You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

LTE not available on LTE enabled network in Belgium (Belgacom)

I was very excited about the opening of the first public LTE network in Belgium by the carrier Belgacom.

This carrier runs LTE on 1800MHz which is supported by my european iPhone 5.


Apparently Apple blocks access or is not willing to provide a carrier settings update for us to access this LTE network?

iPhone 5, iOS 6.0.1

Posted on Nov 6, 2012 3:08 AM

Reply
529 replies

Mar 3, 2014 2:05 PM in response to Pieter J.

Oh man, I love how most of these arguments are based on mere speculation, and once the speculation has been proven wrong or questioned a stereotype is pulled up.


This thread isn't really constructive at all or helping anyone, it's just making a fool out of most(!) people participating in it. No one knows why Apple is holding back LTE, the only thing we know is that it's illegal. No 'debate' will hold that back. Apple sells unlocked phones in terms of networking and sim capability and thus is not allowed to lock any functionality as posed before.


Some people here should familiarize themselves with the AUP of this forum, it doesn't my any means allow the slander or flaming of people.


If you don't have anything constructive (based by facts) to add then you have no please here. You're only looking to get your 'right'. As long as you're not an Apple representative you have no power in this thread.


PS: multiple carriers have released press releases on how Apple wants money in return for 'activation' of LTE. Very little testing happens.. Look up the articles. The argument posed about the quality of the networks is very false as well, Mobistar has the most call drops in the country and the slowest 3G/4G networks.

Mar 4, 2014 2:47 AM in response to KiltedTim

KiltedTim wrote:


Citing apple policy is not the same as debating or questioning Apple policy. Perhaps you should stick to your native language if you don't understand the subtleties of English.


What are you on about? I am a native English speaker, but unlike you, I don't rely on quoting Apple's TOS when an argument is not going my way.


From the tone of your many replies on this thread, you appear unable to understand the basic problem that people are having, which is not being able to use an expensive, UNLOCKED (yes, that's the important word, which is why I have put it in capitals, so you hopefully can understand it) in the way they expect. This is not a technical restriction, it is a policy/financial one, which is something totally different.


Do you get it now, or are there too many long words...?

Mar 4, 2014 4:20 AM in response to flibbertygibbet

flibbertygibbet wrote:

This is not a technical restriction, it is a policy/financial one, which is something totally different.

Seriously? And you wonder WHY people keep throwing the TOS at you?


READ THE TOS. This is a technical support forum. Not a place for you to debate Apple Policy which is what you're doing.


If you have a problem with Apple's policy and don't believe it's legal, then call a lawyer. Being a troll here will get you nowhere.

Mar 4, 2014 5:02 AM in response to KiltedTim

if you want a comparaison point, the situation now is like this:


Imagine you have a car manufactor who build really really good cars. In the US, you can buy you car cheaper. But, there is a condition: you have to take your fuel in the partner gaz stations. Whitch is okay, because you have a lot of car stations of this partner in your country.


Here in Belgium, until a year of two, there was a law who forbidden to sell an cellphone cheaper if you took a contract with it.


So, the iPhone was sold full price. Let's get back to our car story:


The car is sold here in Belgium full price, but you can take your fuel in whatever gaz station you want.


BUT, if you take your fuel in the partner station, your car is going to be faster. When you ask the manufactor why, his answer is "The gaz in that station is a better quality gaz".


But a consumer association test the partner station and discover this: there is only 10 stations in the all country and the quality of the gaz is the WORST in the country. But there is another gaz station who is not partner with the car manufactor who got a LOT of gaz station in all country, and with a way better gaz quality. Still, if you go with your great car in that brand, your care will be slower, even if you paid you car full price.


Won't you be angry in our place ? Just try to be objective for once...

Mar 4, 2014 7:07 AM in response to KiltedTim

Luckily, I won't have to. Because our government agree with us. They voted a new law against this kind of abuse. Apple is specifically pointed. Soon, in Belgium, it will be forbidden to lock 4G on an unlocked smartphone.


If give up for your case. I can't make an explanation more clear.


The most blind guy in the world is the one who don't wanna see..

Mar 4, 2014 7:21 AM in response to poutchi

Exactly. Well said. Some people are so blinded by their own sense of self-importance that it's impossible to have anything approaching a rational debate with them; Tiny Tim is unfortunately one of them. Nothing useful or helpful to say, just a load of insults, bluster and hot air, not worth reading...


Why he insists on butting in on a topic which he clearly has no knowledge or expertise is beyond me; no doubt trying to enhance his sense of self-worth. It appears that he has no idea how things work outside of the USA, where phones are sold in a very different way than over here in Europe. In this particular case, people have been mislead into buying an unlocked which fails to work as advertised, and fails in a way not seen before. It's all a bit sad really.


Just read that Belgium may be blocking access to Apple's website due to illegal mis-selling of warranties (oops, here goes Tiny Tim on another of his TOS rants)...

Mar 4, 2014 7:39 AM in response to flibbertygibbet

Apple is clearly in the wrong here indeed.

Just read the article here: http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1whesf/apple_faces_fines_for_blockin g_lte_on_the_iphone/

and the comments below it...


The most upvoted comment is:

This is silly, if you buy the phone outright and its compatible with another carrier, you should be able to use it and its LTE network. Having Apple purposely block it, in order to protect the original carrier will indeed come to bite them in the ***.



And in the article the most upvoted comment:

But but but.. No excuses if this true I hope they get fined.



KiltedTim can live all he want in his Oh Almighty Apple dream world, but that doesn't mean he should be so opposed to people who bring negative things of Apple into the light.

LTE not available on LTE enabled network in Belgium (Belgacom)

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.