bigsnake49

You mean, he of the "Big Stick"?

I'm with you. If there were 4 competitors all pretty much within 5% points of marketshare then I could see the DOJ blocking them from merging. But they have created a monster in allowing the big two to have a duopoly while the other two are fighting for scraps.

If they wanted to go all 3GPP, they could do partial WCDMA or GSM on the SMR spectrum now devoted to 1x. Or they could just forget the whole thing and go to VoLTE directly.

Yes, and I think Sprint has already pitched it to regulators behind closed doors. Along with Dish providing fixed broadband on its (EBS) spectrum.

Are you suggesting that Dish takes over either Sprint or most likely T-Mobile's network minus the spectrum?

Because of the spectrum screen, Sprint will have to divest spectrum and I can see them divesting the EBS spectrum. Actually trading it to Dish for the 2000-2020MHz+PCS Block H. For Sprint it will satisfy the SEC, it will get them spectrum adjacent to Block H and they get to host Dish's spectrum to boot.

I would think that voice will definitely migrate to T-Mobile's HSPA+42. I can also see them using the SMR 1x channel for GSM voice. Of course VoLTE will be the end target and all of this will be immaterial, except for roamers. If they merge I hope they just beef up coverage.

Oh there is a Dish deal in the works in all of this.

It's all a matter of perception. Legere and T-Mobile come across as the innovators and will help sell the merger. As in with John Legere the combined company will be a lot more aggressive.

Yep, I always supported leasing the spectrum to the carriers or broadcasters with monthly or yearly payments instead of a big chunk.

Which reminds me, when does Dish have to buildout their spectrum by?

Maybe in the old days of voice that would be impressive, but really it has to be tempered by the fact that all of that spectrum is FDD so divide it by 2 and in sprint's case the TDD should be be multiplied by 2/3. Then each frequency band should be weighed by its propagation characteristics so that it can be compared on an apples vs apples basis. While that is a great propaganda tool by the AT&T shills (not that you are one), it is not accurate. FCC engineers will know better. Sprint said as much in its filing to the FCC: http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprint-fccs-spectrum-screen-proposal-will-give-advantage-att-verizon/2014-05-05

Yeah, they can start with a few pCells but eventually they will have to cover the whole country. You still have to build around 45-50,000 sites.

I just want to know the business plan for Sprint & Dish for using something like this. What will they use it for? Just shoring up weak spots in their coverage and/or capacity? Fixed broadband? Wireless cable? OTT? All of the above?

Perlman himself said that they're working with Dish.

There are so many NDAs, even NDAs have NDAs, but read between the lines. It's getting tested on 2.6GHz and 2.2 GHz. The articles above is as much public info as you are going to get.

Sprint is already testing it on BRS/EBS spectrum. Dish is also testing it.

Anyway, Sprint does not need AWS-3. I am pretty sure that Dish will bid for the unpaired portion1695-1710 MHz, and then combine it with the 2180-2200MHz sliver. They can then combine their PCS-H block and their 2000-2020MHz and trade it to Sprint for some EBS spectrum. Sprint can then combine it with their PCS G block to form a 30x10MHz block. I don't think too many people will bid for the 1695-1710Mhz block since it is only an uplink.

Divest as in sell it? If they can swap it for SMR that will be great.

Sprint will participate in th 600MHz auction. You can take that to the bank. As far as trying to expand SMR to 9x9MHz, how do you propose to do that? Now Sprint also has some 900MHz spectrum which will undergo rebanding to form a 3x3Mhz LTE band and a 2x2MHz LMR band. They are actually better off selling that to utilities for smart grid applications.

If HSPA+42 is completeley migrated to PCS, then great, no problem! The only problem that I see is CDMA on 1x/SMR and cellular. It will be available to Sprint customers but not to T-Mobile customers. Unless T-Mobile customers can roam on AT&T, then there will definitely be an uneven network footprint.

Sprint's and also Clearwire's problem was money.

Call continuity between CDMA and WCDMA is not strictly necessary. It will be great if it can be continued from one network to the other, but lets' face it, both voice networks will be phased out in favor of VoLTE. There will be plenty of PCS spectrum for not just 1 but 2 or 3 WCDMA PCS channels on the combined network. I would like to see the layout of T-Mobile/Sprint holdings in the PCS band. HSPA+42 is no longer necessary since the advent of LTE. Sprint is already going to use 700MHz for roaming purposes. They will bid on 600MHz but by all indications they will bypass AWS-3. Which brings up what is the Feds's great fear that if Sprint and T-Mobile combine, the combined company will not bid on AWS-3, thereby reducing the auction proceeds considerably. Sprint is paying for T-Mobile's customers and spectrum, not their network. I am sure certain network elements will be reused, certain T-Mobile sites will become NV sites.

Well said ...medic . We have been through all the ups and downs, we have rehashed their foibles and we are anxiously waiting for their network to be complete. There might be disagreement between us on whether the merger will be good or bad for Sprint or T-Mobile or the consumers, but that's what this thread is all about. So people can express their opinion about it on technical, economic or other grounds and to speculate about the breakup fee if any, the management structure, etc.

I am not sure that a call could be continue between CDMA and W-CDMA.