WirelessAdvisor.com

cellular_freak · 07-25-2008, 2:21 AM

I drove down the road today and I looked at the Dobson/AT&T tower and I noticed something that I hadn't noticed there before. There were a set of panels that I don't know how they fit onto the tower because the tower is so cluttered with antennas. Anyways, I had heard from Sprint reps in Saginaw that iPCS was planning a major expansion in Michigan, so I'm wondering if this is part of it. They told me the Thumb was going to be mostly covered. I thought that they'd be adding to a lot of the Nextel towers around the Thumb, but with this addition to the Dobson/AT&T tower, I'm thinking they aren't really that focused on Nextel towers. Maybe they will add one on our Nextel tower too, who knows. I'll take a pic ASAP and post it to show the update. I used to have a Sprint phone just to test service around the area, but I sold it, now it's a shame because now I could test out the service here in my town!!

larry · 07-25-2008, 4:17 AM

Since IPCS is still a seperate company from Sprint corporate I wouldn't think they would be using Nextel towers. Sprint probably doesn't have any such deal with them that would allow them to do that in the way the synergy sites have been done in corporate areas.

IPCS is not doing too bad and they have consistenly been expanding and making improvements to their network each and every quarter.

cellular_freak · 07-25-2008, 2:22 PM

Well because I noticed a site up north of me that was added to Sprint's Coverage Viewer and it showed a new site for iPCS right over where a Nextel site currently is. So, that's why I was wondering.

larry · 07-25-2008, 2:52 PM

Well I'm sure that IPCS will look for the best available place in the search ring where they need better coverage. If it just happens to be a co-lo with Nextel than they'd go for that as well. Sprint welcomes co-lo's from anyone.

cellular_freak · 07-25-2008, 3:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry

Well I'm sure that IPCS will look for the best available place in the search ring where they need better coverage. If it just happens to be a co-lo with Nextel than they'd go for that as well. Sprint welcomes co-lo's from anyone.

Well, the thing is, the Nextel site is kinda off the beaten track and not really covering anything. It's in the middle of some farm land. It completely misses the nearest towns. I would think iPCS would locate on towers in those towns and not on the Nextel tower which is a dud.

larry · 07-25-2008, 3:18 PM

Sprint updated the coverage viewer the other day. Is that marker for a future site still there?

I don't recall ever seeing any markers for new or future towers in IPCS or any affiliate area before. I don't think Sprint has accurate info on those.

cellular_freak · 07-25-2008, 3:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry

Sprint updated the coverage viewer the other day. Is that marker for a future site still there?

I don't recall ever seeing any markers for new or future towers in IPCS or any affiliate area before. I don't think Sprint has accurate info on those.

No. Sprint never puts Future or Recent markers for iPCS towers. You can just tell it's an iPCS site by the color of the signal reading. It just says "Sprint Coverage - Signal Strength Varies". But the little "blob" ob coverage is right over a Nextel site in the middle of nowhere.

larry · 07-25-2008, 7:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cellular_freak

No. Sprint never puts Future or Recent markers for iPCS towers. You can just tell it's an iPCS site by the color of the signal reading. It just says "Sprint Coverage - Signal Strength Varies". But the little "blob" ob coverage is right over a Nextel site in the middle of nowhere.

Then it's either a mistake or there's an existing CDMA site there already because if there was no site there you wouldn't see any blob of coverage showing. Sprint doesn't color green areas of coverage until they actually have a functioning site there.

cellular_freak · 07-25-2008, 7:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry

Then it's either a mistake or there's an existing CDMA site there already because if there was no site there you wouldn't see any blob of coverage showing. Sprint doesn't color green areas of coverage until they actually have a functioning site there.

No. I don't think that it's a mistake. The site is more than likely active because I spoke with people in a nearby city about it and they said that that tower was about to go online. I took another look at Sprint's coverage viewer and I've noticed that iPCS seems to be adding to a LOT of Nextel sites. Actually it appears as though that's all they're doing and the one in my town is just an oddball.

RadioFoneGuy · 07-25-2008, 7:49 PM

I have run into IPCS techs and they have been building out alot of towers in my area. Sprint has mandated to IPCS that they are REV A compliant by (dont remember the date) they also are building alot of towers. I have seen about 3 new sites.

