Phone drops to 3G when making calls

[1776914]

Hi All.

I'm not having any problems with my service but I was wondering...

As all mobile operators will be turning off 3G mast-by mast over the next year or two, what will happen to people who don't have a 5G phone and who are with an operator who doesn't support 4G calling (VoLTE)?

[MSF]

I think that unfortunately, some people will find themselves without a working phone. I think that there will be plenty of publicity and it is already possible to buy basic phones without huge cost.

I guess that this is the price of progress. Not too many years ago, we all had large 'brick' phones and costs were so high that people could barely afford to make a call (I remember the days of 50p per minute back in the 1990's and that was a lot of money!)

[WelshPaul]

5G is irrelevant because no voice calls actually go out over 5G. In the UK the networks currently have implemented 5G NSA and not 5G SA (NSA isn’t true 5G - More 4G on steroids).

Once the switch off of 3G happens and your phone doesn’t support VoLTE then you will not be able to make or receive calls on that device.

[1776914]

Thanks both.  I have a Google Pixel 3a XL at the mo.  It's meant to have VoLTE and there was an update released specifically for that last June (https://www.xda-developers.com/pixel-3-xl-volte-roaming-update/).

I guess it depends on whether Three/Smarty will give me a SIM update though as it seems to be disabled at the mo.  I was planning to change my phone next year (it's the PC this year!), so hopefully if the switch-off happens in 2023 there will be a decent amount of notice.

[Chalkychap]

Three have already started the 3G network switch-off @1776914 - this works was started mid-Feb 2023.

Three's 3G network is scheduled to be completely off by the end of 2024. 

[1776914]

Thanks @Chalkychap , yes I'm aware of that.  I was referring to when it's switched off in my area.  Hopefully Smarty will notify me.

I may have to replace my phone sooner rather than later it seems.

[Chalkychap]

Okay @1776914, the following help article explains how to check if your handset is 4G Calling (VoLTE) capable:

Switching off 3G | SMARTY Help Centre

Seems the Pixel 3a XL is capable of using 4G Calling.
The VoLTE update, released in June 2022, appears to be designed to enable roaming VoLTE - meaning you'd be able to use 4G Calling while roaming. 

That said, the Pixel 3a XL isn't listed in following SMARTY online help article:

Roaming in VoLTE destinations | SMARTY Help Centre

Perhaps this article needs to be updated?

[1776914]

Thanks again @Chalkychap , good resources!  The Three device compatibility tool indeed doesn't list my phone and when I enter my phone's IMEI number I get the message "Sorry, there was an issue finding your device".  I'm getting the vibe that it likely won't be supported for VoLTE by Three operators.

I found some further relevant information on the Ofcom site (https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/3g-switch-off

"Customers using the EE, Vodafone and O2 networks with an older device will still be able to make calls and send text messages after 3G switch-off. These services can use the 2G network, which isn’t being switched off yet.
Three doesn’t have a 2G network, so if you’re using the Three network and have an older device that doesn’t allow you to use 4G or 5G, you’ll need to replace it to make sure you can continue to make calls, send text messages and access mobile data after 2024."

I hope this topic helps anyone who has the same query.  Thanks to all those who replied 🙂

[Chalkychap]

Okay @1776914, although your Pixel 3a XL isn't listed in Three's list of devices supporting 4G Calling, the Pixel 3a XL is just a budget version of the Pixel 3 XL, offering equivalent functionality but reduced performance.

I'd suspect if your Pixel 3a XL is running Android 12, your 4G Calling (VoLTE) should work okay.
To carry on using your 3a XL, you could always switch-over to an operator with a 2G network.