| Backhaul The big question is if they'll provide enough backhaul to each site. That is the biggest challenge for all 3G/4G carriers.
My guess is that ATT will have very few sites with enough backhaul to provide 3+Mbps for every users. They'll milk the marketing though that the devices are 'capable' of 7Mbps. |
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RadioDoc58ef2c0Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | From the blurb above:
quote:
AT&T says they're doubling the wireless spectrum dedicated to 3G in most of the company's metropolitan markets, while adding thousands of new cell site backhaul connections.
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1 edit | The size of those backhaul connections is the question.
Sprint/Clearwire has been having this challenge with WiMAX. Some sites apparently have over 12Mb pipes, most probably don't. That's needed just to sustain 2-5Mbps avg for most users sharing same site. If ATT wants to sustain up to 7Mbps, they'll need to have much greater backhaul, especially since they have more users per site than Sprint.
All 4G carriers will have this challenge.
The 7.2Mbps rollout will probably help capacity to maintain _more_ users in the 2Mbps range rather than allow most users to get 5-7Mbps. |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | reply to RadioDoc
said by RadioDoc:From the blurb above: quote:
AT&T says they're doubling the wireless spectrum dedicated to 3G in most of the company's metropolitan markets, while adding thousands of new cell site backhaul connections.
Spectrum != backhaul
You can add more spectrum, low bar users will get more speed, but the tower will still have the same total speed and some spectrum will go wasted when there are alot of users with perfect bars pushing data. |
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RadioDoc58ef2c0Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | True, but that's not what it says. They are adding spectrum and adding thousands of new backhaul connections, which are two different things. |
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 en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | reply to patcat88
Spectrum is typically the most expensive part. Its a finite quantity. The only way to 'add' more is either
a) purchase/lease ( eg AWS, or 700MHz license bids)
b) add more sites (reuse) - eg. Sprint added CDMA sites to Nextels - smart move - somewhat expensive, but very effective
c) aquire a carrier (and all or some of its spectrum)
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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