dkyeager

my initial highlights:

the drop in T-Mobile LTE speeds shown by Nielson is amazing: top to bottom ranking in one month.

Sprint CFO Tarek Robbiati. “Most importantly, we expect these cost reductions to be achieved without compromising network quality or impacting the customer experience.”

Operating loss of $197 million included $209 million of severance and exit costs and compared to an operating loss of $2.5 billion in the year-ago quarter, an improvement of approximately $2.3 billion. Adjusting for the $209 million of severance and exit costs in the current quarter and a non-cash impairment charge of approximately $2.1 billion in the prior year quarter, operating loss would have improved by approximately $400 million year-over-year.

Net loss of $836 million, or $0.21 per share, compared to a net loss of $2.4 billion, or $0.60 per share, in the year-ago period, an improvement of approximately $1.5 billion. Adjusting for the aforementioned severance and exit costs and impairment charge, net loss would have improved by approximately $300 million year-over-year, or $0.08 per share.

The company also reported the following Sprint platform results, which reflect its focus on higher value postpaid connections

Total net additions were 491,000 compared to 967,000 in the prior year quarter – a decline of 476,000 year-over-year.

Postpaid net additions of 501,000 compared to 30,000 in the prior year quarter – an improvement of 471,000 year-over-year.

Postpaid phone net additions were 366,000 compared to net losses of 205,000 in the prior year quarter – an improvement of 571,000 year-over-year.

Prepaid net losses of 491,000 compared to net additions of 410,000 in the prior year quarter – a decline of 901,000 year-over-year.

Based on the success of the base loyalty program that the company implemented last quarter for Boost and Virgin, it has decided to implement the program more broadly for its prepaid base. As a result, the company will report these customers as part of its prepaid base and has adjusted the 175,000 previously recorded last quarter as postpaid back into prepaid for better comparability across periods.

Wholesale and affiliate net additions of 481,000 compared to 527,000 in the prior year quarter – a decline of 46,000 year-over-year.

Together with SoftBank and its partners, the company is establishing a network-related financing entity that could provide $3 billion to $5 billion of incremental funding in fiscal 2016. This entity is expected to raise proceeds from Sprint’s existing radio access equipment, as well as a combination of new assets associated with the network densification and a small portion of its spectrum portfolio. Sprint expects the first transaction to close by the middle of calendar 2016. Together with existing facilities, these sources of liquidity are expected to fund the transformation and repayment of all maturities that come due over the next year.

Additionally, independent mobile analytics firm RootMetrics® awarded Sprint a company record 212 first-place (outright or shared) RootScore® Awards for overall, reliability, speed, data, call, or text network performance in the 125 metro markets measured in the second half of 2015, beating T-Mobile for the first time ever and receiving 57 percent more awards than the prior year periodi. The company also saw median downlink speeds in these metro markets more than triple on average from the first half of 2014 testing period and measured the fastest median download speeds of any carrier in 16 cities, including Austin, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Phoenix.

The company remains committed to its plan of significantly densifying the network through the deployment of small cells to further improve network performance and customer experience.

Financial Outlook

As a result of accelerated cost reductions, the company is raising its guidance for fiscal year 2015 Adjusted EBITDA* from its previous expectation of $6.8 billion to $7.1 billion to a range of $7.7 billion to $8 billion.

The company is also raising its guidance for fiscal year 2015 operating income from its previous expectation of an operating loss of $50 million to $250 million to operating income of $100 million to $300 million.

The company continues to expect fiscal year 2015 cash capital expenditures to be approximately $5 billion, excluding the impact of leased devices sold through indirect channels.

The company’s preliminary estimate for fiscal year 2016 Adjusted EBITDA* is approximately $9.5 billion to $10 billion.

looking at actual numbers: churn went up slightly from 1.54% to 1.62% postpaid for 1.57% for the year compared to 2.18% prior year.

