  chlenEthically ChallengedPremium
join:2001-01-16
Albany, NY | Wimax to LTE Sprint does a lot of things wrong, but the transition from Wimax to LTE would be an easy one. They already would have the sites, the backhaul and much of the equipment in place. Wimax was a more mature technology at the time of deployment and now that LTE has come along they can continue building out with it. It was smart for Sprint to get a quicker start and keep many business and data companies. I don't think it is a surprise to anyone that now as LTE matures and becomes cheaper Sprint will move to it.
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This is not the greatest post in the world, no, this is just a tribute!
Слесарь-гинеколог | |
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 | | | Re: Wimax to LTE Sprint needs to eventually convert CDMA to LTE in the PCS/iDen spectrum, not use the WiMAX spectrum. Clear should stick to WiMAX. It has its place as WiMAX will be able to roam globally and is tied to IEEE. LTE has no global roaming chance at all being on over a dozen bands.
Qualcomm is apparently working on a way to transition CDMA to LTE while sharing the two. | |
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| | Switch to LTE? So can they add it easily to existing Sprint (non-wimax) towers?
I love my EVO but no wimax in my area.....if they could advance to LTE on more towers.....I would happily upgrade my phone. | |
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| |  Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 | Re: Switch to LTE? The hard part for customers will be that their Wimax phones will need to be replaced by LTE phones as the transition proceeds. I doubt Sprint will support 3G, Wimax, & LTE all in parallel for a long period of time. | |
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| | | | | Re: Switch to LTE? On the other hand, why would they take down working equipment? If you've got the backhaul, the tower and everything else in place and the only addition/subtraction is the radio why would you disable the wimax radios already deployed? Ongoing maintenance costs wouldn't be high. Unless they needed the spectrum for something else they have no reason not to keep it all in operation for a few years until CMDA is phased out where you also phase out Wimax and narrow everything to LTE. Unless there is some ongoing cost I'm not aware of then it should be trivial to keep it going until you get rid of 3G and wimax at the same time after LTE is fully built out. | |
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| | | | Host:
Road Runner
PC gaming GAMES
PC gaming Tech
| Re: Switch to LTE? Everything I've read suggests both networks can and would be operated simultaneously, answering the question of maintaining older WiMax relationships while embracing LTE and marketing the fact they're keeping pace with AT&T and Verizon.
Interesting thing here I think is that Sprint/Clearwire spent so many years supposedly having a to-market lead on AT&T and Verizon, only to find themselves a few years later chasing Verizon's tail on LTE. | |
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bnceo
join:2007-10-11
Bel Air, MD | Forgot to mention ease of transition Karl, surprised you didn't include the bit about how they said the change to LTE would be a simple card change along with a software update. To me, this is really significant and if true, Sprint did very well. They tried a more mature technology, but protected themselves in case something better came along. I bet it was expensive, but not having to build out another entire network is great for us users. | |
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| openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | Re: Forgot to mention ease of transition If the rumors of ease of transition are true, then Sprint may actually finally converge all of its networks. Mix synergy and the ability to roam with the two largest mobile carriers in the US and it's a no-brainer to dump WiMax and focus on LTE. Maybe Sprint can actually stop shooting itself in the foot. | |
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| | bn1221
join:2009-04-29
Cortland, NY | Re: Forgot to mention ease of transition Sprint isn't in the biggest 2 carriers. I think that is Verizon and then ATT..Sprint a distant 3rd and T-mo...4th. | |
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| | | openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | Re: Forgot to mention ease of transition said by bn1221:Sprint isn't in the biggest 2 carriers. That's why I stated "roam with the two largest mobile carriers in the US"  | |
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| | | |  jgkoltPremium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH | Re: Forgot to mention ease of transition Might be difficult to roam on other carriers when they are all using a different frequency. | |
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| | | | | openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | Re: Forgot to mention ease of transition Not too difficult considering the range of frequencies supported by current chips, and the technology will only improve in the next few years. Worst case scenario, devices will hold another radio, which is already becoming common with the transition to 4G, regardless of the technology. | |
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| Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA | said by bnceo:Karl, surprised you didn't include the bit about how they said the change to LTE would be a simple card change along with a software update.
That may be true as far as a transition from WiMAX to LTE-TD is concerned but a transition to LTE-FD (what Verizon Wireless is using) would probably be a lot more complicated than that. | |
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 MooJohn
join:2005-12-18
Milledgeville, GA | What will be different? What problem will be solved by switching to LTE? If all of their towers and all of their customers magically had LTE gear tomorrow, what would be improved?
Other than the obligatory accompanying "Death of WiMax at last" article, what would change?
