I was looking earlier. It reminds me of the root metrics map, with all the speed tests and such. It's an interesting network, they're rolling out 2x15 Bandwidth (I think that they may be using CA to get it up to 20Mhz in some areas) and 700Mhz at the moment but unlike with us they only own the spectrum for certain areas of the US, they can't rollout it out in lots of places like NYC because TV stations on channel 51 .
Yeah America has a massive ton of licences for spectrum areas are spilt up into hundred of licenses.
T-Mobile US is very much in a transitional period at moment shutting down MetroPCS network and re farming that AWS Spectrum [1700/2100]. Re farming there 1900MHz spectrum for LTE where they can. Buying up 700MHz A spectrum licences where they can sadly in some areas like NYC. Channel 51 TV is still broadcast in the 700MHz A spectrum range they are slowly moving it to other spectrum at present.
Heres a Question?
How many 4G/LTE sectors can there be? Reason im asking is been using an app on android called CellMapper (cellular tower and coverage mapping service) and when i was on the bus this afternoon i could see what cells i was connected to and what sector, max for me was 7, So guessing every sector has one pointing to West, South, North etc etc http://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=234&MNC=30&type=LTE&latitude=51.63477015558782&longitude=-0.26181561469729164&zoom=15
Heres a Question?
How many 4G/LTE sectors can there be? Reason im asking is been using an app on android called CellMapper (cellular tower and coverage mapping service) and when i was on the bus this afternoon i could see what cells i was connected to and what sector, max for me was 7, So guessing every sector has one pointing to West, South, North etc etc http://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=234&MNC=30&type=LTE&latitude=51.63477015558782&longitude=-0.26181561469729164&zoom=15
I have a feeling that it's not very accurate because of the way it works.
I can't remember why it was but Lucan said about it the other day.
Most masts have 3 sectors or cells each 120 degrees.
But there are loads of other combinations I'm sure.
Down here we have a lot of omnidirectional cylinder antennas right on the top of a mast. These for example are only 1 cell covering 360 degrees.
Another one on!
Think it also came on last Wednesday but I hadn't been there.
Down at Ivybridge just before Plymouth, the first Orange mast around here to go 4G!! Yeaeeeee!!
Covers the Lee Mill industrial estate and the 24 hour Tescos oh and Endsleigh Garden centre.
20Mhz. 96 meg going past it and 72 meg on a back lane on the way back.
For anyone who cares, here it is https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.385164,-3.949988,3a,48.3y,205.44h,96.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sBWubibVulERrTAwHK3kOnw!2e0
I hope some of this 4G action comes my way. Two masts were upgraded before Christmas but nothing since in a 10 mile radius.
There's a few places with "There's no 4G in this area*, but we're planning to switch it on within the next 6 months." on the map. But it's said that since late last year.
I wouldn't take any notice of the "in the next 6 months" bit.
Most of the ones coming on down here now said "in the next 6 months" from about January 2014 !
Anyone else having bother receiving texts? I seem to be able to send them, but not receiving.
Lucan mentioned something in another thread but some others I know on EE aren't having issues, in the same area and others and EE themselves have said there are no issues, calls and data are working as normal.
Anyone else having bother receiving texts? I seem to be able to send them, but not receiving.
Lucan mentioned something in another thread but some others I know on EE aren't having issues, in the same area and others and EE themselves have said there are no issues, calls and data are working as normal.
I'm having issues sending and receiving texts - mind you, the others that have tried to text are also on EE so it could be that they also can't send rather than me not receive.
No map update today???
Anyone else noticed anything.
The 2 masts down here no on the map yet.
Normally would be by now.
Have they gone to every two weeks now?
when signal switches between 3g and 4g should data get dropped? it's happening all the time with my connection
From my experience it shouldn't switch to 4G if 3G has an active data connection. It needs to wait for 3G to stop transferring data to move you up to 4G I believe.
There may be a minor pause when dropping down from 4G to 3G, but it shouldn't cause much of a problem.
I would agree with this.
If I'm on 3G and streaming BBC Radio for example in the car (my car radio is broken : ), it won't switch to 4G even if you are right next to the mast.
I had wondered about this and tested it the other day. Driving towards Torquay from Totnes I was on 3G listening to the radio. Where 4G would normally appear (from the Beacon Hill TV mast), it stayed on 3G and even driving right past it (within 100 metres) it doesn't switch to 4G.
