4G LTE in Bangladesh

Apple doesn't control this; the carriers do. They need to create a carrier update to be installed on the phone. To check for a carrier update go to Settings/General/About on the phone and tap on the carrier name. If the carrier has issued a carrier data update you will be prompted to install it. If they haven't you need to contact them to find out when they plan to.

You also need to make sure that the phones you have support the LTE bands available in Bangladesh. You can check the bands here: http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/.

Also, just because the feature has been announced it does not mean that all towers have been upgraded to LTE yet, so coverage may be spotty or non-existent in some (or many) areas.

According to the first link, it's there, but it's not "nationwide". As in my example of IMT-E (Band 7 LTE) here in Toronto, Ontario.

"For enjoying 4G, customers' devices need to be 4G enabled and before that they also need to replace their SIM cards with a 4G-enabled one".

Did both of you do this? I had to when my provider said they would enable IMT-E on all "legacy devices". But as I also said, that was dependent on where you live. There's no mention of both of you doing this. If you have and they still are blocking LTE, then I'll go by what your fellow user on here said. We can rule out the 4G devices enabled. This will have an effect on LTE, at least from the article I read. If you live in an area covered by LTE, try switching out the SIM card.

As for the second link, well, that's a no brainer. The Government could've earned more if the price was lower. But then again they get to set the price. Since they control the spectrum. But how can you fail with 3G? That comment caught me off. Would you say that was a nonsense speech? I'd say it was.

The third link has me asking a question:

"Grameenphone or GP is one of the first in Bangladesh with 4G.

The country’s largest operator in a statement said it has pressed the button on 4G in parts of capital Dhaka and southeastern port city of Chittagong."

Do both of you, if you have this provider, live in these cities, or in this coverage area? If not, then you're waiting. Your iPhone should be able to show 4G. But I am still siding with your fellow countryman.

"Customers are being promised speeds at 7 megabits per second (Mbps), as fast as the average home broadband connection – meaning activities like video calling, live online gaming and watching video in high definition will no longer be a slow and frustrating experience over mobile connections."

Here, you'd get that with 3G, but I believe that the technology there will mature with time.

The first YouTube video, is just a promotional thing.

The second link is on an Android. Which would count, except............

Want to see IMT-E? If I can get a screenshot, here's what it should theoretically look like:

Both of those done on an iPhone 6S Plus, on IMT-E (Band 7 LTE). High ping on the first example, lower on the second. I'll do Band 66 LTE if you want an idea for that. These also weren't done in the same "hood". Different "hoods" I went to.

Still no beef with you though. But at a bare minimum, this is how it should be. Not the way it's shown in the YouTube link.

As an edit, these were done in December of 2017. 2 months before I purchased an iPhone 8 Plus. The question on certification or recertification for LTE with providers in Bangladesh I will leave open. No beef in this context means no quarrels. Difference of opinion, we can leave it at that.

Dear, I am living the 4G coverage area now. Also using Grameenphone , Banglalink and Airtel SIM and swiched to LTE option on my phone. But unfortunately its showing 3G only. I am sending some screenshot of my iPhone 6s network side and a message that shows while I am switching 3G to 4G. I hope you will be clear about this issue.

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Can you see the pop-up message while switching 3G to LTE? Also see the network signal 3G after switching to 4G.

Also you asked that my SIM is 4G or not?

okay lets see.

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I have addes a pic of my other 4G SIM for your kind information.

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Sorry for the late reply gentlemen, but I've looked at your screengrabs that you provided and compared them to what's on my phone. These were all taken from my iPhone 8 Plus.

Riazhosain:

Check the attached screenshots out from my phone:

If your carrier was supported, you would see this screen in your Settings Menu. The setting "Calls on Other Devices" appears because I also have a 6S Plus as well (that I retain and just updated, this phone gets updated once every 2-3 weeks, in reference to the 6S Plus, the 8 Plus gets updates as needed which is everyday). If you do not have multiple devices on you Apple ID account you will not see this option.

