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Comments on news posted 2013-02-22 16:35:11: After Softbank acquires Sprint and Sprint acquires Clearwire, Sprint will likely be the largest holder of spectrum in the United States -- even beyond industry giants AT&T and Verizon. ..

SunnyD
join:2009-03-20
Madison, AL

SunnyD

Member

If you can't beat em

Buy them out.

JamesPC
join:2005-10-12
Orange, CA

JamesPC

Member

type of spectrum

Sprint will have the most spectrum but not the most of the best spectrum. Thats why its not that big of a deal, although the spectrum will help them in congested metro markets. Obviously sprint will try to get all of the spectrum they can with verizon and att gobbling up the best usable spectrum (less towers to cover an area with better spectrum). Basically just the notion of having the most spectrum does not really mean the best, far from it. I am a sprint customer.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: type of spectrum

The higher bands are still usable to augment lower 'good' bands. Sprint will be able to use iDen 800 to get to hard to reach places but still use upper bands for capacity. That is use 2.5Ghz as first priority, then 1900 if needed, then 800 if needed. So they don't need a huge amount of 7/800 as it will only be needed in hard to reach areas. But the more the better. There's only so much spectrum that exists so all carriers will get as much as they can.

2.5Ghz is not great by itself but is great for augmenting capacity to lower bands.

JamesPC
join:2005-10-12
Orange, CA

JamesPC

Member

Re: type of spectrum

said by xenophon:

The higher bands are still usable to augment lower 'good' bands. Sprint will be able to use iDen 800 to get to hard to reach places but still use upper bands for capacity. That is use 2.5Ghz as first priority, then 1900 if needed, then 800 if needed. So they don't need a huge amount of 7/800 as it will only be needed in hard to reach areas. But the more the better. There's only so much spectrum that exists so all carriers will get as much as they can.

2.5Ghz is not great by itself but is great for augmenting capacity to lower bands.

Yep, agreed.

SrsBsns
join:2001-08-30
Oklahoma City, OK

SrsBsns to JamesPC

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to JamesPC
said by JamesPC:

Sprint will have the most spectrum but not the most of the best spectrum. Thats why its not that big of a deal, although the spectrum will help them in congested metro markets. Obviously sprint will try to get all of the spectrum they can with verizon and att gobbling up the best usable spectrum (less towers to cover an area with better spectrum). Basically just the notion of having the most spectrum does not really mean the best, far from it. I am a sprint customer.

Carrier aggregation with LTE Advanced is the solution to spectrum scarcity and Sprint is on the forefront. Starting in Q3 Sprint will begin selling Tri-band LTE phones capable of using 800,1900 and 2500Mhz simultaneously.

Shutting down the iden Nextel network is just the initial plan so the spectrum can be re-purposed on CDMA voice. Its already in use in some parts of the country. This will give sprint the indoor coverage signal strength similar to Verizon.

Sprint is in a very advantageous position assuming both Softbank and Clearwire deals go through.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Leap

I don't see Sprint taking over Leap/Cricket especially since they're more lower cost than Sprint would ever be, and recently they struct up a deal with AT&T to role out nationwide service again. I could see them going to AT&T Mobility or T-Mobile/Metro USA before Sprint.

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

ilikeme

Premium Member

Re: Leap

said by TBBroadband:

I don't see Sprint taking over Leap/Cricket especially since they're more lower cost than Sprint would ever be, and recently they struct up a deal with AT&T to role out nationwide service again. I could see them going to AT&T Mobility or T-Mobile/Metro USA before Sprint.

Cricket is not compatible with At&t. I think you mean Sprint.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Leap

No. Currently Cricket is using AT&T to go national. And Just because their not the same system doesn't mean AT&T can't take them over. They've shown before they can take CDMA and move those customers to GSM- they did it with parts of Verizon Wireless and Alltel already. What is stopping them from doing it to another carrier? Metro/TMO has the same thing. Metro is CDMA and TMO is GSM. It's possible to move those customers over. But companies like Sprint fail at it- and the Nextel merger has shown that.
decifal7
join:2007-03-10
Bon Aqua, TN

1 recommendation

decifal7

Member

want

Sprints lack of range really hurts em imo.. And removing the iDEN tower in site of my house wasn't very smart either :-/ Just leaves a huge hole in their service here

CaptainRR
Premium Member
join:2006-04-21
Blue Rock, OH
·AT&T Wireless Br..

1 recommendation

CaptainRR

Premium Member

Re: want

I am in the same boat a whole lot of people around me left Sprint when they got forced off of the iDEN. Tower down the road from me was the only cell service in my area untill Verizon built out a couple of years ago by me. The Sprint way coverage for major metro and interstates. As far as Sprint buying US Cellular they wouldn't know how to work a rural network like that.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

1 recommendation

TBBroadband

Member

Re: want

Sprint can't even operate the rural areas they have now.
MTB
join:2007-06-29
Newport Beach, CA

MTB

Member

Re: want

LOL, yeah, my 4G has not worked since August.

The funny thing her is that Sprint can not even provide 4G to their ticket department in OK.

dib22
join:2002-01-27
Kansas City, MO

dib22

Member

um...

