Trip

I knew the auction was a flop from what my sister, who works for the FCC in being that she is with the division that does the financial collections for auctions. For a grand total of 17.7 billion dollars

 

Sent from my 2PYB2 using Tapatalk

Flop is, of course, a relative term here.  If AWS-3 hadn't adjusted people's expectations skyward, this auction would be considered a huge success.  It's already raised more than almost any other auction other than AWS-3, and bidding is on-going.

 

Nope, the 600 MHz auction has been a relative failure.  It has cleared far less spectrum than was originally hoped.  And it was on the cusp of being an abject failure -- until the most recent round when there was a wholly unexpected shift in supply and demand.

 

AJ

I'm inclined to disagree.  While there were certainly people who would have liked to see 126 MHz reallocated, the fact of the matter is that given the market-based mechanism behind it, broadcasters would have had to believe their businesses to be worth very little money to make that number work.  You can find plenty of analysts and experts who argued 84 MHz was the "sweet spot" going back several years.  The FCC allowed 126 (then 114, and 108) to go forward because it didn't want to pre-judge the market, not because it necessarily looked like those numbers were going to be feasible.

When you say things like "than was originally hoped", the necessary follow-up is "says who?"  Different people "hoped" different things.  I can rattle off lists of people who wanted 126, people who wanted 84, and people who wanted the whole thing to collapse.

- Trip

Can someone help me locate permits? I have no idea how to search for Sprint specifically. Below are links for my area.

 

Please help.

 

Much appreciated

 

http://permittingservices.montgomerycountymd.gov/DPS/general/Home.aspx

 

http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov/services/permits-and-inspections

Montgomery County's permit search doesn't provide terribly helpful information.  I would know, I've dug into it.

The closest I can get you to useful information is this:

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cable/towers/home.html

- Trip

Not for prepaid, only postpaid?

 

AJ

If one doesn't care about roaming, I suppose.

- Trip

If you want to pay less, buy or lease a cheaper device and cut back your service from "unlimited" data to a tiered plan.  You have those choices available.

Asterisk. T-Mobile already killed tiered data for new customers and it's entirely possible that Sprint may do the same down the road.

- Trip

Right beside SCP, I use Network Cell info myself.

NSG allows band locking, which is the reason I use it.  SCP does my actual logging; NSG is just there to lock my phone to a particular band.

If there's another app out there that does that, I'm all ears.  I don't actually like NSG that much for multiple reasons.

- Trip

Anyone using Network Signal Guru, DO NOT LET IT UPDATE.  They've now started nickel and diming every feature in it at insanely high prices.  I didn't actually look, but the latest reviews on Play store are saying between $20-$50 for 30 days.

The phone that impacts me least (my T-Mobile non-B12 phone) updated and NSG is essentially useless now.

- Trip

Sprint acquired some AWS spectrum in western Virginia and a 700mhz A block license in Memphis last year. If I were them, I would try to work out a trade with T-Mobile for that 10x10 800 block in Myrtle Beach and/or some PCS spectrum in spectrum constrained markets. The 800 spectrum T-Mobile holds in Myrtle beach is contiguous with Sprint's 800mhz so Sprint could run a 15x15 band 26 carrier (they would need to get equipment recertified) if they were to acquire it.

The nTelos AWS spectrum has already been traded away, I believe to US Cellular.

- Trip

Yes the fourth stage (to use the proper terminology) is the end of the auction, I'm not arguing that. My point is that the fourth stage isn't over yet. Bidding in the fourth stage is still going on (as explained in the link in my last post), unless it ended today but I can't find anything indicating that it has.

This is correct.  Bidding is on-going.

- Trip

So sexy!!! Did you do a speed test?

No, I don't do speed tests.  I am on a 3GB plan shared with my wife, so I can't be wasting data on them.  I don't even have a speed test app on my phone.

- Trip

Here we are, EARFCN values for DC and 3xCA on the LG G5 all in one.  http://imgur.com/kwOBG9k

- Trip

I'm horribly confused about what everyone is going on about here.  The 70 MHz sold is nationwide (split into PEAs for sale) and the bidding is on-going.  All that is known is that the auction will now close at this stage; the final forward auction price has yet to be determined.

- Trip

Here, at long last, is third carrier in DC:

http://imgur.com/F5H0zG5

And here's a capture of what I assume is a COW:

http://imgur.com/z56lfwo

Additionally, here's the gear for AT&T and Verizon that I spotted.

http://imgur.com/3FWr97U

http://imgur.com/1lP0SR7

In the second photo, you can see half of the AT&T logo at the bottom left.  I believe the antenna on the roof of the building to be Verizon.

- Trip

Broadcasters have a much better incentive.  Congress has mandated the FCC can only reimburse for three years.  Beyond that, broadcasters are on their own for any costs they incur.  Any extension will have to come from Congress itself, which is certainly possible, but much more likely to come with some kind of accountability.

- Trip

I really hope Sprint comes through and performs well for the Inauguration. Maybe it's just my impression from Trip's reports, but it seems like the other carriers are better prepared than Sprint is.

That's my impression as well.  I actually didn't get to go back over there today as I got a ride to my meeting, but I intend to wander around one day before or after work.  I will report what I see.

