This topic has been hot and widely discussed throughout the Android community, however no one has had the nerve to try to take on this difficult task. What task am I talking about? The task of enabling the LTE capability on the Nexus 4, which hides within it.
LTE can be used via bands, and there are so many bands throughout carriers, but an XDA user has managed to find a band on the AT&T network that accesses the LTE capability the Nexus 4 contains. How is this possible? Certain hardware within the Nexus 4 is based on the Optimus G which can allow for LTE to be accessed, BUT it’s a mighty difficult task that is NOT recommended for anyone who isn’t comfortable working with radios.
Even though this capability exists within the Nexus 4, it’s very likely that it will not work since there are 25 major bands that the hardware cannot utilize or access. If you are on AT&T, and have LTE you are more than likely using band 17, which has a 700 MHz frequency and “this low frequency allows the signal to reach over great distances and penetrate buildings better than higher frequencies.” Yet just because you’re on AT&T doesn’t mean you have the correct band needed, which is the unfortunate part.
AT&T also has band 4 spectrum that is available in select locations like:
- Phoenix
- Raleigh
- San Juan
- Los Angeles
- Las Vegas
- Oklahoma City
- Dallas
- Chicago
- Charlotte
- Athens, GA
- College Station, TX
However, just because AT&T processes this spectrum doesn’t mean it’s available or “deployed” in those areas, so please take this all with careful consideration that this is all speculation, and not fully proven to be possible. If you live in the above mentioned areas chances of LTE on your Nexus 4 are very slim, so please keep that in mind also.
Yet there is news that a user from XDA has achieved it, but this user has not released any documentation of the process as of yet. What this does prove is that the LTE on the Nexus 4 IS possible!
Let us hope that further development will occur, but we will be sure to keep up to date on this issue. Does this give anyone high hopes that the Nexus 4 will indeed receive LTE?
Source: Android Police