madjammin

This raises a few questions for me. Where did you get this impression? Was there an expectation for LTE to go live at a ton of sites on the new year? What is your definition of new year?

 

Let me put this out there: there are no hard dates for anything to happen. There is a lot of speculation and conjecture and plain ol' pulling guesses out of one's arse. What we thought we knew didn't turn out to be reality. Things change, changed and will continue to change. We just go along for the ride. Some of us happy, some not so much.

 

As for updates, Samsung contractors have been busy integrating legacy sites into the NV network focusing on getting 100% upgrade completion and less on rolling out LTE.

I got this impression from a few sources.  This site, Sprint.com's forums (when asking for updates from Sprint Reps) speaking to Sprint reps in stores.  My post (#940 I believe) which I took the Anticipated Completion from the Network Forum:

^{Do you guys still believe this is accurate? Jan 2014?}

^{East Michigan}

^{Status:  Partial LTE Launch/Full Builds Continuing}

NV Sites Accepted = 51%

^{LTE Sites Accepted = 37%}

Anticipated LTE Launch = Summer 2013 (Flint/Saginaw launched 7/2013)

^{Original Scheduled Completion = September 2013}

Current Production Rate Completion = January 2014

Now, I didn't say I was expecting it to go live. I said

"I thought the new year was supposed to bring more active towers online."

Basically, from what I gathered, Samsung was making a push to activate as many towers as possible by the New Years. I guess I was wrong.

Just like everyone else, I'm just frustrated and I was a little concenred when I didn't see any activity on this forum (East Michigan) for the last couple of weeks.  I was up for an upgrade in Jan 2013.  I told myself I wouldn't get one until LTE was online. I thought Q2 (when the S4 was about to launch) was the time.  Then (after doing more reading) Nov would be the date.  Then (after even more digging) I thought Jan 2014 would be the the absolute latest. 

It's 2014.  I've never had any type of 4G (I bought an S2 one month before they cancelled the WiMax build out), and every competitor in this area does.  I thought it would be worth it to hold out for Tri-Band, but now that I live 100KM from Canada, my phone, at best, would be dual-band.  The only reason I've held on this long is because I'm still on SERO.  I can't hold on any longer.  I'll probably book a flight to space before I get Sprint LTE in this area.

Thanks to all for the updates.  Maybe I'm the bad luck, and once I cancel my Sprint Service, LTE will light up like a Xmas tree.

Take care everyone.

No updates from users?  I thought the new year was supposed to bring more active towers online.

A co-worker of mine said he was having massive dropped calls issues last week.  He made a complaint and was told that it was due to tower upgrades.  He was given a completion date of the 25th.  It seems like that's the big rumor going around with all the reps.  Completion by Xmas/End of year.

P.S.  He was given a discount off his bill too.

Sprint is not allowed to use it in a way that interferes with Canadian/Mexican use, same goes the other ways. If iDen was still in use there would be no issue as both sides had already agreed to a sharing agreement.

 

Once a wide band usage agreement can be reached, there won't be an issue.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

How does that affect any of us near the border?

Is there any talks about an agreement in the near future?

Thanks

*Disclaimer: This is how I interpret the current issues and includes personal speculation.

 

Some of us noticed in the summer that at least in the East Michigan market that 4G acceptances almost came to a complete halt. Instead, we began to see large scale 3G updates being made. I became fairly vocal about it (to which I must retract and issue an apology) since not only did growth of 4G nearly fizzle out but we are also out in the cold in our market when it comes to the 800SMR party.

 

Quite a few of us had been racking up a metric crap ton of miles tower hunting and field work for this site. A lot of sites were marked "in progress" but not much was happening beyond "in progress" or the eventual 3G upgrade acceptance.

 

Not long ago, word reached at least the sponsor level members that Samsung was focusing on completing tower work during the summer so that come winter, crews could focus on ground work/4G site acceptances - which makes a lot of sense and matches our member observations in terms of in-progress sites.

 

Now with the very recent revelation that there are major problems with eCSFB, the drought of 4G acceptances in our area/nationwide makes even more sense. (Read up on the thorough article Robert posted on the Wall plus the multi-page Breaking Band thread in the Network Vision/LTE Deployment forum for details on eCSFB). It appears that Samsung switched gears and began trying to resolve the eCSFB problem back when we began seeing 4G growth fizzle. The only way to fix the eCSFB problem is NV equipment upgrades and getting Legacy equipment offline. So strike while the iron is hot, knock out all the tower work while it's warm to solve the eCSFB problem as quickly as possible but also keep crews off the towers in winter as much as possible.

