Database Users

3G Networks hardware LOCKING to each carrier by HTC

Among those of you with a deap knowledge of the inner working of HTC phone for 3G networks.
Is HTC doing something to phones for each carrier to lock the phone to a specific carriers 3G network and no other.
I'm asking because I was talking with a freind of mine who was given a HD2 as a part of a promotion for use on AT&T 3G network (850/2100). He uses T-Mobile and tried to get it to work with his T-Mobile SIM with no success. He also told me he had a conversation with someone from HTC that told him that he would no beable to get his HD2 to work on T-Mobile because the hardware will not work with T-Mobiles 3G network (1700/2100).
If this is the case does anyone know if it changable, is it a Firmware issue that can be changed or is it like hard wired physically?
Then the question is if we are buying these phone, some through contracts others outright, do we want to told whos service we have to use!!
Lets have some good discussion...

there are billions of threads on this.
3g is radio/hardware dependent. he'll unfortunately be stuck on EDGE.

He will have no issues using the phone with T-mobile usa. He will not get 3G because of the bands. He will just have edge. But calls, mms, text, email, and internet will all function properly.

Clarify this please
I bought my HTC HD2 in USA (unlocked) and here in Peru, where I live, I cannot get it to work with 3G. If I lived in USA, is there a way to know with what carrier I would get 3G ?

alejo1575 said:
I bought my HTC HD2 in USA (unlocked) and here in Peru, where I live, I cannot get it to work with 3G. If I lived in USA, is there a way to know with what carrier I would get 3G ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you are on Claro in Peru?
For 3G you need a phone with 3G 1900 support. If it is the T-Mobile version, that would have 3G on 1700/2100 bands which would be no good. If you got an AT&T handset (850/1900) it would work for 3G for you.
You need to understand what 3G support your version of the phone has. For example mine (Telstra Australia) is 850/2100 - which would not be able to pick up 3G in your network - however it works excellent with Telstra (850) in Australia and currently working well with StarHub (2100) in Singapore.
Your phone is quad band - but that is GSM quadband not 3G - it is 3G dual band and that is what is important for your connection.
***
Edit:
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UMTS_networks for list of 3G networks...

Yeah ...bad news
tallmantim said:
So you are on Claro in Peru?
For 3G you need a phone with 3G 1900 support. If it is the T-Mobile version, that would have 3G on 1700/2100 bands which would be no good. If you got an AT&T handset (850/1900) it would work for 3G for you.
You need to understand what 3G support your version of the phone has. For example mine (Telstra Australia) is 850/2100 - which would not be able to pick up 3G in your network - however it works excellent with Telstra (850) in Australia and currently working well with StarHub (2100) in Singapore.
Your phone is quad band - but that is GSM quadband not 3G - it is 3G dual band and that is what is important for your connection.
***
Edit:
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UMTS_networks for list of 3G networks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi tallmantim ....
Thanks for your response. Yeah, today I did my homework and found that my HD2 has UMTS (HSDPA) 900 - 2100 bands, a fact that is not good because Claro and Movistar in Peru operated the 850 - 1900 bands for 3G.
Question: is there a HD2 version with 850 - 1900 band ????

alejo1575 said:
Hi tallmantim ....
Thanks for your response. Yeah, today I did my homework and found that my HD2 has UMTS (HSDPA) 900 - 2100 bands, a fact that is not good because Claro and Movistar in Peru operated the 850 - 1900 bands for 3G.
Question: is there a HD2 version with 850 - 1900 band ????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but the Telstra HD2 will pick up the 850MHz signals where they exist. There is no HD2 with the 1900MHz UMTS band at the moment

lude219 said:
there are billions of threads on this.
3g is radio/hardware dependent. he'll unfortunately be stuck on EDGE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you mind pointing me in the direction of those BILLIONS of threads.
I've done searchs on hardware dependents, radio/hardware dependents, 3G radio.
There are so many way that is topic could be listed.
I'm finding nothing but my thread now just as before.

theisdept said:
a freind of mine who was given a HD2 as a part of a promotion for use on AT&T 3G network
[...]
Then the question is if we are buying these phone, some through contracts others outright, do we want to told whos service we have to use!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Erm, so AT&T gives a phone, for promotion of their service, and at the same time they should allow you to use another network? You've got too much hope there...

alejo1575 said:
Hi tallmantim ....
Thanks for your response. Yeah, today I did my homework and found that my HD2 has UMTS (HSDPA) 900 - 2100 bands, a fact that is not good because Claro and Movistar in Peru operated the 850 - 1900 bands for 3G.
Question: is there a HD2 version with 850 - 1900 band ????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea my friend my phone is , and i am here with t mobile suffering from same problem like u , i bought that phone which is compatible with Asia , not here in usa
is there way to exchange??
mine is
Network HSPA/WCDMA:
900/2100 MHz
Up to 2 Mbps upload and 7.2 Mbps download speeds
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:
850/900/1800/1900 MHz
(Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are
operator dependen)

egypro said:
is there way to exchange??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exchange your phone for cash
exchange that cash for a phone that supports the correct bands.

