RedSpark

More from Dr. Saw: https://twitter.com/SprintCTO/status/956905586788102150 We’ve deployed 3CA on approximately 400 2.5 GHz cell sites across #Minneapolis. The big game is almost a week away and we’ve kicked the @Sprint network into high gear. #WorksForMe sprint.co/2yZtofa

With enough capex, crews and available equipment, I’m hopeful it can happen.

Interesting Tweets from: John Saw: https://twitter.com/SprintCTO/status/956344069709496320 Joe Meyer: https://twitter.com/SprintNetwk/status/956265856668983296 We’ll see what we hear during the upcoming Earnings Call, but things look like they’re kicking into high gear.

iOS 11.2.5 is out: https://www.macworld.com/article/3250825/operating-systems/apple-releases-ios-11-2-5-with-homepod-support-siri-news-and-bug-fixes.html

Sprint Corporation Schedules Fiscal 2017 Third Quarter Results Announcement 2/2/2018 http://investors.sprint.com/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2018/Sprint-Corporation-Schedules-Fiscal-2017-Third-Quarter-Results-Announcement/default.aspx Any predictions?

Dr. Saw: https://twitter.com/SprintCTO/status/954371360482037761 “.@usbankstadium isn’t the only place to watch the big game in Minneapolis… @Sprint network’s new DAS is up and running at @TargetCenterMN with another great place to be for @Sprint customer’s on Feb 4th. “

Looks like Sprint finally got a Speed Test server located in Washington DC in the App! Prior to this, there was only one in Elkridge, MD. I hope Sprint continues to place its own servers in cities nationwide. It’s the best way for Sprint to get reliable Speed Test Data from the App. Is there one in Minneapolis?

Ahhhhh... ok. Does it work well? I’ve done mapping in the Rootmetrics App. The National Mall Corridor and the Southwest Waterfront areas of DC could use some new Speed Tests. Haven’t had a chance to get over there yet. Any takers? Anyone here in the Minneapolis area? Would love to see the network maps based on Sprint’s upgrades.

Comparison of Preparation Work: Sprint: http://newsroom.sprint.com/network-big-game.htm Verizon: http://www.verizon.com/about/news/blizzard-snaps-streams-and-shares-forecast-super-bowl-lii AT&T: http://about.att.com/story/att_boosts_minneapolis_area_mobile_coverage_for_pro_footballs_big_game.html T-Mobile: https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/news-and-blogs/superbowl-network-prep.htm

Coverage Map feature? I just got an update for the Speed Test App for iOS today, but I don’t see this in the App. Am I missing it somehow?

https://twitter.com/SprintNetwk/status/954001580684128257 An inside view of Sprint’s preparation work and its Network Operations Center.

Hopefully there’s enough conspicuous signage to tell people to use the WiFi.

Yeah, assuming Sprint has the Capex available and the equipment is available in sufficient supply, these Network improvements should happen quite rapidly because they’ll be sidestepping the permit process.

It’s awesome! I would love to see a partnership with RCN next! It would definitely help out here in DC! I don’t see Comcast going for it given its partnership with Verizon.

The My Sprint App for iOS has just been updated to support Face ID! Yay!

Up to Sprint to deliver on game day! We’ll see! Interesting that there’s no mention of Sprint COWs/COLT’s as part of its preparation.

Info about Sprint’s upgrades here: http://newsroom.sprint.com/network-big-game.htm

That’s a great question! Curious to know this as well. Perhaps they can be used to replace old Clearwire equipment?

Perhaps the jump to Massive MIMO was worth waiting for instead of accelerating an 8T8R deployment? Isn’t the installation footprint for Massive MIMO about the same as 8T8R?

That’s been my thinking on this as well. Why was Sprint investing in equipment that was limited in tech and coverage? Perhaps the plan all along was to have these Mini Macros be a stop gap due to price and then Sprint would remove them and move them to another market once the macro tower build progressed enough.

Interesting development from SoftBank: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-softbank-group-ipo/softbank-considers-ipo-for-japan-wireless-unit-said-to-seek-18-billion-idUSKBN1F30Y3

Didn’t it happen at 11:45 AM PT/2:45 PM ET? https://www.veracast.com/webcasts/citigroup/tmt2018/16208149403.cfm

From today’s discussion with T-Mobile’s CFO: https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/t-mobile-execs-lament-failure-sprint-merger-but-you-never-say-never “This team was highly convicted that we had a unique opportunity for value creation with the Sprint deal,” said T-Mobile CFO Braxton Carter. “Very conservatively, there were at least $37 billion of hard synergy [in the now-collapsed deal]. Mostly in the network. You know, Neville [Ray, T-Mobile’s CTO] and his team for 4-5 months built the most detailed Newco [combined T-Mobile and Sprint] network model—it was a thing of beauty. … But it wasn’t meant to be.” Added Carter: “Could something happen in the future? You never say never.” ———— I wonder what that network model looked like. AND “It’s a shame it didn’t happen,” he said, noting that T-Mobile’s leadership team formed tight relationships with their counterparts at Sprint during months of negotiations between the two companies. Indeed, he said he plans to go fishing with Sprint’s outgoing CFO Tarek Robbiati in New Zealand sometime this year. However, Carter said that the value of a potential merger between Sprint and T-Mobile is going to decline as Sprint continues to invest in improving its network. “Some of those synergies will dissipate,” Carter said. ———— Interesting how Sprint’s continued network investment would negatively impact synergies for a merger. Was CapEx slowed down for this reason?

It was essentially free money and spectrum, minus the billed attorney fees of course... but T-Mobile definitely hit the jackpot and that’s what gave it momentum to snowball to where it is today. Sprint still has plenty of time to turn this around, and win customers back, but it needs to do it with a better network product or they won’t come back. If 2018 is really Sprint’s year to shine, it will need to get Band 41 on the ~50% of its sites that don’t yet have it and it will have to blanket other areas with small cells as fill-in or densification until new macro sites are added or upgraded. I’m a believer it can be done, but Sprint needs to have substantial committed CapEx for the foreseeable future to get the Network there. I hope accelerated work is already underway that Dr. Saw can talk about tomorrow at CES.

It was actually quite a bit: https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/att-and-t-mobile-whats-2-billion-among-friends/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/12/att-admits-defeat-on-t-mobile-takeover-will-pay-4-billion-breakup-fee/ and it started the ball rolling on T-Mobile’s LTE Network build: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/02/t-mobile-takes-3-billion-att-breakup-fee-builds-4g-lte-network/