ericdabbs

So about them Verizon wireless plans!!!! Who hates them?????? I would if I were an out of contract 3G Verizon customer.

I believe they've already stated they can only "thin" out 9600 sites without adversely affecting coverage, outside of building penetration.

Yes I understand that the purpose is to "thin" out unnecessary iDEN towers. The 9600 sites will be done by the end of 3rd quarter so that means Sprint has all of the 4th quarter to continue thinning out towers as necessary. Lets not kid ourselves here, eventually all 30,000 iDEN towers need to be decommissioned anyways. As more and more iDEN customers leave Sprint or switch to Sprint CDMA, I am sure in some regions they could just decommission all the iDEN sites in that area.

I was just talking to one of my friends who has Verizon service and he was bummed out about the new shared data plans because he wanted to get the GS3 and lock it in before the phone plans changed. However my friend thought about a way to get the GS3 and lock in his unlimited data.

It seems like Verizon didn't think the release dates of the shared plans (June 28th) and the GS3 (July 9th) all the way through because Verizon has a 14 day return window for service. I am not sure if Verizon offers the same benefit as Sprint but I know on Sprint you are allowed to switch your initial device for a new device once within your first 30 days (now 14 days).

If Verizon does offer this benefit, my friend is thinking about extending his 2 year contract and pick up a RAZR MAXX on June 27th and on July 9th swap it for a GS3 and paying any difference in phone prices and restocking fees. July 9th would only be the 12th day of his first 14 days. This way he can get the GS3 and still have his unlimited data. Anyone with Verizon service can verify if you can swap out your initial device within your first 14 days for another device? If so this could be the loophole that I can see people doing to get the GS3.

I wonder how many iDEN sites Sprint can get rid of by the end of 2012. I am hoping for at least 13000 iDEN sites.

All I can say is ouch!!!! Now I am really glad I did not go to Verizon. The shared everything plans do not benefit anyone except those who are on unlimited voice plans. Looks like those folks who were waiting to grab the GS3 and lock into the unlimited data are screwed now since the GS3 on Verizon doesn't launch until July 9th.

Verizon's pricing is getting very close to Canadian carriers pricing for data.

I have not see any news about Las Vegas getting LTE or even when?

Definitely not until mid to late 2013. Its most likely a 3rd round market which hasn't been announced yet.

Why would

Sold out all my shares of CLWR today on the news. (In at 1.28 out at 1.19)

 

My gut feeling is that DISH is going to team up with Sprint when they get approval from FCC on spectrum this summer.

Sprint is on Dish's side in filings with FCC and T-Mobile and Metro PCS are fighting the Dish new spectrum approval req.

 

If Sprint partners up with Dish the CLWR stock should tank ??? Then jump, when some one buys out CLWR ?

 

We will see ?

 

Cheers.

Why would a Dish deal hurt Clearwire? I don't think Dish is trying to be a wholesale provider of LTE but rather be able to offer LTE service for its customers. It would simply be a network sharing deal where Sprint will help Dish build out their LTE network using their 2 GHz spectrum and Sprint gets a cut of the revenue to fund operational costs and cash for Sprint. I am sure Sprint will try to have terms like Lightsquared where they will say that they can have some access to the 2 GHz spectrum but I am not sure if Dish will bite.

Either way, Sprint is dependent on Clearwire for LTE capacity since they can deploy 20 and 40 MHz carriers which is way more impressive than what Dish can do for long term. At most Dish can deploy a single 20x20 LTE carrier or two 10x10 LTE carriers.

That works the best right after the next model is released. Now, I'm not so sure that you would do too well with that plan.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Agree with that. Best time to strike is after the next model is released.

Not until mid to late 2013 at the earliest.

If Clearwire would adopt beamforming, it would help downlink transmission tremendously. There are increased energy costs associated with beamforming and more panels.

 

However, with beamforming, Clearwire may even be able to achieve PCS spacing. And then could just jump on Sprint NV sites.

 

Robert via Kindle Fire using Forum Runner

What does Clearwire currently do? If beamforming does increase coverage then they need to do it since they must take advantage of any techniques that can increase the poor 2.5 GHz propagation. I am sure the RRU's on the top of Clearwire towers must have helped with coverage. I can't imagine what the 2.5 GHz Wimax coverage would be like if it didn't adopt RRU's up high on the towers.

I wonder if Sprint is planning to implement beamforming for its microwave backhaul and for its antennas.

I look at it just to see if the same breed of bashers are still there but I don't comment on there anymore. I love discussions in this community a lot more than there and not to mention the Network Vision information that Robert provides us.

I was wondering if there were any update for Phoenix? I heard rumors that they were going to start on about 30 sites next month. Is that true? Thanks for any info!

Where did you hear this rumor? I don't think that is true. Last time I heard Phoenix is scheduled for late 2nd round and probably won't start breaking ground until early 2013.

People live on the canadian border?

 

I kid, I kid...

Yes I am worried about cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Seattle, etc that won't be able to get 800 MHz LTE. Seattle might just be limited to 3x3 MHz LTE but who knows.

Depending upon the specifics of the agreement, this new spectrum sharing protocol with Mexico could allow Sprint to deploy the full complement of 5 MHz x 5 MHz LTE in near border markets, specifically San Diego, where Sprint is currently limited at best to 3 MHz x 3 MHz LTE.