Close the app though and instant switch to 4G!
As you say though, the other way it will switch very easily.
There may be a slight delay but of course all services these days that require a constant connection always buffer ahead to overcome slight drop outs.
From my experience it shouldn't switch to 4G if 3G has an active data connection. It needs to wait for 3G to stop transferring data to move you up to 4G I believe.
There may be a minor pause when dropping down from 4G to 3G, but it shouldn't cause much of a problem.
I'm not on EE though, talking generally.
I'm finding this is the case all the time as I listen to tune in radio or bbc iplayer radio in the car to/from work
I would agree with this.
If I'm on 3G and streaming BBC Radio for example in the car (my car radio is broken : ), it won't switch to 4G even if you are right next to the mast.
I had wondered about this and tested it the other day. Driving towards Torquay from Totnes I was on 3G listening to the radio. Where 4G would normally appear (from the Beacon Hill TV mast), it stayed on 3G and even driving right past it (within 100 metres) it doesn't switch to 4G.
Close the app though and instant switch to 4G!
As you say though, the other way it will switch very easily.
There may be a slight delay but of course all services these days that require a constant connection always buffer ahead to overcome slight drop outs.
This is why I'm finding 4g on the whole for streaming at least a bit of a let down and will be the case until every mast is upgraded and on equal power to 3g because as soon as the signal drops even for a brief second, it's will never return to 4g.. This might not be such an issue for you EE boys but on three you enter the world of congestion and backhaul issues where some masts give 20+mbps and the next mast will give 0.02mbps or nothing at all.. I'm sure there are good reasons for it to be set up this way but it is frustrating to be stuck on the old system with its issues when you know you in an 4g area with good speed.
The lack of 3G switching to 4G whilst a data connection is open has to be the biggest failing of the networks. Drives me mad and needs sorting out asap
The lack of 3G switching to 4G whilst a data connection is open has to be the biggest failing of the networks. Drives me mad and needs sorting out asap
I'm not sure it can be with the current system, willing to be told otherwise.
I have read about this somewhere but can't remember whether it was a handset or network thing.
It's a specific question in the Manx Telecom FAQ where it says "this may happen with an active connection on some handsets."
Which sort of suggests the handset but I don't really know.
I asked this question on the three 4g thread last year and was told it was not part of the 3g technology or the way 4g was implemented with it that ment it could not switch whilst streaming data, it really limits the usefulness of the tech for me and is a bit if an oversite in my view, when I had my Dan and Phil sim in a EE mi-fi box it was really interesting to see how far and wide the 4g coverage actually was when setting the box to 4h only and taking it out in the car, streaming was good overall a day speed even on no bars was always above 1 or 2 mbps. Though I found it had more burst of data then a smooth flow at lower signal levels.
It would be possible to do 3G to 4G with network support but in the absence of that you have to wait for it go to idle or PCH mode i.e no data. The problem is due to the way 3G works. The phone's radio is active all the time when transferring data on 3G so it can't check on other channels or bands for 4G.
To overcome this you would need to do what happens when you go from 3G to 2G on a voice call which is to schedule gaps in the transmission (known as compressed mode) and tell the phone to go and look elsewhere for 4G in the gaps. Obviously this comes at a price in slowing down 3G data and it isn't very good if 4G isn't found.
Incidentally this isn't a problem for 2G because 2G is based on transmitting in timeslots so the phone can go and look for better things in between the slots without any network support. This has always been used for 2G to 3G but more recent phones look for 4G so you get a direct 2G to 4G handover even when transferring data. Older 4G phones seem to not bother looking for 4G so only go to 3G and get stuck there with the 3G problem.
Sounds like another thing that is a problem but will go away as 4G cell density increases. We are still a young country in terms of 4G rollouts so it is to be expected.
Comments
Yeah America has a massive ton of licences for spectrum areas are spilt up into hundred of licenses.
http://specmap.sequence-omega.net/
Have a look at that website.
T-Mobile US is very much in a transitional period at moment shutting down MetroPCS network and re farming that AWS Spectrum [1700/2100]. Re farming there 1900MHz spectrum for LTE where they can. Buying up 700MHz A spectrum licences where they can sadly in some areas like NYC. Channel 51 TV is still broadcast in the 700MHz A spectrum range they are slowly moving it to other spectrum at present.
Hehe cut them some slack imagine it will improve as time goes on.
