How to check which 4G LTE Bands are supported by your phone.

 Just like any other technology, mobile network technology is also developing incredibly fast, maybe even faster than other networks due to the stiff Competition and revenue the mobile phone sector generated every year.

Already 5G technology is here with us, but considering that the technology is yet to be deployed in many parts of the world, LTE is now becoming more and more available across the Globe.

LTE, known as Long-Term Evolution, is a wireless broadband communication technology that allows for faster upload and download speeds than ordinary 3G networks.

Phones use a part of the electromagnetic spectrum, also used by other wireless devices to communicate.

The mobile frequencies are subdivided into bands, based on the mobile technology e.g GSM, UMTS etc, commonly known as either 2G, 3G, etc.

Below is a summary of common mobile technologies currently in use:

• GSM: Ranges from 300 MHz to 1900 MHz. Commonly known as 2G.
• UMTS: From 2100MHz to 1500 MHz. This is used by 3G and is much faster than 2G, with better upload and download speeds.
• LTE: Also known as 4G LTE, this is much faster than 3G, ranging from 450 to 5900 MHz.
• 5G: This is the fastest network currently in use in various parts of the world. This network works on the millimeter waves, and has numerous advantages over other cellular technologies.

Under these technologies there are what are known as bands, e.g there is band 2, 20, 28 etc under LTE.

4G LTE has a long list of bands, and various network providers or Carriers are licensed in their respective countries of operation to use specific bands, usually one or more. For example, in Kenya Safaricom uses both band 3(1800 Mhz) and band 8(800Mhz) for 4G, while in the same country Faiba Mobile m

Band mnder JTL is the only network operator licensed to use band 28 (700 Mhz).

Due to the variations of 4G LTE Bands supported by various network operators in bmvarious countries, phone manufacturers have to include a list of supported bands, with some phones supporting just a few while others support a long list of 4G bands.

A phone like Samsung Galaxy S20, supports band 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12,13,17,18,19,20,25,26,28 and 32. Such a long list ensures the phone is compatible to as many 4G network carriers as possible in it's markets. (You don't need to spend such an amount to buy a phone only to be told it's incompatible with your network.

Of interest is the 700 MHZ band, commonly known as band 28. The band has a number of advantages over other LTE Bands which include better indoor performance, wider area coverage and wider bandwidth availability. It is also best suited for both rural and urban areas respectively.

But the major challenge is that not many carriers support this frequency, as well as phones.

The reason is that this band was initially used for analog TV broadcasting, and became available for mobile network use when TV transmission was switched to digital all over the world.

How to check which 4G LTE Bands are supported by your phone.

While there are a number of options you can use to check whether your phone supports a given LTE band or not, we are going to give you the easiest and most reliable way to confirm if your phone really supports a given 4G band.

This is true for all 4G LTE Bands,including band 28. Just follow these steps:

• First enable developer settings on your phone. To do so:
• Go to your phone's settings.
• Then about Phone, or my home depending on which brand and model you're using.
• Scroll down until you see your phone's built number.
• Tap on the built number several times till it tells you you're now a developer. (Some phones will require you to invite your phone's lock pin immediately after this)
• Now go to your dial pad and dial *#9646633#.
• Scroll down and click on Bandmode.
• Select any of the SIMs to check for supported bands.
• Scroll down to LTE mode.
• All supported bands are ticked and all that are not supported are not ticked.

That's all you need to know which LTE Bands and even 2G and 3G bands supported by your phone. Incase you want to use advanced LTE features like VoLTE you can first check if your network provider supports it and proceed to activate.

In case of any queries feel free to use the comments section below.

How to remove VoLTE icon from status bar.

In order to use VoLTE calls, you must turn on this feature under settings for supported SIM cards or network operator.

However many phones automatically switch this feature automatically you install your Sim card for the first time or when you update your phone's system.

If you want to remove the voLTE icon from the status bar follow these simple steps:

1. Go to your phone settings.

2. Click on mobile settings.

3. Click on the Sim icon below. If you're using a dual SIM phone then click each one independently to know which supports this feature.

4. Check for '4G calling' and deactivate it.

That's it. In case you're having any troubles let me know in the comments section below.