Anyone with new LTE device in Chicagoland area?

[bearballz72]

Well, it's still pretty bad here in the near west 'burbs. Dropped a couple more calls, but it seems Oak Brook (where I work) is much better than it was. Getting full bars there and the speeds are up to almost 2mbps down on 3G, compared to the Oak Park/ Bewyn area which are still pathetic (and still no 4G). Was also out in the Palatine/Arlington Heights area Saturday and Sunday and it's pretty subpar out there as well.

Was having issues with sending and receiving text messages and when we were out in Yorktown mall the other day I stopped by the kiosk they have there (the BB mobile store there is a joke they had no idea what was wrong with it). While they were taking a look at it I was talking to them about the 4G rollout and the issues I was having.

The guy who was helping me said he lived over by Chicago Ridge mall on the Southside (around 95th and Pulaski I believe) and said he was having the same issues. He said that they were still upgrading the towers in that area and to hold tight for a while longer (not exactly what I wanted to hear).

Good thing is that they resolved the text issue (some sort of error on Sprint's part). It was only going on for a day or two so I wasn't going to make a fuss about it. Plus they were very friendly and helpful.

 

[Verdes8891]

Past few days it has gone back to bad again in elgin. Getting really sick of this.

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[Paul627g]

Ya the texting problem seemed to be affecting many areas here in Chicago.. I've heard they run texting thru certain towers and in the past those towers have had issues while normal data and cellular have worked fine. Texting has seemed to be resolved again recently.

Lets hope for the best on the rest of our problems in Chicago.. September was supposed to be the magic month for them to start completing many of the ongoing upgrades in Chicago...

 

[541rrhse]

Ya the texting problem seemed to be affecting many areas here in Chicago.. I've heard they run texting thru certain towers and in the past those towers have had issues while normal data and cellular have worked fine. Texting has seemed to be resolved again recently.

Lets hope for the best on the rest of our problems in Chicago.. September was supposed to be the magic month for them to start completing many of the ongoing upgrades in Chicago...

Chicago update this week over @S4GRU

 

[Verdes8891]

Chicago update this week over @S4GRU

Everything I can find on that site leads to an October launch now. No longer a September launch.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Paul627g]

Yep.. I was thinking September was going to be a long shot. I know they have fallen behind in getting us updated.

I think this whole battle with the legacy vs new equipment handoff has them doubling back on things.. They have to first get the new equipment in place in enough locations before shutting down the legacy equipment so they don't have the handoff problems (dropped calls, data loss, etc..) . This is simply my own observations from reading up on the issues they have ran into here in the Chicago market.

I hope the late September into early October should start showing some real signs of improvement. I've read the current trend seems to be once a market hits around 40-50% completed on the upgrade they usually go official with the launch. Chicago is right at about that mark right now.

 

[541rrhse]

Everything I can find on that site leads to an October launch now. No longer a September launch.

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Some have already been reporting LTE connectivity. Chicago Land NV/LTE Deployment - Sprint 4G Rollout Updates - Page 36

 

[bearballz72]

Ya the texting problem seemed to be affecting many areas here in Chicago.. I've heard they run texting thru certain towers and in the past those towers have had issues while normal data and cellular have worked fine. Texting has seemed to be resolved again recently.

Lets hope for the best on the rest of our problems in Chicago.. September was supposed to be the magic month for them to start completing many of the ongoing upgrades in Chicago...

Yeah everytime I tried texting someone I would get a message saying wrong destination [/I]code 98. The Sprint rep just called Sprint and they did something in their system and it works fine now.

As for the LTE launch moved to October, I'm not surprised either. I know they've been having issues with the Motorola legacy equipment, but from what I've read on 4sgru my impression was that they've been making pretty steady progress around the area.Unfortunately all that sweet LTE action seems to be concentrated in the Joliet area. Just hoping it starts making it's way up North.

To me it's race to see what comes to my SIII first, LTE or Jellybean. Any wagers anybody lol?

 

[RawisTheGameHhH]

sprint has sucked since i got the siii; they have till november to get their act cleaned up; if not im talking my 3 lines elsewhere

 

[Darth Mo]

i've been working throughout northwest Indiana and have seen LTE consistently in Highland and Merrillville, and certain parts of Munster over the last month.

While I have no idea if that means LTE is getting closer to the Chicago heartland, I am impressed with the technology. Can't rave about the speeds just yet because there is probably light traffic on the network, but the building penetration is pretty good. Generally while on WiMax with the OG Evo and the Evo 3D, I would have "full" 4G signal outside of a building, then simply walk through a doorway and poof, nothing. LTE seems to work just fine indoors.

 

[bearballz72]

So anything new or is it still pretty lackluster around the area (except for the Joliet area)? No changes here in the near western burbs, still missing some calls, been telling everyone to either text or leave me a message if I don't answer (sigh).

It really stinks when you're sitting right next to your phone and all of a sudden a voicemail comes up and I'm like "wait, the phone didn't even ring". Updating the PRL and Profile doesn't even help that much anymore. Thinks it's time to call Sprint CS and complain again.

 

[Paul627g]

This was a day ago.. Louis Joliet Mall...

 

[Verdes8891]

Still waiting here in Elgin and Algonquin for better service in general. I have been having crackaling noises infrequently on phone calls the past few weeks

 

[bearballz72]

Saw this on the Verge this morning. Well, at least Sprint is acknowledging that LTE is coming to the Chicago area in the coming months . Of course no specifics or dates so this announcement could mean next month or January 2013.Guess we'll have to wait and see.


Sprint LTE launching in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, 100 more cities in 'coming months' | The Verge


http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/10/3307662/sprint-lte-network-rollout-100-cities

 

[Verdes8891]

According to a leak over at Engadget, looks like Chicago will be turned on for LTE on the 21st of September. Hope its true.

http://m.engadget.com/2012/09/13/sprint-flipping-the-lte-switch-in-boston-and-chicago/

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[eddieras]

hope that's true- i'm in lake county which states 9/15!

 

[Verdes8891]

hope that's true- i'm in lake county which states 9/15!

Yea but I'm in cook/Kane county. I gotta wait.

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[bearballz72]

According to a leak over at Engadget, looks like Chicago will be turned on for LTE on the 21st of September. Hope its true.

Sprint flipping the LTE switch in Boston and Chicago on September 21st? - Engadget

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Keeping my fingers crossed!!

 

[Paul627g]

Awesome.. . Great news.. I hope I can actually grab LTE at my house instead of having to drive 10 minutes to Louis Joliet Mall to grab signal.

 

[RawisTheGameHhH]

i will believe it when i see it; i have a new job and currently work downtown chicago now