I need someone who has a lot of information on LTE in Rural America.. this is killing

**tim33** · 03-30-2012, 08:24 PM

Seems like the way Verizon is going, Verizon will become the best cellular provider in the USA.

**newyork4me** · 03-30-2012, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by tim33

Seems like the way Verizon is going, Verizon will become the best cellular provider in the USA.

Indeed. If only they can get the SpectrumCo spectrum to let them keep up their plan.

Not only are they kicking butt, but they are also making the other providers step up their game. Sprint's LTE rollout for the end of 2013 is pretty impressive, and apparently AT&T has just placed a huge rash of LTE equipment orders in an attempt to speed their timeline up to compete.

Verizon winning = awesome for making others try to compete.

**tim33** · 04-02-2012, 12:19 PM

I came across this interesting article and was wondering if anyone was aware of this.

http://www.telecompetitor.com/rural-...ls-to-verizon/

**ben7337** · 04-02-2012, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by tim33

I came across this interesting article and was wondering if anyone was aware of this.

http://www.telecompetitor.com/rural-...ls-to-verizon/

Yup, this was posted on some other thread in here back around when it was reported on. That article is over a month old.

**tim33** · 04-02-2012, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by ben7337

Yup, this was posted on some other thread in here back around when it was reported on. That article is over a month old.

I am curious is this going to increase a lot of the coverage in New Mexico with this purchase. I know Verizon had quite a few holes in New Mexico.

**Trocks797** · 04-03-2012, 12:17 AM

Originally Posted by tim33

I am curious is this going to increase a lot of the coverage in New Mexico with this purchase. I know Verizon had quite a few holes in New Mexico.

If they just convert the existing network to Verizon 3G, then coverage won't really change. If they fill in the holes with new coverage, then it will. I am not sure what their plan is.

**tim33** · 04-03-2012, 12:41 AM

For what I understand the coverage on Plateau is gsm so I assume some of the coverage should get a little better. I also feel Verizon will be launching some of their 700 mhz lte coverage there.

**Trocks797** · 04-03-2012, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by tim33

For what I understand the coverage on Plateau is gsm so I assume some of the coverage should get a little better. I also feel Verizon will be launching some of their 700 mhz lte coverage there.

You're right! Sorry, I was thinking Plateau was that patch of 3G roaming in SE NM. They cover A LOT more area in NM than Verizon does, and they are in fact GSM-based. So yeah, VZW coverage will increase dramatically. I am sure they will add LTE at the same time too. May not activate it quite yet, but it will be in the plan.

**GSMinCT** · 04-03-2012, 12:51 PM

I don't know what the financial terms of LTE in Rural America are, but it seems to me that these companies are either going to get pushed out of the consumer business and become a sub-contractor for Verizon (probably not a bad gig to be in if the money is coming in from them fast enough, let someone else market, and just work on the physical infrastructure), or Verizon is going to buy them all up and add to their cellular license collection, with an LTE network that someone else built to their standards.

They also need to build out in a few USCC-heavy areas like WV and Downeast Maine. They have a PCS license in Downeast Maine, they just haven't bothered to put the towers up there to do native PCS 1x/EVDO.

However, to the OP:
1. Why does it matter? If you need postpaid, get postpaid. If you want it that bad, upgradingfrom the $20 prepaid plan to the $30 postpaid shouldn't be a big deal.

2. Why didn't you keep the Verizon model and throw an AT&T SIM in there for HSPA+ to bridge the gap?

**ggore** · 04-03-2012, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by GSMinCT

I don't know what the financial terms of LTE in Rural America are, but it seems to me that these companies are either going to get pushed out of the consumer business and become a sub-contractor for Verizon (probably not a bad gig to be in if the money is coming in from them fast enough, let someone else market, and just work on the physical infrastructure), or Verizon is going to buy them all up and add to their cellular license collection, with an LTE network that someone else built to their standards.

There are risks to the regional participants, but I'm sure there are some compensatory revenues for them as well, that we just don't know about. An example would be someone like me, an iPhone user, who wants to use one in this area. There will only be one source for an LTE iPhone, that being Verizon, as Pioneer doesn't carry the device. But Pioneer gets no revenue from my buying an iPhoneLTE from Verizon. There is roaming revenue but none from sales of the phones.

Pioneer is the one who built the LTE system, so having people purchase phones from Verizon instead of them to use in this area would be a financial blow to them, so there has to be some provision in the program to compensate for that loss in revenue. It also remains to be seen what LTE phones Pioneer will have on offer. Normally, all the latest/greatest phones are exclusive to AT&T and Verizon, which is also a disincentive to purchase from Pioneer. There are lots of little gotchas in the program, but I'm sure there are provisions that we don't know about that address these problems.