This screen here, is in reference to your 2nd and 3rd screenshots. If your carrier was supported, you would not be seeing the second and third screenshots. All the APN information (including MMS, LTE and of the like) are automatically put in for you. You cannot edit this out. From what you provided to me, and the forum, it's more than likely your carrier has to be certified for LTE from Apple. I would say 98%. That's why you see the pop up message on your iPhone with the second screenshot. That would be the main clue.

Before my carrier was certified, I would get the same screens you did, but once IMT-E came online (Band 7 LTE), I would still be able to edit out the APN settings, but still access LTE (in other words I wasn't blocked from accessing it on a 6S Plus). But as mentioned before once Freedom gained the ability to sell the iPhone (which means the network got certified by Apple), 4 days before the iPhone went live for preorders and Freedom Mobile locations, the iPhones registered with the network got a Carrier Update. This removed the ability to manually edit out the APN settings. This would be another clue that your provider has not been certified by Apple. But Freedom didn't block the iPhones on the network before they were approved by Apple.

By default, if the phone is set to LTE, it will default to 3G for a number of reasons. I've had that happen with my phone. If VoLTE is not active on the provider you are on, it'll drop to 3G for the phone call. It does this with my device, because Freedom is implementing VoLTE (Possibly on Band 13) and VoWiFi (which eliminates pretty much everything in the book in regards to reception with the exception of a few things). This is not cause for alarm however.

You have a 4G SIM. That is good.

Crimsonvspurple:

"And the operators are saying it is not working because there is a block from Apple's side on using LTE in Bangladesh".

Which still gets me, but from the second screenshot that riazhosain posted, it's more than likely that to be the case. Apple is brutal about LTE requirements.

"I tested things by literally standing in front of GP's head office as have some other people. All works except iphone".

Which is what I wanted you to do. Freedom's head offices are in Toronto, Ontario, about 30 minutes away from where I live. If LTE didn't work on my phone when they rolled out LTE I'd be doing the exact same thing for (insert word here) and giggles.

"GP's 4G coverage is limited at this moment even though they are the largest operator. But other carrier has almost 100% coverage (by population; not by ground-area). Other carriers are not far behind".

The 3 major cellphone providers here (Canada) are Rogers, Telus and Bell. Freedom Mobile is only in parts of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Roaming is covered by those three and AT&T in the USA. Smaller providers include BellMTS, SaskTel, Videotron and Eastlink. All of them are certified by Apple for LTE. But as I said before I believe that the technology will mature with time, and it will. Freedom Mobile's coverage is limited, and so are the 4 smaller providers, but they are still certified by Apple for LTE.

I hope this clears things up for you. I still have no quarrel with both of you.

According to this list, Wireless carrier support and features for iPhone in Asia-Pacific - Apple Support and you scroll down to Bangladesh, LTE support is absent. Which means, and it's purely speculation, that Apple might have to recertify the network for LTE. That will definitely take some time.

Yell at the provider some more. It's not Apple. As I mentioned before I got my 8 Plus, I could access LTE Band 7 (IMT-E) on Freedom Mobile on a 6S Plus, before my provider got approved by Apple. So what the IT Specialist said I can debunk quite easily. Now I can access LTE on Band 7 and Band 66 (AWS 1/3). Mostly Band 66, but sometimes Band 7.

Apple is not blocking LTE, if you look at that link. So, start protesting outside your providers office. I know how important this is for you, so I'm holding off on how I usually approach these things.

Can't speak for the Android crowd over there though.

Also we'll have to avoid the term "each and every" and change that to "every". Each and Every, comes right out of the Tech Support Scammers Dictionary. It's actually "Each and Everything", but without "thing" it's close enough. Keep that in mind. Minor slip, but you probably didn't know that.

and if you didn't notice, riaz already posted the bands. 1, 3 and 8.

Go here: https://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/

Check Model A1865 (GSM) US.

It supports those bands 🙂

In fact, you will be hard pressed to find an iphone model NOT supporting those bands.

There are two points here:

1. APPLE does not release carrier update patches. ONLY carriers can update carrier data.
2. Not all iPhones support all LTE bands and modulations. A US phone may not have the hardware to support the bands you need in Bangladesh. No software update can fix this.

