Why doesn't my Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9509 connect to a mobile network?

[AC Question]

My Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9509 doesn't connect to mobile network

I have a locked (Meteor - Ireland) Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 that was working perfectly for more than two years. Approximately a month ago my phone downloaded and installed an update (an Android update I guess - didn't read it properly :-( ).
About one or two hours later I realized that the phone is not connected to the mobile network any more - there was a crossed circle icon in the top notification area. I restarted the phone multiple times but nothing helped where everything else including WiFi and USB worked perfectly. The phone correctly finds SIM card and unlocks it after the PIN but never connects to the mobile network provider i.e. Meteor. What has been done:
1) Reboot phone
2) Shut down phone remove battery + SIM + SD card, left for 30 minutes then everything back
3) Called Meteor - they say the phone is connecting on their side i.e. sends IMEI etc.
4) Called Samsung helpdesk - backup and factory reset recommended
5) Backup + factory reset from Android
6) Factory reset + clear cache from Recovery Mode
6) Rooted the phone and installed the newest CyanogenMod
7) Tried another Meteor SIM card (phone is locked to Meteor so can't test anything else)
8) Emergency call doesn't work (with or without SIM)
9) Reversed back to original Samsung Android
10) The phone doesn't display any network provider when searching for those in Settings where at least two or three more should be available (Vodafone, Three, ...)

Would anyone have an idea? Currently I don't really mind even destroy the phone as I ordered S5 but would like to know what could happen.

Thank you.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: My Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9509 doesn't connect to mobile network

That happened on two of my updates.

Bring the phone to the carrier and ask them to please fix the problem THEIR update (which you can't avoid getting) caused. It's not even a warranty issue, it's a liability issue, the same as if they had stepped on your phone. They did something that broke the phone, so it's their liability. (I assume Ireland follows English common law, the same as England and the US do.)

BTW, connecting to the network isn't part of the ROM. Flashing a ROM can't change how the phone connects to the network (unless the flash does hardware damage - which I suspect is the case here - an emergency call should work even without a SIM in the phone. I suspect that the 2G radio is gone.)

 

[fedajkin]

OK thanks. I've already ordered S5 and will leave the S4 to my daughter for movies/games as everything else than the radio works.