xcharles718

Sprint 800MHz devices would put them align them with a couple Asian LTE networks. http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/688-lte-fragmentationany-hopefully-a-solution/

Interesting. If they buyout Clearwire's shares(and the soon to next cable operators), this would really help both Sprint and China Mobile. I do see, however, if this does happen, Clearwire's network will have to remain separate from the NV tower architecture to avoid any problems from the DoD, since they see any Chinese company with direct access to a major U.S. telecom network as a threat to national security. Overall, Sprint would no longer have to worry about keeping Clearwire afloat and the expansion of the TD-LTE network throughout Clearwire's footprint. However, this will bring competition to Sprint's front door.

Sprint has a 7x7 spectrum setup in ESMR. This totals up to 14MHz, not 14x14.

Here's a pic of Sprint's fiber network in N. America. Or maybe it's this, can't really tell the difference.

If it can be done in a timely matter and within NV's budget, i'm all for it.

Clearwire's 2.5GHz LTE network still has to be deployed. That isn't going to launch until June of next year. If an phone's antenna can be reused(amps n all) for a different network technology(like what's done on the Lumina 900), theoretically(AFAIK), the EVO 4G LTE can do Band 26 LTE. However, how to get something certified that has yet been given the legal OK? CDMA operations on 800MHz was given the OK before the EVO 3D hit the FCC. Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

I think that the reason for no 800 LTE(Band 26) devices more has to due with the fact that Sprint has yet to get the OK from the FCC for wideband deployment. It doesn't seem to be a technological one. Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

When will Boost iDEN subscribers get some notification on the shutdown? Will a SDC-like service be available on Boost? Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

Keyboards FTW! Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

U tease

I wonder why doesn't microwave their own fiber when they can? They do have fiber in a few U.S. cities but not the metro loops needed to bring them to the tower. So I wonder if they ever considered microwaving it from their IP Node to the tower.

There are currently a total of 43 different LTE band classes in the world. Very likely, more bands classes will come into fruition in the future. However, many of these band classes are somewhat redundant. Here's one such example. Band Class 2 covers the U.S. PCS Spectrum bands(at least most of them). Band 2 covers frequencies 1930-1990MHz on downlink and 1850-1910MHz on uplink. This is the FCC’s PCS A-F blocks. Around the time Sprint announced the EVO 4G(April 2010), Sprint requested a band extension from the 3GPP for Band 2. They asked for this so that it can also cover the G block(has you might know, is what Sprint’s LTE network will operate on at launch). The extension was eventually approved, but it ended up creating a new Band #(in this case, Band 25). This is not a true extension of Band 2, but pretty much covered what Sprint requested. Band Class 25 covers the frequencies 1930-1995MHz for downlink and 1850-1915MHz for uplink. As you can probably forumate from above, Band 25= Band 2 + G Block. I can understand that creating a new band class does help prevent confusion on if a device supports a certain frequency, or that manufacturers can just create new devices using the newer bands instead of the older ones that covers less possible networks. The thing is that LTE is young, new, and still adapting to the world's different frequency blocks across the globe. Band classes will continue to grow for at least the next few years. Some carriers may opt to buy new spectrum and deploy LTE there. Other(like Sprint & T-Mobile USA) would refarm and use spectrum they already own. This makes building a multi-carrier device a bit of a pain at this time since most devices are incompatible with other networks, even one within a close MHz range. One example is the 700MHz spectrum in the U.S.(which will be discussed in another article) One solution I see for this is the true extension of band classes to include new bands. For this, I would opt for all band classes to be given “draft” status, along with a revision label be given to every time a new request for an extension of a band class is approved instead of a new band class number. For example, Band 2 & 25. With the addition of a spectrum block to band 2, instead of creating Band 25(or 26 or etc.), use a revision marker for the same band class. So if in 2010, PCS bands(without G block) for LTE was called Band 2, PCS w/G Block would become the new Band 2. A revision number would be associated with each small change to the band along with “draft” status to the class number, but all future devices w/ this band number will include the updated frequency range. After a few years, the band class would be finalized and no additional changes can or will be made. This will prevent redundant band classes, intentional use of older bands(anticompetitive practices), and excessive phone revisions of the same phone(no more “one size fits one” and more “one size fits many”). I’ll end this write-up with the growing possibility of LTE roaming in the near future. South Korea carrier’s SK Telecom & LG Telecom(LG U+) currently operate their LTE networks at 800MHz(Band 5). Sprint has just received approval for Band Class 26(an extended Band 5 to support ESMR). If both the Korean carriers decided to sell new devices with Band 26 support along with Sprint, could this be the beginning of internationality compatible LTE devices? Sources: Niviuk(http://niviuk.free.fr/lte_band.php), 3GPP(Band 25[http://www.3gpp.org/.../RP-110804.zip ] Band 26[http://www.3gpp.org/.../RP-120305.zip] ), Engadget, LG U+ (Korean[http://www.uplus.co.kr/])

