- A leaked internal document reveals T-Mobile’s plans to eliminate the use of phones without VoLTE support.
- No new devices can be activated without VoLTE on the T-Mobile network from August 4.
- Existing T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers with those phones will no longer be able to use them starting in 2021.
As wireless operators slowly but surely increase their support for 5G networks, older network technology will be shut down. That includes T-Mobile. An indication of that transition leaked today Android Police, via a document from the carrier’s company that shows it will slowly phase out the use of phones without Voice over LTE (VoLTE) support.
The document shows that starting August 4, T-Mobile will no longer register any phone on its network without VoLTE support. If your phone is already on T-Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile networks and does not support VoLTE, you can only use it for several more months. The leaked document shows that those phones will continue to operate until January 2021. It is unclear whether Sprint customers will be affected by this move, nor whether non-VoLTE phones in MVNOs using T-Mobile’s network will also be cut. .
A representative for T-Mobile said:
We are making great progress in building a truly transformative national 5G network. As part of that, we will gradually phase out some old technologies over time to free up even more capacity for LTE and 5G. In preparation for that and to provide customers with the best experience, those activating new lines on T-Mobile will need a VoLTE-compatible device, which is all we’ve offered for years and represents the overwhelming majority of devices on the network. .
The T-Mobile document says users without VoLTE support should see some text messages very soon from the operator informing them that their phone will no longer work 2021. It is unknown how many customers will be affected by this change, but it is likely to be a small one. fraction of T-Mobile’s total customer base.
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