AR 4G LTE Markets

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

Yes, I heard about a building displaying the "4G" label at night. I haven't seen in in person, though.

I was in West Little Rock briefly on Friday, and got between 3-14+Mbps for download, and 3-8Mbps upload. I didn't really have a lot of opportunities to test the network.

At my place, I get between .20Mbps-1.6Mbps download with 3G. I get .30-.70Mbps a lot. I'm guessing expansions or additional cities will be launched in early 2012. I heard different people say by December, but I really doubt it. They're still upgrading the sites in Benton/Bryant. So far (where I live), I haven't noticed any LTE antennas or upgrades to any of the cell sites.

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

Unless I'm mistaken, but it looks like Hot Springs definitely has LTE antennas added to some of the cell sites (you can see some of the . They need to bring the equipment to Malvern (I can't tell if the site off I-30 near Exit 97 is showing any signs of upgrading. The one on U.S. 67 didn't look any different the last time I looked). Until they do, I don't expect my location to get it in the near future. They need to upgrade, because my 3G speeds are a joke during peak usage at home (I get .20-.60Mbps, sometimes it will reach the good 1.5-2Mbps, but more of the slower speeds than the 1+Mbps, unless I'm close enough to a site).

Here's one example: This is one site in Hot Springs.

Before #1

After #1

They removed some antennas and replaced them with ones that look wider. I've heard someone say that Verizon only uses long LTE antennas, I'm not convinced that they only use the really long antennas. I saw antennas that look like the ones here placed in Little Rock.

One more site: this one, you have to look harder, because this one is not as easy to notice the difference:

Before #2

After #2

Look at the three antennas facing forward, and look at the second one. That's not the same one as in the before pic. It's wider than the other two in that sector.

Anyway, just something I'd like to share with folks that like to see cell sites and see what changes they go through.

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

I'm going to go ahead and mention a few things regarding Central Arkansas. Last week, LTE was officially activated in the Searcy area. I was really not expecting it, but it is kind of nice to see another part of the state getting LTE. The other piece of news I wanted to share is that during the first quarter of the upcoming year, there will be more Central AR cities that will see 4G LTE early in the year. Of course, I'll believe it when I see it, but I know cell sites have been going through upgrades not far from where I live.

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

For those that love cell site photos, or want to see upgrades in progress, it looks like LTE upgrades are seen even in the Arkadelphia area, so maybe there's hope that my city will not have to wait long (I still haven't noticed any changes where I live). So, places like Benton, Bryant, Hot Springs, Haskell, Malvern, Arkadelphia (there may be other locations), it may only be a matter of weeks or a few months

LTE antennas here are the ones that are noticeably wider.

 

[ghc37]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

For the past 6 days I have been getting 4G on my new broadband modem I bought 2 months ago. I live in Salem community 2 miles west of Alcoa exchange. Got 10 Mbps last night. There has been no "official announcement" but they must be getting close to rolling it out.

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

According to the map, many areas of Salem are considered Extended 4G LTE area. I was at the Alcoa Exchange area, and 3G and 4G battled it out. At one point, I had LTE for over five minutes straight before I went back to 3G. Sometimes, it only lasted less than a second. There's like a speck of Ext. LTE coverage around that area. Most of my download speeds were 10Mbps and higher, with the highest being at just a bit under 15Mbps. Uploads were slightly under 1Mbps, though I hit just over 3Mbps a few times.

 

[ghc37]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

I got no 4g for 2 months at my house. Now I get it always. 2 bars on my signal strength. . today 6-7 Mbps upload. I hope it gets better. I called the benton store and asked when, they said 1 to 2 weeks it will be done. We will see.

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

That might not be out of the question, though I've heard no news on LTE rollouts for January. It sounds like it's going to happen soon. I'll believe it when I see it, though. They said LTE would be around last year, but it kept getting pushed back.

 

[palmdroid1]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

Not quite central AR news, but it appears we may get it soon in Blytheville. There have been guys up on the tower in the middle of town the last few days replacing some panels with wider ones. Last week there were trucks from Fleming Network out there the morning after the service was cut at 11 the night before. Fingers crossed!

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

No, it isn't Central AR, but it's positive signs for other parts of the Natural State.. As of this weekend, I've still not seen any site upgrades in Malvern or Magnet Cove. I'm really looking forward to the upgrades.

Edit: (11:47pm CT) It was dark outside, but as I was driving through Interstate 30 near Benton and Haskell, the cell site that's closest to the Valero convenience store and the weigh station, there used to be four antennas on each side, but it looks like there's three now (so either the site has been upgraded, or it's being worked on).

 

[palmdroid1]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

Sounds like something similar to what they did to our local tower...

They changed the panels out and moved them around. Now the side facing out of town has 2 narrow, and 1 narrow, slightly longer panel, the other 2 sides have 2 wide and one narrow panel. The wide panels are for sure new. The other panels could have already been there, but moved around. Noticed some are pointing slightly down, some have less of a downturn. Looks like there are some other antennae that weren't there before, and some sort of microwave antenna, large and round, possibly to backhaul the rural tower that's several miles from town, as it's pointed that direction. I'm not sure if they still do wireless backhaul or not like Alltel did.

The only thing I've noticed, besides the service going out one night, and fluctuations the days they were working on the tower, is the 3G is much more steady and latency is down. I'm getting 80-110 ms ping time now, and nearly always get around 2.5 dn/1 up. Before the upgrades the last couple of weeks, was getting around 2 dn/.8 up w/ ping around 120-150.

