Enable tri-band Sprint LTE on your Google Nexus 5 by LG
Did you know that the Google Nexus 5 by LG actually supports tri-band Sprint LTE on bands 25 (1900MHz), 26 (800MHz), and 41 (2500MHz)? Currently, only LTE on 1900MHz is enabled by default for Sprint customers, but it’s possible to enable bands 26 and 41, as well – no root required. (For reference, 800MHz LTE is spectrum that Sprint obtained from the Nextel acquisition, and 2500MHz LTE is Clearwire’s former spectrum.)
Enabling LTE on bands 26 and 41 won’t help Sprint customers in most areas, as Sprint has only started the LTE rollout on these bands in a very few select markets. But if you happen to live in one, this will mean better signal strength and speeds in buildings and in general.
- To get started, you’ll need your MSL code. This can be obtained by simply calling Sprint customer service, or – if you’re rooted – using an app like MSL Reader. You’ll also need to download the Nexus 5 Field Test Mode app if you want to avoid entering any long, complicated dialer codes.
- Next, either dial *#*#3282#*#* into your dialer, or open the Field Test app and select Settings.
- Then, once you’re in the Data menu, select LTE > Edit, and enter your MSL to access the menu.
- On this screen, enable all of the LTE data options that you see. You can play around with different band priorities, but many users are reporting success when setting bands 25 and 26 to 0 and band 41 to 1.
- Finally, press the back button and reboot.
That’s it! You can now enjoy tri-band LTE on your Nexus 5, which Sprint is calling “Spark.” Google will probably enable these bands for Sprint users in a future update, but it’s always nice to experiment with new features early – especially if you live in an area where you’ll benefit from this. Good luck!
Thanks, Chuck!