[Ask] How to enabling 3G/hsdpa capped?

I bought this HTC Aria from USA and use it at my country (Indonesia) But unfortunately the signal is capped to search only gprs or edge, cannot hooked to 3G or hsdpa network..
I also have the asian market Aria, that works perfect in "wcdma only" netwotk. It don't have at&t logo on the upper right screen.
Question is how to make this at&t Aria working on my country wcdma network, bcoz I think that hardware already supported.. I just don't know how to hack it
I believe that its all about software or radio file or something like that , so I put my question here in this sub thread.. So sorry if I do a wrong post.
Sent from my Liberty using Tapatalk

I think it is more a frequency issue than a lock issue. This is a world phone and no frequencies are locked. But if your carrier doesn't use the same 3G frequencies, it will not work on 3G. The 3G frequencies for the Aria are 850mhz and 1900mhz. Your carrier is probably using 900mhz and 2100mhz for 3G. Your only fix (if this is your issue) is to either buy another phone or change carriers.

Not to threadjack, but do any US carriers use the [apparenlty] more common 900/2100mhz for 3G?

wittyscreenname said:
Not to threadjack, but do any US carriers use the [apparenlty] more common 900/2100mhz for 3G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Neither AT&T or T-Mobile use 900/2100 for their 3G frequencies. AT&T uses 850/1900 and T-Mobile uses 1700(AWS).

The Aria should work
HSPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM; Dual Mode UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (1900/850MHZ) & GSM/GPRS/EDGE (Quad band 850/900/1800/1900MHZ); HSDPA/UMTS (3GPP Release 5 Compliant; 7.2 Mbps Enabled) EGPRS Functionality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's supposed to be a quad band.

No the HTC aria is not quadband for 3g or hsdpa. Basically there is a US versiont the 850/1900 . In Taiwan they released another version with the 900/2100. So if where you live doesn't have a place that uses the 850/1900 your basically stuck w/ 2g speeds.

[Q] Using the phone on another carrier

I am planning to buy MT4G, unlock it and use it on another carrier with compatible frequencies of course. Will I be still able to get updates using for example a wifi connection? or should I download updates manually? Is there something that I will lose when I use the phone on another carrier ?

I don't know if you mean overseas or in any place other than the U.S. but the only "compatible" carrier for this phone besides T-Mobile is AT&T. The reason why compatible is in quotes is because yes the phone would function and make calls on that network, but you will lose 3G and HSPA+ service as AT&T's equivalents operate on a different and incompatible spectrum.
I would also assume that you would not receive OTA updates either.

unremarked said:
I don't know if you mean overseas or in any place other than the U.S. but the only "compatible" carrier for this phone besides T-Mobile is AT&T. The reason why compatible is in quotes is because yes the phone would function and make calls on that network, but you will lose 3G and HSPA+ service as AT&T's equivalents operate on a different and incompatible spectrum.
I would also assume that you would not receive OTA updates either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Overseas, on a network that is compatible with regard to GSM/ UMTS frequencies. So the only way to get updates is to download them from forums like this one?

raeef said:
Overseas, on a network that is compatible with regard to GSM/ UMTS frequencies. So the only way to get updates is to download them from forums like this one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know for absolute certain, but I'm 95% sure you wouldn't recieve OTA since it goes out over the network your phone is connected to.
You can usually snag the update from here, but unfortunately, a lot of people didn't run aLogcat to log the download and get the link. Including myself, though I'm trying now with my second device.