 

AJ

I hope this is true. I would love to see 5 MHz x 5 MHz LTE in San Diego. Now all that needs to happen is for the FCC to sign the same sharing agreement with Canada so that those cities near the Canadian border can get in on this action.

The whole 4G nomenclature is annoying in my opinion on iOS devices. I was in Vegas last week, and a guy who works with my girl was on his AT&T iPhone showing off how it was a 4G iPhone

 

I gave up trying to explain the difference, and sent back to the pool to drink.

Its best not to think about it. Lets the ignorant stay ignorant I guess. iOS is suppose to have a "LTE" icon like it does on the iPad 3 in the screenshots above and the Google Nexus phones just say "4G" if they are connected to LTE. There is never going to be one uniform icon to let you know you are connected over LTE so its no point in thinking about it anymore.

Please refer to this thread for information. Baltimore is scheduled to be one of the first markets to get LTE. Read the article for more information. There have been too many threads about people asking about LTE live status and most of the questions could be answered in the articles from the thread below.

http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/212-network-visionlte-deployment-running-list/

This is good news for future LTE devices in late 2012 and 2013 phones. I don't know exactly the 7 LTE bands that it will support, but I guess that it will be the 700 MHz, 800 MHz ESMR, 850 MHz Cellular, 1700/2100 MHz AWS, 1900 MHz PCS, 2500 Mhz EBS/BRS and maybe 1800 MHz international band.

Manufacturers will start getting samples of the chip in July 2012.

http://www.slashgear.com/qualcomm-developing-lte-chip-that-supports-7-spectrum-bands-06232628/

http://www.intomobile.com/2012/06/06/qualcomm-has-figured-out-support-multiple-700-mhz-4g-lte-networks/

I dont believe it. Most people wont know, or care that they are connected to wimax, lte, or a 28.8 dialup modem..... they only care about 4G, which is dipicted by the "4G" icon already. If you are a totally nerd who has no life but to go on a messageboard and post weither or not LTE should be included in the connection status, then you already know that your phone is made for LTE and cannot connect to a wimax network anyways.

 

I would lol for real if mom and pop were sitting around looking at their 4G icon, going "am i connected to LTE or WiMax..... I DONT KNOW!!!"

They do care what type of "4G" they are connecting to. Not all "4G" connections are created equal. Since AT&T, Verizon, Tmobile and Sprint have botched the "4G" name with the introduction of Wimax, HSPA+, its nice to make it clear that they are connecting over LTE. Its called "word" association...when people hear LTE it equates to really fast, HSPA+ equates to fast and Wimax equates to slow. I know its a nitpicky thing and I think of it as more of a reassurance and marketing thing. Like I said if AT&T is distinguishing 4G HSPA+ from 4G LTE then why not Sprint. Heck even the iPad 3 distinguishes between LTE and HSPA+ with the "LTE" logo in the pic when connecting over LTE and a "4G" logo when connecting over HSPA+.

Unless things have changed recently, iPad 3's say LTE when connected to LTE and 4G when connected to HSPA.

 

 

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

Now that I think about it, you might be right about that. Still its weird how Apple does everything so differently than everyone else.

I am totally fine with Virgin and Boost mobile selling prepaid iphone. If people are willing to chuck out $500 bucks to get the latest iPhone on prepaid, I am all for it. Sprint has to sell iPhones worth 15 billion to hold up their end of the deal so whatever they need to do to achieve it is fine with me.

I watched some videos of a bunch of Verizon 4G phones. Apparently the GNex is the only one of Verizon's LTE phones that only displays a "4G" icon, the rest appear to have a "4G LTE" icon.

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Yeah that is because Google Nexus phones didnt put the graphic pic to differentiate between 4G HSPA+ and LTE. Google doesn't really care about that. I am sure the iPhone 5 won't differentiate either since the iPad 3 Verizon and AT&T versions earlier this year didn't have a 4G LTE icon when connected over LTE.

I just think it would be great for Sprint to follow AT&T and Verizon and add the 4GLTE logo when connecting over LTE so that the majority of the customers will know they are using LTE. I think it looks pretty good. Believe it or not, without the 4G LTE logo, some folks might think they are still connecting over Wimax. I still find it very weird that some folks still have not heard of LTE considering the huge marketing campaign by AT&T and especially Verizon for LTE.

What does Verizon use as an indicator in the top bar? I know AT&T uses 3G for regular 3G, 4G for HSPA+, and 4G LTE for LTE.

Verizon uses the "4G LTE" logo on their phones when connected over LTE.

I think I know the answer to this but does Wimax handoff to 3G seamlessly? Usually I don't turn on 3G and Wimax together at the same time but I decided to turn on both 3G and Wimax together streaming Netflix do it one time since I go through this route which I know I always lose my Wimax connection and was hoping my 3G connection would take over and continue streaming. I noticed that the 3G doesn't take over and on my phone screen it just shows the 4G scanning icon. I was hoping that Wimax would initiate 2 retries and then fail and switch over to 3G.

I know this won't be a problem with LTE since EVDO and LTE use eHRPD protocol to bridge between the 2 networks.

for Chicago - are they going to wait till the whole area is ready to flip the switch? I understand the Elgin --> Rockford area is complete (which is where I live) so would be nice if they turned that on soon....

Not gonna happen any time soon. Downtown Chicago hasn't even started yet. Probably won't be done until Oct at the very earliest.

hopefully those that live in these 4 markets can report back if they actually got the text message on 6/7 and the proposed launch date for that particular market