Does the AT&T iPhone 5 have extra hidden LTE bands?

[acarney]

http://gigaom.com/mobile/whats-att-planning-hidden-specs-unearthed-in-the-gsm-iphone-5/

There’s more to the AT&T version of the iPhone 5 than meets the eye. ExtremeTech’s Neal Gompa sorted through the device’s testing documentation at the Federal Communications Commission and found there are two more 4G frequency bands supported in the North American GSM iPhone beyond those Apple revealed in its official specs.

Those bands are cellular and PCS, which operators today use for their 2G and 3G networks. The revelation is surprising, though it’s certainly not suspicious. Except for Sprint, no iPhone operator is launching LTE on those bands, and Sprint uses a different iPhone variant than AT&T. Apple had no reason to include those bands in its specs because there’s no network this particular iPhone could conceivably connect to – at least not yet.

Very very interesting... the article goes on to mention that AT&T seems to have a large amount of holdings in the PCS band and they may try to speed up a refarming effort to try to roll out nation wide LTE on additional bands as they limit how much 2G and 3G spectrum is left in use.

My question though, would either of those bands match up with SprintPCS's LTE roll out? I could understand if Sprint wanted their own version so they could lock customers in and what not but i'm curious if an unlocked iPhone 5 (AT&T one with those extra bands) might be able to jump onto a MVNO that has access to Sprint LTE network and doesn't mind allowing any device on as long as they're paying monthly...

 

[realeric]

It might be reserved for Chinese carriers.

Edit) China uses 2.6GHz band and TD-LTE instead of FD-LTE, aka, LTE.

The hidden band is LTE Band 2 (1900MHz) and Band 5 (850MHz).
MetroPCS uses LTE Band 2 (1900MHz) in the USA.

 

[dialed1]

I hope so and they work on verizon! Haha I wish

 

[thewitt]

LTE is such a mess worldwide.

None of the bands Apple supports will work in Malaysia, where they are going with 2600 MHz

 

[acarney]

LTE is such a mess worldwide.

None of the bands Apple supports will work in Malaysia, where they are going with 2600 MHz

I agree, I'm really shocked there hasn't been more partnerships on getting LTE onto the same kind of bands so they can offer one device that works in many places. I would think it would keep costs down everywhere for deployment and selling devices to retail. Then the telcos could fight for customers by offering promotions and deals and stuff. It's hard for AT&T or someone to gain additional users besides making huge deals with device makers and getting the "best" device. Could you picture a world where everyone was like TMobile and didn't need to sell you a device and just sold you data and minutes? I honestly think if the big four kept thinking greedy but HAD that ability they could convince people to be locked into a two year agreement PLUS bring their own phone and just save $10/month on data service or something. It would look like a good deal but probably wouldn't be AND the big four wouldn't have to sell out any extra cash for a discounted device.

 

[ar93]

It might be reserved for Chinese carriers.

Edit) China uses 2.6GHz band and TD-LTE instead of FD-LTE, aka, LTE.

The hidden band is LTE Band 2 (1900MHz) and Band 5 (850MHz).
MetroPCS uses LTE Band 2 (1900MHz) in the USA.

so my unlocked iphone 5 could work on metro pcs??

 

[benguild]

so my unlocked iphone 5 could work on metro pcs??

That's interesting...
Especially since there was talk of MetroPCS and T-Mobile combining, and AT&T already had to give some shared LTE spectrum to T-Mobile.

So, basically this is T-Mobile's iPhone right here.

 

[illutionz]

LTE is such a mess worldwide.

None of the bands Apple supports will work in Malaysia, where they are going with 2600 MHz

Wow... I used to live in Singapore and according to my friend, Singtel is deploying Band 3 (1800) in addition to 7 (2600) so the iPhone 5 will work but darn. That's crazy how neighboring countries supports a different wireless bands.

 

[ar93]

That's interesting...
Especially since there was talk of MetroPCS and T-Mobile combining, and AT&T already had to give some shared LTE spectrum to T-Mobile.

So, basically this is T-Mobile's iPhone right here.

Yea I heard that tmobile was trying to merge with metropcs. If that does happen am I going to get 4g lte since I'm in metropcs coverage area? I don't like being on edge man.

 

[illutionz]

Yea I heard that tmobile was trying to merge with metropcs. If that does happen am I going to get 4g lte since I'm in metropcs coverage area? I don't like being on edge man.

T-Mobile is slowly refarming their HSPA frequency to match AT&T's so iPhone users will be able to use HSPA+ in the area they have completed the refarming.

In addition to that, they are also going to deploy 4G LTE with Band 4 (same one as AT&T).

It's also reported that T-Mobile is in talks to buy MetroPCS which means more spectrum for them to deploy HSPA and LTE with these frequencies. This merger is kind of strange because MetroPCS is CDMA so T-Mobile will have to convert all the MPCS towers to GSM/LTE. But that's topic for another day.

I can't wait until that day T-Mobile has both HSPA and LTE in my area and I can say bye bye to AT&T and go month to month with T-Mobile for a lot cheaper.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yea I heard that tmobile was trying to merge with metropcs. If that does happen am I going to get 4g lte since I'm in metropcs coverage area? I don't like being on edge man.

I heard Sprint was going to buy up Metropcs.
Not sure what will happen in the end but what's the point of Tmobile that is a GSM carrier to buy a CDMA networks business and clients?

 

[ar93]

I heard Sprint was going to buy up Metropcs.
Not sure what will happen in the end but what's the point of Tmobile that is a GSM carrier to buy a CDMA networks business and clients?

hmmm i dont know but i hope it happens i want 4g lte haha.
but i too wonder how its going to work since one is gsm and the other cdma.

 

[atomic50]

Does anyone know if band 2 1900MHz and 5 850MHz on the unlocked At&t model be used because it is in the FCC filings? I am hoping T-Mobile picks up MetroPCS so they can have AWS and 1900MHz LTE!

 

[Applejuiced]

hmmm i dont know but i hope it happens i want 4g lte haha.
but i too wonder how its going to work since one is gsm and the other cdma.

I hear you.
Either way with Tmobile you will get HSPA+ with an iphone soon within a year in most places they said.
That's with or without merging with Metro pieceofshizzle

 

[ar93]

I hear you.
Either way with Tmobile you will get HSPA+ with an iphone soon within a year in most places they said.
That's with or without merging with Metro pieceofshizzle

yea but i cant wait a year to get atleast 3g on my iphone thats insane.
regardless if they do or do not merge if i dont have 3g by the end of the month im going back to straight talk. atleast i got 3g on my iphone 4 there.

 

[Applejuiced]

yea but i cant wait a year to get atleast 3g on my iphone thats insane.
regardless if they do or do not merge if i dont have 3g by the end of the month im going back to straight talk. atleast i got 3g on my iphone 4 there.

I agree with you.
I dont know how some people have been doing it for years on 2G edge with tmobile since the original iphone in 2007.
I dont have that kind of patience either

 

[ar93]

I agree with you.
I dont know how some people have been doing it for years on 2G edge with tmobile since the original iphone in 2007.
I dont have that kind of patience either

me neither! the only reason i even got the $50 dollar plan was because of theyre commercials flaunting how your iphone works better on their 3g/4g than att's and blah blah blah. i call ******** im still on edge haha but i have seen posts by people saying they got 3g on their iphones but only for a couple of blocks or for a few seconds. so i'll just wait it out for a month and see what happens.