unremarked said:
I don't know for absolute certain, but I'm 95% sure you wouldn't recieve OTA since it goes out over the network your phone is connected to.
You can usually snag the update from here, but unfortunately, a lot of people didn't run aLogcat to log the download and get the link. Including myself, though I'm trying now with my second device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another question, does anyone know if this device works on UMTS band I 2100 ( 2100/1900)? I really can't make up my mind because it's not clear on T mobile website. It says UMTS 1700/2100/AWS and this looks like it's referring only to UMTS IV

raeef said:
Another question, does anyone know if this device works on UMTS band I 2100 ( 2100/1900)? I really can't make up my mind because it's not clear on T mobile website. It says UMTS 1700/2100/AWS and this looks like it's referring only to UMTS IV
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is compatible with almost every gsm band the specs are:
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA/HSUPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
In the US most carriers are using GSM 850/1900 and 3G 1700/2100 you will only get OTA from T-mobile in the US if you are using their cellphone service or you can hope and wait for the update to show up here on XDA in the forum.
http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html
In Israel where I am, and England, France and Germany etc. the bands are
2G 900/1800 and 3G 2100
so you should have no problem using 3G or even 3g+ "4G" on this phone if your cell provider offers it. But it may require an advanced sim card or signing up for a special data service.
Dont get confused by the various terms (UMTS EDGE HSPA etc.) a phone that is guad-gsm and tri-3G will run the data services just fine but T-mobile will tell you we dont guarantee the data capabilities outside of our network... because they dont want lawsuits

mo976 said:
The phone is compatible with almost every gsm band the specs are:
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
HSDPA/HSUPA 900 / 1700 / 2100
In the US most carriers are using GSM 850/1900 and 3G 1700/2100 you will only get OTA from T-mobile in the US if you are using their cellphone service or you can hope and wait for the update to show up here on XDA in the forum.
In Israel where I am, and England, France and Germany etc. the bands are
2G 900/1800 and 3G 2100
so you should have no problem using 3G or even 3g+ "4G" on this phone if your cell provider offers it. But it may require an advanced sim card or signing up for a special data service.
Dont get confused by the various terms (UMTS EDGE HSPA etc.) a phone that is guad-gsm and tri-3G will run the data services just fine but T-mobile will tell you we dont guarantee the data capabilities outside of our network... because they dont want lawsuits
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I am a telecom engineer so I know about the terms. You didn't get my question about the bands. Look here for example support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm24233.xml?&A2L.SERVICE=FeatureSummary
The listed Bands: 1 (2100) and 4 (AWS 1700/2100)
and that clearly shows that G2 supports 2 UMTS bands , 1 and 4
1 is 2100 paired with 1900 ( EU)
4 that is used by T mobile in the US.
So I am confused because on this page mytouch.t-mobile.com/mytouch-4g-features#/specs-and-manualsthey listed the bands like this
Bands 1700/2100/AWS that's why it's not clear for me if MT4G supports UMTS I or not.

This is the official reply from HTC when asked:
Dear ....,
I understand that you would like to know if your T-mobile Mytouch 4G device can use the 2100 MHZ band over in Europe for 3G. I do apologize your device is not compatible with the 2100 MHZ back over in Europe for 3G service. I do apologize for all the inconvenience that this may cause you.
To send a reply to this message or let me know I have successfully answered your question log in to our ContactUs site using your email address and your ticket number .....
Sincerely,
Victor
HTC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

raeef said:
Actually I am a telecom engineer so I know about the terms. You didn't get my question about the bands. Look here for example support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm24233.xml?&A2L.SERVICE=FeatureSummary
The listed Bands: 1 (2100) and 4 (AWS 1700/2100)
and that clearly shows that G2 supports 2 UMTS bands , 1 and 4
1 is 2100 paired with 1900 ( EU)
4 that is used by T mobile in the US.
So I am confused because on this page mytouch.t-mobile.com/mytouch-4g-features#/specs-and-manualsthey listed the bands like this
Bands 1700/2100/AWS that's why it's not clear for me if MT4G supports UMTS I or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AWS is the data delivery method used only by Tmo in the US. So the 4G service may not work outside the US but according to the phone specs it states that it supports UMTS and GPRS/EDGE so it should support 3G UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ and gprs/edge for 2G everywhere. Ill test my HD (from England) when I get to new york in a day or so and see if I can get proper 3G speeds.
Todays smartphones are designed to be used worldwide with full service as much as possible.

AWS is just another name of UMTS band IV. This is the only UMTS band the MT4G supports, so you'll be able to use it for 3G on carriers that use this band. You can see the list of bands and operators that use them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
In short, outside of the US, Canada, and Chile you're out of luck for 3G. You'd be able to use 2G fine though.

athakur999 said:
AWS is just another name of UMTS band IV. This is the only UMTS band the MT4G supports, so you'll be able to use it for 3G on carriers that use this band. You can see the list of bands and operators that use them here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
In short, outside of the US, Canada, and Chile you're out of luck for 3G. You'd be able to use 2G fine though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is really confusing, look at this page http://support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm24243.xml?&A2L.SERVICE=FeatureSummary

mo976 said:
AWS is the data delivery method used only by Tmo in the US. So the 4G service may not work outside the US but according to the phone specs it states that it supports UMTS and GPRS/EDGE so it should support 3G UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ and gprs/edge for 2G everywhere. Ill test my HD (from England) when I get to new york in a day or so and see if I can get proper 3G speeds.
Todays smartphones are designed to be used worldwide with full service as much as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Frequency bands differ for different technologies on the same phone. For example there are 2 versions of Nexus one one for ATT and one for T mobile although they work on GSM level because the support both GSM bands on T mobile and ATT but not the UMTS bands on both networks. UMTS and GSM frequencies are not necessarily the same for each network and most probably they won't be the same. In my country we licensed 3G services ( UMTS) on 2100 band or UMTS 1 . GSM on 900 and 1800 only.

