What Is VoLTE What Are The Benefits
Olegario Benford
I really have a problem understanding Wi-Fi calling. I have a new Pixel 6a and would like to try this BUT what is the benefit? I am going to be charged anyway for the usage. It makes no cents to me? I use WhatsApp regularly and it works great from anywhere in the world. I know that numbers have to registered for WhatsApp, but some one please explain the benefits of this to me. I am a regular Rogers customer with unlimited calling/texting within Canada and reside for 6 months in the US. If I needed to use my phone regularly, I would just go and get another Sim card down in the US. My Pixel 6a is unlocked. Please explain.
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I have a non Consumer Cellular phone which has 4G/VoLTE capability; UleFone Armor 7X pro. I was sent a new SIM card in early March by CC due to the migration from 3G to 4G/VoLTE and after a few hours on the phone with CC finally got it working by the CC rep. twiddling a setting on their end that enabled 4G/VoLTE for my IMEI number. Problem solved? No.
Two calls to Consumer Cellular and using their recommended settings yielded an answer of "that phone is coming back as Device Not Compatible, you need to buy a new phone." When I asked for a list of compatible phones, the CC rep. did not respond other than to buy one they sell (BTW, they also offer that you can bring your own unlocked phone and not buy from them, but that's what I did!).
An email to the phone's manufacturer yielded "Sorry about this issue, there is currently no way to solve this problem due to some policy changes by the operator [carrier, i.e. Consumer Cellular]. It is recommended that you use a T-Mobile or Verizon Wireless carrier SIM card."
We certainly understand your concern regarding your phone service provided by Consumer Cellular. We would be glad to work with the Escalation team at Consumer Cellular to have this investigated for you. To do this, please call AARP by calling 1(888) 687-2277 to have a case created. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate you informing us of your concern. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
MNOs have begun to look in earnest towards the 2G/3G sunset, where they can finally switch off these legacy technologies. This is not easy, and MNOs face many obstacles to doing this. One major obstacle is the dependence on these technologies for voice calls using Circuit Switched Fallback. The solution to removing this dependency is Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
A large number of networks have implemented VoLTE, and a significant number of these have also enabled VoLTE roaming in partner networks. As time goes by, more roaming subscribers will depend on VoLTE for voice service as VoLTE is enabled in more markets, and subscriber handsets are upgraded to support it. This proliferation of VoLTE is a positive for the industry, but it does come with risks that operators must mitigate, and Steering of Roaming is an important part of this.
VoLTE service is provided by the IMS. When a device connects to a network (at home or roaming) it will attach to an MME. Once this registration is complete, the device will establish a data tunnel for data usage, which is what enables the subscriber to access the internet. When VoLTE is in use, a separate dedicated data tunnel will be established between the device and the home network (assuming S8HR is used rather than LBO). Once this data tunnel is established, the device will use SIP to register with the IMS. Once this registration is successful, the subscriber can now make and receive VoLTE calls.
A VoLTE registration could fail for numerous reasons. It could be a misconfiguration in the HSS, or the IMS, or some misconfiguration in the visited network. This does not have anything to do with the Steering of Roaming system, but it is important that the steering system is aware of it. This is very important data that must be considered by the SoR system when it is deciding which network to steer towards.
The steering system should also be aware of which subscribers are VoLTE capable, so that a specific steering policy can be applied for them. For example, if we have our sample network A above, we should only steer subscribers that can use VoLTE to that network. We should not steer non-VoLTE capable subscribers to that network since voice service would be unavailable.
VoLTE Steering is available in the Cellusys Steering of Roaming system. There are different mechanisms of integration for VoLTE that can be supported, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. Please reach out if you would like to discuss this in more detail.
I have a phone that supports 5G and Volte calling (at least on my EE sim because I have it enabled) I just had an email from Smarty saying my phone isn't supported (And I don't have the volte option on the Smarty sim in the settings menu)
I guess at this point I need to look at moving elsewhere annoyingly, I know I could never get volWiFi because it wasn't on the list of approved three handsets so all I can assume is thats the same for Volte.