"Clearwire would give us a strong spectrum position for a period of time."

Then why didn't you buy it outright when when you owned it the first time, oh waiting for the price to drop? tsk tsk
rdmiller
join:2005-09-23
Richmond, VA

rdmiller

Member

Three-headed duopoly

There's no word for a three-headed duopoly. tri-opoly? Doesn't feel right.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

first people complain about the Verizon/At&t duopoly but if Sprint becomes just as big that is suddenly an issue? I though people wanted competition? Having dozens of small regional companies is not competition. I would never go with a regional carrier even if cheaper since they would be useless outside my area. Sure there's roaming. Would I be to roam over 4G? Nope. So pointless.

Competition means having more NATIONAL carriers. Just having 3 truly national carriers would make a difference. My area you have Verizon or At&t and they're happy to split the pot 50/50. If Sprint was here I doubt they would like the pot being 33/33/33. That's a 33% drop in revenue. So in order to stop defections to Sprint they have to compete on pricing and/or services.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

You do know that a lot of those regional and MVNOs are actually partners of the larger companies right???

Grothendieck
Premium Member
join:2002-07-28
Miami, FL

Grothendieck

Premium Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

His point still stands.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

actually it does't. He's not correct about the MVNOs and what they bring to the market. When Ting opened up shop they brought in a whole new game. StraightTalk- they brought in one. T-mobile bring your own device opened up a whole new market. Sprint,AT&T and VZW have done nothing to the market expect bring in iPhone which has pretty much destroyed Sprint in terms of cash.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

said by TBBroadband:

actually it does't. He's not correct about the MVNOs and what they bring to the market. When Ting opened up shop they brought in a whole new game. StraightTalk- they brought in one. T-mobile bring your own device opened up a whole new market. Sprint,AT&T and VZW have done nothing to the market expect bring in iPhone which has pretty much destroyed Sprint in terms of cash.

Actually my point is still valid because NONE of those other companies come within 50 miles of me. And that goes for MILLIONS of Americans. Another NATIONAL carrier. As I said TRUELY national carrier would do more for competition than and bunch of tiny barely anywhere companies. Sprint and T-mobile say they cover 200 million Americans. Great at&t and Verizon are loving the fact they basically have 115 million all to themselves.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

Actually it isn't valid. As I've said. The services those MVNOs provide do roam, and do support LTE roaming from other companies. Just because you use your home/location as something special doesn't mean that it is. Spring and AT&T consider your area NOT worth doing business in. Private companies have that choice in how they operate. And they are a true national carrier. They operate in more than one state and cover more than one state/area with service, thus making them a national provider. Comcast is also a national provider of services and Cox. Why? They do business in more than one state.

And cover means where they have native coverage. Look at VZW's map, why don't you enlarge that in many areas and find out how much of it roams onto other networks. The same as with AT&T. And you do know how VZW got to the size they are now right? They NEVER built out that network they have. THEY BOUGHT IT. Sprint BUILT their PCS network completely out and from the ground up. Can't say that about VZW and AT&T who also bought most of their network.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to TBBroadband

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to TBBroadband
said by TBBroadband:

You do know that a lot of those regional and MVNOs are actually partners of the larger companies right???

Yeah and? Can I use 4G with them? Nope. Do I have good choices of phones? Nope. Most of their smartphones are underpowered and are still on Gingerbread of Christ's sake. You see I can take my Verizon 4G phone pretty much anywhere and actually use it without it roaming. Can you do that with a MVNO?
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

Actually you can. TING allows roaming and has signed and LTE agreement with Sprint. You have a choice of phones and can take Sprint phones to them. TMO is the same way with phones.

And actually, you do realize that VZW and Sprint and Alltel still roam on each other right????? Just because your phone with VZW doesn't say roaming, in many markets you can be. They also used the words "extended coverage"

So one would advise you to actually read on many of the new MVNOs and see what they're doing before jumping the gun and claiming its not able to be done when crying about you don't have services in your area.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

said by TBBroadband:

Actually you can. TING allows roaming and has signed and LTE agreement with Sprint. You have a choice of phones and can take Sprint phones to them. TMO is the same way with phones.

Awesome it uses Sprint's network? The same Sprint network that doesn't come within 50 miles of me? And even if I did get Sprint''s network you're still not getting 4G.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Three-headed duopoly

Actually by using WiMax and LTE yes it is 4G. And my point proves that you said nobody else has it. When in fact they do. And if you don't like your choices for service, you shouldn't have decided to live where you are and should consider moving.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory to rdmiller

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to rdmiller
treopoly?
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

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amazing

how much lipstick do you want to put on this Sprint pig?
without lower prices to the consumer.. (which was all but promised by the Japanese investment deal) rearranging the deckplates on this sinking pig won't bring in new revenues & profits.

If sprint thought their Japanese partner would be a Knight in shining armour like Vodafone, they're sadly mistaken...
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: amazing

said by tmc8080:

how much lipstick do you want to put on this Sprint pig?
without lower prices to the consumer.. (which was all but promised by the Japanese investment deal) rearranging the deckplates on this sinking pig won't bring in new revenues & profits.

