How To: AT&T Lumia 1520 (RM-940) on T-Mobile/Wind/Mobilicity AWS1700Mhz/HSPA+ Band 4

AR2186

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Well I still haven't seen 3G on AT&T RM-940 L1520. I never did change the APN setting when I brought my phone to T-Mobile. Should I have done that to get 3G? I already get Edge, 4G and 4g LTE. Don't know if I should mess with it.
They identify any HSPA+ connection as "4G" even though it is faster "3G". Actually, LTE is technically 3.5G so its all just marketing.

You should definitely try to turn on the 1700mhz band as I explained. Let us know if you have success
 

Donny James

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

I enabled 1700mhz as you explained. Oh and thanks again. The only thing I noticed different was a strong 4G connection. Meaning where I would normally have Edge I now have 4G.
 

RumoredNow

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Yep... If there is no T-Mo LTE in an area of towers, then it has H+ on that 1700 WCDMA... If you don't have your 3G 1700 on it falls to EDGE on 1900 via 2G radio.
 

Donny James

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Since we're talking about T-Mo and signals. Is it just me, or does T-Mo's signal fluctuate from LTE to EDGE and back continuously for you guys too, even though you remain in the same spot?
 

RumoredNow

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Since we're talking about T-Mo and signals. Is it just me, or does T-Mo's signal fluctuate from LTE to EDGE and back continuously for you guys too, even though you remain in the same spot?

That happens to me in one area... I also know for a fact that I'm roaming on an AT&T Tower when it acts like this. (It's the only tower around, quite literally, for miles.)
 

AR2186

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Since we're talking about T-Mo and signals. Is it just me, or does T-Mo's signal fluctuate from LTE to EDGE and back continuously for you guys too, even though you remain in the same spot?

I'm not having that problem in NYC, how strong is your LTE signal? You could try turning off the 2g radio to see if LTE keeps dropping to no signal. Dont leave it off, only do that to test
 

Liam Wong

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

I was able to test an At&t 1520 on wind mobile in Canada (they only use the AWS 4G band) and everything works perfectly.
 

DuoWing

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Glad to hear this seems to be working. I'll have to go try this oh mine
 

Talderon

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

I believe there is a 32gb version of the AT&T 1520, but I'm not sure it's actively being sold / may have been a limited run. I'm curious if the ability to connect to the 1700 band is because I have hardware revision 4.1 (assuming it started as 1.0?). The phone came with Cyan out of the box

I have the 32GB AT&T Variant. The availability was on Web Orders ONLY, they were never in stock in stores. They were just a tad more expensive than the 16GB models in stores. The specs between the 16 and 32GB were identical with the exception of the on board storage.
 

hyedefinition

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Actually, LTE is technically 3.5G so its all just marketing.

Currently LTE is technically LTE using OFDMA and multiplexing antennas. I currently optimize for AT&T and have seen speeds of 80mbps on our pre launch cell sites.
 

AR2186

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Currently LTE is technically LTE using OFDMA and multiplexing antennas. I currently optimize for AT&T and have seen speeds of 80mbps on our pre launch cell sites.

I think you meant it's technically 4G, and if so, it's "4G" only through revisionist history. True 4G was supposed to start at LTE-Advanced, but people just starting calling LTE "4G" so they revised the definition even though it doesn't technically qualify. Bear with me, as my day job has nothing to do with technology, but I think we were basically saying the same thing with multiplexing antennae and LTE-Advanced (at least, my understanding of LTE-Advanced is band aggregation to provide a speed boost, among other things). So basically, first generation LTE is not 4G, anything afterward is 4G

From Wikipedia:
Although marketed as a 4G wireless service, LTE (as specified in the 3GPP Release 8 and 9 document series) does not satisfy the technical requirements the 3GPP consortium has adopted for its new standard generation, and which were originally set forth by the ITU-R organization in its IMT-Advanced specification. However, due to marketing pressures and the significant advancements that WiMAX, HSPA+ and LTE bring to the original 3G technologies, ITU later decided that LTE together with the aforementioned technologies can be called 4G technologies. The LTE Advanced standard formally satisfies the ITU-R requirements to be considered IMT-Advanced. To differentiate LTE Advanced and WiMAX-Advanced from current 4G technologies, ITU has defined them as "True 4G".

From ITU:
Following a detailed evaluation against stringent technical and operational criteria, ITU has determined that “LTE-Advanced” and “WirelessMAN-Advanced” should be accorded the official designation of IMT-Advanced. As the most advanced technologies currently defined for global wireless mobile broadband communications, IMT-Advanced is considered as “4G”, although it is recognized that this term, while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed. The detailed specifications of the IMT-Advanced technologies will be provided in a new ITU-R Recommendation expected in early 2012.
 

myrandex

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

I will be testing this hear soon. I just need to get two unlock codes then I'm switching four lines over to TMo. I have a white 16GB 1520 that was bought before the green one came out (not that this is significant, just giving this info out due to discussion on this topic). I'm wanting to mod it to make it Qi compatible too but am waiting on a response to that question as well.

Jason
 

bL33d

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Anyway to have these settings stick after reboot? I'm trying to disable lte and just hspa
 

AR2186

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Mine seems to just stick. Had that problem the first time, but since then no issues
 

oshintao

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

I have the 32GB AT&T Variant. The availability was on Web Orders ONLY, they were never in stock in stores. They were just a tad more expensive than the 16GB models in stores. The specs between the 16 and 32GB were identical with the exception of the on board storage.

Are you using your Lumia 1520 on AT&T or T-Mobile??? If you are using your Lumia on T-Mobile are you getting LTE or H+ at least!!!!
 

Byu1

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Does this really work? anybody can confirmed this works on T-Mobile 3G 1700 band? or is it hardware locked, need unlocked 1520.3/rm-938 only. what about t-mobile 700 LTE band. Recently news says T-Mobile is increasing 700 LTE band.
 

AR2186

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

I don't think it will work with the 700 LTE band given that the phone doesn't ship with that band, and there is only some overlap with AT&T's LTE bands. It looks like people were able to get the 1700 3G radio to connect in Canada, so there shouldn't be any problem in the US
 

ElronTheElder

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Re: Instructions: AT&T Lumia 1520 on T-Mobile AWS 3G (HSPA Band 4 - 1700)

Utilizing Consumer Cellular [ATT mvno] did this just to tinker.
(Red 16GB 940)
At first thought it degraded my signal since it dropped to 4G vs LTE prior.
It came back showing LTE now so guess I didn't break it.
Great thread. Thanks for the info.
 

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