AT&T consumers have been acquiring a worrisome email or text message from the provider indicating that their telephones are on the brink of no for a longer period staying supported, and that has brought about pretty an outcry. The challenge, AT&T suggests, is that it plans to shut down its 3G community, this means all calls will have to be produced over VoLTE (aka High definition Voice in its place. And for the reason that only specific telephones operate with AT&T’s VoLTE process, all other non-authorized telephones will no for a longer time be capable to make calls when that shutdown comes about.

But you will find no require to fret — this warning from AT&T is unbelievably untimely, and your contacting support will be retained until at least the stop of 2021. Here is what’s really likely on.

VoLTE: How to use it and why you must treatment

Why (and when) is AT&T moving from 3G calling to VoLTE?

To put items simply, AT&T is trying to make the most of its spectrum (how a lot of lanes it has offered for visitors). Every single provider has a restricted amount of money of spectrum in which to deploy 3G, 4G and 5G assistance, and retaining any total of it locked up furnishing 3G to end users when it could be superior used for 4G and 5G is an inefficient use of resources. So AT&T is planning to shut down its 3G community in early 2022, which will necessitate all calls relocating to 4G.

Now, this isn’t a new strategy. Verizon and T-Mobile have already produced comparable shifts absent from 3G to an all-LTE calling community, so they can reuse precious spectrum holdings to deploy their new 5G networks. This is a totally typical factor to do, but it is a huge change — and which is why AT&T is having so far out in advance of the actual shutdown with its messaging.

AT&T provided the adhering to assertion to Android Law enforcement when asked about these purchaser e-mail, owning up to the point that it should’ve been clearer with the messaging:

This electronic mail was a single of several prepared to retain shoppers educated about the shutdown of our 3G community in early 2022. It really should have provided the day that certain devices would no for a longer period be supported. We apologize for any confusion this could have brought about and will be additional distinct in potential updates.

Does my cell phone assist AT&T VoLTE?

This is the rub: it is just not crystal clear precisely which products help AT&T’s Hd Voice support. The only certain-hearth way to know that your mobile phone supports VoLTE on AT&T is to get a mobile phone from AT&T (or have bought one particular in the previous couple of years). That is troublesome, simply because we know there are substantial benefits to purchasing phones unlocked, and AT&T’s branded phones are usually loaded with bloatware and other customizations.

You can find no sure-fire way to know if your unlocked telephone will support AT&T VoLTE.

AT&T publishes a listing of “phones that get the job done on our community”, with particular model figures of gadgets that it has accredited for use, but it actually is not distinct if that also signifies that each of individuals equipment supports Hd Voice. (For example, the Galaxy S4 Mini, from 2013, is on the record.)

The unlocked cell phone situation is irritating due to the fact some unlocked phones do guidance AT&T’s VoLTE, even while AT&T isn’t going to say they do. Other unlocked phones are acknowledged to have all of the accurate technologies to use VoLTE (i.e. they’re unlocked styles of the exact phone AT&T sells) but are disallowed from doing so by AT&T. You can locate hundreds of web pages of forum discussions about which unlocked telephones do and will not aid VoLTE on AT&T — with little consensus.

If you have an unlocked cell phone on AT&T and are curious as to no matter whether it supports Hd Voice, you can get far more information and facts by making use of a community information and facts app — like this a single, this one or this 1. Install the app, disconnect from Wi-Fi, put a phone, and even though even now on the connect with look at to see if the app displays it taking spot in excess of LTE. This isn’t really a warranty that your cellular phone is/isn’t suitable, but it can be a fantastic commence. Additionally, you can connect with AT&T buyer provider and request if your telephone is provisioned for High definition Voice — reduced-degree client service help might not know, but you can get lucky.

Do I require to upgrade my AT&T cellular phone now?

No, you never.

AT&T is familiar with how several phones are on its community still generating 3G calls even now, and that’s likely a really huge variety. As a result it would like to start pushing individuals to enhance to a VoLTE-able phone now, relatively than waiting until eventually the last moment with the 3G shutdown nearing. As a result the extremely premature messages about cell phone incompatibility. But the reality is, your cell phone will continue to function and make phone calls until finally the previous instant, so there is no require to improve your cellular phone nowadays.

Now of course if you do improve your cell phone today, and you invest in it from AT&T, it will assist VoLTE and you will be set for the potential changeover away from 3G (however which is nevertheless a extended approaches off). You are going to also be in a position to truly choose gain of VoLTE, which offers bigger-high-quality voice phone calls, in the meantime.

Realistically, this is a dilemma for you to feel about a yr from now, in the second 50 percent of 2021, when the 3G shutdown is really imminent. Your mobile phone will carry on to perform just wonderful till then.

How to terminate AT&T support