User profile for user: RangerRickMN
RangerRickMN Author
User level: Level 1
16 points

T-Mobile LTE 700 MHz (Band 12) Network

I own the iPhone 6 Plus that I use on the USA T-Mobile network. I've been reading that Apple's iPhone does NOT support T-Mobile's LTE Network. I believe this is correct since I am not getting reception in T-Mobile's LTE network zone while my daughter's SxxSxxxx brand phone that does support LTE is receiving signals.


Question: Does anyone know if Apple has plans to upgrade their iPhone software so it can get T-Mobile LTE service? If not, my options are: 1) no service, 2) different carrier, or 3) different phone.


Thanks!


Tim

Posted on Jun 24, 2015 9:49 AM

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14 replies
User profile for user: Minok
Minok
User level: Level 1
95 points

Sep 8, 2017 3:58 PM in response to CharlesJR

Indeed the weak descriptions from T-Mobile adds to the confusion. TMobile customer support of course over-generalizes and says "the iphone 6 plus doesn't support 700mhz"..well that is wrong, as there are several LTE channels in the 700mhz space, just not LTE channel 12, which is what they really mean. One needs the iPhone 6S or newer to get coverage of that channel (LTE 12) according to Apple documentation. Though we still have coverage on the other LTE channels - which means spotty access. Now if Tmobile converts existing towers to use the new channels then coverage can go down.
iPhone 6S/6S+ : LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)

iPhone 6/6+: LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29)


The LTE Bands that are in the 700Mhz space: 12, 13, 14, 17, 28, 29, 44, 67, 68

So the 6/6+ supports 700Mhz on channels 13,17,28, and 29. Just not the T-mobiles new 12.

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User profile for user: KiltedTim
KiltedTim
User level: Level 10
224,190 points

Jun 24, 2015 9:58 AM in response to RangerRickMN

The iPhone 6 Plus A1522, sold in the US, supports LTE on T-Mobile in the US. What model do you have and where did you get it?

If you have a different model phone that does not support the correct bands, then it can not be "upgraded" to do so. You'll either need to buy a phone that supports the proper bands, or switch to a carrier supported by your phone.


Here is the information on what models support LTE on which carriers.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

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User profile for user: RangerRickMN
RangerRickMN Author
User level: Level 1
16 points

Jun 24, 2015 10:22 AM in response to KiltedTim

Unfortunately, Band 12 / 700 MHz is not listed for my iPhone 6 Plus (model MGC42LL/A).


1 (2100 MHz)

2 (1900 MHz)

3 (1800 MHz)

4 (AWS)

5 (850 MHz)

7 (2600 MHz)

8 (900 MHz)

13 (700c MHz)

17 (700b MHz)

18 (800 MHz)

19 (800 MHz)

20 (800 DD)

25 (1900 MHz)

26 (800 MHz)

28 (700 APT MHz)

29 (700 de MHz


The iPhone is also not listed on the Spectrum Gateway list of compatible phones:

http://www.spectrumgateway.com/compatible-phones

http://www.tmonews.com/2015/05/list-all-current-t-mobile-700mhz-band-12-lte-comp atible-smartphones/

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User profile for user: KiltedTim
KiltedTim
User level: Level 10
224,190 points

Jun 24, 2015 11:01 AM in response to RangerRickMN

Sorry? What are you talking about? Band 12 isn't supported on any iPhone, and isn't used by T-Mobile in the US at all.


Where did you get the phone? Is T-Mobile aware that you have an iPhone? If they are not, then your account is undoubtedly not provisioned correctly for LTE on your iPhone. If they are, then call them back and have them re-provision your account.

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User profile for user: Michael Black
Michael Black
User level: Level 10
80,623 points

Jun 24, 2015 11:55 AM in response to RangerRickMN

Well, T-Mobile seems pretty confident it works on their LTE network - http://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones/apple-iphone-6.html


Perhaps you you should just call T-Mobile and ask them about it? They run LTE networks on 1700, 1900 and 700 MHz (so I believe channels 2, 4 and 12 with 12 being merely the most recent addition after acquiring new bandwidth after the failed purchase of t-mobile by AT&T).

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User profile for user: RangerRickMN
RangerRickMN Author
User level: Level 1
16 points

Jun 24, 2015 1:07 PM in response to Michael Black

Thanks Michael. I found an article that gets into the details of LTE bands and frequencies which really helped - https://support.t-mobile.com/message/435224

(Refarm and 4G LTE - what are the final frequencies). I'm in one of the new LTE Band 12 / 700 MHz zones that T-Mobile is rolling out.

If you're interested, here's a short article extract on why the lower frequencies are desirable:

T-Mobile says its high-band spectrum is good for providing lots of capacity, but low-band spectrum is what carriers really want. "Spectrum below 1 GHz... has physical properties that increase the reach of mobile networks over long distances,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler wrote in a blog post about the incentive auction in April. “The effect of such properties is that fewer base stations and other infrastructure are required to build out a mobile network. This makes low-band particularly important in rural areas." Low-band spectrum is also better at penetrating obstacles such as walls.

Source: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/t-mobile-our-network-has-t rouble-with-building-walls-and-long-distances/

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User profile for user: CharlesJR
CharlesJR
User level: Level 1
15 points

Jun 28, 2015 3:14 AM in response to RangerRickMN

Hey folks ...


After just switching 25 phones from Sprint to tMobile, we discovered this little fact. Most posters here are correct.


#1: the iPhone 6 and 6plus will indeed work on SOME of tMobile's LTE network. In most spots in our region, they work fine. The nice thing is that they really are much faster than Sprint when they are hitting the network well.


#2: Unfortunately for iPhone users, the tMobile network maps are woefully inacurrate. Precisely because of this 700 band 12 LTE issue. When tMobile says it has full LTE coverage, especially if its showing as "User Verified" its more than likely their new 700 spectrum they just got from AT&T last year. They are agressively rolling it out because it does very well in penetrating walls and being usable indoors.


The iPhone 6 and 6plus will NOT work on this new LTE spectrum. So the coverage maps are useless. About half the area we use our phones in are this new spectrum. Its annoying and frustrating and tMobile hasn't done a great job letting folks know this.


So yeah, the phone will work on SOME of tMobile's LTE network. Just not all of it.


Its kinda the reason they rolled out WIFI calling so fast.


CharlesJR

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User profile for user: RangerRickMN
RangerRickMN Author
User level: Level 1
16 points

Sep 12, 2015 4:35 AM in response to RangerRickMN

MacRumors post:

T-Mobile customers should notice an improved LTE experience in the United States with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, as Apple has included support for LTE band 12on the new smartphones. Both GSM and CDMA models of the new iPhones support the 700MHz spectrum.

Model A1633 and Model A1634
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)


Model A1688 and Model A1687
LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)

T-Mobile uses the 700MHz spectrum to offer what it calls T-Mobile Extended Range LTE across the U.S., which it says extends the network's LTE signal twice as far from its cellular towers and works four times better in buildings. T-Mobile Extended Range LTE is live in 170 markets and covers more than half of the American population.

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T-Mobile LTE 700 MHz (Band 12) Network

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