by Robert Herron

Sprint 4G Rollout Updates

Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - 12:55 PM MST

The Regional Affiliate Shentel that provides Sprint service from Virginia's Shenandoah Valley up into Central Pennsylvania is preparing to launch Network Vision improvements and LTE service in a significant portion of its coverage area on Black Friday. Many sites have quietly gone online over the past few months in these areas. However, a source close to the Shentel deployment has now provided S4GRU a list of all 125 sites that are planned to be a part of this formal launch the day after Thanksgiving.

In total, there are 56 cities that will receive service in Northwestern Virginia, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Western Maryland and South Central Pennsylvania. Alcatel Lucent is the Network Vision OEM for Shentel and has been active in the market since June. Cities that will have launchable service by the end of this week include Harrisburg PA, York PA, Hagerstown MD, Martinsburg WV, Winchester VA and Harrisonburg VA and many smaller Shentel communities. There is a complete list below.

Although this is a good chunk of Shentel territory that will be enjoying upgraded 3G and high speed LTE coverage, deployment is far from over. This launch only includes approximately 20% of the entire Shentel network. Alcatel Lucent and Shentel will continue with deployment over the next year bringing upgrades to all of Shentel-land. Many of launched areas will receive even more sites converted (for denser coverage and better performance) and the remaining Shentel communities will receive upgrades.

Sprint customers with LTE devices can use Shentel's LTE service in the same manner they do in their home markets.

Basye, VA (1)

Bergton, WV (1)

Berryville, VA (2)

Bluemont, VA (1)

Boonsboro, MD (3)

Bridgewater, VA (1)

Broadway, VA (1)

Bunker Hill, WV (1)

Carlisle, PA (1)

Chambersburg, PA (3)

Clear Spring, MD (1)

Clearbrook, VA (1)

Edinburg, VA (4)

Elkton, VA (2)

Enola, PA (2)

Fort Valley, VA (1)

Front Royal, VA (2)

Fulks Run, VA (1)

Funkstown, MD (1)

Gerrardstown, WV (1)

Gettysburg, PA (1)

Greencastle, PA (2)

Hagerstown, MD (5)

Hanover, PA (2)

Harrisburg, PA (11)

Harrisonburg, VA (9)

Hershey, PA (1)

Inwood, WV (2)

Linville, VA (1)

Littlestown, PA (1)

Martinsburg, WV (6)

McGaheysville, VA (2)

McSherrystown, PA (1)

Mechanicsburg, PA (2)

Middletown, PA (1)

Middletown, VA (1)

Mt. Jackson, VA (3)

New Cumberland, PA (1)

New Market, VA (2)

Penn Laird, VA (1)

Port Republic, VA (1)

Quicksburg, VA (1)

Sharpsburg, MD (1)

Shepherdstown, WV (2)

Shippensburg, PA (1)

Smithsburg, MD (1)

Star Tannery, VA (2)

Stephens City, VA (2)

Strasburg, VA (3)

Summerdale, PA (1)

Timberville, PA (1)

Waynesboro, PA (1)

Williamsport, MD (2)

Winchester, VA (9)

Woodstock, VA (3)

York, PA (8)

There is an interactive map with these communities shown in the S4GRU forums, at this link: http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/2672-shentel-network-visionlte-launch-black-friday-2012/