Question about LTE and 6.1

[apollo1444]

I'm in Mexico and the iPhone 5 has been released online (unlocked) or with carriers (locked) the biggest one just lighted up LTE but the iPhone 5 doesn't pick up LTE quite yet (other android phones and one windows phone nokia 900 do) but they say (the main carrier called TELCEL) Apple needs to release a carrier update that is working with actively with them to deliver this by the end of december,

and other people at the carrier say they need iOS 6.1 so wtf is going on? who's ********ing us customers? do you think this kinds of updates carrier or iOS allow the iPhone to get more LTE avaliability? I'm not sure if the carrier is ********ting customers because their LTE coverage ain't that good but for 9 initial cities I think it's a good start

if it helps this carrier uses the same frequencies LTE and gsm as AT&T they are practically the same evil company, I think it's the only country besides US and canada where the iPad 3 will work for LTE (at least they have promised)

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Carrier updates come from..... the carrier. Apple just pushes them through. 6.1 has yet to be released with beta versions just being seeded to developers.

I'd call the carrier again and hope you get someone that knows what they're talking about and can provide a correct answer. I wouldn't think that it's a 6.1 deal. Chances are it's more likely a carrier update but there is also a decent chance that things work just fine right now with no update needed. With LTE just beginning to roll out, there are still areas where people won't get it and then blame it on things such as the phone when the issue is, there just isn't coverage where they are.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

iOS updates do not affect compatibility with LTE carriers. The only frequencies (not limited to specific carriers) supported are what the actual hardware supports. iOS updates have zero affect on this. As long as you have the iPhone 5 that has the actual antenna/baseband chip that works with your frequency, you're good to go. There is no differentiation between AT&T's LTE bands and Telcel's LTE bands if they are the same frequency (assuming the phone isn't locked to a specific carrier). Short answer: iOS 6.1 is not the answer to what you described.