Database Develop

3G in the USA

Has any been able to get 3G to work in the USA yet?
thank you,
jdm

I would say that it is imminent that the US version of the S730 will be released soon. AT&T or T-Mobile may pick it up (T-Mobile's 3G network in NYC just went live, but there are no phones). If so, I would suspect that some of these crafty folks (like Alcaline) would be able to extract the radio ROM, and make it available for the S730 that we all have (the european version).
But, here's the most important part... It all depends on whether or not the European version of the S730 has the radio chipsets that will support 3G on the frequencies that are 3G in the US. There is no known answer "available" to this, so it can only be discovered by testing.

The current S730 uses the 2100 band for 3G speeds and ATT is deploying 3g on 1900 and 850 I believe and they sell a decent ammount of 3g phones. T-Mobile is working on setting one up on the 1700/2100 band but I dont care for T-Mobile.
I have watched my phone at times flip into 3G mode for a few minutes then revert back to Edge, its trying but cant work properly without the right frequencies.

Check out the chipset datasheet. Bottom of page three explains the specific radio chipset combos and their support for different freqs.
I suppose, to save on manufacturing costs, they could have used the single chipset that supports 3G on all freqs (RTR 6285), but I believe this is unlikely due to the difference in model number that was submitted to the FCC (European version: WING220, US version: WING200).
Who knows though.

3G in US
Hermes models had different model #'s HERM100, HERM200 and had the same radios, in some cases minor difference such as case style, i.e removal of video calling camera etc. With any luck we have the RFR6500 + RTR6275 Combo, or as you mentioned the RTR6285 and just not a radio rom that allows 1900+850 3G. I was looking on the FCC site and they have some interesting screen shots, one of which shows one(s730) with what appears to be the front camera covered up and another which shows a radio rom(R 0.27.03.05B), one that, to do the tests would likely need to support 1900+850. Check Page 250 / 11 in the PDF. However, also in the test is the lack of any mention of 2100 Mhz test, which would suggest that either the US 3G Radio won't support 2100Mhz or that it indeed has different hardware that won't support 2100Mhz. At any rate it would be interesting to know if anyone has tried to flash one of the pre-prod roms for the wing 200 onto the wing220 and see if they are able to connect up to 1900+850 3G.
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blobs/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=890469&native_or_pdf=pdf
I suppose only time will tell.

Wow... nice investigative work. Very interesting. I'll start hunting around for the ROM.
[edit]
Searched google and, my favorite, napalm with no luck. I wonder if we can lure an FCC testing engineer into the XDA-dev realm. muahahaha

I was searching some of the other posts, and it appears that most of the pre-prod radio rom testing had been focused on GPS functionality. Has anyone been able to throw on any of the pre-prod radios with an ATT SIM and tested to see if it can connect to WCDMA -> US Band (1900+850) ??

I have no possibility to check the 3G in the USA from my location in Norway.
But just to get this clear, because I have changed my Radio more often then most people change their underweare.
Is everybody able to select WCDMA and then US Band in the settings?
I dont know if this is selectable on all devices or if this is made available after my radio flahings.

I believe all S730's have the following options available.
Network Type:
Auto
GSM
WCDMA
Band Type:
Auto
US Band
Euro Band
Japan Band
For it to actually be able to operate on all of these frequencies I believe it would need to use the the RTR6285 chipset as the other 2 combos would not support all of the different frequencies combinations.
US Band -> GSM 850+1900 / UMTS 850+1900 (ATT)
Euro Band -> GSM 900+1800 / UMTS 2100
Japan Band -> UMTS 2100+800 (not positive on this one)
If I change band to from Auto -> WCDMA I do not get an error but no 3G Icon and all calls fail. If I then go and change to US Band while having WCDMA selected it indicates that it cannot change to that GSM/UMTS Band. Also interesting, If I stay on WCDMA and select Euro Band, no error, but of course all calls fail. I then tried to change to Japan Band, no error and no phone calls. Finally I am still on WCDMA and I switch to US Band and I get the error that indicates I cannot change to that band. So, I would be interested to know Alcaline if you see the same behavior on some of the other radios you have been trying to see they allow the switch to WCDMA / US Band combo.
Thanks

Can anyone else confirm this behavior on any of the other Radios out there?

Alcaline said:
I have no possibility to check the 3G in the USA from my location in Norway.
But just to get this clear, because I have changed my Radio more often then most people change their underweare.
Is everybody able to select WCDMA and then US Band in the settings?
I dont know if this is selectable on all devices or if this is made available after my radio flahings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the ability to tell my phone I am in the states, but it does nothing (default settings though)

Was the US version (WING200) of this phone ever released? Or has anyone gotten the EU version to work on any US 3G networks? Wondering about T-Mobile...

