When will Purism release a complete list of supported LTE bands in US ?
I need to know ASAP , because I’m frustrated with ATT coverage and desperately need to switch back to Verizon. On top they are offering 250 per line to do so. 
But, it would be the dumbest move , if my daily driver (librem 5) won’t have the signal in all areas covered by the carrier.
Would appreciate some response by the tech support here,
Thanks
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Here is a quote from a support technician
His original quote links to
which says
But keep in mind that this may not be the only two modems used:
Table source for anyone who’s interested. I just did an inspect on the FAQ entry, copied the HTML, and manually add in <td></td>:
<table id="tablepress-34" class="tablepress tablepress-id-34">
<thead>
<tr class="row-1 odd">
<th class="column-1">Standard</th><th class="column-2">Frequency</th><th class="column-3">PLS8-E</th><th class="column-4">PLS8-US</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="row-hover">
<tr class="row-2 even">
<td rowspan="4" class="column-1">GSM</td><td class="column-2">GSM 850MHz</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-3 odd">
<td></td>
<td class="column-2">EGSM 900MHz</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-4 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">DCS 1800MHz</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-5 odd">
<td></td><td class="column-2">PCS 1900MHz</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-6 even">
<td class="column-1"></td><td class="column-2"></td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-7 odd">
<td rowspan="6" class="column-1">WCDMA</td><td class="column-2">BAND1</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-8 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">BAND2</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-9 odd">
<td></td><td class="column-2">BAND3</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-10 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">BAND4</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-11 odd">
<td></td><td class="column-2">BAND5</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-12 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">BAND8</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-13 odd">
<td class="column-1"></td><td class="column-2"></td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-14 even">
<td rowspan="9" class="column-1">LTE-FDD</td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B1</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-15 odd">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B2</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-16 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B3</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-17 odd">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B4</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-18 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B5</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-19 odd">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B7</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-20 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B8</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-21 odd">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B17</td><td class="column-3"></td><td class="column-4"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-22 even">
<td></td><td class="column-2">LTE-FDD B20</td><td class="column-3"><img draggable="false" class="emoji" alt="✔" src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/11/svg/2714.svg"></td><td class="column-4"></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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Thanks a lot!
I just hope that they make a super quick announcement once they decide on the final modems going into the phone and what other bands and frequencues it may support.
Yes, I hope for this too. The use of Gemalto PLS8 modem means in my network, I can’t even get normal calls and texts as the modem does not support UMTS B4 (1700/2100 AWS), a requirement for my network.
Scratch that, the US modem supports WCDMA BAND4 which seems like UMTS B4. But the current modems still skim out some of my supported LTE bands
So these are currently supported bands by 2 major carriers in US
AT&T 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 17, 29, 30, 66 | freq 1900, 1700 abcde, 700 bc
|Verizon Wireless 4, 5, 13, 66 | freq 1900, 1700 f, 700 c
So, the support provided with this current modem is insufficient and I see no reason to use this phone at all. Unless they add more, I’ll cancel my pre order. I need a phone , not an iPod w some mobile connectivity.
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I use T-Mobile and it seems they may have bands available.
I plan to switch my provider to suit the phone if T-Mobile is insufficient.
I guess it depends on your priorities.
Priorities
Make & recieve calls
Quality Broadband access where and when available
Privacy
Battery life
What’s the point of having a great phone, if it’s gonna leave me stranded somewhere or make me miss important calls or had them disconnected. I’ve been there already (with some unlocked and “uncertified” devices), that’s why I’m concerned.
To have the best coverage not just where I live , but county, state wide and across the whole country, means 2 carrier choices - ATT or VZW.
Then you gotta have a phone which will best utilize the coverage provided.
The only way I see sticking with this pre order is either having the purism team add all the bands for any of the 2 (ATT / VZW) or me deciding to spend $600 on a spare phone - mostly connected to the hotspot of the primary one. I just can’t have a crippled daily driver, even if my job - livelihood wasn’t depending on it.
Ehm, just to make sure: will L5’s shipping to Europe sport the E-version of the PLS8?
(I do hope so, because shipping it with the US-version hardly seems to make sense. If I understand this thread correctly, that is.)
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Europe gets the E version and North-America the non-E version. the rest of the world is more complicated … hunting for a compatible modem pcb module is so annoying …
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Of course. Silly of me to fear otherwise…
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This is a disappointment for me, as I use T-Mobile in the US - and it seems that without band 12 I am SOL with my Librem 5 regarding baseband.
Is that the case? Shall we start a thread for T-Mobile users to work out this problem?
Band 12 is supported . I read the baseband list and went to check my local tower on cellmapper and confirmed my tower was supported and it was 12
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Apparently, their new modem BroadMobi for US has it all. At first, I thought it was coming short, because Purism posted just one serial number. Luckily there are different variants I didn’t think of
I must have been unclear perhaps - and to clarify:
I know that T-Mobile supports Band 12 (which is 700Mhz) and my current h/w uses Band 12 and it works very well.
My disappointment is/was derived from the fact that it appears that the final hardware for LIbrem is the gemalto PLS8 - and when I looked that up, the US version says it supports only:
LTE (17,5,4,2); 3G (5,4,2); 2G Quad Band
And I interpreted that as no Band 12 on PLS8 - thus no Band 12 on Librem 5 (unless I get my own baseband radio to put in it).
Does that make sense?
[FYI I started another topic on this to start a new conversation with current info here: How to Use Librem 5 with T-Mobile?
Yes. It’s a Chinese company ( Gemalto is German). Purism just announced it today as an alternative modem.
So, they will have 2 to offer before it ships. Each will have different variants , depending on the region.
Check it out here
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Well ok , I dont know what the hell I was reading . Looks like I wont have LTE because my tower near my house is 12 …
man now I have to buy a modem on top of the 650 ?
No, if you desire so, you ask to get the Broadmobi instead. Just wait for Purism to explain the process.
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Ok , so purism is aware of the issue and what will post here or should I be checking emails?
Just patiently wait for Purism to explain the process.
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