4G logo never displayed, but getting 4G speeds

[Soljaah]

Hi Guys,

I've had an interesting problem. The 4G logo on my phone never displays 4G, even when I'm pretty sure I'm on a 4G network. When selecting the 4G setting under 'cellular' in settings, I get speeds up to 23mbps down, then when I switch over to 3G, I get speeds up to 16mbps down. Throughout the experiment the connection logo says 3G. I've run this test a couple of times, in numerous locations. I've also ensured that friends who have the same phone, same carrier (Vodacom), and are at the same location as me do get the 4G logo displayed.

I've made sure that LTE is enabled on my account with Vodacom. I've made sure I have the correct APN settings. I've even tried getting a new SIM card as that seemed to help with the same issue experience by someone here: https://community.optus.com.au/t5/Apple/iphone-5s-not-showing-4g-or-lte-icon-onl y-3g/td-p/58665

My iPhone is an iPhone 6 (A1586 GSM). My main issue is that I'd like to know when I'm on 4G.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[agentrfr]

Probably because 4G is not LTE. In fact only LTE-A fits the specifications of 4G as defined by ITU-R back in 2008 (i.e. downlink speed of 100mbit/s). Try not to confuse cell phone companies' marketing as fact - it's been an issue for a couple years now all over the world with cellular providers advertising their networks as 4G when they aren't.

In SA we do not have LTE-A yet (apart from a few test towers?), so your phone may display LTE in the top (there's a setting somewhere I think) but wont say 4G unless it actually connects to an LTE-A cell

 

[supersunbird]

Probably because 4G is not LTE. In fact only LTE-A fits the specifications of 4G as defined by ITU-R back in 2008 (i.e. downlink speed of 100mbit/s). Try not to confuse cell phone companies' marketing as fact - it's been an issue for a couple years now all over the world with cellular providers advertising their networks as 4G when they aren't.

In SA we do not have LTE-A yet (apart from a few test towers?), so your phone may display LTE in the top (there's a setting somewhere I think) but wont say 4G unless it actually connects to an LTE-A cell

Just talking about iPhones? My Samsung S5 Mini can be on 4G, H+, H or E.

 

[agentrfr]

Just talking about iPhones? My Samsung S5 Mini can be on 4G, H+ or E.

Is it a branded vodacom/mtn/cellc phone, or a vanilla distro/rom that you flashed yourself

 

[supersunbird]

Is it a branded vodacom/mtn/cellc phone, or a vanilla distro/rom that you flashed yourself

Orange-store bought phone, seems pretty vanilla. Edited my post, it has more Hs than expected...

 

[agentrfr]

Orange-store bought phone, seems pretty vanilla. Edited my post, it has more Hs than expected...

Interesting... I'd like to know if you did a speetest when it said 4G if you actually got 150+mbit/s. Of course you can always flash your phone to something like cyanogenmod which should in theory display the correct protocol it is using at that point in time.

Maybe you are lucky and have a LTE-A cell facing you?

 

[supersunbird]

Interesting... I'd like to know if you did a speetest when it said 4G if you actually got 150+mbit/s. Of course you can always flash your phone to something like cyanogenmod which should in theory display the correct protocol it is using at that point in time.

Maybe you are lucky and have a LTE-A cell facing you?

I'll see if I can run a speedtest later, I get the 4G sign here all the time here at work, on wifi at home so don't know what I get there...

 

[$m@Rt@$$]

Mine never shows 4G. Only LTE.

 

[Stillie]

I got an iphone 6 as well and it always shows me 4G

Here is my speedtest

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/i/1418748654

 

[agentrfr]

I got an iphone 6 as well and it always shows me 4G

Here is my speedtest

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/i/1418748654

That looks like LTE, not 4G buddy . Vodacom's got you fooled

 

[supersunbird]

Interesting... I'd like to know if you did a speetest when it said 4G if you actually got 150+mbit/s. Of course you can always flash your phone to something like cyanogenmod which should in theory display the correct protocol it is using at that point in time.

Maybe you are lucky and have a LTE-A cell facing you?

Got me fooled as well maybe... but this tower is pretty congested.

 

[Stillie]

i didn't say it was def 4G, just said the logo is there

 

[agentrfr]

Got me fooled as well maybe... but this tower is pretty congested.

Possibly, but that is a really low ping for a cell that is under strain. 12.3 Mb/s is only about 4.1% of "normal" LTE-A performance (300Mb/s), but is pretty normal for an LTE connecection...

Here's some 'light' reading for anyone interested

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_(telecommunication)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMT_Advanced
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GPP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_Advanced
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G

 

[Soljaah]

The problem is that it never shows LTE either, only 3G. I'm fairly sure it's changing over to the LTE network though.

Probably because 4G is not LTE. In fact only LTE-A fits the specifications of 4G as defined by ITU-R back in 2008 (i.e. downlink speed of 100mbit/s). Try not to confuse cell phone companies' marketing as fact - it's been an issue for a couple years now all over the world with cellular providers advertising their networks as 4G when they aren't.

In SA we do not have LTE-A yet (apart from a few test towers?), so your phone may display LTE in the top (there's a setting somewhere I think) but wont say 4G unless it actually connects to an LTE-A cell

 

[Rusty0]

HSPA is available at 72mb/s in SA

 

[krycor]

Is it a branded vodacom/mtn/cellc phone, or a vanilla distro/rom that you flashed yourself

Actually just Vodacon markets it as 4G via logo on iPhone, MTN shows LTE and I suspect CellC will be taking them (Voda) on as CellC was hit with a case vs 3G which was in a similar situation back then hahs

 

[Dave]

Probably because 4G is not LTE. In fact only LTE-A fits the specifications of 4G as defined by ITU-R back in 2008 (i.e. downlink speed of 100mbit/s). Try not to confuse cell phone companies' marketing as fact - it's been an issue for a couple years now all over the world with cellular providers advertising their networks as 4G when they aren't.

In SA we do not have LTE-A yet (apart from a few test towers?), so your phone may display LTE in the top (there's a setting somewhere I think) but wont say 4G unless it actually connects to an LTE-A cell

The ITU changed its mind in 2010, LTE was added to the list of what constitutes 4G.

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

http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2010/48.aspx#.VjC46nrfWK0

 

[neoassasin]

The ITU changed its mind in 2010, LTE was added to the list of what constitutes 4G.


http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2010/48.aspx#.VjC46nrfWK0

Thank you. We all know of the 4G vs Lte debate I don't know what agentrfr was trying to prove but anyway. To the OP I remember my iPhone 6 Plus showing 4G. My 5 used to show Lte but there was a settings update via iTunes that changed it to 4G. Maybe you could try syncing with iTunes again and check if there is any update.

 

[Soljaah]

Thank you. We all know of the 4G vs Lte debate I don't know what agentrfr was trying to prove but anyway. To the OP I remember my iPhone 6 Plus showing 4G. My 5 used to show Lte but there was a settings update via iTunes that changed it to 4G. Maybe you could try syncing with iTunes again and check if there is any update.

As far as I can tell, I'm on the latest carrier (Vodacom 22.0 - according to General > Settings > About). Could anyone else confirm that this is the latest carrier setting?

 

[neoassasin]

As far as I can tell, I'm on the latest carrier (Vodacom 22.0 - according to General > Settings > About). Could anyone else confirm that this is the latest carrier setting?

Have you tried resetting Network setting or if that doesn't work all settings.