Unable to make / receive calls

[Buffster41]

I have been unable to  make or receive phone calls now for at least a month, you are saying because you are switching 3G off  and you need 4G calling ( which according to your page my phone does ) but still nothing. But visiting 2 phone stores today ( inc 1 who deals with all phones and several networks Inc 3  ) BOTH told me phone calls have nothing to do with 3 or 4G !!! That is to do with the internet only and that even if you have a simple basic phone you should be able to make / receive phone calls. In the second shop he told us he has had lots of complaints from 3 customers with the same problem, and it's a problem with them. So what is the TRUTH !?!?

[Jack751]

4G was never ever intended to carry voice calls it was only intended to be used for surfing with mobile data. So if you are going to use 4G for voice by using VOLTE (assuming it has VOLTE capability which it may not) the phone will need to have mobile data switched on to receive and make voice calls as you are basically just making a wifi call over mobile data. Although having mobile data continually activated with PAYG is not such a good idea as all your apps will be updating as well as some downloading adverts at the expense of your PAYG credit. The truth is that 3 have gotten ahead of themselves switching both 2G and 3G. I many other countries the official policy is to switch off 3G only leaving 2G in place (as this takes up much less bandwidth so not much of a problem) It was universally agreed by carriers that 2G can remain in place upto 2033. It is 3's own choice to switch off both 2G and 3G and one can only speculate as to why they have done this as it does mean that many perfectly good phones will need to be replaced. In Spain for instance Buffster41's phone which now only has 4G but will also still be basic 2G capabable, would in Spain be able to use 2G for voice and SMS Text then automatically switch to 4G for mobile data if required but then wouldn't even need to do that if there was a local wifi signal available for data. But! ..All is not lost in the UK, as EE and O2 are leaving their their 2G coverage in place. So PAYG phones that only have 3G and 4G can still use their basic 2G signal for voice and SMS Text and their 4G signal for mobile data if needed due to no local wifi available. EE would seem to be the best choice but no idea how long 2G will be available for from EE but then switch off could be as far away as 2033 which is the universally agreed deadline to keep 2G available exactly for the phones like Buffster41's. Seems like a smart move from EE because they will surely be picking up 3 customers who are perfectly happy with the phone they have but so much with 3's enthusiasm to render their phones useless while a 3 simcard resides within it.