[xenophonite]

Update:
According to the Sprint/Nextel application, Sprint now has over 24,000 cell sites and will be adding 14,000 more by 2008 or about 4,000 per year - likely 1,000 more by end of 2005.
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/a...64392058496989

According to this, Verizon has "over 23,000" cell sites. Verizon has added only 1-2,000 sites a year lately.
http://news.vzw.com/pdf/Verizon_Wireless_Press_Kit.pdf

According to this, Nextel has 28,000 cell sites and Sprint plans to convert half to CDMA in about two years. Nextel has more on East Coast, Sprint's weak spot.
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/print.php/3448181

Sprint could exceed Verizon significantly in a couple years as it could be more difficult for Verizon to obtain more newly developed cell sites, having to go through community approvals, etc. Verizon may need to acquire another small cell provider to add sites more quickly.

Sprint is also dumping its local business (LDX probably eventually), focusing exclusively on wireless and Internet backbone.

Sprint is also planning to convert 100% of its network to EVDO Rev 0, VoIP over EVDO Rev A expected in 2007, eventually replacing the voice portion of the network and being data only.

Verizon admits they are planning on only 75% to EVDO because of inconsistencies in network. Verizon will of course have to maintain last gen voice network until fully deployed with data only.

Cingular is a hodge podge mess. How they will compete in long run will be interesting.

Advantage of data only network? Imagine web browsing, receiving email and talking (VoIP) at the same time.

[Hizd4Life]

I have been w/ Sprint for several of years and stuck through all the rough times. W/ my discount and w/ the cheaper rates, I am very excited if all is true. SO SPRINT GET MOVING!!!!!!

[xenophonite]

^I suspect when Sprint officially acquires Nextel, the first priority will be to cover their weak spots on East Coast with CDMA on existing iDen cell sites.

[Hizd4Life]

Xenophonite, thanks for the great info.. Now I can ask my "Verizon" buddies "Who's your daddy now?!"

[xenophonite]

I wonder what poor Cingular will do. They are still rolling out last gen EDGE data. Their high-speed HSDPA is way behind schedule, isn't meeting expectations and can only be deployed in a limited way unless replacing over 50% of their GSM network to be more consistent.

Cingular may have to spend $10B+ to keep up with Sprint/Verizon or stick with what they have and become a lowrent wireless shop and not compete in the same space.

[xenophonite]

Anyone know how Nextel managed to have 28,000 cell sites? Do iDen towers have a smaller transmit radius, requiring more?

[Kupe]

I wonder if all those towers are a reflection of the hardware required for their (comparatively) robust push-to-talk capability?

[mari]

I have a new 650 with Verizon that I am going to sell and change my service to either Sprint or Cingular. I live in Orinda, CA, a hilly area outside of San Francisco and Verizon signal is very weak at my house. I get a lot of dropped calls and have to stand outside to get weak coverage.

How do I determine who has better service in this area? Cingular's rollover plan is attractive but Sprint has a cheap data plan which is also attractive.

Can anyone help me find out who has better coverage for this area?
Thanks,
Rob

[slithy]

The only way to tell for sure if you have coverage at your house (or any specific place) is to try it out. See if any of your friends or neighbors use the providers you are considering and have them over for a BBQ and to try out their cell phones

[mari]

Where are you and what carrier do you use?

[slithy]

I'm in Denver, and I use Verizon. They seem the best for all of Colorado.

[xenophonite]

You can see where Sprint towers are here...
http://www.sprint.com/pcsbusiness/co...towermaps.html

Don't know how up to date it is.

[illustreous]

Wow, just checked the area where I live and there's a gaping hole for coverage. Seems like there are towers all around me, but not really "near" me.

[xenophonite]

^How dense is the area you live? Towers are added not just for coverage but for capacity of users. If there are not a lot of people around you, no need for additional capacity. As long as the existing towers can cover your area, no worries.

[xenophonite]

According to this, each tower can reach about 18 square miles.

http://www.ctl.info/wireless/3g_data_matrix.aspx

Edit: should be 18 mile radius, not sq. miles.

[illustreous]

It's pretty dense with trees and such

not very heavily populated, but that's relative anyway.

^How dense is the area you live? Towers are added not just for coverage but for capacity of users. If there are not a lot of people around you, no need for additional capacity. As long as the existing towers can cover your area, no worries.

[Kupe]

According to this, each tower can reach about 18 square miles.

I assume that means each tower has a linear range of about 2.3 - 2.5 miles then (Area=pi*r^2)? That's less than I would have thought.

[xenophonite]

^I wondered that to. I think it should be 18 mile radius, not square miles. Just found this source that says CDMA has a 110KM range, about 18 miles. The word 'range' implies radius to me.

http://www.skyaid.org/LifeWatch/cell_phone_World.htm

[Kupe]

^I wondered that to. I think it should be 18 mile radius, not square miles. Just found this source that says CDMA has a 110KM range, about 18 miles. The word 'range' implies radius to me.

That same source says the CDMA range says "you will need a car kit...to achieve these numbers." Is a car kit just an external antenna or some sort of powered antenna I wonder?

In any case, I'm inclined to agree that the radius is something larger than 2.5 miles. With 18 sq mi per tower, there's no way providers could claim the coverage they do with only 20,000 towers.

(BTW, 18 miles is ~29 km, not 110 - that would be 66 miles.)

[xenophonite]

^Oops, thanks, my math was screwy. 10Km is about 6 miles, I knew that, doh.

When looking at Sprint tower maps, 20-40 mile spacing does look common in relatively flatter rural areas. Obstruction and load on towers is apparently more of a factor than radius of coverage. Therefore towers would need to be carefully placed based on obstructions such as mountains, tall buildings, etc. And then of course a quantity would be needed in high density areas to cover the load.

Note that GSM has only about 1/3 radius of CDMA in that last link. I'd guess that iDen also has smaller radius, explaining a large number of Nextel towers compared to Sprint/Verizon.