The Nokia Lumia 928 might beat the Samsung Galaxy S4 as the first smartphone to get Verizon's Advanced Wireless Service (AWS) compatibility update.
Earlier this week, there were reports that the Galaxy S4 will be the first smartphone in the lineup of the biggest wireless carrier in the U.S. to tap the capabilities of its AWS spectrum. The AWS airwaves will allow the GS4 to have data speeds at least twice as fast of what it can do now.
However, a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documentation that was spotted by GforGames has revealed that the Nokia Lumia 928 is also ready for an AWS upgrade. So, it is not certain for now if the Galaxy S4 will be the first to get the AWS update.
"With this application we are asking permission to upgrade devices FCC ID: QMNRM-860 in the field with a software upgrade. We are upgrading devices with LTE band 4 (UL 1710-1755 MHz; DL 2110-2155 MHz). This band is approved for use in the initial FCC application. We are basing this PC2 application to the KDB 1788919," said Claudia Villela, product certification officer of Nokia, in a formal request sent by the Finnish manufacturer to the FCC.
To roll out an update for the Lumia 928, it seems that Nokia filed for a Class II Permissive Change that will allow the deployment of software that will make the handset compatible to the AWS network of Verizon. The software upgrade will be done over-the-air so the phone can access the AWS frequency.
Verizon Wireless is currently working on upgrading its network to tap the potentials of the AWS airwaves. The company has begun construction to build its network that will use the new spectrum plus other airwaves it got from deal with cable companies including Comcast Corp in 2012. The AWS LTE band 4 upgrade will help the carrier increase the capacity of its LTE Network.
The expansion of Verizon to AWS will significantly help to keep pace with the increasing network traffic. In a statement, Mike Haberman, Verizon Wireless VP of network support, made a forecast that the traffic volume in their LTE network will be six to seven times greater by 2015 compared to what it is at the moment.
