Nexus 5, International Version, Not Working on AT&T LTE and My Experience

So I recently got a Nexus 5 as a gift and was hoping to get LTE with AT&T.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to get LTE working since the version Nexus 5 that I have is an international version which isn't compatible with the LTE bands for AT&T.  I get fine HSPA+ speeds, but was hoping to get LTE.

You can check which version phone you might have by turning your phone off and then holding the power button along with the volume down button and you should see a model number.  D820 for North America, D821 for the international version.  It's only possible to buy the North American version within the US from official locations.  If you are trying to buy the international version, you can try Amazon resellers or eBay.

LTE Users:

If you have a North American version and are looking to get LTE on a grandfathered unlimited plan you should be able to do it over the phone or in the store.  If you've never had LTE on any previous phones, the unlimited LTE data plan will not be an option for them to select.  Have the customer service rep add an IMEI number from phone that is LTE capable, even a display model, and the unlimited LTE data plan should show up.

Non-LTE Users:

If you are getting crappy speeds on the non-LTE plan you might not be on the correct data plan (which I encountered too).  I went in to the store and was able to have them display a list of unlimited data options (since I'm grandfathered) and there was one for 3G and one for HSPA+.  Make sure the HSPA+ option is selected.

Also, if you do end up going to the AT&T store and having to switch out the sim card, I would do it yourself rather than having them do it.  The customer service reps won't handle your phone with the care you might and may damage your phone.  They damaged the sim card ejection hole on my phone, although slightly, and it's really irritating.