Understanding VoLTE and its implications.

Hi everyone, 

 

There is a lot of information going around about VoLTE and we think it's important that we clarify a few things.  

 

The importance of VoLTE. 

The 3G network used for calls across Canada is set to disappear in the near future, as is currently the case in the United States. With VoLTE technology, the ability to make calls will depend on two things: your SIM card and your phone.  

 

Your phone.  

A VoLTE certified phone is not necessarily certified with every mobile service provider. The only official list of phones* that are certified VoLTE with Fizz can be found here: https://fizz.ca/en/faq/compatible-devices#3   

 

*If your phone is not on the Fizz list, don't panic. 

You can keep using your phone until the 3G network withdraws, but just keep in mind you will eventually have to change it.  

 

Your SIM card. 

A VoLTE compatible SIM card shows a red lightning bolt icon. For the mobile members who currently do NOT have a SIM card with a red lightning bolt, we’re currently making sure that each of them gets a free VoLTE compatible SIM card. Invitations are being sent out in batches, so no worries if you haven’t got yours yet. 

 

We get all of this may be overwhelming and even frustrating. It’s a bumpy road for everyone and helping our Fizz members through this transition is a priority for everyone on our team.  

We’ll continue to inform you and update our VoLTE FAQ. Thank you for your patience and collaboration 💚 

The Fizz team. 

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Comments

  • Sébastien code ZXEL1
    Sébastien code ZXEL1 Posts: 7,430 ✭✭

    thank you for the explanations

  • Gablav91
    Gablav91 Posts: 1,077 ✭✭
    edited July 2023

    Thanks a lot @Whizz for the explications! Is it possible to post your answer in french?

  • Jess_i88b6
    Jess_i88b6 Posts: 13,687 ✭✭

    I have a question, why a mobile provider will certify the phone A and not the phone B?

    For sure, Fizz will not have all the model to test them?

    Fizz need to buy a certificate or similar or is the other way around, therefore, the company must pay something to Fizz?

  • Sébastien code ZXEL1
    Sébastien code ZXEL1 Posts: 7,430 ✭✭

    I could be wrong but if we trust the youtubeur his telephone companies must pay

  • Jess_i88b6
    Jess_i88b6 Posts: 13,687 ✭✭

    I think to know the answers but I would like to have the official answer

    since I would like to help the user, and if I say something I do because I believe on it and I can backup what I am wetting and not because I copied a FAQ the sometime they don’t reflects the reality

  • Andrei_ref_R7VK1
    Andrei_ref_R7VK1 Posts: 7,807 ✭✭

    Indeed, this post is not providing answers to the questions that many users are asking.

  • AK20230110
    AK20230110 Posts: 4,775 ✭✭

    Eventually they will have to be changed, the transition is in progress!

  • LaVague
    LaVague Posts: 1 ✭✭

    I have a galaxy s10, and on the web it says that the phone is compatible with VoLTE, why isn't it supported by Fizz?

  • Thierry C. #38944
    Thierry C. #38944 Posts: 233 ✭✭

    Hi, i ordered my new volte SIM card 2 weeks ago but it doesn't appear in my order history, where can i track it to know when it will arrive? Thanks!

  • Thierry C. #38944
    Thierry C. #38944 Posts: 233 ✭✭

    Wondering this too! My phone is compatible with Volte but it's not in the list, so will it just stop working eventually???

    The list supported by Fizz only has 5 companies, which is very few and doesn't take into account many other smaller brands like LG, oneplus, Huawei etc. which is really unfortunate 😔

  • kingTheod
    kingTheod Posts: 206 ✭✭

    be patient. just got mine today. had to wait for more than 2 weeks !

    there is no way to track the sim card as stated by fizz support team. check your mailbox everyday.

    regarding the order history, make sure you go to My Settings at the bottom of the page , next to logout then go to Transaction History.

    see enclosed pic here :


  • Claude J. #27154
    Claude J. #27154 Posts: 146 ✭✭

    So we do have to switch?

  • Tom D.
    Tom D. Posts: 9 ✭✭

    I did the steps out of order and removed my old sim before I inserted the new one. I hope this doesn't become an issue down the road? I turned on my device with the new sim and it seems to be working...

  • FizzyFizz JQMPM
    FizzyFizz JQMPM Posts: 6,613 ✭✭

    yeah hopefully it doesn't become a recurrent issue...

  • Gordo
    Gordo Posts: 1 ✭✭

    I just wanted to say it is totally bs to have a list of certified compatible phones. It should just matter if your phone has the hardware or not. Period.

    Why force people to change perfectly functioning phones in a year or two because of some arbitrary certified list?

    Oh yeah I forgot. Planned obsolescence right?

    You should at least remove the green in your colours.

