Good news for Sprint customers, iPCS RIP

[RadioFoneGuy]

I heard from a Sprint insider yesterday that a deal is in the works for a iPCS buyout. I havent been able to find anything on the net yet. Sprint will finally be able to wipe out that bad rap they have on iPCS turf.

[Alienware_51]

This is very good news, now maybe, just maybe we might see an improvement up here in northern michigan.

[larry]

I'll believe this when I see it but I hope you're right. There's been rumors about this for a while now.

[RadioFoneGuy]

I happened to run into a Nextel Tech(Sprint) and I asked about running CDMA at the iden towers and about iPCS. The Tech told me it was was put out in a meeting they had. I will be vague on this out of respect for my friend over at Sprint. Hopefully they will make it public soon. This is only win win for both Sprint and iPCS customers and should of happened along time ago.

[RJB]

Can someone clue me into what ipcs is?

[RJB]

Nevermind I found their website.

[larry]

I've always been amazed at how many people on the forums are from IPCS territory. Seems like more people than Sprint corporate. It's very odd.

[TKR]

I wish they'd buy out the Viginia PCS Alliance areas in Virginia. nTelos contols the physical network there.

[cellular_freak]

Oh my gosh!

If this is true, this is such good news! No more iPCS! That's great! Finally people will stop wondering why their plans are different than every other Sprint person's in southern Michigan and why their coverage SUCKS from Saginaw/Grand Rapids north.

And finally Sprint will be able to begin adding CDMA panels to their iDEN towers. (Like where I live). But it's so weird that the counties to the south and east of me are Sprint corporate but the ones to the west and north are all iPCS. It's all weird how they decide territories. It's just odd that iPCS didn't get the whole "thumb of Michigan" because that's one whole market. That's why we have a Thumb Cellular here and Dobson. And only here. We are completly surrounded on all sides by national companies. It's just so odd that iPCS split up our market into two.

[ccith]

what does that mean?

[UFO]

Originally Posted by TKR

I wish they'd buy out the Viginia PCS Alliance areas in Virginia. nTelos contols the physical network there.

I recently read that Sprint and nTelos extended their agreement in Va and WV so I wouldn't worry about that anytime soon. But it seems like it had to do with nTelos upgrading their data to EV-DO.

[RadioFoneGuy]

Ipcs is 1900 and the 1900 is seperated in to BTA (basic trading areas) versus what Cellone and Thumb have licenses for which is RSA 10 which covers all 3 counties in the thumb under the 850 licence. ipcs either doesnt have the license or only has chosen not to build out in the thumb as they mainly cover main cities and highways.

I hope the news I heard is true, I have yet to see anything formal.

[cellular_freak]

Originally Posted by Cellonetech

Ipcs is 1900 and the 1900 is seperated in to BTA (basic trading areas) versus what Cellone and Thumb have licenses for which is RSA 10 which covers all 3 counties in the thumb under the 850 licence. ipcs either doesnt have the license or only has chosen not to build out in the thumb as they mainly cover main cities and highways.

I hope the news I heard is true, I have yet to see anything formal.

So what you're saying is, is that there are completely different markets based on 850 MHz and 1900 MHz? So that's why Thumb Cellular and Cellular One have both the same territory in the thumb and we are surrounded by the national carriers? But it's weird that Sprint is in one part of the thumb still and iPCS is in the other half . . . . . I bet that makes Thumb Cellular so mad to have Sprint putting up CDMA towers in the thumb because Thumb has been the ONLY CDMA carrier since they've deployed it. ANd they know iPCS isn't going to build out their network here . . . . LOL.

[RadioFoneGuy]

Heres a Ipcs coverage map at this link. This will show what they are licensed for but not an accurate account of what they cover. In some areas they may only have license saver sites that arent designed to cover much but only so the FCC wont take the license away.

For instance AT&T has 1 tower in Alpena and no others within a 200 mile range, just the bare minimum to keep the license.

:: iPCS ::

[ccith]

I am confused so sprint really doesn't have towers they are using everyone elses up here? Like running off of nextel all the time? So if they got rid of there no roaming plan the customers would be roaming all the time right?

[Bill Clinton]

Originally Posted by ccith

I am confused so sprint really doesn't have towers they are using everyone elses up here? Like running off of nextel all the time? So if they got rid of there no roaming plan the customers would be roaming all the time right?

Yes you are confused. iPCS is an affiliate. They operate a small network and Sprint uses it as native coverage. In return iPCS uses Sprint's network outside of iPCS territory. In affiliate territory Sprint doesn't have a network, they have an affiliate network (iPCS in your case). Affiliate territory is different from roaming territory. Sprint will not go and build in the areas where iPCS has a license. As a result Sprint can't add CDMA to the old Nextel towers in iPCS land. If you are in a Sprint cooperate market but you are roaming, Sprint just hasn't built out coverage for that area. If you are in iPCS territory it is up to iPCS to build out the network.
iPCS has different plans, most people don't like iPCS, they don't provide very good coverage, along with a long list of other complaints, so the bottom line is, it would be great if Sprint can buy iPCS and get that area cooperate. Everyone will be happier.

[RadioFoneGuy]

Let me quote Hulk Hogan, "Amen Brother"

[cellular_freak]

Well you can't run off from Nextel's towers anyways because Nextel uses iDEN technology and they are basically the only network in the country to use iDEN. So it would be imposible for a Sprint (CDMA) customer to "roam' onto a Nextel tower. Just as Nextel customers cannot roam at all. They can only use their own network since they are the only ones to use iDEN.

There are hybrid CDMA/iDEN phones that can work on both Nextel and Sprint networks but that's not what you were talking about.

[TelcomJunkie]

Originally Posted by Bill Clinton

<snip>As a result Sprint can't add CDMA to the old Nextel towers in iPCS land.

Originally Posted by cellular_freak

Well you can't run off from Nextel's towers anyways because Nextel uses iDEN technology and they are basically the only network in the country to use iDEN. So it would be imposible for a Sprint (CDMA) customer to "roam' onto a Nextel tower. Just as Nextel customers cannot roam at all. They can only use their own network since they are the only ones to use iDEN.

There are hybrid CDMA/iDEN phones that can work on both Nextel and Sprint networks but that's not what you were talking about.

I think you misread cellular_freak, he's referring to adding CDMA equipment to an existing iDEN tower. They have been doing it nationwide for the last year or so EXCEPT in affiliate markets due to the contracts with those affiliates. Also, don't forget about the southern iDEN provider, SouthernLinc.

[cellular_freak]

Originally Posted by TelcomJunkie

I think you misread cellular_freak, he's referring to adding CDMA equipment to an existing iDEN tower. They have been doing it nationwide for the last year or so EXCEPT in affiliate markets due to the contracts with those affiliates. Also, don't forget about the southern iDEN provider, SouthernLinc.

Yeah, I knew about SouthernLinc but they're basically the only company besides Nextel. Nextel pretty much is what you think of when you say "iDEN" because they have the national network. I could also see SprintNextel buying them out . . . . . . .

Yes, and I was referring to the fact that Sprint is adding CDMA equipment to iDEN towers like crazy, except in the affiliate territory. iPCS will not allow Sprint to add it's equipment to Nextel towers and iPCS isn't about to add equipment to Nextel towers. I was only speaking about the weirdness of the fact that iPCS is in two of the three counties of the Thumb of Michigan but not in the other. So, it's quite odd to see Sprint coverage in that county and the rest of the Thumb has none. (I bet that really upsets Thumb Cellular. They've been the only CDMA carrier here since they and Dobson transitioned from their old AMPS and TDMA networks to CDMA and GSM, respectively)