LTE deployment/good spectrum [ Edited ]

[mpossoff]

I've been seriously thinking about switching to VZW due to their amazing deployment of LTE and buying all the good spectrum. What's going on with AT&T in deploying LTE? Is it that there's no good spectrum left, want to please the stock holders? I find it hard to believe that AT&T isn't as aggressive as VZW.

Any thoughts?

[p51d007]

Well, in the past couple weeks, Verizon has had issues with their LTE network being up and down.

That being said, I think at&t was too busy trying to figure out who in congress, FCC etc to throw money at to get t-mobile to

worry about enhancing their network LOL.

[formercanuck]

Define 'good' spectrum.

[mpossoff]

All this greenfield spectrum that I'm reading about. Am I off here? A lot of 700 MHz spectrum? Is there spectrum that AT&T could buy?

As an AT&T customer who's paying premium rates I'm concerned about AT&T future with the next generation of mobile broadband.

[JFizDaWiz]

They just bought some 700mhz off qualcomm recently

[mpossoff]

Yeah I know. But that is just some. Is there more out there? AT&T will have an LTE network but won't it be a lot weaker compared to VZW? I think AT&T was banking on the merger and while the wait for the merger VZW was buying up a lot of spectrum.

My question is with the current situation will AT&T have a relatively weaker LTE network than VZW?

[mikewho]

It looks like vz is ahead in terms of the lte race and proactively building out since CDMA technology would have been left in the dust speed wise. AT&T has good speeds to fall back on until lte gets further deployed. Looks like vz didn't really have that and had to move to lte.

I wouldn't worry too much about lte as of yet since it will be a while before lte performs as intended. Vz is def going through growing pains with their lte.

[formercanuck]

'Good' spectrum could be considered 700, 850, 1900, AWS spectrum (1700/2100).

Both At&t and Vzw are deploying LTE on both 700 and AWS spectrum initially.

[mpossoff]

Hi formercanuck just because AT&T doesn't have the 700 C block like VZW has doesn't mean they're left to be a distant #2?

Or is all this VZW LTE really hype to make AT&T look like a distant #2?

[formercanuck]

Don't forget, AT&T has a lot of AWS spectrum as well for LTE use.

[mikewho]

Yeah AT&T is in decent shape with the 700 they recently were approved to acquire. Plus their 3G speeds are pretty fast so they aren't as rushed as vz was.

[mpossoff]

How much of AT&T entire network is 3G compared to VZW? I heard a lot of AT&T network isn't 3G, is that correct?

[squirrel14]

ath&t has purchased the 700mhz spectrum, and one of the things i have noticed is ath&t hasnt ben updating the lte marketz. there are many markets that they have lte in that are not commercialed.

[mpossoff]

Why do you think that is squirrel 14?

[billd104]

Saw AT&T contractors hanging LTE panels in Oldsmar FL yesterday. They said that this tower should be LTE ready in 3 weeks.

[billd104]

Better shot of the LTE panels and hardware. 

[mpossoff]

I want an LTE iPhone and I'm not confident in AT&T deployment of LTE and AT&T being able to compete in coverage and service in LTE. If I could see some pro-activity then I might reconsider.

[squirrel14]

If you take a look at the coverage map data coverage, you will notice it says 4g is dark blue. Go to a LTE market that at&t commercials as LTE, then look at come other cities. They have the same dsrk blue as that city at&t commerical as LTE. I know that those markets are not HSPA+ because my area has HSPA+ and those markets with HSPA+ are the next shade of blue. The darkest areas are LTE, while the next lightest shade of blue is HSPA+. Make sense?

[squirrel14]

mpossoff, i know this because if you take a look at markets that at&t commericals as 4g lte on the coverage map, and look at other cities in the DARK BLUE which the cities at&t commericals as lte are in DARK BLUE, those other cities in dark blue wpuld have to be lte. i know they are not HSPA+ because in my area we have HSPA+ for 4g, and it is not in dark blue like the lte markets that at&t commercials and other markets they dont commercial. make sense??

[mpossoff]

Yes that makes sense. But again I want to be confident in AT&T LTE but looking at Verizon I'm jealous.

[squirrel14]

at&t will soon catch up theres no reason to be jelous of verizon and their pathetic network