*quarters

prepaid went up from 5.06% to 5.82% for 5.31% for the year compared to 4.05% for prior year.

interest expense has gone up slightly

They claim to have spent 994 million in network capex this last quarter., 3958 for the year

up slightly compared to prior year

no impairments

74 million of that capex was self-generated last quarter - typical

looks like 2.3 billion due by end of year (or refinance)

http://s2.q4cdn.com/578722565/files/doc_financials/quarterly/2015/Q3/Fiscal-3Q15-Sprint-Quarterly-Investor-Update-FINAL.pdf

Multimedia:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160126005751/en/

http://investors.sprint.com/news--investor-events/newsroom/press-release-details/2016/Sprint-Reports-Highest-Postpaid-Phone-Net-Additions-in-Three-Years-Lowest-Ever-Third-Quarter-Postpaid-Churn-and-Increases-Adjusted-EBITDA-Guidance-with-Third-Fiscal-Quarter-2015-Results/default.aspx

It will take me a bit to read through this.

Sponsors and above: new info on  Shentel nTelos buyout and spectrum: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/7395-west-virginia-sprint-sponsor-map-spreadsheet/&do=findComment&comment=465862

Please make any comments or post any questions in the West Virginia Market Sponsor Thread.

Multiple GMO sites go LTE!!!

Several ground mount option sites going LTE were posted in the last two days for Northwest Columbus.  There may be more.  If you notice more LTE in your area filling in some of the gaps, let us know!!!  These sites cover a sizable area well suited for non-rural environments.

We are getting off topic. This is designed to be an early warning thread.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

You linked back to this thread, just fyi.

Thanks, fixed.

I noticed this in the Pittsburgh market for a new LTE and B41 site. Other markets such as Columbus were unchanged.

If your market coverage map has changed I urge you to look carefully for new sites!

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

I have created a more narrowly focused thread: 2 year subsidy phone upgrades early warning info.

At some point Sprint may stop 2 year subsidy phone upgrades for existing customers.  Sprint gave no official warning or acknowledgement for the end of this program for new phone customers.  Now it is reactive, which means you must ask for 2 year subsidy phone upgrades if you received them on your last phone purchased through Sprint or Best Buy.  Many Sprint employees are not knowledgeable of all Sprint offers so you may have to try more than one employee or store.

Since past behavior is the best predictor of future performance, the most likely scenario is a change in the playbook  two or three days ahead of the change.  There have also been rumors that this might be done on a market by market basis or region by region.

This is a very narrow focused thread.  Only people on plans with two year phone subsidies should comment here, or those with specific inside knowledge of plan details in advance of changes.  We are looking for comments from those who are successful, run in to issues upgrading their phone using a two year subsidy, or those with access to playbook updates in advance.  The next playbook update may come before 2/10/2016.

Other threads are available for those who wish to debate wider aspects of 2 year subsidy plans.  There is not guarantee that we will be able to deliver an early warning but the more people watching the better.

It probably means that -- to an extent.  "Reactive" is the opposite of "proactive," so Sprint employees no longer will be allowed to promote or suggest two year contract renewals with subsidized upgrades.  Instead, existing subs will have to request them -- at which point, Sprint can react.  That does not mean those requests will be approved.  Expect that Sprint will tell some accounts that their options going forward are to remain month to month on their legacy plans with no further subsidized upgrades or to switch to current plans with Easy Pay, lease, or BYOD.

 

AJ

My info was multiple sourced so I feel confident at this time that it is true in my market. 

Now, there are plenty of ways for Sprint to make life difficult in this area, but Sprint has determined it is not in their interest to kill it now for existing customers.

The leaked document says EXISTING customers can get 2 year contracts on a "reactive basis" only.

What does this mean?

 

I pay $200 for 4 smartphones for UNLIMITED everything. I can not for the life of me see any non 2 year plan that comes close.

Currently it costs me:

200 x 24 monthly plan

200 x 4 4 upgrades

39 x 4 4 activations

5,600 4 year total

That's 58.33 per month per device for UNLIMITED

Figure a typical payment to purchase is $35 my plan portion is just $23/month.

So just how are one of the new plans suppose to be better for me?

I don't see it.

J

As of this morning (Saturday) I can still add a line to my account with a 2 year contract. 

Fingers crossed.

Reactive means you must ask for it.  

I suspect it is throttling like sprint says they will do with their top 5% when congestion hits. After 30GB they get tagged with "Heavy User" then they can get throttled when things get slow.

 

I hope that is what they mean by "The plan does not include off-network roaming and it is subject to any standard network management that Sprint may apply to commercial broadband data-only account users."