  • Gilles L. 26466
    Gilles L. 26466 Posts: 7 ✭✭

    For one, I NEVER RECEIVED an email informing me about voLTE. For another, once I had a voLTE SIM card installed, NOTHING SHOWS UP on my IPhone7 (which IS compatible)! I have complained twice to Fizz about this ans STILL am unable to USE the service for which I PAY FOR (Canada/US)!!! This time, Fizz mentioned it was MY PHONE and after spending 3 hours w/Apple on the phone, they tell me IT IS Fizz! So for the third time, I go through the CHAT line (and you have to waste your time every time starting from the beginning!!) and now they FINALLY put out a SECOND SERVICE TICKET which is supposed to appear on my account. After 2 days, NOTHING APPEARS AND NO CONTACT FROM FIZZ SERVICE!!!! BOTTOM LINE: I have PAID for a service since the beginning and THROUGH NO FAULT OF MINE, I CAN'T USE IT! CRAP, PURE CRAP! Gilles Larin

  • Jess_i88b6
    Jess_i88b6 Posts: 13,687 ✭✭
    edited July 2023

    For some reason Fizz decided to not provision the iPhone7, they certified only starting from the iPhone 8

    therefore they will not send you the configuration to use the VoLTE on your phone

  • Gilles L. 26466
    Gilles L. 26466 Posts: 7 ✭✭

    That's BS! Fizz already approved my IPhone 7 and never mentioned anything to the contrary!

    Here's an excerpt from FIZZ:

     

    List of phones certified VoLTE with Fizz 

     

    Apple
    • iPhone 7 and 7 plus
    • iPhone 8 and 8 plus
    • iPhone X
    • iPhone XS and XS Max
    • iPhone XR
    • iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
    • iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation)
    • iPhone 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max
    • iPhone 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
    • iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max

    CHECK YOUR FACTS!!!

  • Jess_i88b6
    Jess_i88b6 Posts: 13,687 ✭✭

    Sorry I was remember differently

    therefore must work

  • Gilles L. 26466
    Gilles L. 26466 Posts: 7 ✭✭

    It does not!!!

  • AK20230110
    AK20230110 Posts: 4,775 ✭✭

    Sorry to hear that

  • IMNagle
    IMNagle Posts: 1 ✭✭

    Hi, I received my new SIM card and Activated it but there is no Red Lightening Bolt on my phone. I have a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. Does that mean there is something wrong with the SIM card?

  • Andrei_ref_R7VK1
    Andrei_ref_R7VK1 Posts: 7,807 ✭✭

    Red Lightening Bolt should be on your SIM card, not on your phone.

  • Referral_code_UKS6U
    Referral_code_UKS6U Posts: 461 ✭✭

    Thanks for the explanation, all good with my iPhone 12 mini.

  • FizzyFizz JQMPM
    FizzyFizz JQMPM Posts: 6,613 ✭✭

    Red bolt should be on the sim card... not on the phone

  • FizzyFizz JQMPM
    FizzyFizz JQMPM Posts: 6,613 ✭✭

    That's crazy!!! Keep insisting on that.. don't give up!

  • MTeasdale
    MTeasdale Posts: 137 ✭✭

    Thanks for clearing that up.

  • Vanni
    Vanni Posts: 27 ✭✭

    I have the feeling the VoLTE issue will hit the roof when 3G will in fact start to be switched off in Canada. And really the Competition Bureau Canada should start getting involved as of now, because it will probably take some time to have this issue fixed.

    The problem, as we all know, is that many phones are VoLTE-capable, but in order for them to work with a specific provider they need to have some specific settings in their operating system, and these settings at the moment are "under the hood", therefore not accessible by the standard user.

    Providers need to understand which settings need to be modified in each phone they want to support, test them, and then provide them to the manufacturers that can include them in the updates to their operating system. I know some providers are sending text messages that can make the ad-hoc update, but that still requires a set of test to have been performed on the specific model.

    Obviously, providers have limited resources and testing ALL models currently on the market is neither possible nor economically feasible, so they focus on the models and manufacturers that deliver the biggest bang for their buck. At the same time, manufacturers do not have the bandwidth or the inclination to support ALL the cell phone service providers around the world (or in the markets they intend to serve), so they focus on the operators that deliver the largest number of customers.

    This is all understandable, but it is a significant hurdle for competition. In fact, at the moment it is not possible to the highest degree of certainty if a customer wishing to switch from one provider to another will be able to keep using their handset. And this is a major deterrent for anyone considering to move to another provider.

    However the obstacle seems to be more artificial than anything else - the legislator should impose cross compatibility to service providers and manufacturers alike, making sure the settings of each handset can be modified with relative ease. Since all countries would eventually need to go through the same 3G switch-off, I believe the process of imposing conditions for cross-compatibility will gather speed as more markets are going to face the same issue, especially markets where the legislator has a much heavier hand than it happens in Canada, where company can essentially do whatever they like.

    So fasten your seat belts, because we are just at the beginning of this ride.

  • Michel G. #3410
    Michel G. #3410 Posts: 1 ✭✭
    • This information is exactly what I needed. Thank you for your generosity and support.