Yes, the overlay will, but the map itself has been pretty similar for the past 4 years
How many 4G/LTE sectors can there be? Reason im asking is been using an app on android called CellMapper (cellular tower and coverage mapping service) and when i was on the bus this afternoon i could see what cells i was connected to and what sector, max for me was 7, So guessing every sector has one pointing to West, South, North etc etc
http://www.cellmapper.net/map?MCC=234&MNC=30&type=LTE&latitude=51.63477015558782&longitude=-0.26181561469729164&zoom=15
I have a feeling that it's not very accurate because of the way it works.
I can't remember why it was but Lucan said about it the other day.
Most masts have 3 sectors or cells each 120 degrees.
But there are loads of other combinations I'm sure.
Down here we have a lot of omnidirectional cylinder antennas right on the top of a mast. These for example are only 1 cell covering 360 degrees.
Think it also came on last Wednesday but I hadn't been there.
Down at Ivybridge just before Plymouth, the first Orange mast around here to go 4G!! Yeaeeeee!!
Covers the Lee Mill industrial estate and the 24 hour Tescos oh and Endsleigh Garden centre.
20Mhz. 96 meg going past it and 72 meg on a back lane on the way back.
For anyone who cares, here it is
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.385164,-3.949988,3a,48.3y,205.44h,96.27t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sBWubibVulERrTAwHK3kOnw!2e0
There's a few places with "There's no 4G in this area*, but we're planning to switch it on within the next 6 months." on the map. But it's said that since late last year.
Most of the ones coming on down here now said "in the next 6 months" from about January 2014 !
Lucan mentioned something in another thread but some others I know on EE aren't having issues, in the same area and others and EE themselves have said there are no issues, calls and data are working as normal.
I'm having issues sending and receiving texts - mind you, the others that have tried to text are also on EE so it could be that they also can't send rather than me not receive.
Maybe it's regional?
Anyone else noticed anything.
The 2 masts down here no on the map yet.
Normally would be by now.
Have they gone to every two weeks now?
From my experience it shouldn't switch to 4G if 3G has an active data connection. It needs to wait for 3G to stop transferring data to move you up to 4G I believe.
There may be a minor pause when dropping down from 4G to 3G, but it shouldn't cause much of a problem.
I'm not on EE though, talking generally.
If I'm on 3G and streaming BBC Radio for example in the car (my car radio is broken : ), it won't switch to 4G even if you are right next to the mast.
I had wondered about this and tested it the other day. Driving towards Torquay from Totnes I was on 3G listening to the radio. Where 4G would normally appear (from the Beacon Hill TV mast), it stayed on 3G and even driving right past it (within 100 metres) it doesn't switch to 4G.
Close the app though and instant switch to 4G!
As you say though, the other way it will switch very easily.
There may be a slight delay but of course all services these days that require a constant connection always buffer ahead to overcome slight drop outs.
I'm finding this is the case all the time as I listen to tune in radio or bbc iplayer radio in the car to/from work
This is why I'm finding 4g on the whole for streaming at least a bit of a let down and will be the case until every mast is upgraded and on equal power to 3g because as soon as the signal drops even for a brief second, it's will never return to 4g.. This might not be such an issue for you EE boys but on three you enter the world of congestion and backhaul issues where some masts give 20+mbps and the next mast will give 0.02mbps or nothing at all.. I'm sure there are good reasons for it to be set up this way but it is frustrating to be stuck on the old system with its issues when you know you in an 4g area with good speed.
I'm not sure it can be with the current system, willing to be told otherwise.
It's a specific question in the Manx Telecom FAQ where it says "this may happen with an active connection on some handsets."
Which sort of suggests the handset but I don't really know.
To overcome this you would need to do what happens when you go from 3G to 2G on a voice call which is to schedule gaps in the transmission (known as compressed mode) and tell the phone to go and look elsewhere for 4G in the gaps. Obviously this comes at a price in slowing down 3G data and it isn't very good if 4G isn't found.
Incidentally this isn't a problem for 2G because 2G is based on transmitting in timeslots so the phone can go and look for better things in between the slots without any network support. This has always been used for 2G to 3G but more recent phones look for 4G so you get a direct 2G to 4G handover even when transferring data. Older 4G phones seem to not bother looking for 4G so only go to 3G and get stuck there with the 3G problem.
Is payg restricted speed