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sir pball

(5,341 posts)
17. 4G can't just be "unlocked" in the US, it also has to be the right provider
Mon Aug 12, 2013, 01:19 AM
Aug 2013

Verizon and Sprint use a different physical platform for their high-speed "4G" networks than AT&T and T-Mobile - my Verizon-issued Samsung SCH-i535 "Galaxy SIII" can only be used on Verizon or Sprint networks; to use AT&T or TMo I would need a Samsung SGH-i747 "Galaxy SIII" with completely different radio hardware (DSPs and antennae). Such is the fragmented state of affairs across the country and even the globe - AFAIK LTE 4G works in South Korea and Japan (i535 model) while most of Europe is on HSDPA (i7474 model). Sure, you can get an unlocked phone here, and there's some SIM portability, but with two completely distinct networks it gets annoying.

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