A recent update to the unlocked iPhone 5’s running on T-Mobile to add LTE support for T-Mobile’s frequency also seems to have limit the bandwidth available to the cellular connection, leaving users with very slow speeds. Luckily instructions on how to create a hacked carrier update has been created to allow this bandwidth restriction to be removed and normal LTE speeds achieved once again, and the best part is you don’t even need a Jailbreak to get it to work.
Posted on TmoNews, the T-Mobile carrier update has been successfully modified to increase the amount of bandwidth available to the cellular connection, which in turn allows for faster speeds. The update works on both the official T-Mobile variant of the iPhone 5 as well as the AT&T/Unlocked iPhone 5 models.
T-Mobile Hacked Carrier Update
Since many unlocked iPhone 5 users report weakened signal on the refarmed 4G HSPA+ and many iPhone users (unlocked or official T-Mobile versions) report slower data speeds, I have spent many hours for many days doing research on what could be done to fix the issue. After partnering with @cooldayr, we both have come up with the best possible solution to fix this issue. Below is a fix we have provided for all iPhone 5 users on the T-Mobile network. This will not take away any features added by the official carrier update nor does it require a jailbreak, however, we have made it user friendly for both jailbroken and non-jailbroken users. If you have any issues, please tell Joe at twitter.com/joe012594. Thanks!
Non-jailbroken users:1. Plug your iPhone 5 into iTunes and backup the device so you won’t lose anything, just in case. 😉2. In the device itself, tap the “Settings” app and navigate to “General >Reset > Erase All Content and Settings3. Once you have done that, the iPhone will auto reboot.4. Download the hacked carrier update here:http://www.4shared.com/file/WF0uqJL-/TMobile_US_iPhone_Hack.html5. Once downloaded, your iPhone should have booted up into iTunes. Before you do ANYTHING, make sure to decline any and all prompts to update carrier settings. Now you’ll to go ahead and enable iTunes to except custom carrier bundles, if it’s not already.7. Windows users, you will need to open command prompt and type the following and enter it in:64 bit: cd “C:\Program Files (x86)\iTunes” then type: iTunes.exe /setPrefInt carrier-testing 132 bit: cd “C:\Program Files\iTunes” then type: iTunes.exe /setPrefInt carrier-testing 1Mac users you will need to open terminal and type the following and enter it in:Mac: defaults write com.apple.iTunes carrier-testing -bool true8. After this has successfully been entered in, click on the tab for your iPhone 5 and click “Update” or “Check For Update” while holding down the Alt / Option key for Mac users and the Shift key for Windows users. Navigate to where you downloaded the hacked carrier update file named “TMobile_US_iPhone.ipcc,” and select it then click Open.9. The carrier update should now successfully be installed. Restart your iPhone 5 for any changes to take effect.10. If you encounter any problems or wish to revert back just download the file below and repeat the above steps only with the default file instead.Jailbroken Users:1. Download the file to your device through iFile here:2. Unarchive the files and copy the file name “overrides_N41_N42.pri” then navigate to var/mobile/Library/Carrier Bundles/TMobile_US.bundle and paste it into the folder replacing the original .pri file.3. Reboot your device for changes to take effect.4. If you encounter any problems or wish to revert back just download the file below and repeat the above steps only with the default file instead.
It seems the restriction was not a deliberate one by T-Mobile, but instead an oversight into how the iPhone handles the data preference when negotiating its cellular connection. This hack simply modifies this value and enables the utilisation of the full bandwidth capability of the iPhone 5.
Let us know if you find any improvements after applying this hacked carrier update in the comments section below.