Additionally, Apple does not support phones bought in one country for use in a different country, except for EU countries.

Since my phone has no relation with the career (career branded/supported phones are not a thing here), I'm not sure what update they will (can they even?) push to my phone?

This is not a coverage issue.

I have an unlocked iPhone X (A1865) which should support the necessary LTE bands.

Since you seem to have added this to another question, are you saying that you are experiencing similar issues? You are in Bangladesh and are looking for LTE support? Is that correct? If not, then I suggest you start your own thread and ask your question there with as much detail as possible.

If you are experiencing similar issues, your carrier file would be based on the SIM and provider that you are currently using. You would probably also need to check with the carrier to ensure that the SIM you have is provisioned correctly for LTE.

And you have checked with the carrier and they say that the iPhone model that you have is the one that supports their LTE bands? Where did you purchase the device? Just because a band is listed for the phone, does not mean that it would be used. Did the carrier also tell you about their carrier settings?

Carrier is aware of the "issue": https://bdnews24.com/technology/2018/02/17/iphone-users-in-bangladesh-unlikely-t o-access-4g-network-now-over-software-is…

Where I purchased should not matter as long as the bands are supported since it is fully unlocked. Anyways, mine is purchased from US.

Even the iPhoneX sold by the carrier itself doesn't have LTE because of some "software issue" on Apple's side.

No idea why Apple even blocks things like this in unlocked phones where phones like Galaxy S8 *just work*.

Apple is blocking, they are waiting for the carrier update file once the carriers have verified launches, which is what is said in the link you provided. Once the carriers have fulfilled their obligations, Apple can send out the carrier file. You need to get the carriers to get their act together and get the information to Apple. They are the ones delaying things. And what Samsung phones do or do not do has nothing to do with Apple.

There's your problem. Where you purchased the phone DOES matter, because not all LTE bands are supported. You might want to buy a phone next time in your region and in addition, check the Bands the phone uses and compare them to your provider.

I'm on Freedom Mobile in Canada. I get LTE on Band 7, and Band 66. I don't have this issue.

Freedom Mobile uses Band 4 UMTS, Band 4 LTE, Band 7 LTE, Band 13 LTE and Band 66 LTE. My iPhone 8 Plus gets them all. My 6S Plus doesn't get Band 66 but the rest of them it does. According to the Tech Specs of both phones and comparing them to the Bands Freedom uses, my phones will work on the network.

By the way, you're going to have to get some Frequent Flyer Miles if you want the phone serviced. Apple is not blocking it. I doubt it. Before Apple approved my provider, I could still access Band 7 LTE. So we can rule out Apple blocking the network.

And for ChrisJ4203, Freedom does have Band 13 LTE, but has not deployed it.

And for ChrisJ4203, Freedom does have Band 13 LTE, but has not deployed it.

That is why I directed the poster to check to make sure the model of iPhone they had was the one that the carrier supported. I am well aware that not all iPhones support all carriers.

Freedom Mobile in Toronto where I live was like that. Sure you can get Band 66 everywhere in the coverage area, but since I was using a "legacy" device (which is what we call pre Band 66, my 6S Plus, taken from the term "legacy streetcars"), it was only available in certain areas. I would get Band 7 LTE at home, but Band 4 UMTS at work. This fact alone clued me in at least for work, that LTE upgrades in that area had not been completed. Now that I have my 8 Plus, I get LTE everywhere, but sometimes it'll drop to 3G if the signal is stronger for that than LTE to keep the connection alive. I might be wrong here, so please correct me.

It does take time for LTE upgrades to be completed. According to the Freedom Mobile website, LTE upgrades for the Greater Toronto Area should be finished in the Spring of this year, but for home using my 6S Plus, I'd been on Band 7 LTE since December 2017. Since I now use an 8 Plus, I get Band 66 LTE everywhere. Sometimes I'll get on Band 7 LTE, and if it's not looking good, it'll bounce me to 3G.