[Q] Will my Unlocked BellCanada GT-I9000M work with T-Mobile's service in Upstate NY?

I'm traveling to upstate NY next week, and I have my GT-I9000M (Bell Canada Vibrant) unlocked. Will T-Mobile's $1.49 mobile web day pass work with my phone?

I asked this question about 2 weeks ago, and the answer I got was:
Your phone should operate on T-Mobile's Voice Network,
If you want Data, you need AT&T,
Apparently our Bell(Mine SaskTel) I9000M's do not have the right radio to connect to the frequencies T-Mobile uses for their 3g network.
I picked up an At&t sim off ebay for $1 from a guy in Quebec, No problems activating it, no need for an american address. I was told to complete the activation the phone would have to be in At&t coverage however(for sim to receive activation info from servers) On pay as you go (go-phone) Att'2 deal isn't bad. You can get unlimited talk and text for $2 a day. But T-mobile's Data is a better deal, as Att is $0.01/Kb or $20/100Mb
Hope that helps

My understanding of everything is the following:
The GSM/EDGE radio in our I9000Ms is quad band 850/900/1800/1900MHz
The WCDMA (3G/HSPA/UMTS) radio is tri-band (850/1900/2100MHz)
Bell/TELUS/SaskTel et al in Canada use 3G/HSPA on 850/1900. No GSM/EDGE service.
Wind/Mobilicity/Public Mobile in Canada use 3G/HSPA on 1700/2100.
AT&T in US use 3G/HSPA/GSM/EDGE on 850/1900.
T-Mobile in US use 3G/HSPA on 1700/2100, GSM/EDGE on 1900.
Based on that: I think that our I9000Ms with a data-enabled SIM from TMo should connect, but only using EDGE. A data-enabled SIM from AT&T would connect using 3G/HSPA

Sounds right to me. If that is the case then I will most certaintly be picking up a T-mo sim, as they have a way better plan system for pay as you go!

Also interesting:
*#BAND# (*#2263#) typed into the dialer lets you select what frequency bands you want your phone to run in. The options appear to allow a WCDMA 900 band (FDD Band VIII), however, this one is switched off by default, while all others (GSM850/GSM900/DCS1800/PCS1900/WCDMA2100/WCDMA1900/WCDMA850) are switched on.
To see what band you're currently connected on, you can enter this into the dialer:
*#197328640#, then click on DEBUG SCREEN, then BASIC INFORMATION, and line 3 will list what band you're on.
I haven't seen my phone on anything but WCDMA 850 Band 5, or WCDMA 1900 Band 2, when connected to Bell Mobility Canada, in the south-central Ontario/GTA area.

racer26 said:
Based on that: I think that our I9000Ms with a data-enabled SIM from TMo should connect, but only using EDGE. A data-enabled SIM from AT&T would connect using 3G/HSPA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not correct
T-mobile like Wind
they use AWS network for 3G data
AWS = 1700+2100 together
if you only have 1700 or only have 2100 it will not work at all

Isnt that what I just said?
T-Mobile operates a GSM/EDGE network in the 1900MHz band, as well as an AWS 3G/HSPA network in the 1700/2100MHz bands.
Wind (AFAIK), operates a AWS-only network in the 1700/2100MHz bands.
Bell/Telus operates a 3G/HSPA WCDMA network in the 850/1900MHz bands
AT&T operates a 3G/HSPA WCDMA network in the 850/1900MHz bands, as well as a GSM/EDGE network in the 850/1900MHz bands.
My Bell I9000m, which has GSM850/GSM900/DCS1800/PCS1900/WCDMA850/WCDMA1900/WCDMA2100 should connect on 3G to Bell, Telus, and AT&T. Should connect on GSM/EDGE to T-Mobile, and not at all to Wind. If I'm correct in my understanding.
I know it connects to Bell and Telus, as well as Fido in Canada. I've tried it.

racer26 said:
Wind (AFAIK), operates a AWS-only network in the 1700/2100MHz bands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that's the Wind Home default
but you also have the Wind Away which runs on GSM/EDGE on 850 or 1900, but in reality it's roaming off Rogers network.