  • Claude_1780
    Claude_1780 Posts: 1 ✭✭

    how do I transfer my fizz phone number on my new sims card in my new phone?

  • Jess_i88b6
    Jess_i88b6 Posts: 13,687 ✭✭

    If you received the free SIM card, you need to follow the instructions received by email and on the letter

    if you bought a new SIM card you need to contact the customer service

    You can chat in direct

    • Sign into your account

    • Follow the link on this page: https://fizz.ca/en/faq/im-unable-log-my-fizz-account-what-do-i-do

    • Wait 3 seconds for the green bubble with a '❔' appears at the bottom right of the browser, if you use a phone you must use it in desktop or horizontal mode

    • Choose the option 💬 chat

    • If the green bubble does not appear make sure your ad blocker is disabled, otherwise try with another browser.


    Or by private message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fizzca/

  • Mohammad S. #314
    Mohammad S. #314 Posts: 240 ✭✭

    They have to update the software on their end as well to support it

  • zipilgrim
    zipilgrim Posts: 114 ✭✭

    Hi all, I'd just like a sanity check to make sure I have everything ready.

    I have an iPhone SE 2nd gen, which is on Fizz's supported list. I have a SIM that I got in May 2022, which is past the date when, from what I understand, all new SIMs sent to new customers are already VoLTE enabled. When I go into the iOS options, I can see and I can enable the option for VoLTE.

    The only hiccup is that, when I do, I get a message saying "This cellular network has not been verified by the carrier for VoLTE on iPhone. Battery life, calls, text messages, voicemail, and cellular data may be affected." It still turns on though. I sent some texts, used my data, made a call, everything seems to work... I think? Is there any way to actually check if VoLTE is really enabled and being used? Is this message a generic warning because reasons but if everything is working then I'm ok?

  • Andrei_ref_R7VK1
    Andrei_ref_R7VK1 Posts: 7,807 ✭✭

    The easiest way to check it is to disable WiFi and to make a call. If during the call it stays on LTE/4G you are good to go.

  • EricPD
    EricPD Posts: 171 ✭✭

    Which iOS version do you have on your iPhone? If you didn’t update recently, you may have an older carrier profile for Fizz…

  • zipilgrim
    zipilgrim Posts: 114 ✭✭

    I have indeed skipped some recent updates. I'll try Andrei's idea of calling and checking what it's on (I keep forgetting to look every time I make a call!) and if it goes to 3G then I guess it's time to update iOS and hope it doesn't kill my battery consumption this time (I had this problem happen badly with my previous iPhone).

    Thank you both for the replies.

  • h3ll
    h3ll Posts: 19 ✭✭

    Doesnt make sense that FIzz needs to test each phone to make sure it works with VoLTE? !

    If the manufacturer says its compliant eg Samsung, then why must they test each model phone?

    The VoLTE protocol should not change form model to model. I have a S9+ that works well & is VoLTE complaint according to Samsung. Fizz only displays newer model phones & I will not buy a new phone just for that. There should be 1 certificate per manufacturer not per model.

  • Luckysab
    Luckysab Posts: 6 ✭✭
    Thank you for the info.
  • Stéphane L. 1007
    Stéphane L. 1007 Posts: 270 ✭✭

    The VoLTE thing look very complicated. I think it's because every network has it's own parameters that need to be written in each phone software. I got a Oneplus before and on a redit forum they give tricks to make the phone Volte compatible by modify some system files and the mods depend of the country and provider.

  • Jess_i88b6
    Jess_i88b6 Posts: 13,687 ✭✭

    Usually that modification need a phone to be rooted, it was that the case?

  • MoYe
    MoYe Posts: 655 ✭✭

    the future is here

  • snow_code_ROZ9N
    snow_code_ROZ9N Posts: 95 ✭✭

    Thanks for your explanation.

  • EricPD
    EricPD Posts: 171 ✭✭

    I also have a iPhone SE 2nd Edition (2020). I'm on iOS 16.6, no issue. It's not like 10 years ago when each new iPhone was like 100x faster than previous ones. Just keep in mind the first days after the upgrade are not the best indicator of battery life, as there is a lot of indexing happening in the background, specially if you have a lot of pictures.

  • YTH
    YTH Posts: 37 ✭✭

    Thanks for such detailed information.

  • NicolasA
    NicolasA Posts: 27 ✭✭

    Seemless transition for me - all worked well.

  • Ivaylo_Code_W6WLS
    Ivaylo_Code_W6WLS Posts: 395 ✭✭

    That's was much-needed explicationsso thank you

  • zipilgrim
    zipilgrim Posts: 114 ✭✭

    Just wanted to post to thank you, it seems that VoLTEis indeed working on my phone! I called with and without the option enabled, when it's off it switches to 3G, when it's on it stays on LTE as you described. Looks like I'm ready! Thanks again Andrei.