of the live towers downtown sl and tremonton and Spanish fork he said it took the other carriers 6 months to fill in the lte towers in the area when you started to hear similar news. What do you think about that news?

What I think is that some carriers do it differently than others, but in the case of t-mobile in the SLC market they went from zero to nearly full covered in like 2 months.  Not all towers are done but most areas have at least some coverage.  It's too bad Sprint couldn't do something similar.  Why was t-mobile able to pull that off?

question guys, what is AWS?

I think it's easier to say it like this:

AWS = Advances wireless servcies

Run on 1700/2100

Used by: ATT for LTE, Verizon for LTE, T-Mobile for LTE, MetroPCS for LTE, and cricket for LTE  (ATT and VZW also use 7XX for LTE)

Also used by t-mobile for HSPA, and metro/cricket for 1X/EVDO

As far as I know, Sprint is the only of the top four or five providers that doesnt own or deploy AWS.

Its peers would be PCS (1900), WCS (2300), CLR (850), SMR (800) and so on

As an aside:

The most interesting thing about the AWS situation is for phone portability.  I know in the sprint/verizon world, even with same frequencies of 1x/EVDO there was no portability by both companies own decision.  Since LTE is an extension of GSM and verizon LTE devices having all the common GSM/hspa frequencies now supported, is that verizon phones can come over to ATT somewhat compatibly, and t-mobile substantially compatibly with just a sim swap.   A verizon phone with AWS compatibility that has a t-mobile sim card placed in it will come up and function on t-mobile's GSM/umts/LTE right out of the box.

They are still deploying.  Ran into a crew on Friday.  I trust Verizon press releases as much as Sprint.  None.

 

Robert

Were they deploying AWS?  Where was this at?  I understood the SLC market would not see verizon aws lte for a while.

Robert,

I agree in regards to vzw's map being conservative, which I why I laughed a little.  I've always maintained that Verizon's coverage maps are an "under ideal conditions, you have a shot at getting signal here".  There are many, many poor, or unusable areas that are full red on their maps.  Sprints maps are a bit.... overzealous, but the main problem is the technology driving the map UI is terrible.

I suppose they could have turned on additional LTE towers, but according to the press releases I read a month or so ago, they stated they were done with deployment of their LTE 700 footprint, and now are focusing on AWS in metro areas for capacity.

I didn't have any of my sprint gear with me the last time I stayed in Saint George (about a month ago).  You're right about VZW's LTE being nice.  And contrary to what VZW's coverage map shows, I didnt really lose LTE much between SG and Nephi (VZW's coverage map being conservative made me laugh a little).  ATT did pretty good as well.  I had 3-5 meg tests down there.  What surprised me is t-mobile.  Their coverage map shows 2G but I had 4G there (non roaming) and hit 6+ megs a couple times.

Edit:  Upon reflection, I did have a device with Sprint service with me, just didn't bother to power it on and test it :-/

And this is what I assumed to be the tower configuration:

Nextel

T-mobile

Sprint

However I am not a professional tower panel/antenna reader like some here are so I'm probably wrong. :-)

This is the shelter, it has nextel on the door

Here's a shot of the tower behind the 7-11 in Kaysville.

yea, by the emissions.....

 

no sprint at the 1 behind 7-11....it is tmobile as i asked techs that were working there 2 mths ago....

 

didnt look closely enough to pick out nextel, because they get moody if you get to close while they are working....

 

anyway....that is why i asked the question about sprint overlaying areas, where nextel is and sprint isnt....

Yeah, i know that has been fully upgraded for t-mobile (moving hspa to 1900 and then LTE).  but I know for sure that the "building" at the base clearly says nextel :-)  I assumed the top rack was nextel.

well this is the tower in kaysville, off the freeway...

 

uhhhh something made a home

 

 

 

 

and there hasnt been ANY work on this one.....the weeds in the cage area where almost as tall as me

That's the tower by the emission station, not the one at united rentals right?  I know the tower behind the 7-11 in kaysville has nextel equipment and I assume sprint signal as well.

I sure hope they get the 4G LTE up and running in Layton.  My current 3G download speed is 0.50 mbps and upload 0.01 mbps - which essentially makes my phone a Wifi only phone.  And it's been that way for over a year since I signed up.  Not sure why I decided to get Sprint and pay $160 a month for two phones that can't even do data or internet on the roam.  (Knocks head).  Very embarassing when I'm out with friends who have Verizon.  I get laughed at a lot.

 

Rick

I have access to and swap around between devices on all the carriers. I tell everyone that they need to pick a provider that works for them.  If Sprint didn't work well in my neighborhood I wouldn't recommend them to neighbors/friends.  If you don't like your carrier then switch.  Wait 6 months, re-evaluate then come back if you want.  The other three carriers have LTE in Layton.

That's is funny...

 

No the tower for Sprint that hits this way, is on main and the parkway...had west on the parkway and look north...boom right there....

 

They need one bad west on gentile or bluff area..

 

Once it's upgraded I am sure we will be fine..

You're right, sorry, my research shows it to be t-mobile on the top and cricket below at heritage site.   How does ATT and VZW do in your neighborhood?  They do poorly in mine.

I just cant stand the idea of air-raves.  To me they just mean I picked the wrong carrier.  In my neighborhood sprint has very very good signal, even in basements, so my sprint devices do great except that there's no sprint LTE yet, but we do have ATT/VZW/TMO LTE.