UPDATE: I have returned from Upstate NY where I purchased a T-Mobile PayAsYouGo SIM, and used the $1.49 Web DayPass on my GT-I9000M. It DOES work, however, T-Mo's EDGE network is (as-expected) slow. It also has a hard time operating well in a heavy rainstorm.
As I expected, I was only able to get an EDGE connection. No 3G.
Also convenient for I9000M owners to note: A SIM card will happily fit for storage behind the battery without impeding closure of the backplate. With my Bell SIM back in the phone now, the T-Mo SIM is stored behind the battery so I don't lose it.
EDIT: Also, when I re-entered Canada, and put my Bell SIM back in, it would only connect with "Emergency Calls Only" status, until I manually went into the Mobile Networks settings, and selected the first of the three "BELL" networks that show up. Interestingly, on Canadian soil with the T-Mo SIM, this menu sees "Bell" "Telus" and "CAN Rogers Wireless Inc" as networks to connect to, and when you try to select either of the second 2 "Bell" networks with the Bell SIM, it says the SIM wasnt recognized. Is the Bell SIM doing some weird re-naming of the Telus and Rogers nets?

Excellent! Thanks for confirming my suspicions. Although I already have an At&t sim, i will be picking up a T-mo sim as their data pass is a way better deal imo

Can't get 3G on my Nexus One

A month ago I bought a Nexus One phone on eBay (so it came from USA). Now the thing is that I am stuck in EDGE, and can't use the 3G network of my operator (Movistar). I live in a zone where there is no 3G service so I didn't notice it at first, but when I go to another zone, one with 3G, I'm still in EDGE!
Is it because I use the Movistar network? Should I switch to another service provider (Nextel or Claro)? or do I have the wrong phone for my country?

Yup. I'm pretty sure that's the reason...Phone from US with US (att or tmobile) bands. Vodafone is the carrier overseas that carries the N1 I think...

try to dial *#*#4636#*#* in dialer
then go into "Phone Information" -> "Set preferred network type"
is that set to GSM only?

Find out what version of the phone you have. One has tmobile 3g the other att.
Find out what bands the 3g are on in your country etc.
My bet is you got the tmobile USA version. And your network uses same bands as att in the states. Chances are all the networks their are on the same band.

momomok said:
try to dial *#*#4636#*#* in dialer
then go into "Phone Information" -> "Set preferred network type"
is that set to GSM only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it shows a lot of options, and it is set to 'WCDMA preferred'.
albundy2010 said:
Find out what version of the phone you have. One has tmobile 3g the other att.
Find out what bands the 3g are on in your country etc.
My bet is you got the tmobile USA version. And your network uses same bands as att in the states. Chances are all the networks their are on the same band.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I am screwed :S I should ask the seller for the version of the phone (even though I think I can find it under the battery: PB99100).
How can I know the 3g bands in Peru? Is there nothing I can do?

PB99100 is the T-mo version...

Yeah you have the wrong version. You need the att version for 3g to work in peru. Sorry

[Q] change modem or unlock needed for traveling with a Tmo tab w overcome?

Hello experts,
Would you please tell me if I need a new modem (currently on T849UVJJB, assuming that's stock modem), or do I just need to carrier unlock my tmobile branded galaxy tab in order for me use pre-paid sim from other countries such as Hong Kong or Taiwan.
I have already rooted my galaxy tab and installed Overcome 3.0.0 on it. I am interested in voice + data, but all these different radios and talks of voice calling is disabled on the tmobile server's side (thus only network unlock is required to get voice +data) had me confused.
Greatly appreciate it if someone can clear it up, thanks.

To use any sim besides t-mobile, you need to unlock.
You will need to root your tab, then unlock it.
Since there is no compatable network in China the best you can get is voice and EDGE data.
Use a froyo modem.

Thanks rangercaptain for your reply.
As I mentioned I have overcome rom installed, thus I am already rooted. I also installed from the market galaxy_s_unlock, and it seems to be working (although I won't be able to find out until later when I travel.)
you mentioned it will only do EDGE, which I am dumbfounded:
-most Asia (including China) and Europe support UMTS 2100, known as Band I
-Tmobile galaxy tab spec page listed it supported both UMTS 2100 (Band I) and UMTS 1700 (AWS)
I am traveling soon so I guess I will report back. But if there is any actual report from users that would say one way or the other it would be awesome.
Thanks.

The word "and" is the key. The t-mobile tab has to have 1700 and 2100 bands to have 3g/H. Outside of US t-mobile service area, the 2100 band is available, but no 1700 band.
Go prepared for EDGE and be pleasantly surprised if you get 3g. It has worked out in a few places.

well, I am at Hong Kong right now, and here's what I found:
I am using hutchison 3G, JPE modem.
Yes I get voice. Data: GPRS works, EDGE works (though most of the time is G)
But whenever the icon indicate 3G (even with 4 bar) I get no data, at all.
Here the head scratcher: When 3G swtich over to the letter H, if it is above 3 bar I can get data! But I thought 3G and HSPA is on the same frequnecy and if it works for H it should work for 3G also.

