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3 G service plans to discontinue?

gerrymacd
I've been here awhile

As 3g service is being discontinued in the US in 2022

Any plans for Rogers?

  • 3G
35 REPLIES 35

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?


@ReneHache wrote:

^^

I have a monthly basic text and talk plan for my phone, and my phone is a Huawei GR5 (KII-L05).
The Rogers Device Information your provide can't find my phone on the list neither with my IMEI number. But the with a google search I land on Frequency Check website and it say that my phone is LTE/4G compatible.


For the phone to continue working after the 3G shutdown, your phone not only needs 4G or higher, it also needs VoLTE compatibility if its 4G.   Without this, your 4G phone will not be able to make calls hence incompatibile.  If you want, go for the free phoine.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

JKnott
I'm a reliable contributor

If a 4G phone doesn't support VoLTE, you could install a soft phone.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

no idea, that is a complex question and would take more effort to figure out than its worth.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

JKnott
I'm a reliable contributor

 

What "complex question" are you referring to?  Installing a soft phone?  Yes, that works.  All you need is a data connection.  I've had one for years.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

Whether it is compatible or not is best determined on trying it. Unfprtunately, VoLTE has multiple standards, none of which are a official standard. Because of this, a VoLTE capable device on Rogers might not work with VoLTE on Telus as an example.

Personally, I would ditch the Huawei phone considering how many countries have blocked them from being used on their networks.

A soft phone or VOIP line would work fine over data. As long as the data is fast enough and the ports are open that the service uses. Google Voice works fine over data on Rogers as an example.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

Jknott,

 

It might work in theory, however Rogers may prevent non-volte 4g phones from authenticating on the network period as this may cause an influx of calls to support as to why their phones can not make calls.  So this is why its complex and I would not bother wasting my time trying to get this to work. a used phone that supports 4G VoLTE is very inexpensive and will solve your problem.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

JKnott
I'm a reliable contributor

"It might work in theory"

 

I have a soft phone installed on my phone. I initially got it because I had a small local calling area at the time and it could call most of Canada.  I don't need it for that reason anymore, but it's still on my phone.  Also, many people use soft phones when out of the country and they get a local data only plan.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

That is great that you have a soft phone client installed on your phone.  I am also familiar with how they work as I also have one too that I use for work purposes.

 

What I am saying is theoretically 4G networks are capable of letting your phone connect, and connecting only to the data network and not the voice network and use the soft phone to make calls.

 

What I am trying to say is it might not work due to Rogers Policy, not their technical limitations.  They may have a policy in place that prevents this.  who knows? may be having data only connect and not voice calls will create an influx of calls to their support centre for troubleshooting and they may not want this.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

JKnott
I'm a reliable contributor

"

 

What I am saying is theoretically 4G networks are capable of letting your phone connect, and connecting only to the data network and not the voice network and use the soft phone to make calls."

 

I think you're imaging a problem.  As I mentioned, Fongo works on my phone on Rogers.  I understand you will not have the same phone number, unless you're able to transfer it, but you'll still have a working phone.  Now, if Rogers would allow a soft phone to connect...

 

Regardless a non VoLTE phone is old and likely due for replacement anyway.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

JKnott
I'm a reliable contributor

There appears to be an "official" 3G shut down date.  According to an article on Mobile Syrup, Rogers & Fido 3G users are receiving messages about the coming shutdown on July 31 and advising them to get new phones.  They're also offered free phones.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

57
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

Yep, as discussed earlier in this thread.  Here's a Rogers page on the topic:

 

https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/3g-network-retirement-everything-you-need-to-know?ecid=EM_R_...

 

It's interesting that, based on links in this thread, the date was December 31, 2025, then March 31, 2025, then July 31, 2025, and "summer" 2025.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

@JKnott wrote:

"

I think you're imaging a problem.  As I mentioned, Fongo works on my phone on Rogers.  I understand you will not have the same phone number, unless you're able to transfer it, but you'll still have a working phone.  Now, if Rogers would allow a soft phone to connect...


Hey, I know we are going back and forth on this, 4G is not being shut down, but the fact is, older 4G phones that are not VoLTE compatible use 3G to make calls, since 3G will be shut down after a certain date, it is HIGHLY LIKELY that Rogers will disallow 4G non VoLTE compatible phones to even authenticate on the network at this point.  Lets face it, people are not always familiar with the technology and its limitations, someones gonna say oh look a 4G phone (but it does not have VoLTE) and try to make calls and it wont work, then they will spend hours on the line with customer support trying to figure out why.  so blocking it will prevent that from happening.

 

I know a 4G non volte phone using data will use the 4g network portion for data, but im saying is maybe rogers wont allow this scenario to even authenticate? they did say volte is needed.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

JKnott, my suspicion was correct, Once the 3G network is shutdown you will not be able to use a 4G device without VoLTE, even if you want to use the data only for your softphone to make calls.  Roges has confirmed it on this web site: https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/3g-network-retirement-everything-you-need-to-know

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

JKnott
I'm a reliable contributor

From that:

"VoLTE will be required to make or receive phone calls on the Rogers network."

 

All that means is you can't use the cell network phone number.  It says nothing about using a 3rd party soft phone.  For example, I have Fongo on my phone, which has it's own phone number.  Travellers often do that with a data plan elsewhere.

Re: 3 G service plans to discontinue?

Pauly
Resident Expert
Resident Expert

JKnott, you are dragging this topic on and on.  We warned you it might not work but you seem to want to hang on to the very slim slim slim possibility you can use 4G data without a VoLTE compatible phone.

 

I hope you know and understand that its ultimately up to Rogers to "tweak" their system and do extra programming and provisioning work to make sure the handful of people like you with a 4g non volte phone that can not place calls but can use their data with a voip app on their network,  its highly unlikely to ever happen, unless you are like maybe related to the ceo of Rogers.  So keep dreaming or take our advice, and give up.   You can probably find a used 4G VoLTE phone that WILL work on rogers once 3G shutdown for like 20 bucks or so, I would say go for it, you would have nothing to lose.

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