AT&T will begin rolling out their LTE (4G) network in some select major markets sometime next year. It will take AT&T several years at least to roll out their LTE (4G) network extensively besides being in some major markets only.
An LTE (4G) network compatible phone is hardware related just as the original iPhone is not a 3G network compatible phone. None of the existing iPhones are compatible with LTE (4G) networks and a firmware update cannot change this. AT&T's 3G/EDGE/GPRS network will continue to be available for many years to come.
AT&T will begin rolling out their LTE (4G) network in some select major markets sometime next year. It will take AT&T several years at least to roll out their LTE (4G) network extensively besides being in some major markets only.
An LTE (4G) network compatible phone is hardware related just as the original iPhone is not a 3G network compatible phone. None of the existing iPhones are compatible with LTE (4G) networks and a firmware update cannot change this. AT&T's 3G/EDGE/GPRS network will continue to be available for many years to come.