Near Rockaway Ave & Fulton St Brooklyn, NY ~100ft SW of Grand Av & 54 St Brooklyn, NY

Maybe I'll actually type that article. About 1/3rd done.

I was originally planning a big article-size post about band class redundancy and standardization, but hands started cramping This is the HTC Raider 4G for SK Telecom in South Korea. http://www.htc.com/k...aider-4g/#specs This SK Telecom LTE device uses LTE Band Class 5. Sprint, for their 800MHz, is using Band Class 26. Class 26 is Class 5 extended for ESMR frequencies. Maybe if SK starts using Band Class 26 in their devices, maybe it can be the beginning of cross-carrier LTE devices?

Well, there are places that have iDEN service but no Sprint CDMA coverage for a few miles. Maybe "markets" wasn't the best choice of word, but I'm particularly referring to these areas. Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

I was wondering, is NV going to be deployed in iDEN-only markets?

By any chance anyone knows of the status of the iDEN load on ESMR? I was just wondering if there is some open spectrum in 800MHz, maybe Sprint can opt to let the few 800MHz-enabled devices to use that(CDMA 800) for some time in-market. It's not a long-term solution, nor does it provide 3G(but 1x data speed peak at 507Kbps), but it does takeoff some of the load on 1900. Viable?

Coverage looks pretty solid there(especially compared to WiMAX). I could just imagine that w/ some 800MHz LTE layover, mmm....

I was only trying to understand if the a 5x5 setup at 1900 would hold more customers compared to 700. I aware that more towers would be needed to cover the same amount of area has 700 word. However, I thought that higher frequenices can hold more subscribers compared to lower ones. For example(for this), a cell site at 700 can hold 200 subscriber connections compared to a 1900 site that can hold 700 subscriber connections. I was trying to verify if what i thought is true. Sorry for the mis-wording. Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

This is due to multiple cells. More cells would allow for more capacity. I was wondering more in the case of capacity of one 1900 tower compared to one 700MHz. Would 1900MHz allow it to hold more "bits of data" per MHz compared to 700MHz? Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

Does Sprint's deployment at 1900MHz play into how the network handle capacity for users?(As compared to a similar 5x5 setup at 700MHz.) Sent from my HTC Titan using Board Express

I assume so, but I'm not sure. In the case of the 3rd-Gen EVO, I believe either a physical or "virtual" card is somewhere in there(since the phone is given a ICCID No.(Normally on the card itself)).

It isn't. Even though it's a card, it's not to be removed. If you need to swap devices, you do pretty much what most CDMA carriers do now and call in for a ESN/MEID swap.

Easier to swap between LTE devices. If your source is correct, this means that Sprint is probably using UCCID cards. These cards(and the ICCID) are unique to the phone(and it's MEID) and not the card itself. This meaning that if a card(for example, a Sprint Galaxy Nexus w/ a UCCID card) was swapped into a another Sprint device, it would not work. Currently, MetroPCS uses this and they also can not swap a card between devices, even though it's user accessible.