They just sold out our corporate store to an authorized retailer, not sure if they'd be any help, but I'm thinking about calling them.

I know we're a small town, and I shouldn't be so impatient, but I want it NOW!!!

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

If you're able to and don't mind, I'd like to see what the site looks like, once the upgrades are finished (if they're not already). I enjoy cell site photos. If not, no prob.

Here's one I probably bounce off of the most at home. The lower antennas are VZ, no LTE (this was taken in December). As soon as I notice any changes, I'll post an after pic.

I wish I had ping levels as low as yours. I've never had that anywhere in the state, even in LTE areas. They've all been over 100ms. I've had below 100ms in places outside of Arkansas. Last night in an extended LTE area (where you may get LTE part of the time, and 3G for the rest), I hit up to just under 16Mbps/7Mbps speeds. At my house, I get pathetic speeds for 3G (probably because of traffic) and distance. There are times and places I get over 2Mbps/1Mbps, but many times, it's usually 0.20-0.60Mbps for downloads (at my place), a few times, I can hit over 1Mbps for download.

 

[palmdroid1]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

It appears they may have done something else to the site, or I may have just gotten it mixed up (more likely) But the service was fluctuating all evening, and 3G kept dropping, then coming back, and the speed was up and down. So who knows. Netflix buffered a few times, and normally video streams perfectly.

The side with only narrow panels appears it has 2 larger, and one smaller panel. The other 2 sides are still 2 wide and one narrow panel.

I will get over there this weekend and take some pictures. I may get the ping times and speed I get because I live within eyesight of the tower. It's two blocks from my house, in the winter, when the leaves are gone, I can see it through the trees.

It could just be this area though, I noticed it does vary region to region. I'm from Paragould, and it's just horrible over there. You're very lucky to get 1 mbps over there, even standing next to one of the 2 towers that serve the area. I know it's just overloaded there. Back in 2007-2009, even before Rev A, it wasn't unusual to get close to 2 mbps in Paragould.

In the backwoods of Kentucky last spring, I was getting around 2 down and 1.1 up, so it definitely can change from location to location.

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

I did some speed tests around the Alcoa Exchange area in Benton/Bryant (which is currently in the extended coverage area), and I had some pretty nice download and upload speeds. I was able to hit up to 18.36Mbps for a download speed, and up to 12.38Mbps for an upload speed, an average of 8-15Mbps downloads, and 2-6Mbps uploads on Saturday.

 

[palmdroid1]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

Not the best photo, but my man sent this to me while I was working. I didn't manage to get any photos this weekend, between the downpour that lasted all day saturday, and the Memphis trip yesterday morning, and superbowl yesterday afternoon. They're back to working on the tower again, as you can see the man climbing in the photo...

I got between 19 and 26 down, and 6-15 up yesterday while in Memphis

Note on photo: This tower is not a guyed structure, but it appears they have temporary guy wires attached to it, and the fence. I've noticed they've done this each time they've worked on it, after they finish the temporary guys are gone.

 

[One Radical Dude]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

It must have been neat to see at least one person climb and work on the tower. So, the two antennas that are noticeably wider are the LTE ones, correct? Thank you for sharing the image.

 

[palmdroid1]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

I've got a few more photos I took yesterday afternoon, after work...but, for the first time ever, I forgot my phone at home. The one I posted yesterday was taken between 11 and noon yesterday. When I got back over to Blytheville (I work in Gosnell, about 5 minutes away) yesterday afternoon, and came within sight of the tower I immediately noticed something was different again. I thought they moved the lowest sector of antennae down, but when I got closer, I realized there was 1 less sector. There were 5, 3 larger at the top, and then 2 smaller sets lower, the next to lowest sector and antennas are gone.

I suspect Clear may have pulled their WiMax service. I used Sprint for my internet until they ended unlimited 4G in November. This particular tower has(or had) AT&T, Verizon, Clear WiMax, possibly T-Mobile on it. I know for sure this tower does not have Sprint on it. When my buddy with an EVO comes over it's weird to see both 3 and 4G indicators. He gets 1-2 bars of 3G, and full 4G, but not so sure now. Gonna have him come and I'll let ya know if that's for sure what they took down. I suspect the tower also carries T-Mobile, as my old company phone was T-Mo and I always had full bars at home with it.

I'm thinking the 1st and 3rd set from top to bottom are AT&T and Verizon, but not sure which one is which.

I'll post photos when I get my phone on lunch, maybe someone can take a look at them and tell what is who.

 

[palmdroid1]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

Here are the shots I got yesterday afternoon. If you compare it to the previous photo, you'll notice the 2nd set from the bottom up is gone. If you look close at yesterdays photo, they already had the panel facing the camera taken off the 2nd from bottom set, and it looks like the man climbing down is carrying something.

I *think* the top set is AT&T, and 3rd from top is Verizon, just want someone with more experience to confirm this or correct me.

The 3rd row down is the one they worked on the last couple of weeks, swapping the more narrow panels for the wide ones. Those are the ones I suspect (hope) will be giving us LTE soon.

 

[palmdroid1]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

I can confirm the Clear/Sprint WiMAX 4G service is still going strong, so not quite sure what they took off the tower.

 

[ghc37]

Re: Little Rock/Central AR LTE

Well here it is almost the middle of February and Verizon 4G LTE has still not been officially turned on in Benton AR as was first promised by the end of November. What is the Friggin deal? And another thing.. my Verizon 4G 551? USB modem I bought in october disconnects constantly and I have to reconnect. I'm starting to think I should not have signed a 2 yr contract for this fiasco!