Apple's new iPad fails to support European LTE frequencies

Apple's latest iPad will not connect to many LTE networks in Europe given the company's decision to support frequencies used by North American operators.

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While support for LTE has been a key feature of the latest generation of the iPad, Apple's choice to support the 700MHz and 2.1GHz bands has excluded European and many Asian consumers from being able to use the LTE capabilities. Those frequencies are geared toward AT&T mobility and Verizon Wireless in the United States as well as Canadian operators.

Operators in Finland, Germany, Portugal and Sweden are now offering LTE services and European regulators have assigned 800MHz and 2.6GHz for LTE use. The 700MHz band is currently still assigned for TV broadcasts in Europe, and the 2.1GHz band remains in use for 3G services. Any attempts to use these bands for LTE is seen as unlikely before 2016.

However, non-North America owners of the new iPad will be able to receive some benefit by being able to use HSPA+ Dual Carrier technology which has been integrated into this latest Apple product. Apple has said the new tablet, which goes on sale Friday, will support 21 Mbps HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA at 42 Mbps.

Apple has not mentioned if it will modify the new iPad with wider support for LTE bands, and consumer watchdog bodies are already questioning whether Apple can market the tablet device as being able to connect to "4G" networks.

For more:
- see this Techweek Europe article
- see this MarketWatch article

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