**newyork4me** · 04-03-2012, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by GSMinCT

I don't know what the financial terms of LTE in Rural America are, but it seems to me that these companies are either going to get pushed out of the consumer business and become a sub-contractor for Verizon (probably not a bad gig to be in if the money is coming in from them fast enough, let someone else market, and just work on the physical infrastructure), or Verizon is going to buy them all up and add to their cellular license collection, with an LTE network that someone else built to their standards.

They also need to build out in a few USCC-heavy areas like WV and Downeast Maine. They have a PCS license in Downeast Maine, they just haven't bothered to put the towers up there to do native PCS 1x/EVDO.

However, to the OP:
1. Why does it matter? If you need postpaid, get postpaid. If you want it that bad, upgradingfrom the $20 prepaid plan to the $30 postpaid shouldn't be a big deal.

2. Why didn't you keep the Verizon model and throw an AT&T SIM in there for HSPA+ to bridge the gap?

My guess was that they are just going to buy them all up. Especially after VoLTE, these roaming providers become more and more irrelevant for anything other than putting up VZW's equipment and providing backhaul.

VZW also needs to build out A LOT in Missouri. A little less than half the state is USCC roaming.

**GSMinCT** · 04-03-2012, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by ggore

There are risks to the regional participants, but I'm sure there are some compensatory revenues for them as well, that we just don't know about. An example would be someone like me, an iPhone user, who wants to use one in this area. There will only be one source for an LTE iPhone, that being Verizon, as Pioneer doesn't carry the device. But Pioneer gets no revenue from my buying an iPhoneLTE from Verizon. There is roaming revenue but none from sales of the phones.

Pioneer is the one who built the LTE system, so having people purchase phones from Verizon instead of them to use in this area would be a financial blow to them, so there has to be some provision in the program to compensate for that loss in revenue. It also remains to be seen what LTE phones Pioneer will have on offer. Normally, all the latest/greatest phones are exclusive to AT&T and Verizon, which is also a disincentive to purchase from Pioneer. There are lots of little gotchas in the program, but I'm sure there are provisions that we don't know about that address these problems.

It depends on how the roaming agreement is set up. These companies will have value, as even if they have no customers, they hold the CLR licenses, and now rights to use Verizon's SMH, so Verizon will be likely to buy them up.

However, the roaming agreement may be pretty good in terms of roaming revenue, with no risk in terms of getting the iPhone. My theory is already that ACS is almost primarily a subcontractor for tourists who have Verizon and Sprint, and not so much a carrier in their own right.

I think the little guys will start getting the new DROIDs, even though they won't be on the iOS side of things.

**GSMinCT** · 04-03-2012, 03:25 PM

Although, if the new iPhone is available unlocked for Verizon, it would work on those networks too... The subscriber info for CDMA is stored with the LTE info on the SIM card.

**cardfan1212** · 04-03-2012, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by Trocks797

Justin. From what I hear, currently iPads have a SIM provisioning problem. This means they currently will not work on any extended network whatsoever. This is being worked on by Verizon.

That is, unless you can access 1X data, in which case the problem has already been solved, but from what I understand, you must have a postpaid account to access data in extended network areas.

I can confirm the provisioning problem. My verizon ipad is having problems roaming off Bluegrass Cellular. It's more like .05mbps if i'm lucky to connect at all, no matter how many bars are showing.

And yes, postpaid is required. My prepaid plan would just show "no coverage" in extended areas. Not a big deal as the plans are the same. If you want LTE, then i'm not sure why anyone would want a 1gb or less plan..doesn't make much sense.

I'm enjoying the LTE in Louisville where i work, but not so much at home in extended 3G land and usually have to tether from phone if out as I don't want to have to switch SIMs constantly. Hope it works out soon.

**ggore** · 04-03-2012, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by GSMinCT

It depends on how the roaming agreement is set up. These companies will have value, as even if they have no customers, they hold the CLR licenses, and now rights to use Verizon's SMH, so Verizon will be likely to buy them up.

However, the roaming agreement may be pretty good in terms of roaming revenue, with no risk in terms of getting the iPhone. My theory is already that ACS is almost primarily a subcontractor for tourists who have Verizon and Sprint, and not so much a carrier in their own right.

I think the little guys will start getting the new DROIDs, even though they won't be on the iOS side of things.

I guess the question that should be asked is why would someone become or stay a customer of one of the regional participants, and/or make do with a less-than-current model LTE phone, when they can jump ship and sign up with Verizon to gain access to the iPhone or one of the latest-greatest Android phones when they live in and do most of their phone use in the regional's territory. That's the question that is going to have a financial impact on these smaller companies.