Sprint LTE

[dchawk81]

Thank you voice of reason, lol. Also, remember people, just because coverage sucks by you doesn't mean that applies to everyone. I've been all over the country and have never had a problem. Its kinda like all the people that still cry about Sprint's customer service even though they have been ranked at the top for the last few years. Relax. Sprint is going in a good direction.

Coverage and customer service were never a problem for me. I take issue with the "3G speeds" that rival AOL dial-up.

If all I ever did was talk & text people, I'd be happy as a clam with Sprint...maybe. I'd be overpaying though as even the overpriced AT&T has unlimited talk & text for $50 on prepay.

 

[smcolbert]

It started out as a 4G charge because at that time the only phones that consumed that level of data were 4G phones. Any android phone higher than eclair is going to use way more data just because of sync settings. It's also only $10. I don't know of another postpaid carrier that charges less for the equivalent.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

 

[crzycrkr]

Can't believe some people still think it was a 4G tax. It NEVER was. The salesman in the store may have told people that, but SPRINT NEVER said or advertised that. NEVER. Its been argued for a long time on these boards, and i thought everyone had finally realized this.

 

[TheDonJ77]

Where is this info that Sprint is getting the iPhone 5 exclusively? I doubt that apple would do that knowing the relationships that they established between att and verizon. An exclusive Sprint iPhone 5 doesn't make much sense. But hey what do I know?

 

[SERO wireless]

Where is this info that Sprint is getting the iPhone 5 exclusively? I doubt that apple would do that knowing the relationships that they established between att and verizon. An exclusive Sprint iPhone 5 doesn't make much sense. But hey what do I know?

BGR

If all Apple wanted was money they could have stayed exclusive to AT&T. This is about making MORE money. The iPhone is the carrier's crystal meth - not good for them but they can't say no to it. The, "relationship" is entirely one-sided with Apple demanding more cash and the carriers selling their plasma to keep the fruitphones flowing.

In Q4 Sprint started selling iPhones - 1.6 million new customers (45% chose iPhones). T-mobile lost 700,000 customers and blamed their lack of iPhones - even though there are more than 1 million jailbroken iPhones running on their network. A large number of customers will stampede to (or from) a carrier because of the iPhone and Apple and the carriers know it. AT&T pays Apple $18/mo. for every iPhone on their network.

 

[TheDonJ77]

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. I have no interest in the iPhone, I'm an android man but I try to stay informed

 

[Illusions]

Okay, I see that someone already posted the link to http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/212-network-visionlte-deployment-running-list/ for news on LTE rollout....beat me to posting.

I hope the rollout moves along faster, but at least we have a site where we can monitor progress and get updates. I sure hope LTE provides better coverage along with increased speeds (unlike the poor coverage Wimax 4g).

New LTE phones should be rolling out soon...

 

[lornaevo]

The delay in sprint's upgrade to LTE could have to do with Lightsquared problems.

 

[dchawk81]

Can't believe some people still think it was a 4G tax. It NEVER was. The salesman in the store may have told people that, but SPRINT NEVER said or advertised that. NEVER. Its been argued for a long time on these boards, and i thought everyone had finally realized this.

You're deluded.

 

[crzycrkr]

You're deluded.

No, that's the actual fact. Feel free to go back through all the old threads here, or find any advertisement that refers to it as a 4G charge for that matter. Never happened. Salesman may have referred to it that way, and over-excitable people here may also, but Sprint NEVER did.

 

[crzycrkr]

No, that's the actual fact. Feel free to go back through all the old threads here, or find any advertisement that refers to it as a 4G charge for that matter. Never happened. Salesman may have referred to it that way, and over-excitable people here may also, but Sprint NEVER did.

Edit : I believe it was referred to as Premium Data

 

[smcolbert]

It is called premium data. It is a charge that goes on any smart phone. 3G or 4G. The charge started around the time sprint started launching 4G phones, but it's for smartphone data use, not just 4G smart phones. Just like Verizon's $30 charge for 2GB except it's $10... for unlimited...

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[crzycrkr]

It is called premium data. It is a charge that goes on any smart phone. 3G or 4G. The charge started around the time sprint started launching 4G phones, but it's for smartphone data use, not just 4G smart phones. Just like Verizon's $30 charge for 2GB except it's $10... for unlimited...

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

And it always has been and it was always advertised that way

 

[michikade#AC]

I think we need to be a little bit more understanding of Sprint's decision to go to wimax. First, Sprint needed to go to wimax when it did in order to utilize spectrum it would have otherwise lost. Not to mention at the time it made the decision to deploy LTE was not yet a viable technology. Yes, it turned out that LTE was better, and Sprint is doing the right thing. Is anyone critical of manufacturers for going to HD DVD instead of Blu-ray? Of course not. Consumers decided that blu-ray was the future of HD movies so manufacturers made the necessary u-turn.

If you want to get a heads up which LTE cities are likely first to deploy, there ARE educated rumors:

Network Vision/LTE Deployment Running List - Sprint 4G Rollout Updates

It's just in the best interest of Sprint to underpromise and over-deploy come 2013.

