Google Fi will stop activating non-VoLTE phones in January, and will encourage customers with older phones to upgrade with a 100 credit if they buy a new phone from the Fi Store and activate it before December 31. 9to5Google Reports.
Google has a hand in this matter. Customers subscribe to Fi, but as MVNOs, to provide coverage, Fi-T T-Mobile and Piggybacks really on the US cellular network. Since T-Mobile has announced its plans to provide support for non-VoLTE phones starting January 2021, Fine will have to do the same.
VoLTE stands for “Voice is over LTE”, which is the management of phone calls on LTE data instead of the old 3G tech. With fewer drops in the connection, VOLTE calls are generally clear, although they only use older G radios and even some early LTE models that are completely unavailable for older phones. Google has stopped shutting down 2G and 3G phones as per Fi FAQ (FAQ) on August 4 this year, but VoLTE is all that is required but 3G is the day number.
There is no hard date to end 3G service on Fi, but it is coming, and your best bet is to see T-Mobile coverage expire until Google makes an official announcement. When T-Mobile bought Sprint it had a huge impact on what Fi had to offer, giving it control over both of Fire’s largest networks.
There are actually some inexpensive options on the Fi Store that can serve as a quick fix. We like Google’s Pixel 4, which usually sells for 34 9,349, but there are also options that you can get for less than $ 100 with Google’s current holiday promotion.
Upgrading to a better cell service is good in the long run for the phone’s usability, but it’s a customer inconvenience. Over the years, Verizon has already made its changes, facing elements of 3G services in favor of LTE and 5G. AT&T and T-Mobile’s plans are a bit more contingent. The intense focus on upgrading to 5G seems to encourage all of this, which is particularly inconvenient as nearly 30 million Americans still use 3G by 2019 alone. Unless customers are able to upgrade, they may lag behind.