Can someone provide me with the FCC id from the back of the phone ?
I tired to search for it on the web but I don't think what I found was the correct one.

Update
I went to T-mobile store today, the guy was helpful and he printed out the official full technical specifications for the device that he pulled out and here what I got:
3G/UMTS Bands
Band I / UMTS2100 Yes
Band II / 1900 No
Band IV 1700/2100/AWS Yes
Band V/850 No
Band VII/ 900 No
The page was titled " Enablers" and listed specs for GSM and UMTS bands with their features. So I think this ends it for me, it does support both bands I and IV.

mo976 said:
AWS is the data delivery method used only by Tmo in the US. So the 4G service may not work outside the US but according to the phone specs it states that it supports UMTS and GPRS/EDGE so it should support 3G UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+ and gprs/edge for 2G everywhere. Ill test my HD (from England) when I get to new york in a day or so and see if I can get proper 3G speeds.
Todays smartphones are designed to be used worldwide with full service as much as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did it work with you in 3G speed in England ?

Good luck but I've taken my nexus one all over the planet... you'll get 3g in the countries listed above plus Japan (softbank only) but I haven't gotten 3g anywhere else....
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App

raeef said:
I am planning to buy MT4G, unlock it and use it on another carrier with compatible frequencies of course. Will I be still able to get updates using for example a wifi connection? or should I download updates manually? Is there something that I will lose when I use the phone on another carrier ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@OP: have you gotten the MT4G to work with UMTS Band I frequencies?

I got the update by only using my friend's t-mobile sim card, I think I got it via wifi since he doesn't have data plan.
unremarked said:
I don't know if you mean overseas or in any place other than the U.S. but the only "compatible" carrier for this phone besides T-Mobile is AT&T. The reason why compatible is in quotes is because yes the phone would function and make calls on that network, but you will lose 3G and HSPA+ service as AT&T's equivalents operate on a different and incompatible spectrum.
I would also assume that you would not receive OTA updates either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

[Q] European DZ in USA, 3G?

Hi everyone, i'll be going to USA, NYC for a week for the first time, and i'm wondering if i can get on 3G with my European Desire Z with a sim card from T-Mobile or AT&T, I want to be able to use gMaps to find all places i want to see and do some emailing, uploading photos etc.
also, which one should i choose (T-Mobile or AT&T)? i've read about the "goPhone" and "pay as you go" from AT&T but also the "Pay as you go data" plan from T-Mobile. researching this only gives me headace haha would be very happy if anyone could help me out with this (and where i get these prepaid sim cards, couldn't find that out anywhere either!).
but my main question is, as i said, will i be able to use 3G on my European DZ in the US?
i'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum, i really am. if it is, can a mod please move it for me?

I went to Houston in March. I have an unlocked Desire Z & bought a SIMPLE Mobile SIM card a week before I left (http://www.ecrater.co.uk/p/7077857/simple-mobile-gsm-unlimited-sim) then I registered on the SIMPLE Mobile website & bought the $60 tarrif (unlimited domestic calls, international & local texts, and more importantly unlimited data) (http://www.mysimplemobile.com/Simple-Mobile-Plan.aspx) I then popped it in to my Desire Z upon landing in Atlanta & put my existing T-Mobile UK SIM card in my wallet until I landed back in the UK. Phonecalls & texts worked instantly when I turned my phone on. However 3G was a bit trickier. I Google (using free Wi-Fi) & found the SIMPLE Mobile 3G settings I needed:
Press the menu.
Tap Settings.
Tap Wireless Controls or Wireless & Networks.
Tap Mobile Networks.
Check that: "Data Roaming" and "Use Only 2G Networks" are both unchecked. ETap Access Point Names. Press the menu button.
Select New APN. Name: Simple Mobile APN: simple proxy: 216.155.165.050 Port: 8080 Username: [empty]
Password: [empty]
Server: [empty]
MMSC: http://smpl.mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc
MMSProxy:[empty]
MMS Port: [empty]
MCC: 310
MNC: 260
APN Type: [Not set]
and it was perfect for the time I was out there. I was tethering a whole household at one point, tethering my girlfriend's UK Blackberry (with UK SIM) while driving too. I would recommend it!