Looking online at other comments Volte needs to enabled at the carrier end as well as the end user having a supported device and based on my chats with support ill likely win the lottery before that happens
Hi @dawdie
Even though 3G is being turned off 4G coverage will still be supported. They also said my phone was not supported but HOW do they know what phone I have?? and it gets 4G so all is good.
If you check under 'SettingsNetwork & InternetMobile NetworkAdvancedPreferred Network type' it will show you the types of coverage your handset accepts (mine is 2G/3G/4G, so hopefully I won't have to buy another one in the near future) As long as you have 4G or 5G you are good to go
Hope this helps x x
With my mobile I see '4G' (which is selected) and so I am assuming that all is OK?!?!?! If the 4G VoLTE capability is not supported by my mobile does this mean that the 4G option would not be seen as an option?? #confused
I don't have the to buy another compatible VoLTE mobile..... is VoLTE the 'norm' for 4G or is there a 'Non-VoLTE' 4G (apologies I don't know how else to form this question)??
Ta kindly for your advice x
Hi @Decembersangel irrespective of whether you've got 4G or 5G signal, the VoLTE is a separate feature on your phone that utilises the network to make calls over your data connection. These calls function the same way as today by using up your calls allowance. Networks have stated that if your device does not support at least 4G, then you'll not be able to make calls. VoLTE brings benefits like higher quality audio, faster call connection and better coverage.
VoLTE is going to become increasingly important as the 3G switchoff happens since once that happens, there will be no 3G network for calls to fall back on, so they'll have to take place on 4G. This is why there is a recommendation to future-proof now and have a device that is VoLTE compatible for when this happens so that you don't experience any interruptions to your service.
On many devices you may not see a button or icon for those - not all networks have profiles for every manufacturer or device but a good way to indicate whether VoLTE works on your device is to simply:
If you remain then VoLTE is working - no further action needed.
If however you end up dropping to 3G then you don't have VoLTE active. Mobile networks have contributed to the mess that is in understanding which models are supported by which network - not all phones will work everywhere! If the network you're intending to use has a list of compatible phones that is usually a good place to start in order to understand what your options are, if you want to make use of this.
@jassingh I tried your method and I could still make a call BUT I'm not sure that it stayed on 4G as the header with the info changed from 4G to 'Home' during the call but looking at the advice from @dawdie I don't have Volte
@dawdie Good advice! I looked at this and my phone doesn't have either of these options available (they are greyed out) How comparable is a 3 sim?? I am currently on a SMARTY plan that is 7/mth which includes 2GB data and I get a refund on my next months bill for all of the previous months data I don't use (as I have never needed to use my data I get 2 deducted every month so I pay 5 for unlimited call and texts) Does 3 give all the same benefits as SMARTY e.g. picture texts are included in the bundle etc
Does anyone know when this 4G Volte comes into force?? Is it soon?? If it's close then I will have to scrape together the to get another phone but I'm hoping I have a bit of time to sort this out and then there is the decision of what phone to get and from where ARRRRGGGGHHHHH
Does anyone have any recommendations of any other service provider(s) that support 4G (non Volte) or are/will they all be going in that direction?? Such a faff!!
SMARTY is a service that's just for consumers and is only intended for personal use. SMARTY is a trading name of Hutchison 3G UK Limited Registered office: Hutchison 3G UK Limited, 450 Longwater Avenue, Green Park, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 6GF
VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is a technology that allows you to make and receive calls, and exchange text messages over the LTE network. This is the call-routing technology that follows 3G. It has a lot of benefits, and it has become essential for communicating in the United States.
If you subscribe to a Videotron Mobile plan, you have access to VoLTE. All you need is a compatible mobile device and SIM card. Find out why switching to VoLTE is important and what benefits it provides.
This very convenient travel service allows you to reduce or even avoid roaming charges when you are abroad, because your calls and text messages are sent over the Wi-Fi network. You can make calls to Canada and local calls in 120 countries free of charge. Wi-Fi Calling can only be accessed if the VoLTE feature is enabled on your mobile device.
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