 

There is some frustration in that we had the initial understanding that Sprint was bringing sites online as soon as they could/were accepted as ready. We saw a ton of sites with NV equipment but seemingly no other progress - quite a few measured in months from member sighting to some form of official acceptance. At least for me, I wasnt really seeing the fruits of my labor. I have a site spotted in early spring that is still not pumping out LTE. But we also have to realize that what Sprint is doing is unprecedented and is a very fluid situation. Hiccups will be encountered and we as members of this site need to roll with it as much as Sprint has to. We also need to realize that the very first NV accepted site in Michigan happened in mid-January 2013 meaning we're very close to seeing 100% statewide NV upgrade completion in less than a year's time.

 

I have personally have quit expecting to see 4G acceptances and see them as a bonus when Robert posts the latest batch of acceptances. MrZorbatron has a sponsor-level map he has spent a wicked crazy amount of time tracking all the sites in E MI still needing to be upgraded to NV. I dont have a percentage but pretty much all sites in this market have been at least 3G upgraded outside of Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor and Jackson, though those legacy sites are dwindling fast. SWMich4G also recently posted a sponsor-level update regarding the W MI market and lets just say the NV site completion percentage was extremely high.

 

We need a little patience here - self included - and I really hope come winter that we'll see nearly 100% NV completion in all of Michigan then Samsung will loose the hounds of LTE.

Thanks for the recap.

I know this is all speculation and rumors, but I spoke to a local Sprint rep.  He told me he heard that Samsung wants all towers done by the end of the year.  Again, this is coming from a store rep so take it whichever way you want to.

Read the eCSFB article on the Wall plus word is Samsung wants all tower work done before winter hits.

Thanks.  I hope the rumor is true.  Is there any % of completion up to this point?

I was extremely frustrated with the lack of LTE progress here in E Mich but when the information finally trickled out as to the reason why then it all made sense. It boils down to Samsung being on top of the game and have a hell of a game plan figured out for our markets. There is very little tower work left to do percentage wise. I think once the heart of winter arrives then here comes the 4G.

I'm confused.  Why do say say there is a lack of LTE progress BECAUSE Samsung is on top of their game?

I've been conteplating picking up a Nexus 5, but I figured there's no reason until there are signs of actual progress.  It seems slow and sporadic. 

Straight from Sprint.com pre-order site:

"Who will love it: Tech-savvy users looking for the ultimate Google phone experience. Get the one up on your friends when your phone boasts Android™ 4.4 (KitKat) on a beautiful 5-inch HD display run with blazing speed and efficiency on a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon™ looking for a stripped down, bloat-free phone. "

Are they saying that the Sprint.com sold phone won't have anything preloaded from Sprint?  Will it truly be the identical phone that's coming from the Play store (minus a 2-year contract).

Looking for opinions:

I'm off contract on the SERO-P in the Detroit Metro area (NO LTE).

Would you:

A.  Buy this on the Google Play store for $440 shipped

B.  Buy this for $200-ish (32GB) and renew the 2-year contract.

I can't see myself leaving Sprint (even though LTE hasn't arrived yet), but for $200 would it be worth it to have the unlocked phone?

I don't plan on doing the iPhone upgrade and sell on Ebay trick.

And I know this has been asked a few times, but what are the chances Sprint will put their own software on this phone.  That might be worth $200 right there.

Thanks all.

^{Do you guys still believe this is accurate? Jan 2014?}

^{East Michigan}

^{Status:  Partial LTE Launch/Full Builds Continuing
NV Sites Accepted = 51%}

^{LTE Sites Accepted = 37%
Anticipated LTE Launch = Summer 2013 (Flint/Saginaw launched 7/2013)}

^{Original Scheduled Completion = September 2013
Current Production Rate Completion = January 2014}

Question:

Since our area wasn't a WiMax enabled area, does it make sense for me to order a Tri-band phone now? 

Updates from Sprint.com's Forum mods

Thanks for getting back to me. The towers within the zip code of 48243 (Detroit/Ren Cen) are scheduled for LTE upgrades to start within 180 days. However; the towers to the west of that location are scheduled to have LTE upgrades start within the next 90 days.

For 48334 (12 mile & Orchard Lake in Farmington hills) the tower near STANSBURY BLVD is scheduled for LTE upgrades within 180 days, but the tower to the west of it near W. 12 MILE RD has already received LTE upgrades.

For 48331 (12 mile & Drake in F. Hills)) the tower near ENTERPRISE CT is currently scheduled for LTE upgrades within 90 days.

So, the towers at the GM HQ is still 5 months away.  My home area is still 3-5 months away.  Those are the scheduled dates, so i don't know how long it take once scheduled.  I'm guessing it won't be turned on until 2014.

What about closer to the city?  According to Sprint Forum reps, they are still a few months away from upgrading.  What is the standard time frame from starting the upgrade process to completion?  

I asked for an update from the Sprint.com forums room on 2 areas in particular:

No problem! I can look that up for you.

