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existenz
join:2014-02-12

existenz to paulcarlucci

Member

to paulcarlucci

Re: SoftBank wasn't enough?

Softbank is unfortunately focused on Tmobile merger instead of finishing Spark rollout, filling in blank areas with 800 and expanding rural. Spark works really well in my area, which is essentially 100% complete. The issue is they are announcing Spark areas with only 70% sites complete and that doesn't cut it.

OldCableGuy3
@207.191.193.x

OldCableGuy3

Anon

Yep, Spark built areas are amazing on Sprint. I live in Cedar Rapids which is Spark and my Sprint service is amazing. Travel to Coralville, which has not been touched as part of the Spark roll out and it's like a trip to the stone age with speed tests of 0.1k.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

nonymous (banned) to existenz

Member

to existenz
said by existenz:

Softbank is unfortunately focused on Tmobile merger instead of finishing Spark rollout, filling in blank areas with 800 and expanding rural. Spark works really well in my area, which is essentially 100% complete. The issue is they are announcing Spark areas with only 70% sites complete and that doesn't cut it.

They have the rural alliance now. If merge with Tmobile there are some areas tmobile covers and not Sprint. Then have read Son may say the combined company will allow a rural buildout so ammo for the merger. If he started a full fledge rural buildout now the government could say doing fine on own dont need merger.
My service is steadily improving as far as speed. There are gaps. Yet tmobile is not perfect and I know people that have gaps big time. But the price and glittery tmobile ceo keep them.
Sprint is not as bad as most say and improving daily, and tmobile is not as great. They both have strentghs and weaknesses. Just tmobile has a better flim flam man.
existenz
join:2014-02-12

existenz

Member

Yeah, Sprint's rural access is much better as a visitor but not for residents in those areas who want same degree of performance. I was visiting nowhere Eastern Kentucky recently getting just enough to consistently stream Netflix on Sprint - really surprised me. Was showing as a Sprint network ID, not roaming - maybe one of those alliance networks.

They need to finish Spark in cities/towns asap and rural should eventually be a rolled out with native service at same level as VZW. The Tmobile merger probably won't go through anyway and is distracting what they really should be focused on.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

nonymous (banned)

Member

The planned network vision is still taking place. Just need the sub contactors to do the work. Plus some last mile backhaul like Centurylink has caused issuea. Son did an internal shakeup in nefwork. Sure is is alao taking care of providers like Century also by rwplacing where can. The Softbank takeover really was not that long ago.
ITGeeks
join:2014-04-20
Cleveland, OH

ITGeeks to nonymous

Member

to nonymous
a rural build-out if the merger is approved? Tell Son to build out if the merger isn't even approved. He's got the $$$$ laying around.

I've seen Sprint phones going from half-ass Sprint 4g services to rural areas where its covered in 4g to back to mid-sized cities with NOTHING but 3g. Sprint has no clue what it is doing.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco to OldCableGuy3

Premium Member

to OldCableGuy3
said by OldCableGuy3 :

Yep, Spark built areas are amazing on Sprint. I live in Cedar Rapids which is Spark and my Sprint service is amazing. Travel to Coralville, which has not been touched as part of the Spark roll out and it's like a trip to the stone age with speed tests of 0.1k.

Spark isn't in Cedar Rapids. They don't have any 850mhz spectrum in Linn County and very little 2.5Ghz, possibly not enough to even be useable. Most of the 2.5Ghz spectrum is owned/licensed by SpeedConnect.

They have the normal 1900mhz LTE, which seems to work pretty well. But that is probably because they don't seem to have many customers in the area. I would guess they have less subscribers than any of their competitors (USCC, Verizon, At&t, iWireless). If there wasn't so much competition in Cedar Rapids, I think things would be very different. 5x5 LTE isn't much capacity and they don't seem to have a lot of options to expand. They have even less LTE spectrum that USCC, though it is unclear if USCC is using their 700 band 12 A block yet because of past interference concerns with KGAN.

OldCableGuy3
@207.191.193.x

OldCableGuy3

Anon

BULL. I use Band 26 LTE all the time in Cedar Rapids.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco

Premium Member

Apparently the Spectrum Dashboard is wrong, which isn't very surprising. Either way, that's still not Spark and they have extremely little 2.5 GHz spectrum in that market to deploy Spark on. And they still trail the other carriers.