iPhone 5 to Have 4G LTE Wireless Network Support Worldwide

Apple Inc. is expected to showcase the iPhone 5 at a press event on September 12 in San Francisco. The latest iPhone is rumored to have a larger screen and is said to have 4G LTE wireless network support worldwide, including Europe, Asia and the US.

LTE, or long-term evolution, is the newest and fastest wireless mobile radio technology, replacing slower 3G technology.


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LTE is not supported by every carrier and the newest iPhone is not likely to work on all LTE carrier networks. Currently, there are an estimated 36 bands of LTE worldwide.

International Data Corp, a global market intelligence firm, reports that currently only the US, Japan and South Korea have shown large numbers of mobile subscribers with LTE. The company also reported that Verizon Wireless has the largest number of subscribers with LTE, as well as the largest worldwide LTE network. Next in line are SK Telecom Co. Ltd from South Korea, and NTT DoCoMo Inc. from Japan. Other countries that have LTE mobile devices are Australia and Germany.

Apple’s first LTE supported device, the new iPad, only worked with networks handled by AT&T and Verizon Wireless. The iPhone 5 is also said to have limited LTE support, which will likely not be available from every carrier. In order to make the phone compatible, Apple will first need to set up the LTE chip to work with the 36 LTE bands operating around the world, though this will likely result in a slightly more expensive iPhone.

With the next iPhone working on the fastest wireless networks on a global scale, Apple has joined the competition in the LTE mobile phone market, which includes Samsung Electronics Co., LG, Motorola, and HTC.

And with Apple’s announcement regarding the iPhone 5’s LTE support, South Korean electronics company Samsung will reportedly be filing a lawsuit against its bitter rival for patent infringement on LTE use, yet another case in the long line of patent wars the two companies have been embroiled in for years.