Thanks for the website. Looks like some of this is confirmed, which is good news for me in my market because once I get my upgrade I can go LTE and be able to use it.

Now I'm just waiting for confirmation from the manufacturers for the LTE devices coming out this summer or early fall.

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[crzycrkr]

Thanks for the website. Looks like some of this is confirmed, which is good news for me in my market because once I get my upgrade I can go LTE and be able to use it.

Now I'm just waiting for confirmation from the manufacturers for the LTE devices coming out this summer or early fall.

Sent from my 3VO using Tapatalk

Only devices confirmed so far are the GN, which is coming very soon, and the LG Viper(I think), sometime this summer. Should start seeing new handsets ssoon.

 

[michikade#AC]

Only devices confirmed so far are the GN, which is coming very soon, and the LG Viper(I think), sometime this summer. Should start seeing new handsets ssoon.

Yeah, I know about those. I'm looking for the HTC option, myself. My upgrade isn't until October, so I'll see what's out then.

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[dchawk81]

And it always has been and it was always advertised that way

Nope. Started as Premium Data for 4G phones. People ed because 4G was practically non-existant. Sprint then made it Premium Data for all smart phones.

Sprint never called it for 4G because the marketing and legal teams were smart enough not to, but that doesn't mean it wasn't for 4G at first.

 

[44pillowspa]

I just happened to get a response from CS.
"Thank you for contacting Sprint via e-Chat and taking the time to speak with me today.

I apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced during our network upgrades and maintenance in the past year but rest assure it’ll be all worth the wait.

As discussed, 3 LTE devices will be launching midyear 2012: LG Viper 4G LTE, Galaxy Nexus and Sierra Wireless Tri-Network Hotspot. Images and details for each device can be found at: www.sprint.com/4glte. In January we announced that 4G LTE and upgraded 3G service are also expected by mid-2012 in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. As of February 8, 2012 we’ve expanded that to the Kansas City and Baltimore markets as well and are expected to receive 4G LTE and 3G network enhancements by mid-2012. Again, majority of our roll out completions will be opened up to more markets by 2013.

If there is another number or a specific date and time that you would like me to reach you, please take a few moments to reply to this email with the details. I can also be reached at 757-223-3201, Monday through Friday, 9:00am – 6:00pm, EST. I look forward to speaking with you to resolve your concerns. If you need assistance outside of my normal office hours please contact Customer Care at: 800-639-6111.

Thank you for your patience being a valued Sprint customer."

 

[44pillowspa]

This guy knows the score. Great post. Sprint will be lucky to rebound. This LTE rollout not happen quick or probably as fast as promised. Sprint has made some poor choices consistantly in the past 20 years I have been with them.


Sprint is doing penance for past sins. Faced with fleeing customers and larger competitors rolling out 4G they took a shortcut instead. The plan was to come out with faster a 3G (WiMax) network before AT&T and Verizon could finish their networks and then be first to market, advertise their network as, "4G" and hope customers wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Unfortunately, they did and left Sprint in droves. Sprint had no choice but to bite the bullet and build an LTE network.

At some point Dan Hesse went to Sprint's board to explain that the billions they had already spent on WiMax were gone, he'd need another $8 billion or so to build a new network, all their high-end phones in development would need to be scrapped and they would probably have to offer deep discounts on their existing high-end phones just to get them out of inventory. I wasn't at that meeting but I can assure you it wasn't pleasant.




A national communications network doesn't turn on a dime. Just figuring out how to pay for the new network took a while - Sprint hasn't turned a profit since 2007. It isn't a matter of just flipping a few switches, there are 22,000 towers that need to be upgraded and 20,000 to be retired - that takes a while.

One way to pay for the new network is new customers. Sprint added 1.6 million of them last quarter. 720,000 of those customers (45%) chose an iPhone. Meanwhile, T-mobile lost 700,000 customers last quarter. T-mobile said they left mostly because they couldn't get iPhones. That's right, hundreds of thousands of customers left a great network to join one with data speeds comparable to a 800 baud dial-up connection just so they could get an iPhone. Overall, 40% of the phones Sprint sold in Q4 were iPhones.

If Sprint didn't get the iPhone there's a good chance that they would have lost customers in Q4. Without the revenue streams from the iPhone and the coming revenues from their iPhone 5 exclusivity agreement there's no way they could convince investors to give them the money they need for their network upgrade.

 

[smcolbert]

WIMAX was actually the first 4G available (if we're going to call it faster 3G, then let's be honest, so is LTE).

Sprint hasn't stated it would turn on a dime, but I'm a strong believer in what I've seen Dan Hesse do. Most of the holdup unfortunately stems from 3rd party failures (see clearwire and lightsquared)

And it's been said, but if you get poor 3G speeds, I'm sorry, that's unfortunate l, but don't equate that to the whole network. I actually had someone complaining about Tmo to me yesterday compared to sprint, so it's definitely a regional thing. Sprint getting the iPhone says a lot about it as a company considering how picky apple is.

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