Thanks for the tip!
I've never heard of "SIMPLE" before, so i'd like others to post their alternatives, so if anyone else have done this before and would like to share what they used (and how), I would be very happy.
If noone else comes up with an cheaper / better way, ill use it =)
E; saw that you need to put in zip-code on the tarrif page, i assume i type in my home zip-code (which doesn't work for me)?

comoba said:
Thanks for the tip!
I've never heard of "SIMPLE" before, so i'd like others to post their alternatives, so if anyone else have done this before and would like to share what they used (and how), I would be very happy.
If noone else comes up with an cheaper / better way, ill use it =)
E; saw that you need to put in zip-code on the tarrif page, i assume i type in my home zip-code (which doesn't work for me)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but SIMPLE mobile is owned by T-Mobile here in the US. They utilize the same bands/frequencies as Tmobile but operate as a Pre-Pay cell phone provider... No contracts required.

well you gotta verify what 3g bands uses your european DZ, from what i know there a 850/1900 mhz version which would perfectly run 3g with at&t, and theres also a 900/2100 mhz version which i think it could run t-mobile's 3g, but you need to verify which is your version before buying a sim card, if not youll be stuck with edge (2G)
im almost sure your version is the 900/2100 one tho

Yeah T-Mobile, but I don't think they are owned by them, I think they're just a mobile virtual network operator like GiffGaf & Tesco do to o2 in the UK.
I was all over Houston, from The Woodlands to Galveston & worked perfectly. Also in New York & Atlanta. However, it is (by UK standards) a rather limited network http://www.mysimplemobile.com/Simple-Mobile-Coverage.aspx

nonione said:
you need to verify which is your version before buying a sim card, if not youll be stuck with edge (2G)
im almost sure your version is the 900/2100 one tho
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think i read somewhere that the european dz would work all over the world sine it had support to all bands unlike the us one...
Anyhow how do i verify it?
Btw; what should i put as zipcode on the tarif page? Since its doesn't work with my Swedish zipcode (haha lol)

comoba said:
I think i read somewhere that the european dz would work all over the world sine it had support to all bands unlike the us one...
Anyhow how do i verify it?
Btw; what should i put as zipcode on the tarif page? Since its doesn't work with my Swedish zipcode (haha lol)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no phone that works for everything, everywhere. Where are you planning to use the phone? You'll have to be more specific, different countries use different bands for different things.
The European DZ has the following compatibility: HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
You should check those against the bands used by the carriers in the country you are travelling to. http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html
The Euro DZ has the correct GSM bands to work for voice and EDGE data in most parts of the world. But bands used for 3G vary greatly by country and carrier. If you are going to the US, you won't have 3G on any carrier. The only GSM carriers in the US are AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T uses the WCDMA 850/1900 band for 3G. T-Mobile uses WCDMA 1700/2100.

redpoint73 said:
There is no phone that works for everything, everywhere. Where are you planning to use the phone? You'll have to be more specific, different countries use different bands for different things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there should be
redpoint73; said:
The European DZ has the following compatibility: HSPA/WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
You should check those against the bands used by the carriers in the country you are travelling to. http://www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html said:
Sweden 900(3G) 1800(GSM) 3G 2100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
redpoint73 said:
If you are going to the US, you won't have 3G on any carrier. The only GSM carriers in the US are AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T uses the WCDMA 850/1900 band for 3G. T-Mobile uses WCDMA 1700/2100.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so if i have 900/1800 in sweden(like the rest of the world, expt america), does that mean i can't get 3G in the US? or what are you trying to say...? confused

comoba said:
there should be
so if i have 900/1800 in sweden(like the rest of the world, expt america), does that mean i can't get 3G in the US? or what are you trying to say...? confused
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 3G band compatibility of the Euro DZ (same model all across Europe, AFAIK) is WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz
This doesn't match either of the two US GSM carriers, AT&T (850/1900 MHz) and T-Mobile (1700/2100 MHz). So no, you cannot get 3G in the US with that phone.
Also, if you were going to ask, the 2100 MHz band (known as Band I) used in Europe is not the same as the 1700/2100 MHz (known as Band IV) used by T-Mobile. T-Mobile uses 1700 for upload, and 2100 for download, so you need both in order to have 3G on their network.
I only supplied the website to look up the country, in case you want to travel to other countries beside the US. The spec of the phone is what is important to look at, and whether that matches the country you are traveling to. Also, you are not looking at the chart correctly. 900/1800 for Sweden is for 2G/Voice. Sweden and most of Europe uses 2100 MHz for 3G (see the green column).

