Scott

Thanks.

Are you saying that a Sprint SIM currently being used in an unlocked S8+ will also be able to be used in an unlocked S10+ even though they have different part numbers in Sprint's system?

If they allowed BYOD, I might switch to Spectrum Mobile when my free year with Sprint is up at the end of the month because $45 for unlimited with a single line isn't a bad deal. I guess they won't be getting my money.

Sprint updated the coverage map on its site today, and it now shows a solid swath of LTE through Queensbury and Lake George, all the way up to Bolton Landing. I believe the LG-BL area was still showing 3G on the last version of the map. So it looks like they've been doing work up there in addition to getting B41 up and running in Glens Falls. Sprint is finally putting some money into upgrading the network in this area, it seems. That is long overdue, and could keep me from leaving Sprint when my free year is up in the summer.

I picked up a second B41 carrier as well, according to SignalCheck, on Thursday. I ran a speed test in the parking lot behind Raul's that was just under 70mbps down and about 2mbps up. Hopefully it's just the start of B41 around here and it'll expand to the surrounding towns sooner than later.

I picked up a B41 signal this morning in Glens Falls for the first time that I've noticed, and I pass through downtown every weekday on my way to and from work. It was showing as B41 every time I checked SignalCheck Pro until I got close to my office about 3-4 miles away, near exit 18. I'm getting B25 in the office, which could be because I'm indoors. I ran a couple speed tests in downtown Glens Falls and was getting about 15-16mbps. The further away from downtown that I got, the more the speeds dropped toward 10mbps (and below that at times). I chalk those speeds up to the B41 being new and probably not optimized yet. I live in Queensbury, a few miles north of Glens Falls, and have had my LTE going in and out a lot since last week (per the SignalCheck notification I get when I connect to an LTE signal), but haven't seen B41 yet at home. If they're upgrading the towers in this area, that could be an explanation for my in-and-out LTE signal lately, right?

I don't think there's a reason why, Albany likely just hasn't been a high priority for Sprint regarding a B41 rollout. Having said that, there is some B41 now in downtown Albany via mini-macros (I posted some speed test results in this thread a few weeks ago, if you want to look for them). Hopefully that's a sign that broader B41 coverage is on the way in the Albany area sooner rather than later.

The DOJ reviews potential antitrust issues in mergers. The FCC is supposed to look at whether the merger is in the public interest, which includes reduced competition. So the FCC could reject the merger on the grounds that the reduced competition is not in the public interest. I do not, however, see Chairman Pai doing that because he is so pro-business. From the FCC's FAQ about merger reviews: Q: What is the FCC’s public interest standard/test? A: Under section 310(d) of the Communications Act, we determine whether a proposed transaction will serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. First, we determine if the application complies with provisions of the Act and our Commission rules. If it does, then we consider whether granting the application could result in public interest harms by substantially frustrating or impairing the objectives or implementation of the Communications Act or related statutes. Competition, diversity, localism, and encouraging the provision of advanced services to all Americans are among the principle objectives of the Act. We also consider what potential public benefits might occur because of the transaction. We balance the potential public interest harms against the potential benefits. The Applicants bear the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the proposed transaction, on balance, will serve the public interest.

I'm in downtown Albany for a little while this afternoon and noticed my phone is connected to B41 on a mini-macro site (if I'm understanding Signal Check Pro's MM indicator correctly). I'm getting a signal of -98 and download speed of 57 Mbps indoors. I've linked screenshots to the SCP screen and the speed test result below. I'm leaving Albany shortly so won't be able to do any further investigating today. https://goo.gl/photos/1QuE2zjyYErANDFm9 https://goo.gl/photos/1WVN9ykCtZPpCoam9 After stepping outside for a minute, my signal was hovering in the highs 80s/low 90s but the speeds were a little slower than the indoor test linked above.

Bad student

According to this article, there was no money involved when Google named Android 4.4 Kit Kat and I imagine Google has a similar (promotional) agreement with Nabisco for Oreo.

Monkey wrench

I haven't been in Albany long enough to do any kind of tests. Since there's no B41, I'd imagine the speeds are similar to what I experience up here, if not a little slower since I'm sure there are more users down there, potentially putting a bigger strain on the network. Agreed about the speeds being sufficient, that's why I said the network is good enough. My complaint with Sprint is the lack of consistency with the LTE coverage around here, not the speeds (I was fine with the 8 Mbps cap I had on Cricket). It doesn't surprise me that other carriers also suffer in Lake George. It's not easy for them to build/upgrade towers there because the residents have a NIMBY attitude and usually fight the carriers when they want to improve the service.

No B41 at all in the Albany area that I've experienced since I switched back to Sprint. And that's with using a Galaxy S8+, which should get the best service/coverage Sprint has around here. As I said in my last post, no noticeable improvement since I left Sprint a year ago. That's pretty sad. And if it stays this way a year from now, I'll be switching again when my free year is up (if not before then).

I live in Queensbury. I left Sprint last July and switched to Cricket, then I came back to Sprint last month for the free year promo they're running. I honestly haven't noticed any improvement from a year ago when I switched. LTE is usable (usually 10-15 Mbps) in most areas of Glens Falls (particularly downtown) and Queensbury, but the further north in Queensbury you go (toward Lake George) you lose LTE. And LTE (or 3G for that matter) doesn't work well in buildings (especially big-box stores). Honestly, I'd still be on Cricket if it wasn't for the free year of service from Sprint. My office is about a quarter-mile from a Sprint tower so I have good LTE service there and that's good enough for me since I'm on Wi-Fi at home. It's good enough but if you're looking for the best LTE coverage or the fastest speeds, you won't find it in this area with Sprint. I was pulling down 90 Mbps speeds on 3xCA a couple weeks ago when I was in Houston. You won't find those sorts of speeds here. I haven't been to Lake George since I switched back, but from what I hear from other Sprint customers there's still no LTE up there, which isn't surprising given the lack of LTE I experience the closer I get to Lake George.

I called the Sprint telesales number to get a SIM card to switch back to Sprint for the free year promo they're running, and when I gave the rep my address (north of Saratoga), she said I'm covered by Sprint's LTE Plus network where I live. That's news to me. There definitely wasn't any B41 in the area before I ported out to Cricket in July, and Sprint's coverage map still doesn't show any LTE Plus coverage in the Albany area. I suspect she was mistaken in telling me it's available here, but I should find out in a couple days after I get the SIM. I'll report back here when I find out.

Mouse Trap

The link above for the free year of unlimited data promo is live again

Showbiz Pizza

Nothing in the Albany area (or anywhere in the eastern half of NY north of about Kingston) for B41. It's better in the western part of the state, I believe.

If by "throttling," you mean being depriotized after using 22GB of data in a month, my understanding is that applies to people on the ED1500 plan who have upgraded their phone since 10/15/15 (which you apparently have if you have 18 months to go on your contract). It's not specific to any particular plan. It's only under certain conditions, but I believe you could be subject to it if the conditions are met, even though you're on ED1500. https://www.reddit.com/r/Sprint/comments/3pbyp5/sprints_new_network_management_for_unlimited_users/

MetroPCS has now made its $50/5GB plan unlimited (with 480p video and no tethering) to go along with its $60 unlimited plan with 8GB of tethering and HD video. Both prices include taxes and fees.

Also a promo of two lines for $100 on T-Mobile One. https://twitter.com/JohnLegere/status/831241370341761025 One question people are asking in the responses to his tweets is if you need to activate HD passes daily for the HD video or if it'll be automatic. Good question, but I haven't seen him answer it yet.

It was actually their CFO, I made a typo in my previous post.