narf

No, but I'm guessing (and I am just guessing) that work has started on a bunch of them. In many cases pulling in new fiber from a POP is not a 1 day job.

The thing is, for us a 99% complete backhaul installation looks the same as an installation that hasn't started. i guess I'm counting on a lot of work in the pipeline that's about to be completed.

I think the only way they could make the end of June deadline would be to turn on a bunch of LTE sites without the back-haul complete. That would be a bad thing image-wise since it would give the appearance that Sprint LTE was extremely slow. I could see LTE being 50% complete in Denver Metro within 4 weeks depending on how many crews are working on fiber. The majority of the NV installs are done, (and it looks like Boulder and Highlands Ranch NV are underway). Missing their announced goal by 2 weeks isn't bad in this business.

A properly engineered microwave path should be extremely resistant to rain/snow fade. Likely it would take a 100 year storm to affect it, and it would be just at few moments when the worst of the storm is directly in the path. If it does fade the signal would just drop off a cliff, it wouldn't be a gradual slow down....Edit. Actually, the error rate in the data path would climb when the signal gets close to it's threshold until whatever error correction is in use couldn't cope any more and the receiver just gives up and mutes. Much like what happens when OTA HDTV is at the limits of its coverage area.

Could someone with some inside knowledge answer a few questions? 1. What is the current status of csfb in Colorado? Has it rolled out to the point that Spark phones are reliably getting a solid lock on LTE, or are they still mostly having to force LTE? 2. What is the projected (best guess) roll out of band 26 LTE? I'm seeing 1x800 voice at most locations now even though it isn't showing up on the maps at most locations, will band 26 LTE show up at the same time band 25 LTE shows up? When a site is NV accepted does it have all the hardware in place for band 26 LTE and it's just waiting for backhaul, or is there additional hardware to install? I'm not asking for locations or specific towers, just general info here. Both of these questions will help me decide when to make the jump to a new phone.

That's good info. I owned a Wimax phone for 2 years and probably got a useful wimax connection less than an 5 hours in two years. I'm way more excited about band 26. I'd be real happy with 10Mbps if it were consistent and reliable.

I don't have a triband phone so cant speak from experience, but if the propagation and building penetration characteristics for band 41 LTE are similar to what they were with WiMax I wouldn't count on seeing a lot of it indoors. Wimax never made it to Louisville where I live, but at work in Denver it was really picky about where you stood in the building and how you held the phone. I assumed that was more about the band than Wimax itself. Band 26 on the other hand should really help out. The 1x800 voice coverage really is starting to fill in the dead zones from 1900, Band 26 LTE should be able to do the same once it's rolled out.

It's hard to know your exact situatioin but by September the Sprint build out in the area should be mostly done. Your phone won't get spark, but you should have LTE. I'd say stick it out until September and see if things improve to your satisfaction. My renewal is in July and I am basing my decision on how much things improve. edit: Just to be clear, from everything I've read Sprint is building the most advanced network in the area and it's designed with room to grow. i totally expect to be pleasantly surprised by the coverage once the system is built out. But I've had my heart broken by Sprint a few times (remember WiMax?)...(remember the Q Phone? ) and I hope this time they make it work.

25018 Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Actually HD Voice is a codec and voice processing technology. It can run on any of Sprint's frequencies. Not sure but it may use multiple mics for noise canceling. Here's Sprint's explaination: http://support.sprint.com/support/article/FAQs_about_HD_Voice_from_Sprint/3b348589-81a4-452d-8758-cd47d7ddb952

Kind of hard to read on the picture, but it's there.

Crap, I posted the last two items to the wrong thread. Sorry. On the other hand, i actually got the site ID from the sign on the cabinet.

Here are a few pics of site #########*********** in Superior, right behind the Costco. As far as I can tell it's GMO site that has been upgraded but is not operational yet. Note what looks like base mounted RRUs and a GPS with a red dot. On the map it's marked as not started yet.

Got rock solid LTE in Lafayette this morning for the first time Indoors at the Bowling alley at 287 and South Boulder Road. That used to be a dead zone for Sprint 3G.

Most of the sites I've seen have been live with 1x800 voice as soon as they are accepted for NV.

A little disappointing at what I'm finding along the US 36 corridor. I've been looking at a few of the "brown dot" sites and so far can't find any hints of NV installs. Makes me think the US36 NW corridor might be the last place in Denver Metro to light up.

Hope she was right....I just wish it were any other date but April 1st.....can't FOOL me

I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts you're wrong.

I've picked up 1x800 in Lafayette, Louisville, and Longmont. I think that the current PRLs will prefer 1900 mHz first, and only switch to 800 if 1900 is marginal. You would see it mostly indoors. I don't think Ive seen any 800 in the city of Boulder yet, but it's coming.

I would take any deadline with a very large grain of salt. I also think we are confusing the LTE turn-on with the NV build-out. As I understood it (and please correct me if I'm wrong) , the 3G NV tower sites needed to be turned on in clusters because they had issues with graceful hand-offs between NV and non NV towers. Once a cluster of NV towers were on line, then LTE could be brought up on each individual tower based on when the contractor could get the new data path (fiber or otherwise) installed. If that is correct it explains why we are seeing a few islands of LTE instead of full clusters.

I think your phone isn't Sprint Spark capable....all the instructions to force your phone to LTE only are for Sprint Spark (triband) phones only. You shouldn't have to do anything to get LTE except the following: (These menus are what I see on my Galaxy S3, so you may find these options in a slightly different place) Go To:Settings>Connections>More Networks>Mobile Networks>Network Mode Make sure it is on LTE/CDMA and not CDMA only. That should do it. LTE is just now showing up in very limited locations in Denver Metro. You may just not be in an LTE location yet, or your location may be Band 41 only (you need a triband device for band 41). Don't worry, band 25 LTE, (what your phone receives) will cover the entire area very soon.

Lots of people have. My phone is on 1x800 right now in Boulder County.

Kind of odd. The towers near me have been running 1x800 for the last month but they just showed up on the map as accepted today.,

Could it be a microcell inside the building? Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

There will be free wifi available at Coors Field. It may not be ready by opening day, and it probably won't help outside the ballpark but it's coming. Also, there is now LTE at Pepsi center, just a few blocks away.