redpoint73 said:
The 3G band compatibility of the Euro DZ (same model all across Europe, AFAIK) is WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz
This doesn't match either of the two US GSM carriers, AT&T (850/1900 MHz) and T-Mobile (1700/2100 MHz). So no, you cannot get 3G in the US with that phone.
Also, if you were going to ask, the 2100 MHz band (known as Band I) used in Europe is not the same as the 1700/2100 MHz (known as Band IV) used by T-Mobile. T-Mobile uses 1700 for upload, and 2100 for download, so you need both in order to have 3G on their network.
I only supplied the website to look up the country, in case you want to travel to other countries beside the US. The spec of the phone is what is important to look at, and whether that matches the country you are traveling to. Also, you are not looking at the chart correctly. 900/1800 for Sweden is for 2G/Voice. Sweden and most of Europe uses 2100 MHz for 3G (see the green column).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i may not know much about this; but, if you say that you can't get 3G in the US with a DZ; how come others says they can, and have had (such as salemfox, who suggested "SIMPLE" sim card)?

comoba said:
i may not know much about this; but, if you say that you can't get 3G in the US with a DZ; how come others says they can, and have had (such as salemfox, who suggested "SIMPLE" sim card)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gonna need an answer on this one. (bump)

comoba said:
gonna need an answer on this one. (bump)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're reffering to "Simple Mobile", then no it still won't work, as they piggyback T-Mobile's network. Sadly there is no gsm carrier in the us that you could get 3g from, edge should still work though
Sent from my self-aware G2 w/ PyroMod v2.3.4 & UnNova Theme v1.0

Can Any Unlocked SGS3 Work on Tmo's 4G?

can an unlocked at&t or sprint sgs3 work on tmobile's 4G network?

Sprint is cdma .... t-mobile and att are gsm
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Sprint no, t mobile edge speeds. No good news as to whether more would be possible on t mobile.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

not until t-mobile has completed refarming its 1900 frequency to HSPA+ ...at least for the international and AT&T models. im not sure about the Sprint version.

I heard that the Sprint variant of the S3 has a sim slot since its an international phone. All you have to do is root and unlock it and it should work on T-Mobile 4G.

accordex said:
Sprint is cdma .... t-mobile and att are gsm
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that didnt answer my question.
prankoy said:
not until t-mobile has completed refarming its 1900 frequency to HSPA+ ...at least for the international and AT&T models.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so currently, you cant get the int'l or at&t phone to work on tmo's 4G until tmo upgrades to HSPA+.. do you know when that will happen?

bldon2 said:
that didnt answer my question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does, actually… perhaps a bit too technical.
so currently, you cant get the int'l or at&t phone to work on tmo's 4G until tmo upgrades to HSPA+.. do you know when that will happen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not an accurate statement but it makes the point—non-T-Mobile GS3s won't work on T-Mobile's 3G/4G until they redeploy from 1700 to 1900 MHz.
T-Mobile hasn't put out a time table. AFAIK parts of downtown San Francisco (around the Moscone Center), parts of San Diego, and parts of Birmingham, Alabama (i.e. relatively nowhere) are the only places TMO has this configuration deployed.

That's not exactly true parts of Bellevue and Seattle Washington have been reformed too so I'm sure there's more areas
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

AttachedSilver said:
I heard that the Sprint variant of the S3 has a sim slot since its an international phone. All you have to do is root and unlock it and it should work on T-Mobile 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope, there's only an sd card slot in the sprint variant, the sim card is embedded

bldon2 said:
that didnt answer question
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did actually, AT&T and T-Mobile are gsm, while Verizon and sprint are cdma... completely different services. Your only choice is an AT&T, T-Mobile or a gsm international.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

tamasrepus said:
It does, actually… perhaps a bit too technical.
That's not an accurate statement but it makes the point—non-T-Mobile GS3s won't work on T-Mobile's 3G/4G until they redeploy from 1700 to 1900 MHz.
T-Mobile hasn't put out a time table. AFAIK parts of downtown San Francisco (around the Moscone Center), parts of San Diego, and parts of Birmingham, Alabama (i.e. relatively nowhere) are the only places TMO has this configuration deployed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
he didnt answer my question. anyway, do you know when tmo will deploy this upgrade to nyc?
theraffman said:
It did actually, AT&T and T-Mobile are gsm, while Verizon and sprint are cdma... completely different services. Your only choice is an AT&T, T-Mobile or a gsm international.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it did not.. i got a gsm phone from at&t thats unlocked to work on tmo. but i cant get it to work on tmo 4G.. thats why he didnt answer my question.

