sprint future area question

slug · EVDO User Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 46

I live in alabama within sprints future evdo coverage. My sprint card is still showing that i'm on 1xrtt but I noticed yesterday that when I try to use vision on the sprint cell phone it gave me this message: "Thank you for visiting pcs Vision. We're in the process of upgrading our systems to better serve you. We regret the inconvenience. Please check back later."
Could this mean they are fixing to turn on EVDO? Or just upgrading something else. I'm very anxious for EVDO to go live, and was wondering if I'm reading to much into this message.

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 2003

That's interesting. What kind of card do you have? Sounds like it may be in the works but I haven't heard about them sending messages about it.

slug · EVDO User Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 46

i have the novatel card. And the card still works on the 1xrtt speed, but when trying to use vision on the cell phone it just gives me the message stated in the first post.

Semi75 · EVDO Junkie Joined: 25 Feb 2006 Posts: 230

I assume you were not able to use any power vision services there before? It definetly sounds promising and hopefully Sprint is starting to switch over the areas marked as future as there has been little activity in recent months in expanding. Make sure and keep us posted as to the switch. I'm really curious if most of the future areas will go straight to REV A too.

horsessmellfunny · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:36 am Post subject:

I hate to break it to you, but I received the same message. I am in in CO in Sprint's future coverage area, but they were working on their website. If you tried to get onto your account at Sprint.com, it was impossible. That message you see they put up when they are just working on the website. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with the network upgrades. I have received that message 4 times in the past 3 months. I did notice that vision and even Powere Vision was slow as all hell yesterday.
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slug · EVDO User Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 46

semi75-correct we have never had power vision in this area. One other thing...I ran into a sprint tech (he had just pulled in for lunch) at quiznos and i ask him when evdo would be turned on he said they had started "laying the lines in this area" and that evdo would be live in a couple of months. That was the beginning of May of this year. When i call sprint they say it should be on by the end of this year. Hopefully the tech laying the lines is right.

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

PSEVDOU · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:50 pm Post subject:

It’s funny in one way and extremely serious in another. Wireless service being held up waiting for wired connections is also happening in our area.

Representatives from Sprint, XO Communications, and other companies have been testifying before the congressional committees on the “Consumer’s Choice and Broadband Development Act”, (the bill that doesn’t provide for “net-neutrality”) about “special access” reform.

Special access is the term for the T1s and other connections used to connect the wireless antenna sites to the public switched telephone network. Sprint told a Senate committee last week that 98% of the special access lines it uses are controlled by Bell companies, their competitors.

Therefore AT&T, Verizon, and others can effectively block any Sprint or AllTel expansion by either refusing to provide T1s, T3s, etc to the antenna sites or dragging their feet in installing new circuits unless the law requires these companies to provide reasonable access to the network in their areas.

So, even if the wireless antenna sites are all eventually connected with wireless backhaul, they still need connections to the public switched telephone network at some point and right now ironically, that's wire.

evoxfan · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: sprint future area question

slug · EVDO User Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 46

evoxfan- Thank you, I live in Jasper, AL which is in walker county 30-40 miles west of Birmingham.

evoxfan · Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:32 am Post subject:

Well, I don't have any dealings with the Birmingham area, but I think you should get it by end of August. My area will be getting by end of October from what I've been told.