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Confusing Messages About 3G Switch Off


I keep getting messages that I’m using 3G for connection. My ‘phone has 4G enabled and is showing it is currently connected to 4G - admittedly with only 3 bars out of 5. What could be happening?

Best answer by WelshPaul

LTE is 4G!

For your device to work after the 3G switch off, it needs to support VoLTE. If your device supports 4G but VoLTE isn’t supported or working, you won’t be able to make or receive calls once 3G is disabled. Your device will continue to work with data and sms only!

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Decembersangel72
Silver Contributor

Hi @JustJ0hn 👋🏻
Even though you have 4G selected  in your settings (usually as 4G/3G auto connect) it may still only be connecting to 3G.
The best way to see if it is connecting to 4G (rather than 3G) is to turn off your internet connection and only connect via data and you should then see ‘4G’ above the data signal indicator 👇🏻
(This is with a Samsung Galaxy phone so you may need to ‘Google’ your phones make/model to see if it is the same)
 

If it doesn’t show 4G it usually means your connection is still 3G and that is why iD are saying you are using a 3G connection as they monitor ‘how’ your phone is connecting to the network.
Hope this helps x


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  • 8 replies
  • August 24, 2024

Like I said, the ‘phone’s showing a 4G connection. What I’m now trying is to set the connection to manual, ID Mobile 4G rather than auto.


Tyler
iD Mobile Employee
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  • iD Mobile Employee
  • 2235 replies
  • August 28, 2024

Hey there @JustJ0hn, welcome to Community!

 

When you go into your phone settings, does it show the option to connect to either: 3G, 4G, 5G, Auto or Wi-Fi call please?

 

Are you able to select 4G manually, or will it not let you?

 

Thanks,

Tyler

 

 


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  • August 30, 2024

The ‘phone has 4G, 3G, 2G capability. It was on Auto Select. As I said above, I set it to Manual, 4G. However, when I make a call , it uses 3G. I can only think that the 3G signal is stronger at my location.  ID Mobile use the 3 network. There is a 3 3G signal available to me. Hopefully, when 3G is switched off, the ‘phone will use 4G because there is no other option. Of course, there is no way to discuss this with anyone at ID…..


Decembersangel72
Silver Contributor

Hi @JustJ0hn 

What phone do you have? (as you may need to ‘Google’ the correct details for your device as they may differ from the below information).
Even though you see 4G this may not be the correct option to connect to the ‘4G’ network.
You need to see ‘LTE’ or ‘4G Calling’ for example, rather than just 4G, to be able to connect to the VoLTE (4G Voice over LTE) network which is what the providers use once 3G is turned off.
Do you see an option in the settings to switch VoLTE/4G Calling on?
This was a post where I went into more detail about what is needed and why if you can’t connect to 4G….

https://community.idmobile.co.uk/ask%2Da%2Dquestion%2D18/just%2Dsome%2Dbasic%2Dquestions%2Dabout%2Dnew%2Dsim%2Dcard%2Dvolte%2Dupgrade%2D68606

All the details in the post are for a Samsung Galaxy phone but if it is something you wish to do then you can find how to ‘Flash’ your device with the help of internet searches.

Please let me know if there is anything else you need clarifying and I’ll help if I have the knowledge to do so!
 


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  • August 31, 2024

It’s a Blacberry Keyone - also known as a BBB100-2. I use it because touch screen phones do not respond to my fingers. It does not list VoLTE4G as an option, just 4G. I have manually set it to connect to the ID Mobile 4G service but I cannot prevent it from connecting to 3G. When it does that, it switches itself from manual connction to Automatic selection. I can only hope that when there is no 3G network available, it will still work with 4G.


Decembersangel72
Silver Contributor

@JustJ0hn 
Unless you see LTE as a connection option in the settings (NOT 4G) then you will more than likey not be able to connect to any network once 3G has been turned off.

 

This link shows how to determine if your phone has the LTE option available to you...

https://s3.amazonaws.com/bb-pdfs/pdf/User_guide_Keyone/KEYone+User+Guide+BBB100-2+English.pdf

(see Page 22)

When networks talk about ‘4G’ they are refering to VoLTE (Voice over ‘LTE’) and so this needs to be the option available in the settings for your phone to work.
‘4G’ was given as a label to a connection that was yet to be determined/available and since then it has been configured and now known as VoLTE.
This is more than likely the reason as to why your phone keeps converting back to a 3G connection as you do not have the VoLTE option available to you and so it connects to the ‘next best’ one i.e. 3G.