Look up t mobile 1900 mhz refarming. Thats ur best shot. Other than that right now signs are pointing to no hardware support for t mobiles currnt hspa bands. Basically, cross your fingers that tmobile changes to your frequency in your area with this phone. Tmobiles doin cuz they want to steal awayviphine users so they do have incentive. We'll be on that train too tho.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

bldon2 said:
he didnt answer my question. anyway, do you know when tmo will deploy this upgrade to nyc?
it did not.. i got a gsm phone from at&t thats unlocked to work on tmo. but i cant get it to work on tmo 4G.. thats why he didnt answer my question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, t-mobile uses the same tech, but is gimped as far as the 1900mhz band goes. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a definitive adviser as to when they will overhaul their services.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

r3a1ist said:
Look up t mobile 1900 mhz refarming. Thats ur best shot. Other than that right now signs are pointing to no hardware support for t mobiles currnt hspa bands. Basically, cross your fingers that tmobile changes to your frequency in your area with this phone. Tmobiles doin cuz they want to steal awayviphine users so they do have incentive. We'll be on that train too tho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i see.. so, tmo right now supports 1900 for their 4G. and the samsung galaxy s3 uses 1900, right?
theraffman said:
Yes, t-mobile uses the same tech, but is gimped as far as the 1900mhz band goes. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a definitive adviser as to when they will overhaul their services.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm a bit confused here.. maybe you, r3a1ist or someone can help. i called tmo and they said that the samsung galaxy s3 works on their 1700 - 2100 while at&t has 850 - 1900.
i'm really confused because on the tmo website, the specs for the SGS3 says that it works on the following bands:
tmo:
850 MHz;900 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz;UMTS: Band I (2100);UMTS: Band IV (AWS);UMTS: Band V (850)
i got 4 questions:
1) what frequencies does the tmo version work on.
2) what are the frequencies that at&t uses for its SGS3.
3) what frequency does tmo use for its 4G (internet) network.
4) when LTE comes out next yr on tmo, will samsung release a new line of SGS3 specifically for tmo to work on its LTE?

bldon2 said:
he didnt answer my question. anyway, do you know when tmo will deploy this upgrade to nyc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never, probably… I don't have a source (you can Google it) but T-Mobile does not have enough spectrum in NYC to do much shuffling.
---------- Post added at 08:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:40 PM ----------
bldon2 said:
i see.. so, tmo right now supports 1900 for their 4G. and the samsung galaxy s3 uses 1900, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're not reading the thread, and/or are not understanding technical details. Answering your original question:
can an unlocked at&t or sprint sgs3 work on tmobile's 4G network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it won't.
The Sprint model apparently does not work. The AT&T may work later this year depending on your area. Are you asking whether you want to make a $500+ bet that it will? That's up to you—I wouldn't.
i'm a bit confused here.. maybe you, r3a1ist or someone can help. i called tmo and they said that the samsung galaxy s3 works on their 1700 - 2100 while at&t has 850 - 1900.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rarely get straight or correct answers from TMO's support, but yes—that's correct. What are you confused about?
i'm really confused because on the tmo website, the specs for the SGS3 says that it works on the following bands:
tmo:
850 MHz;900 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz;UMTS: Band I (2100);UMTS: Band IV (AWS);UMTS: Band V (850)
i got 4 questions:
1) what frequencies does the tmo version work on.
2) what are the frequencies that at&t uses for its SGS3.
3) what frequency does tmo use for its 4G (internet) network.
4) when LTE comes out next yr on tmo, will samsung release a new line of SGS3 specifically for tmo to work on its LTE?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) It works on the frequencies you posted. Let's rewrite that:
GSM/EDGE (aka 2G): 850, 900, 1800, 1900 Mhz
UMTS/HSPA+ (aka 3G/4G): 850, 1700 (aka AWS), 1900 MHz
Is it less confusing now?
2) AT&T uses 850 Mhz and 1900 MHz for their HSPA+ service.
3) TMO as of July 2012 uses 1700 MHz for most their HSPA+ service. T-Mobile will support HSPA+ on 1900 MHz in some parts of the USA by the end of the year. Very few areas (T-Mobile has only officially disclosed a tower near the Moscone Center, in San Francisco) do so now. Concrete details are sparse and nonspecific.
4) Next year is a long time—the SGS3 will be old by then, and the Galaxy Note 2 or SGS4 will have been announced. Nobody can predict the future. But, looking at the past, TMO released a new "4G" version of the Vibrant, so it's also likely they release new "LTE" versions of their phones.

