New guide: The 3G mobile network switch off – what you need to know

Bricks

PHK said:

Bricks said:

At the weekend I discovered that I could no longer make or receive phone calls on Three UK on my Sony Xperia 1ii.

After a bit of research I realised this was because of the 3g shutdown. I was aware this was going to happen, but because I have a 5g phone, assumed that I'd be fine.

It turns out that's not the case, because of the need for VOLTE or "4g calling" compatibility. My phone - apparently - doesn't have it. So, once 3 turned off 3g in my area, I became unable to make or receive any calls.

My options: buy a new phone (to replace one that is only about 4 years old and wasn't cheap) or change network.

For now, I've ported to O2 because they aren't switching off 3g until next year. And in the meantime I'll have to work out whether I really do need to get a new phone.

I'm still not 100% clear whether VOLTE just can't work on my phone, or whether it depends on the network.

In any case, I don't think this issue has been sufficiently highlighted in the lead-up to the shutdown. In my local Three shop this afternoon, they told me I wasn't the only person who'd come in wondering why their phone has stopped working overnight.

What phone have you got. 
Also O2 will complete switch off next year, it's already begun in some areas. 

At least on O2 they have a 2g network to fall back on - which Three doesn't. So I won't be left entirely without the ability to make basic calls.

Bricks

MSE_Chris said:

Bricks said:

At the weekend I discovered that I could no longer make or receive phone calls on Three UK on my Sony Xperia 1ii.

After a bit of research I realised this was because of the 3g shutdown. I was aware this was going to happen, but because I have a 5g phone, assumed that I'd be fine.

It turns out that's not the case, because of the need for VOLTE or "4g calling" compatibility. My phone - apparently - doesn't have it. So, once 3 turned off 3g in my area, I became unable to make or receive any calls.

My options: buy a new phone (to replace one that is only about 4 years old and wasn't cheap) or change network.

For now, I've ported to O2 because they aren't switching off 3g until next year. And in the meantime I'll have to work out whether I really do need to get a new phone.

I'm still not 100% clear whether VOLTE just can't work on my phone, or whether it depends on the network.

In any case, I don't think this issue has been sufficiently highlighted in the lead-up to the shutdown. In my local Three shop this afternoon, they told me I wasn't the only person who'd come in wondering why their phone has stopped working overnight.

Hi Bricks,

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I've spoken to Three about this and they believe your Sony model should be compatible with VOLTE providing it was connected directly to the Three network and not a different network that uses Three (for eg, Smarty). Are you able to confirm this?

There are some models (including yours) that aren't VOLTE capable on Smarty's network.

Three was keen to investigate further and for it to do so, asked for your mobile number. I've DM'd you for this should you wish to share privately. 

Many thanks,
MSE Chris

Yes, connected directly to the Three network.

I've sent you a DM - thanks.

PHK

Bricks said:

PHK said:

Bricks said:

At the weekend I discovered that I could no longer make or receive phone calls on Three UK on my Sony Xperia 1ii.

After a bit of research I realised this was because of the 3g shutdown. I was aware this was going to happen, but because I have a 5g phone, assumed that I'd be fine.

It turns out that's not the case, because of the need for VOLTE or "4g calling" compatibility. My phone - apparently - doesn't have it. So, once 3 turned off 3g in my area, I became unable to make or receive any calls.

My options: buy a new phone (to replace one that is only about 4 years old and wasn't cheap) or change network.

For now, I've ported to O2 because they aren't switching off 3g until next year. And in the meantime I'll have to work out whether I really do need to get a new phone.

I'm still not 100% clear whether VOLTE just can't work on my phone, or whether it depends on the network.

In any case, I don't think this issue has been sufficiently highlighted in the lead-up to the shutdown. In my local Three shop this afternoon, they told me I wasn't the only person who'd come in wondering why their phone has stopped working overnight.

What phone have you got. 
Also O2 will complete switch off next year, it's already begun in some areas. 

At least on O2 they have a 2g network to fall back on - which Three doesn't. So I won't be left entirely without the ability to make basic calls.

O2 are migrating customers away from 2G (except for emergency calls, IoT and M2M) starting with those customers with 2G only handsets. Next year they will begin transitioning other customers from dropping to 2G (except for emergency calls) and from October 2025 there will be no inbound roaming into either 2G or 3G 

Having said that Three do seem to have more reports of VoLTE compatibility problems than the other networks. 

Bricks

PHK said:

Bricks said:

PHK said:

Bricks said:

At the weekend I discovered that I could no longer make or receive phone calls on Three UK on my Sony Xperia 1ii.

After a bit of research I realised this was because of the 3g shutdown. I was aware this was going to happen, but because I have a 5g phone, assumed that I'd be fine.

It turns out that's not the case, because of the need for VOLTE or "4g calling" compatibility. My phone - apparently - doesn't have it. So, once 3 turned off 3g in my area, I became unable to make or receive any calls.

My options: buy a new phone (to replace one that is only about 4 years old and wasn't cheap) or change network.

For now, I've ported to O2 because they aren't switching off 3g until next year. And in the meantime I'll have to work out whether I really do need to get a new phone.