Heres a pic of one.

music4praise · 07-25-2008, 8:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cellular_freak

No. I don't think that it's a mistake. The site is more than likely active because I spoke with people in a nearby city about it and they said that that tower was about to go online. I took another look at Sprint's coverage viewer and I've noticed that iPCS seems to be adding to a LOT of Nextel sites. Actually it appears as though that's all they're doing and the one in my town is just an oddball.

There is a Nextel tower about two miles from my house that iPCS added to about six months ago. Actually it is owned by American Towers but Nextel was the first provider on it. Dobson soon followed and then finally iPCS.

larry · 07-25-2008, 8:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cellular_freak

No. I don't think that it's a mistake. The site is more than likely active because I spoke with people in a nearby city about it and they said that that tower was about to go online. I took another look at Sprint's coverage viewer and I've noticed that iPCS seems to be adding to a LOT of Nextel sites. Actually it appears as though that's all they're doing and the one in my town is just an oddball.

Well that's good to hear then. Maybe IPCS did form some deal with Sprint to utilize the Nextel towers for easy synergy sites.

larry · 07-25-2008, 8:09 PM

iPCS, Inc. Announces Subscriber Activity for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2008

Schedules Earnings Release and Conference Call to Discuss Results

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2008--iPCS, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPCS), a Sprint PCS Affiliate of Sprint Nextel, today announced that it serves approximately 654,000 customers as of June 30, 2008.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2008, iPCS reported:

* Gross additions of approximately 61,800

* Net additions of approximately 13,400

* Average monthly churn, net of 30 day deactivations, of approximately 2.3%

* Ending subscribers of approximately 654,000

cellular_freak · 07-25-2008, 8:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadioFoneGuy

I have run into IPCS techs and they have been building out alot of towers in my area. Sprint has mandated to IPCS that they are REV A compliant by (dont remember the date) they also are building alot of towers. I have seen about 3 new sites.

Heres a pic of one.

See, I was kinds hoping that they would just build their own new tower. It would allow for more carriers to come to our area by having another site to be on. But they just decided to build onto to Dobson site. They'd probably get even better coverage if they added to the Nextel site in town.

strunke · 07-26-2008, 12:16 AM

Interesting, I'll have to make a point to force my phone over to them next time I'm near there area where they were sketchy.

spleck · 07-26-2008, 2:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry

Well that's good to hear then. Maybe IPCS did form some deal with Sprint to utilize the Nextel towers for easy synergy sites.

I wonder if its related to Sprint's sell off of towers, or if they had some provision that would allow iPCS in on Nextel's lease rates (which might be lower than current rates).

larry · 07-26-2008, 3:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleck

I wonder if its related to Sprint's sell off of towers, or if they had some provision that would allow iPCS in on Nextel's lease rates (which might be lower than current rates).

It would have nothing to do with Sprint's sell off of towers. That deal was just announced the other day and it only involves a small percentage of Sprint's towers. If IPCS is adding on to IDEN sites that has likely been in the planning stages for over a year or more.

spleck · 07-26-2008, 6:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larry

It would have nothing to do with Sprint's sell off of towers. That deal was just announced the other day and it only involves a small percentage of Sprint's towers. If IPCS is adding on to IDEN sites that has likely been in the planning stages for over a year or more.

That's probably likely. I just figured that sale was probably in the planning stages for quite some time too. I thought it may have been some overall larger plan to leverage their tower assets and leases. Probably just separate instances of cutting costs and making money though.

Yankees368 · 07-27-2008, 2:38 PM

This is all quite exciting for Michigan. Good news, as I will be moving out there in less than a month.

07-25-2008, 2:21 AM	#1 (permalink)
cellular_freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Caro, MI Posts: 390 Phone(s): iPhone 3G - White Provider(s): AT&T Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Images: 38 My Auctions	iPCS expansion in Michigan? I drove down the road today and I looked at the Dobson/AT&T tower and I noticed something that I hadn't noticed there before. There were a set of panels that I don't know how they fit onto the tower because the tower is so cluttered with antennas. Anyways, I had heard from Sprint reps in Saginaw that iPCS was planning a major expansion in Michigan, so I'm wondering if this is part of it. They told me the Thumb was going to be mostly covered. I thought that they'd be adding to a lot of the Nextel towers around the Thumb, but with this addition to the Dobson/AT&T tower, I'm thinking they aren't really that focused on Nextel towers. Maybe they will add one on our Nextel tower too, who knows. I'll take a pic ASAP and post it to show the update. I used to have a Sprint phone just to test service around the area, but I sold it, now it's a shame because now I could test out the service here in my town!!