tamasrepus said:
1) It works on the frequencies you posted. Let's rewrite that:
GSM/EDGE (aka 2G): 850, 900, 1800, 1900 Mhz
UMTS/HSPA+ (aka 3G/4G): 850, 1700 (aka AWS), 1900 MHz
Is it less confusing now?
2) AT&T uses 850 Mhz and 1900 MHz for their HSPA+ service.
3) TMO as of July 2012 uses 1700 MHz for most their HSPA+ service. T-Mobile will support HSPA+ on 1900 MHz in some parts of the USA by the end of the year. Very few areas (T-Mobile has only officially disclosed a tower near the Moscone Center, in San Francisco) do so now. Concrete details are sparse and nonspecific.
4) Next year is a long time—the SGS3 will be old by then, and the Galaxy Note 2 or SGS4 will have been announced. Nobody can predict the future. But, looking at the past, TMO released a new "4G" version of the Vibrant, so it's also likely they release new "LTE" versions of their phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its much less confusing now. thank you so much. its looks like the tmo tech guy i called was ignorant and didnt know what he was talking about. again, thanks.
one last question.. do you think that if i got the tmo version of the SGS3 and when LTE is released that the phone will no longer use HSPA? when LTE comes out, will the phone no longer use fast internet?

bldon2 said:
one last question.. do you think that if i got the tmo version of the SGS3 and when LTE is released that the phone will no longer use HSPA? when LTE comes out, will the phone no longer use fast internet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah… that's a complicated question whose answer I don't yet understand myself.
TMO is doing their 1900 MHz refarming to free up 1700 MHz for use w/ LTE. Stuff I'm wondering:
What happens to older 3G/4G devices that don't support 1900 MHz? Do they lose their 3G/4G Internet? Note: the GS3 supports 1900 MHz, and does not have this problem.
How is TMO going to deploy in spectrum crunched areas (like NYC)? They don't have enough spectrum to move everyone over to 1900 MHz—does this mean 1700 MHz HSPA+ will be cut off when they bring 1700 MHz LTE online? Your non-LTE GS3 might lose 3G/4G Internet in this situation—but I doubt TMO would do this to anyone with a phone still in contract.
All in all, make your purchasing situation on the situation today. The next new thing is always around the corner.

tamasrepus said:
Yeah… that's a complicated question whose answer I don't yet understand myself.
TMO is doing their 1900 MHz refarming to free up 1700 MHz for use w/ LTE. Stuff I'm wondering:
What happens to older 3G/4G devices that don't support 1900 MHz? Do they lose their 3G/4G Internet? Note: the GS3 supports 1900 MHz, and does not have this problem.
How is TMO going to deploy in spectrum crunched areas (like NYC)? They don't have enough spectrum to move everyone over to 1900 MHz—does this mean 1700 MHz HSPA+ will be cut off when they bring 1700 MHz LTE online? Your non-LTE GS3 might lose 3G/4G Internet in this situation—but I doubt TMO would do this to anyone with a phone still in contract.
All in all, make your purchasing situation on the situation today. The next new thing is always around the corner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi tamasrepus... just to let you know, when i called the tmo rep like i told you in my previous post, he said that the SGS3 will use LTE.. but after your answers discredited him, i dont believe him. i guess we got to wait and see.

theraffman said:
It did actually, AT&T and T-Mobile are gsm, while Verizon and sprint are cdma... completely different services. Your only choice is an AT&T, T-Mobile or a gsm international.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But LTE is a gsm technology, currently sprints/Verizons phone (Verizon razr maxx works on international/att networks after a recent update) is a hybrid, but they have weird lte frequencies, I've read that all US carriers will have incompatible freqs, but qualcom is building a chip that does them all plus European ones.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

It's simple, T mobile phone works on At&t HSPA but not LTE. At&t phone works on its own HSPA and LTE but not T moble 1700 HSPA. We've been trying to see if we can make it work on t mobiles 1700 hspa band, no luck yet. To make matters more uncertain. T mobile says they're refarming their 2g/edge spectrum to work on At&t's 1900 HSPA band. The At&t phone out of the box would be able to pick up this 1900 HSPA t mobile refarm. Although reports of this actually occuring are sporadic and they also fired the CEO who's plan it is a couple weeks ago. LoL. If you get that, that's the complete break down. So here you go:
T mobile phone - Supports both T mobile and At&t HSPA 4g speeds, no LTE of any kind.
At&t phone- Supports At&t LTE and HSPA only right now, t mobile HSPA "may" be available for it's antenna's in the future.