That's because the bands for 2100 match, and the US 1700 band and the overseas 1900 band have a small overlap, so you occasionally hit the sweet spot.

[Q] No 3G, just Edge, why?

Got an used Captivate on eBay, came with kernel 2.6.35.13 Glitch v13.1, MIUI 2.2.17, Android 2.3.7 and modem UGJK4
Well, Captivate radio specs for 3G: HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
My operator (TIM) uses 2100 in my city, excellent until now!
But, I'm stuck in EDGE, can't get it to connect any faster. We have other phones here got from England, Ireland and USA, all of them support 2100 and 3G works perfectly, but not this Captivate.
Already tried the following modems: UGKG3, XXJTV, XXJVU and currently on UGJL2.
Just after installing the UGJL2, it connected at HSDPA, but after 5 seconds changed to Edge and no (H) anymore
A weird thing, I tried another operator chip (VIVO), that also operates at 2100 in my area and HSDPA is enabled normally!
Got back my chip and back to EDGE, this same chip get 3G+ (HSDPA) on a Samsung Jet, Samsung Galaxy Mini and a Samsung i550.
Everything else works perfectly, calls, GPS, wifi...
Any tips?
Thanks!

Surfin7 said:
Got an used Captivate on eBay, came with kernel 2.6.35.13 Glitch v13.1, MIUI 2.2.17, Android 2.3.7 and modem UGJK4
Well, Captivate radio specs for 3G: HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100
My operator (TIM) uses 2100 in my city, excellent until now!
But, I'm stuck in EDGE, can't get it to connect any faster. We have other phones here got from England, Ireland and USA, all of them support 2100 and 3G works perfectly, but not this Captivate.
Already tried the following modems: UGKG3, XXJTV, XXJVU and currently on UGJL2.
Just after installing the UGJL2, it connected at HSDPA, but after 5 seconds changed to Edge and no (H) anymore
A weird thing, I tried another operator chip (VIVO), that also operates at 2100 in my area and HSDPA is enabled normally!
Got back my chip and back to EDGE, this same chip get 3G+ (HSDPA) on a Samsung Jet, Samsung Galaxy Mini and a Samsung i550.
Everything else works perfectly, calls, GPS, wifi...
Any tips?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I know, the Captivate only gets 3G on AT&T even when unlocked. I might be wrong, but I remember reading that somewhere.

Must be a myth, I use my captivate on 850mhz in Australia 3g and hspa work perfect.
Did you try to force 2100 with service mode?
Phoned in.....

But with the other operator chip 3G works normally, at the same place where my chip also get 3G on other phone. Both are 3G+ (Hsdpa) able, but not when together. That is what makes no sense.
I would have forced in servide mode, but all the codes for service mode does not seem to work, and I've seen around the forums that MIUI don't have it...
Is there any code besides *#0011# and *#*#197328640#*#* ?
Both not work here
Thanks for the help!

MIUI and AOSP do not allow for the forcing of certain bands. You can specify what region you are in, but that's about all. To do that, use dialer code
*#*#4636#*#*
Phone setting
Menu/select service bands
That's about as good as it gets.
Hope it helps.

fractaline said:
Must be a myth, I use my captivate on 850mhz in Australia 3g and hspa work perfect.
Did you try to force 2100 with service mode?
Phoned in.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your carrier uses the same 3g bands that att does. Those are the only ones that use the same 3g bands
sent from my cell in Arkham

mrhaley30705 said:
MIUI and AOSP do not allow for the forcing of certain bands. You can specify what region you are in, but that's about all. To do that, use dialer code
*#*#4636#*#*
Phone setting
Menu/select service bands
That's about as good as it gets.
Hope it helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I've tried Automatic and Euro (same bands used here), still Edge.
The strange thing is it get 3G from the other operator, that uses the same 2100 frequency... (at leaset they say it's both 2100)
Any way to see the frequency currently in use?

zelendel said:
Your carrier uses the same 3g bands that att does. Those are the only ones that use the same 3g bands
sent from my cell in Arkham
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My carrier uses 850 and 2100.
My wife has a captivate also, her carrier uses 900 and 2100. Of course only the 2100 works but it is solid.
Phoned in.....

Ok, I discovered that it's an area problem probably, I tried at the office and got the H on the indicator! HSPDA is working, sometimes 'came down' to 3G (concrete building, not so good signal).
That's still strange because my friend get Hspa here, with a Galaxy S (I9000b), same operator, will call them soon to ask about this.
Anyway, it works! with ridiculous speed (180kbps), but it's better then Edge at 15kbps...
Thanks everybody for the help!