07-25-2008, 4:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
larry Go Angels! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 12,870 Phone(s): LG Rumor Provider(s): Sprint Thanks: 11 Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts Images: 146 My Auctions	Re: iPCS expansion in Michigan? Since IPCS is still a seperate company from Sprint corporate I wouldn't think they would be using Nextel towers. Sprint probably doesn't have any such deal with them that would allow them to do that in the way the synergy sites have been done in corporate areas. IPCS is not doing too bad and they have consistenly been expanding and making improvements to their network each and every quarter.

07-25-2008, 2:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
cellular_freak Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Caro, MI Posts: 390 Phone(s): iPhone 3G - White Provider(s): AT&T Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Images: 38 My Auctions	Re: iPCS expansion in Michigan? Well because I noticed a site up north of me that was added to Sprint's Coverage Viewer and it showed a new site for iPCS right over where a Nextel site currently is. So, that's why I was wondering.

07-25-2008, 2:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
larry Go Angels! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 12,870 Phone(s): LG Rumor Provider(s): Sprint Thanks: 11 Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts Images: 146 My Auctions	Re: iPCS expansion in Michigan? Well I'm sure that IPCS will look for the best available place in the search ring where they need better coverage. If it just happens to be a co-lo with Nextel than they'd go for that as well. Sprint welcomes co-lo's from anyone.

07-25-2008, 3:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
larry Go Angels! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 12,870 Phone(s): LG Rumor Provider(s): Sprint Thanks: 11 Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts Images: 146 My Auctions	Re: iPCS expansion in Michigan? Sprint updated the coverage viewer the other day. Is that marker for a future site still there? I don't recall ever seeing any markers for new or future towers in IPCS or any affiliate area before. I don't think Sprint has accurate info on those.

07-25-2008, 8:09 PM	#13 (permalink)
larry Go Angels! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 12,870 Phone(s): LG Rumor Provider(s): Sprint Thanks: 11 Thanked 14 Times in 14 Posts Images: 146 My Auctions	Re: iPCS expansion in Michigan? iPCS, Inc. Announces Subscriber Activity for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2008 Schedules Earnings Release and Conference Call to Discuss Results SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2008--iPCS, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPCS), a Sprint PCS Affiliate of Sprint Nextel, today announced that it serves approximately 654,000 customers as of June 30, 2008. For the quarter ended June 30, 2008, iPCS reported: * Gross additions of approximately 61,800 * Net additions of approximately 13,400 * Average monthly churn, net of 30 day deactivations, of approximately 2.3% * Ending subscribers of approximately 654,000

07-26-2008, 12:16 AM	#15 (permalink)
strunke .:\|Always Covered\|:. Join Date: May 2005 Location: BVR Posts: 1,703 Phone(s): KRZR K1m, SLVR L6, v710, E815, E816(ampd), LG 380, 8600 Provider(s): Alltel, T-Mobile, Sprint, Centennial Devices: Garmin eTrex Vista Cx, Bluetooth headset Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts My Auctions	Re: iPCS expansion in Michigan? Interesting, I'll have to make a point to force my phone over to them next time I'm near there area where they were sketchy. __________________ www.ALLTELLIVES.com My words of wisdom and random thoughts....Doesn't matter how many people are on a network, you can only use one phone at a time...ok maybe two...

07-27-2008, 2:38 PM	#19 (permalink)
Yankees368 Compulsive Signal Checker Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Amherst, NY & Long Island Posts: 3,197 Phone(s): TouchPRO, Mogul, Sanyo M1, Motorola K1m,Samsung a900, Sanyo 7400 8200 8100 6200, Samsung a460, Nokia 5190 Provider(s): Sprint PCS (since 2002), Voicestream (2001-2002) Devices: 30GB iPod 5g, 2GB nano, Dell Latitude E6500 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts Images: 528	Re: iPCS expansion in Michigan? This is all quite exciting for Michigan. Good news, as I will be moving out there in less than a month. __________________ "'Current Sprint Service Can Not Be Used' What the hell does that mean?!?"

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