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John M - Cranky network guy | |
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| openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
kudos:2 | Re: What will be different? Potential for more roaming partners? Common hardware to lower CAPEX requirements? | |
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|  jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA | When considering who is backing LTE and Wimax with regards to industry standards and neutrality issues, LTE will offer Sprint and other telcos a much greater degree of control over the network, which almost certainly will not benefit the consumers. | |
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| | RFP? RFPs normally don't mean anything. They're seeing what it would cost. Nothing more. So the 6month time line is pretty much worthless. | |
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Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| Switch to LTE I'm a real babe in the woods on cellphones so please do not flame me, call me stupid etc. I have an EVO 4G phone that I assume is a (WIMAX/CDMA based phone?) and if Sprint converted their infrastructure to LTE this phone would not work anymore thus forcing me to buy a LTE phone? | |
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| | | Re: Switch to LTE correct. LTE and Wimax are two different technologies. So you'd have to upgrade. The chances of Sprint doing this at this point in the game is slim to nothing as they do NOT have the resources of spectrum to move anything. They'd have to do it with Clear. And then Sprint would be operating yet again another network; CDMA, WiMax, iDEN, and LTE.
NOT worth it. And this article on here does nothing but say they issued the RFP. NOTHING says that Sprint is going to accept any of the RFPs especially in 6 months. | |
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| | Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA | Re: Switch to LTE said by 25434738:The chances of Sprint doing this at this point in the game is slim to nothing as they do NOT have the resources of spectrum to move anything. They'd have to do it with Clear. And then Sprint would be operating yet again another network; CDMA, WiMax, iDEN, and LTE.
Since the RFPs aren't due for six months even if Sprint accepted one it would be well into 2012 and probably be 2013 before any LTE network that resulted would become active. In 2013 Sprint could begin shutting down iDEN transitioning that spectrum to CDMA 2000 1X Advanced voice and that would allow it to transition some of its PCS spectrum to LTE. | |
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| | | said by jimbo48:I'm a real babe in the woods on cellphones so please do not flame me, call me stupid etc. I have an EVO 4G phone that I assume is a (WIMAX/CDMA based phone?) and if Sprint converted their infrastructure to LTE this phone would not work anymore thus forcing me to buy a LTE phone?
Sprint is likely talking 5 years away and even then it might be both LTE and WiMAX. Your EVO will be outdated by then anway. | |
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| | Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse
| Re: Switch to LTE I keep my phones a long time as I don't have a real big use for them except to make a call but the EVOs mapping direction is a hell of a lot better than my Garamin which only gives directions and cost almost as much as the phone. I sure hope that this transition(if and when it happens) is at least 5 years out. Maybe they will have a phone that doesn't need to be charged every 3 hours by then and I will gladly upgrade.
Thanks to all who cordially replied to my post. The DSLREPORTS site has been great to learn about technology form people who know their stuff. | |
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 King PDon't blame me. I voted for Ron PaulPremium
join:2004-11-17
Franklin, TN
 ·Comcast
 ·Vonage
| Makes sense I have an EVO, and while I love this phone, the 4G is rather lackluster, because Clearwire reception to it is very spotty due to Franklin's hilly geography.
I plan on sticking with my EVO for quite a bit longer (really I have no choice since they demoted me to a premier Silver customer), so by the time they get serious about LTE, the phone selection will be better, and I won't have to worry about my EVO not having connection.
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My Music blog:
»www.zunetracks.net | |
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| | | Re: Makes sense I wish Sprint had better service... | |
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 WeSRT4
join:2000-11-20
Mobile, AL | Complete and total lack of management Title says it all. | |
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Reviews:
·Optimum Online
·Verizon FiOS
| retool for the future... right now LTE is primarily the data network for internet ip traffic and some portal network data, but in the future.. gsm & cdma voice traffic will run on LTE as well.. closing that international roaming gap with multi-band handsets. it works well in the USA because Verizon is buying LTE gear by the container loads. now if tmobile & at&t could see the reaonableness to switch 4g into LTE.
lower priced competition & iphone/android handsets that use data & voice at the same time would be nice.... cheaper service prices too.. | |
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| | Sprint in Driver's Seat They can buy out Clearwire, have access to 152MHz of 4G LTE ready 2.5GHz upper/lower band EBS spectrum, 3:1 base station ratio for fixed, nomadic, mobile wireless... Comcast/Time Warner on their heels... they need mobile wireless... read more at »outeach.blogspot.com/p/solutions···ces.html | |
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| |  Importance of spectrum
I am reading the thread on LTE v WiMax that is being discussed here in relation to operators in the U.S. I am curious to know how important spectrum is, in relation to rolling out an LTE network. For example, I am in Ireland where Imagine Telecom are rolling out WiMax en-mass in conjunction with Motorola and Intel here. Imagine have acquired large volumes (if that is a correct term in relation to spectrum) of spectrum from the telecommunications regulator here in Ireland. So, my question is, if LTE were to enter the Irish market, would the fact that imagine have acquired so much spectrum be a factor (negative or positive) for another teleco who may be interested in rolling out an LTE service here in Ireland. Also, imagine would have the largest amount of wimax enabled masts in the country, how much would that influence any future LTE service here in Ireland. | |
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"Our 4G strategy is WiMAX, full stop!"