- Trip

Seems so. Sprint's release says:

 

"For nearly 12 months our team has been on the ground working hard to add additional network coverage and capacity. In preparation for January 20, we’ve doubled the capacity of our 1.9 GHz cell sites around the National Mall and DC Metro stations."

They're now running two 5x5 LTE carriers instead of just the single 5x5 on G-block.  That lit up a few months ago on select sites, including ones I've spotted in DC.  As best I can tell, it is NOT running inside the Metro stations.

The press release states that they have COWs set up with 3xCA to handle the load. I suspect they're just not powered up or not available for public connections. Inauguration isn't for another week.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

They need to hurry up if they intend to have third carrier live by next week.  It's still not running here, as far as I can determine.

I can't imagine why they would put the gear in place and then leave it off.  That seems ridiculous.  One thinks they would turn it on so that if there's some fault in it, it is more likely to become apparent before tens of thousands of people are depending on it.

- Trip

I'm always seeing these screens and don't know what they mean. Besides the band and the strength. Compared to the other 3 carriers what is Sprint doing wrong based on what you said in your comment?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In short, the issue is that the other three carriers have COWs or temporary equipment set up, and Sprint doesn't, at least not yet.  I was showing that I was connected to the normal Sprint site (which has a note indicating it's on the Department of Energy) while the others had no notes (indicating I'd connected to them for the first time). 

- Trip

I was really early today, so I got off at the Mall exit of Smithsonian Metro instead of the 12th and Independence exit.  Next to the Freer Gallery of Art (diagonally across from the Department of Agriculture building) is an AT&T COW.  Here's what I got from it:

B17:  http://imgur.com/nAkVtMk

B2:  http://imgur.com/0a3Lx44

B4:  http://imgur.com/pCiDEZw

B30:  http://imgur.com/ZNfw55i

On the roof of the building was another antenna, which I've concluded is temporary Verizon equipment:

B13:  http://imgur.com/NmXFSsh

B4:  http://imgur.com/X2Mk5Um

B2:  http://imgur.com/l64ZQst

Somewhere else on the mall there must be T-Mobile equipment.  My B12 capable phone is not with me, but here's what I did see:

B4:  http://imgur.com/I0dISzt

I forgot to check for Band 2.  I'll try to do that later this morning when I'm headed back over there to get on the Metro for a meeting.  I'll also try to get a picture of the Verizon and AT&T gear if possible. 

And then, to compare, here's what Sprint had:

http://imgur.com/QbbpFI6

Granted, there is still time, but the other carriers seem to be ready to go.  Not sure what Sprint is waiting for.

- Trip

Mike, I'd like to report a bug that I hope is pretty easy to fix.  When my new AT&T phone is connected to Band 30, the app display works fine, but the notification icon, rather than showing "LTE" without a band number (I remember your explanation about the icons), simply freezes on the last value it had.  See this picture I took of a Band 30 site this morning after using Network Signal Guru to force my phone onto it from Band 2:

http://imgur.com/ZNfw55i

You can't see from the picture, but all the text in the pull-down menu also freezes on the last value.

In lieu of making special "LTE 30" icons for it, just using the generic "LTE" icon would at least fix the display.

- Trip

Converted to hex, it's 03153C3B, which should be second carrier. 

- Trip

Here's an article from WTOP about the inauguration.  Sprint is only mentioned in passing.  http://wtop.com/inauguration/2017/01/cell-providers-gear-massive-inauguration-crowds/

- Trip

Trip, do you not use CellMapper?

Nope.  I've never managed to get any usable data out of it and the log files are hard to read.  I very much prefer SCP.

- Trip

On my way to work this morning, I locked my Verizon phone on Band 2 to see if more PCS has been added leading up to the inauguration.  I spotted it in Smithsonian Metro for the first time, but when I exited the station, I saw this:

http://imgur.com/O9m1brY

I don't know if it's a COW or a new permanent small cell.  If the weather holds out one day of next week (I won't be working Mon or Fri), I'll try to wander around and see what I can see.

Still no evidence of B41 third carrier.

- Trip

Sprint's Press Release is pretty emphatic about 3CA being live on sites for the Inauguration and 3CA COWs being brought in. Either it's doing a "press release" deployment, or it's really happening...

 

Sprint still has 10 days to light up 3CA and push an update to 3CA-capable devices. It's cutting it pretty close though by now.

Yeah, really close.  I've been watching for a third carrier to appear and so far, nothing.  Meanwhile, several AT&T sites near the Mall that I walk by daily now have 700/PCS/AWS/WCS all running (done in the past few weeks), Verizon turned on PCS in the Metro stations recently, and just today I spotted some T-Mobile GCIs I can't identify.  No changes with Sprint.

- Trip

Basically all the markets where B41 3rd carrier is on air. That's most Samsung and Ericsson/Nokia markets. We've been aware of most of them for some time. The markets currently lacking 3rd carrier (or at least confirmation) are generally limited to ALU/Nokia markets.

I have yet to observe third carrier in the DC market, which I'm pretty sure is an ALU market.  Wonder when it will go live.

- Trip

Tell that to San Fran, Berkeley and every high priced suburb in the US.

I'm sure they're aware.

- Trip