I'm still not 100% clear whether VOLTE just can't work on my phone, or whether it depends on the network.

In any case, I don't think this issue has been sufficiently highlighted in the lead-up to the shutdown. In my local Three shop this afternoon, they told me I wasn't the only person who'd come in wondering why their phone has stopped working overnight.

What phone have you got. 
Also O2 will complete switch off next year, it's already begun in some areas. 

At least on O2 they have a 2g network to fall back on - which Three doesn't. So I won't be left entirely without the ability to make basic calls.

O2 are migrating customers away from 2G (except for emergency calls, IoT and M2M) starting with those customers with 2G only handsets. Next year they will begin transitioning other customers from dropping to 2G (except for emergency calls) and from October 2025 there will be no inbound roaming into either 2G or 3G 

Having said that Three do seem to have more reports of VoLTE compatibility problems than the other networks. 

Useful to know thanks. I'm seeing it as a kind of temporary solution - O2's website says they won't start turning off 3g until 2025 so I have at least a couple of months to work out my options, and whether getting a new phone is necessary.

There appear to be ways of making VoLTE work on my handset (see here) by installing special apps but I've not tried that yet.

spreadsheeterapple

I had to have discussion with O2 following them remotely disabling without notice my phone I use for incoming text alerts mostly, which I hadn't been aware was 2G (sim from a Nokia 3310 of yr 2000, now in a 2005 O2 X1b phone). They sent me a free replacement sim to allow 2G sims/phones to use their upgraded networks, but I'm not clear how long it will actually work when we've got the 3G switchoff coming up. They told me they had remotely disabled it because they have switched off 2G in my area. However other people in village have a working 2G without having been changed to new sim, so I cannot trust what O2 customer services say.

I have another phone used for outgoing calls, but don't know how to check whether it is 3G. It might be, going just by its age, 2014. It's a Doro 612. O2 kept changing their words as to whether it has a 3G sim or is a 3G phone, or is 2G. None of my phones appear on the pick list for whether they'd work with 4G service. All my phones are just phones, they don't connect to internet, not smartphones.

I'm cross with O2 mostly because they do this remotely disabling my phone without notifying me and no notice to get help in; they've done it before for no good reason given, and no help given for this latest disabling. The BT landline digital switchover have been instructed by regulator not to switch people's old system off until they've checked in on them, especially if on priority services register. The same thing is not happening for mobile phone switchovers. O2 said that whilst they do have a priority services register type thing, it isn't for 2G users. Their disabling left me unexpectedly without medication reminders, text alerts, without access to banking code texts so I couldn't do shopping for delivery, housebound, disabled, pensioners, rural, no neighbours, son not due to visit for another week. They also left me with a new sim sent by post but with no help or instructions as to what to do with it, how to open the phone, or find where its sim lives to swap it. It's not like I can just pop to one of their shops; it's miles away and we don't go out anyway. Because I didn't know anything about phones I thought they were sending something to plug in at the bottom or something, but it looked like an internal computer chip; at this point I had no idea what a sim was. Had to learn a lot in a couple of days, with only internet to help and a few dead ends due to misinformation. Found a youtube video of my exact phone, but only because somebody had excitedly posted up finding what he called a vintage phone and was delighted to show all the innards. The sim was under the battery, which has to be removed first. Difficult with one hand. I'm sure if I'd been more elderly, as many owners of old phones are, I'd still be sat here with empty pantry for a further week.

The 2G/3G switch-off is not being handled well, Ofcom didn't foresee these things going wrong for vulnerable elderly left in the lurch, and didn't put safeguards in place.
- EDIT: scratch that criticism of Ofcom, I've since read their Feb 2023 document of expectations of mobile network companies, and O2 have not followed Ofcom's wishes at all. I wasn't supposed to be denied priority services register when telling them my disability & older person vulnerabilities and specifically asking operator for help; Ofcom document says I should have been offered specialist staff. Nope, didn't happen. Ofcom says it expects us to be given minimum 6 months notice, and information in an appropriate form; Nope, didn't happen, had less than 3 weeks, it wasn't actual notice because they didn't say they'd be switching off and didn't give a date, and most certainly didn't explain. Ofcom says I shouldn't have been left without access to medical alerts I mentioned; Nope, didn't happen, they never explained I'd be left in lurch. They ignored my pleas to have my phone switched back on for a week until I could get help; instead the operator removed more of its capabilities (and put the phone down on me) so that the next operator couldn't do anything to switch it back. Ofcom says I should have been told of other handset options & cheap non-smart ones, but nothing was mentioned when I pleaded that I shouldn't have to suffer expense of throwing out phones which hadn't broken.
- Ofcom says there are some 4G non-smart as cheap as £10 2023 price; anybody know what?

muffinhead

spreadsheeterapple said:

- Ofcom says there are some 4G non-smart as cheap as £10 2023 price; anybody know what?

You can buy this phone for £11 - it comes unlocked to all networks, is dual sim and VoLTE capable. If you purchase it online for collection or delivery you can avoid paying for a topup. If you buy it at the counter in store sometimes they force you to buy a £10 topup.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3100660