If you wish to keep this handset and want to connect to the VoLTE network (after the 3G shutdown) then doing research is a must!



 


WelshPaul
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  • Answer
  • September 1, 2024

LTE is 4G!

For your device to work after the 3G switch off, it needs to support VoLTE. If your device supports 4G but VoLTE isn’t supported or working, you won’t be able to make or receive calls once 3G is disabled. Your device will continue to work with data and sms only!


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  • September 1, 2024

I’m not sure. As I have said many times above, the ‘phone is showing a 4G connection and it accepts texts and incoming call notifications using 4G. It’s when I make outgoing calls that it switches to 3G. If what you say is correct, my best bet will be to switch networks to Vodafone or one of the service providers who use the Vodafone network and use 2G for calls. That’ll keep me able to use the ‘phone for some time to come.


Kash
iD Mobile Employee
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  • September 4, 2024

Hi @JustJ0hn,

Welcome to the Community!

I believe Vodafone are also switching off 3G and I’m sure most networks will be looking to do the same.

To check your device is VoLTE compatible Go to 'Settings' on your Android phone. Tap on 'Network & Internet' Tap on 'Mobile Network' If your device is compatible with 4G VoLTE or 5G, you will see either '4G' or '5G' as an option under 'Preferred network type' or 'Network mode'.

 

Kash


Decembersangel72
Silver Contributor

Actually @WelshPaul seeing ‘4G’ doesn’t necessarily mean a handset is set up for VoLTE and will work! 
My Samsung Galaxy J4+ and @JustJ0hn Blackberry Keyone needs to see LTE in the Network Mode for it to work with VoLTE.
This is what I now see since I have flashed my phone to unbranded software:-

Previously I had 4G/3G/2G (auto connect) under the Network Mode (as seen by JJ) and I couldn’t make/receive calls.
This is what I found with regards to a Blackberry Keyone and as you can see it needs LTE to use VoLTE.:-


 


WelshPaul
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  • September 7, 2024
Decembersangel72 wrote:

Actually @WelshPaul seeing ‘4G’ doesn’t necessarily mean a handset is set up for VoLTE and will work! 

I didn’t say anything of the sort! What I said was that ‘LTE’ is ‘4G’.

  • 2G = GSM
  • 3G = HSDPA
  • 4G = LTE

You seem to be under the impression that the term LTE has something solely to do with VoLTE and that 4G is something different. They are not. LTE was initially an interim solution while 4G was rolled out across the UK.

Some devices don’t list 4G in the network menu any more and instead of 4G/3G/2G (auto connect), LTE/3G/2G (auto connect) is displayed even when VoLTE isn’t supported. On an iPhone, there is no option to enable or disable VoLTE! If WiFi calling is enabled and working, VoLTE will too! However, the best way to confirm if VoLTE works is to make a call and either visually confirm if the phone hasn’t dropped back to 3G/2G or check data connection (run a speed test?) while on a said call.


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  • September 7, 2024

If @Decembersangel72  has managed to get an unbranded flash update that enables VoLTE on a Blackberry Keyone, perhaps he’d be kind enough to tell me what it is. TIA.


Decembersangel72
Silver Contributor

Hi @JustJ0hn 
Unfortunately I don’t have any info with regards to enabling LTE on your phone (as I have a Samsung Galaxy) and if Flashing to Unbranded software will work for you.
I did a quick search and saw this as something quick to try…….

I have also looked on the iD Mobile ‘Approved Handsets’ and yours is N/A with regards to VoLTE and WiFi Calling so hasn’t been tested on the network.
https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/approved-handsets
This doesn’t mean it WON’T work but that they haven’t tested it.
Either way, unless LTE is available on your handset then you can’t know.

You may need to spend an hour or two on the tinternet to get answers with regards to this (but it will be worth it) and there are a few ‘Blackberry’ Forum websites that may have the answer!

 

So sorry I can’t help any futher. x