The towers that support the Renaissance Center area are scheduled for both Network Vision and LTE upgrade within a couple months.

For Farmington HIlls, MI:   Cross Roads: 12 Mile/Orchard Lake, we have a LTE tower that is near Hamilton Ct, so if you travel to the west you should be able to detect LTE there, but the tower that would provide stronger coverage that is located near STANSBURY BLVD, is also scheduled for LTE and Network Vision upgrades within a few months.

Morris L.
Sprint Social Media Care

So... take "a couple of months" and "within a few months" with a grain a salt.  I don't think I'll see a full LTE until 2014, which is a shame in my book.

Seems like a slow down in updates in our area recently.  Would that translate to a slow down in tower creation/updates?

Around April/May, I felt pretty confident that we would have some type of official word from Sprint.  I was really hoping we would some type of better news when the S4 and HTC One came out.  

Am I just being extra cautious? 

Just picked up 4G signals in Farmington Hills at 12 mile between Farmington Rd and Drake. I have done a sensorly plot when walking..I knew something was up when Llama picked up two new cell tower IDs for my home location...

What is the frequency of the 4G signal in that area? How is the signal strength? I only ask because I live there!

A co-worker was able to grab LTE from the 15th floor of the Ren Cen facing the city side (towards Comerica Park/Ford Field) today.

According to the Sensorly map, there is a big gap around Farmington HIlls/Southfield and then Detroit. I live around 696 at the Orchard Lake exit and work at the Ren Cen. Is there any sites I should keep an eye out? Keep me posted and I can take some pics.

Of course, and if I was in your shoes, I'd feel the same way.

 

When 4G WiMAX was first deployed, my house fell into one of those coverage holes, and I could not get the signal. It took almost 6 months after the market was "launched" for them to get the tower online.

 

With Sprint's 4G LTE, since each tower will be upgraded, the experience will be a whole lot smoother, and you'll see the service more consistent.

That's great news. I'm patiently waiting for this much needed upgrade in my area. I'm crossing my fingers it will be fully operational by April.

You'll see LTE almost everywhere you see Sprint 3G now, so it will come. It's good to be excited, and there is nothing wrong with jumping the gun and getting a new LTE phone, as the service will get there soon.

I hear yeah. "I've been promised "soon" so many times, it's like crying "wolf" in my book. But, a fully operational LTE tower carries a lot of weight. I'm probably going to hold out until more towers go online since the timetable still shows Sept 2013 as the "completed peroid" for SE MI.

Thanks again.

1. Yes, Sprint is replacing and upgrading all of their equipment, which means 3G as well. The new 3G will be connected to the same backhaul as LTE, so speeds will be increased. Also, with the new panels and RRUs, there will be a slight signal boost. It won't significantly add to coverage, but if you have a weak signal in certain places, it may help to make that signal a little more reliable.

 

2. There is no real pattern. Some markets sit with one tower for weeks on end, others blow up all at once. It's hard to tell, all we know is that work is or will be taking place all over the market and towers should begin to pop up all around here shortly.

 

3. WiMax will continue operations until at least 2015 I believe. It will not be shut off before LTE makes it to your area. If you are still able to use the WiMax network, I would still hold off for a few more months before making that jump to an LTE phone. However, rest assured that LTE will be covering you market, probably by mid spring.

 

Thanks for joining our site! There is a wealth of information here. If you haven't already, I would suggest starting with the FAQ section (http://s4gru.com/ind...sked-questions/) to help with some of the terms, and a good explanation of NV and what it will do for you.

Thanks for the info.

Here's the thing. WiMax was never offically launced in the Detroit area, and this WiMax signal is very weak and I can only receive it my office building (15 stories up). The rumor I heard was this tower was put up and turned on for licensicing issues.

I cannot receive WiMax anywhere else (home,road, etc).

I'm getting excited, but I don't want to jump the gun. I think I will hold out until it is official like you stated. I was thinking of jumping ship and going to another carrier, but I will stay the course with Sprint.

Morning all,

Long time lucker... I finally decided to sign up.

3 questions and 1 comment:

1. I think this has been discussed before, but with the LTE/NV rollout, does 3G and cell coverage also improve (speeds and/or strength)

2. Based on previous LTE/NV rollouts, what is the average time period from first the first tower being lit up (Howell in this case) to the next one? Is it a domino type of effect, where the towers just start lighting up all quicker?

3. (Comment/question). I'm still getting a WiMax signal in Detroit. I use it at work to stream Pandora. Will that WiMax signal ever be shut off? Would the loss of the signal be a sign that LTE will be switched on?

I've been holding off getting an LTE phone untill I see some more progress. I got burned buying my WiMax phone over a year ago, and I don't want to be burned again.

Thanks all.