If sprint thought their Japanese partner would be a Knight in shining armour like Vodafone, they're sadly mistaken...

Well the deal isn't official yet and won't be for probably a year. It's got to get by all the government approval process.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

nonymous (banned) to tmc8080

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First it has to get by the Clearwire deal. If that goes through then SoftBank will most likely also go through,
Yes Sprint could end up with lots of spectrum but most is not prime spectrum like Verizon or ATT. Plus since it is a "pig " and number three would not be the most super critical thing to let go to another out of country owner.
I think most are afraid the deals will close fairly easily and if they do then network vision will be completed. When that is done you would have a solid number three player. ATT and Verizon would be scared. Now it is we are the only real options unless you want the pig or the young person TMobile.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

Re: amazing

said by nonymous:

First it has to get by the Clearwire deal. If that goes through then SoftBank will most likely also go through,
Yes Sprint could end up with lots of spectrum but most is not prime spectrum like Verizon or ATT. Plus since it is a "pig " and number three would not be the most super critical thing to let go to another out of country owner.
I think most are afraid the deals will close fairly easily and if they do then network vision will be completed. When that is done you would have a solid number three player. ATT and Verizon would be scared. Now it is we are the only real options unless you want the pig or the young person TMobile.

Solid market share? At these current (ripoff) prices?? I think not.. Carriers will have to return to offering better prices or customers will sit on their hands in this saturated market and tanking economy. Infact, AT&T/Verizon are already seeing post-paid saturation at 98-99% when you see propaganda news programs touting "BIG SAVINGS" for wireless service which sound like an advertisement masquerading as "BREAKING NEWS"... then you want to gouge your eyes out, stop watching tv news and using cellphones altogether..

BTW, letting market dysfunction be the norm is on par with the zero choice you have in your political leaders... check any box in the booth and you still get bad anti-consumer policies, many decades in the making go amok.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

nonymous (banned)

Member

Re: amazing

If Sprint gets 4g lte working and keeps unlimited data that will be a selling point.
There are also MVNOs working off their network and the upgrade will help there also. Rather have a customer use a third party MVNO on their network than go to Verizon or ATT. If Sprint network becomes better so do those cheaper MVNO's networks piggy backing on them.

SrsBsns
join:2001-08-30
Oklahoma City, OK

SrsBsns

Member

Re: amazing

said by nonymous:

If Sprint gets 4g lte working and keeps unlimited data that will be a selling point.
There are also MVNOs working off their network and the upgrade will help there also. Rather have a customer use a third party MVNO on their network than go to Verizon or ATT. If Sprint network becomes better so do those cheaper MVNO's networks piggy backing on them.

Its already working. I took that on Monday.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

nonymous (banned)

Member

Re: amazing

said by SrsBsns:

said by nonymous:

If Sprint gets 4g lte working and keeps unlimited data that will be a selling point.
There are also MVNOs working off their network and the upgrade will help there also. Rather have a customer use a third party MVNO on their network than go to Verizon or ATT. If Sprint network becomes better so do those cheaper MVNO's networks piggy backing on them.

Its already working. I took that on Monday.

Not nearly everywhere yet, most are still waiting. Now supposedly should have the vast majority or the upgrade done by the end of the year? So it is still a work in progress. The SoftBank cash is helping as would the merger.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon to SrsBsns

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to SrsBsns
Can consistently peak over 20Mbps on Sprint LTE even indoors, but it depends on location. Typical is around 6-8Mbps, which is fine for a smartphone. Apps don't need more than a few Mbps anyway. Latency matters more after a few Mbps. Would rather have 3Mbps unlimited than 100Mbps limited (for a phone). Am using 6-10GB per month on LTE and don't have to worry about watching a meter.

Sprint has proven they can do LTE well, now that just have to upgrade every cellsite, which won't finish until next year. 800Mhz LTE starting later this year will help fix coverage issues too.

»dl.dropbox.com/u/3812896 ··· 0lte.png
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband to nonymous

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to nonymous
Unlimited data for an extra charge like they're doing now. And Sprint's service will be destroyed by all the MVNOs they bring on. Just like it was with them all now.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Re: amazing

Even with the $10 extra charge, overall service plan is lower than others. Another way to look at it is that feature phone users don't have to pay extra for data.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: amazing

And good luck keeping the feature phones. But why impose the surcharge for the data? Especially if you live in an area they doesn't get it? That is Sprint's way to cover everything else and is a rip off. I'm surprised they haven't been sued for that. But that would only happen if Spitzer was still the AG in NY.

Sprint Hater
@embarqhsd.net

Sprint Hater

Anon

Hoarding Spectrum

Seems about right... Sprint buys things and lets it go to waste. Just like Nextel, they buy it then are like "whatever." If Sprint can't buy off what they want or don't want they cry to the FCC (Dish Network & Google spectrum), unlike VZW and ATT, who grabs their balls (or breast) and goes to fighting it out. If Sprint buys US Cellular, I will cry long and hard because I have been a loyal USCC customer for 12 years, they even sent me a card in the mail saying thank you. I honestly wish someone would just buy Sprint.

•••

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

T

Why should T be the only one squatting on spectrum?