This also ties in with taking 30 days to set them up.  That way there may always be a heavy user at a site during peak periods in areas where there are large concentrations of mobile citizen users.  Perhaps many of their users also don't reach the 30GB level.

Might be time to reset the count down clock!!

http://mobilecitizen.org/lte/

Mobile Citizen's news:  #StopSprint Update
Some Promising News: We are slowly, but surely beginning to transition some of our customers to LTE beginning Monday, January 4th! Right now this offer is only available for customers we bill directly for service. Check out our FAQs regarding the transition for more information.

http://mobilecitizen.org/faq

I have absolutely no inside information, but I would assume they will redo it to match their existing deployments.  I can't wait.

 

I just hope that if they do, they keep the convenient ID schemes we've figured out for nTelos, like having CDMA/LTE BSID/GCI data line up as it does.

 

- Trip

I agree.  I figure it will change as they touch each site.  Exciting times ahead for this area (premier users.)  The last will be first, at least in some areas.

It's amusing, but nTelos actually appears to use the same style numbering system Verizon does (except B41). 

 

01/02/03 Verizon 700/nTelos PCS G-block

0C/16/20 Verizon AWS/nTelos 800

0D/17/21 Verizon (reserved? never actually seen it live)/nTelos PCS 2nd carrier

0E/18/22 Verizon PCS

 

- Trip

What are the odds that Shentel will redo this?

Does anyone happen to know what date the Shentel merge is supposed to happen?

 

Sent from my N9518 using Tapatalk

The only approval now lacking is the FCC.  The last filing in their case was December 14.

  Sero discussions should all be moved to another thread.

More dark clouds: http://www.engadget.com/2015/12/30/att-ditch-contracts-jan-8/ , but so long as Sprint keeps two year subsidies I am golden

Does anyone know the exact frequencies this 900MHz is in that Sprint sold?

I think it falls under PDV Spectrum Holding Company, LLC.  Some of which was leased from Sprint for many prior years.  Start here http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchAdvanced.jsp and type in pdv under name.  Have fun!

Shentel is a Sprint Affiliate who works with Sprint.  Their wireless is branded as Sprint. 

nTelos was more of a MVNO utilizing Sprint elsewhere and allowing Sprint to sometimes roam on their network.  nTelos also saw Sprint as a competitor.

We are in a likely transition period, so anything between those options is now possible.

I can now see subsidized phones and prices through Sprint zone.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

My sprint rep called a couple of days ago and while i am keeping the plan i have grandfathered in the ability to have the subsidized phones goes away jan 1.  I have two upgrades available on a use it or lose it basis by jan 1 so i am grabbing two new phones while i still can on a subsidy.  The contracts will be in effect until their terms in then the subsidies go away.

My Sprint contacts a bit  higher up said they found nothing internally to validate these claims.

Verizon and AT&T still have grandfathered unlimited customers.  In the case of Verizon, grandfathered users I know watch for an unannounced subsidized phone upgrade period, typically over a weekend that lasts for just a few days.  They occur every six months to a year.  Both of the duopoly attempt to terrify grandfathered users into new plans.

My sprint rep called a couple of days ago and while i am keeping the plan i have grandfathered in the ability to have the subsidized phones goes away jan 1.  I have two upgrades available on a use it or lose it basis by jan 1 so i am grabbing two new phones while i still can on a subsidy.  The contracts will be in effect until their terms in then the subsidies go away.

I have noticed that I have not been able to see subsidized phones on the Sprint store since Thanksgiving with my Everything Datashare 1500 with 300MB roaming per line.  Of course without subsidized phones, this plan becomes significantly more expensive.  I was hoping to get at least to CAx3 phones. 

I have watched the wording carefully used by Marcello Claure.  While he promised to continue these plans, there was no mention of the phone subsidies. 

Of course we have heard about the end of these plans before so I am attempting verification from a credible source.  

These subsidized phone plans make upgrading a "no brainer" with full phone choice and you have a backup phone to cover you when your phone breaks (even with insurance).  Without them I would upgrade less often/consider other carriers.

Do you know which markets this is or have a list of pending transactions?

 Details here  (must be a Sponsor.)