dkyeager

This could be DOJ just trying to "approve" the merger knowing T-Mobile will reject it, which then may trigger $600 Million for Sprint. IMO the time to have worried about four competitive carriers is when AT&T and Verizon have been allowed to obtain mmWave firms and their prior round of significant acquisitions. We will just have to wait for more details

While we are looking at technical aspects, 5G NR may also eliminate issues with B41 upload speeds where TDD can effectively vary its download upload ratio based on demand: https://www.ericsson.com/en/ericsson-technology-review/archive/2017/designing-for-the-future-the-5g-nr-physical-layer Basically this would have made B41 even more attractive to T-Mobile. How Sprint has chosen to implement 5G on B41 should be known in a few days. Due to likely propagation issues, Verizon has chosen to use a lower frequency for its uploads when using its mmWave 5G, so we can not use them to easily determine whether 5G NR can vary its download upload ratio (but they could be using it to prevent wasted spectrum). AT&T's 5G is invitation only, T-Mobile's is in field test.

Or perhaps are you in an area where Sprint LTE has better range than Sprint CDMA? IE, your phone never falls off Sprint LTE to CDMA first before roaming, which would be typical.

Sprint is operating in a similar fashion to nTelos. They have some money that they raised or was dedicated to accomplish certain purposes which they are rushing to finish. It would not surprise me if some of the items that they have recently installed never become publicly available. While I firmly believe Samsung had manufacturing difficulties with the S10, Sprint's network hodgepodge can not be fully exonerated.

The Magic Box concept is very interesting. It is basically and end run around zoning issues for small cells and allows Sprint to address issues with certain building types: stucco, full brick (modern veneer brick is normally ok) and concrete structures. Plus Magic Boxes are self-install. T-Mobile's approach has been to run cable or fiber to medium-sized buildings where large numbers of people gather which are in RF shadows where they do not have small cells. Then they install Nokia equipment that supplies about 10-15Mbps each for a large number of people. For small cells, T-Mobile goes all fiber. No doubt many small cells will have to be relocated and will likely be fiber supplied. Magic Boxes make more sense for many buildings (LEEDS and larger buildings excepted.) Why not allow Magic Boxes to use other frequencies and/or 5G NR B41? With 194Mhz of B41 in some metro areas (that is 9 - 20Mhz [19.8 actually] plus 15Mhz plus extra for buffering). So IMO keep the concept, upgrade the boxes.

Just by supplying more backhaul during the transition, T-Mobile would get far more performance out of Sprint sites.

Iirc TDD on 5NR can also have more flexible timing arrangements. Basically shift to upload more quickly if all the download slots are not filled. Sorry, no link. No guarantees Sprint would do this either. Really best to just wait and see at this point. 8 days away.

It will be more of a Soap Opera for at least the next month. Hopefully we get the details of the FCC terms soon. Looking for handling of phone upgrades, allowed spectrum by county, transition of billing, how various roaming will be handled during transition, etc.

I agree. Sprint would need to be perfectly run and likely growing customers, which is not happening. It is possible that all conditions are not publicly listed or very obtuse. Not certain that T-Mobile would volutarily give the money even if the conditions are met. Plenty of gray area.

I did see that report on Verizon using 4g LTE at a lower frequency for phone upload. Many of us wish b25 was used for upload with b41 for download. CA b25+41+41+41+41 or whatever. With 5g's higher channel bandwidth and speed, it should not be as much of an issue. 5NR upload at 40MHz should be 4x, 60MHz should be 6x, 100MHz should be 10x. Of course the real world may differ.

What happens if you use an IP address of a VPN?

Trump is not the typical administration, so past decorum may not apply. T-Mobile, just like Coal companies and some other firms, may just view penalties as the cost of doing business, especially if they start losing customers and become less profitable or even unprofitable.

I see DOJ as asking for more concessions. If they just deny it, they risk Trump overruling them. More concessions can be equated to being better negotiators to some people. The FCC Chair laid out valid political reasons for approval for this administration. This allows the FCC to take any heat over the next few weeks, which DOJ can in some way address in concessions if desired. The only other constituency that may matter is any state Attorney General, and I am not certain what they can really do to a national firm, which presumably fails under interstate commerce. Still worth not having them as enemies if reasonable.

The early public plans indicated a market by market approach, which would be typical.

What we have now is the broad brush outline of a deal. DOJ could add more conditions. I expect the new T-Mobile to have to divest some spectrum in some counties, which they will likely used to trade with AT&T and Verizon to consolidate their spectrum. I expect focus will shift to 5g with its much larger channel sizes over more CA options for 4g. The duo have been installing 5g capable equipment for a while now according to my sources. So in a converted market you could end up with 20x20 of4g b25, another 4g B25 carrier, and 20x20 of 5g B25 as soon as needed. The push will be to get everyone on 5g phones.

CDMA will be sunsetted as quickly as possible. 1x800 will likely be Sprint's CDMAs last stand. Sprint does have many phones that have GSM, but they will need FCC testing first for use in the USA iirc, then firmware upgrades. Might be cheaper and/or better for T-Mobile just to offer discounts on new phones.

The question is what will New T-Mobile have to pay (in cash or spectrum).

That was early in the process. They kept far more in the Metro PCS merger than planned. I think it will depend on markets. Sprint weak market sites will mostly be shut down IMO. More successful Sprint markets will retain more sites. Same with T-Mobile markets that are already over capacity.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/20/fcc-will-not-formally-approve-t-mobile-sprint-merger-on-monday-because-it-must-still-draft-order-reuters.html Getting closer. Not final until it is final.

My prediction has been that rootmetrics will adjust the upload/download ration used for the ranks to the typical user needs (like PCmag.com) once 5G becomes more available with other carriers.

Post pictures. Triangulate by getting three sectors. Switch phone to CDMA may also help if 1x800 is active, which might give the GPS for the actual site.

The way this is worded implies support for on;y two Gs at a time, ie 3g & 4g or 4g & 5g.

Must be gold edition of MB iirc

Four launch cities: Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Kansas next round a few weeks later: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

The other three do have it, although it is Overland Park more than Kansas City.