T-Mobile cutting support for pre-VoLTE devices in 2021, AT&T in 2022

AppleInsider

T-Mobile will stop supporting phones that aren't compatible with Voice over LTE in early 2021, with AT&T to follow suit in 2022.

Credit: Apple

Voice over LTE (VoLTE) routes voice calls over a 4G LTE connection, instead of 3G. It's a standard, with many carriers requiring phones to have VoLTE before activating them. Apple's iPhone 6 and later support VoLTE.

Since VoLTE is so widespread, some carriers are making plans to stop supporting pre-VoLTE devices and calls. T-Mobile, for example, will require VoLTE in January 2021, according to an internal document leaked by AndroidPolice.

What that means, essentially, is that all non-compatible devices will essentially stop working on T-Mobile's network -- at least, for calls. Customers with an older device will need to upgrade, and the change will also impact MVNO, Metro and possibly Sprint.

In a statement, T-Mobile said that it will be "phasing out some older technologies over time to free up even more capacity for LTE and 5G" and will require new activations to support VoLTE.

AT&T also recently warned customers that it would stop support pre-VoLTE devices, though the way it did so was poorly received. The company apparently sent an email prominently titled "Update Needed," according to Ars Technica.

Although the carrier linked to a support page with information about the change, but it didn't mention that customers had 18 months to upgrade their devices. More than that, it appears that AT&T even sent the email to users with compatible smartphones. The carrier eventually apologized for the email and "any confusion" that it caused.

As mentioned earlier, most modern smartphone support VoLTE. But there's a caveat that users with unlocked devices should keep in mind.

According to Xda Developers, AT&T uses a whitelist for VoLTE that could preclude using unlocked or "bring-your-own-device" smartphones. Unless AT&T changes its practices, some customers could be forced into buying a device directly from the carrier.

rob53

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

riverko

Mmm. I’m pretty sure someone will sue them for making their phone obsolete and forcing them to buy a new one... 

longpath

All the more reason I am grateful that I left AT&T

mike1

rob53 said:

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

There's nothing that requires them to support obsolete technology forever. Can't buy a VHS machine these days even if you have a whole library of movies you can't watch.

rob53

mike1 said:

rob53 said:

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

There's nothing that requires them to support obsolete technology forever. Can't buy a VHS machine these days even if you have a whole library of movies you can't watch.

Wrong. Check out https://www.amazon.com/vhs-player/s?k=vhs+player. There's plenty of VHS VCRs available. 

dewme

You can't have it both ways. Allowing for a reliance on private and free market delivery of infrastructure that is deemed by many to be "critical" always runs the risk of being dropped because it no longer makes business sense to continue the service. If you want regulation and enforcement of services that don't make business sense, that's where the government can and should play a role. Using government to force private enterprises to continue to support unprofitable businesses is where things start to get muddled, confusing, and mired in politics. I'd prefer that we never cross the two streams, but it happens all of the time.

mplsp

rob53 said:

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

Completely legal. You sign a contract with a provider for a service. They are obligated to abide by that contract. At the end of the contract, there is nothing obligating them to continue providing the same service. Verizon switched it’s phones over a few years ago. Most cellular providers have stopped or will stop providing 3G service, meaning you can’t use anything older than an iphone 5. 

The oldest iPhone to support VoLTE is apparently the iPhone 6 which was introduced fall of 2014. That means you’ll need a device less than 6 ½ years old. I know there are plenty of people out there still using older devices, but the numbers are dwindling fast. 

michaelkohl

mike1 said:

There's nothing that requires them to support obsolete technology forever. Can't buy a VHS machine these days even if you have a whole library of movies you can't watch.

You can buy VHS and tapes today, but to compare it would be like your cable TV company would make an VHS input not playing on your TV anymore and only allow newer BlueRay to work.

bonobob

Quote:

 Unless AT&T changes its practices, some customers could be forced into buying a device directly from the carrier.

Unless AT&T changes its practices, some customers could be forced into switching carriers.

williamh

Perhaps 15 years ago (before iPhone), the carriers did something similar.  Maybe it had to do with shutting down the analog service. I had a Sony T610 phone that I was quite pleased with and less than a year old on AT&T contract.  They said they were shutting down service and sent me another phone that was probably better but I didn't like quite as much.

helibum

I got that email from AT&T for the one iPhone on my account that doesn't support LTE at all. It belongs to my elderly mother-in-law and we're dreading having to teach her how to use a modern iPhone (she's technology-challenged). I'm almost ashamed of this morbid thought, but maybe she'll keel over before we have to. 

edited July 2020

dcgoo

Actually what the article said was, TMO is requiring new activations to be on VoLTE compatible devices.  Not that older phones would suddenly go dark in January.  But the handwriting is clearly on the wall.  

kubeltime

longpath said:

All the more reason I am grateful that I left AT&T

Are you still using an iPhone 5S from 7 years ago and planning on using it as your daily phone for another year? If so:

• Good on ya for squeezing that many years out of the device! Devices are not designed to last this long, so you deserve a sticker for your thriftiness!
• Go pick up an iPhone SE, which uses the current A13 chip and is only $399. You and my dad are square in the target market for this.

georgebmac

dewme said:

You can't have it both ways. Allowing for a reliance on private and free market delivery of infrastructure that is deemed by many to be "critical" always runs the risk of being dropped because it no longer makes business sense to continue the service. If you want regulation and enforcement of services that don't make business sense, that's where the government can and should play a role. Using government to force private enterprises to continue to support unprofitable businesses is where things start to get muddled, confusing, and mired in politics. I'd prefer that we never cross the two streams, but it happens all of the time.

Yeh, that's classic Libertarian philosophy.   It sounds great on paper.  In practice, it creates things like the Great Recession of 2008.   Even Greenspan speculated:  "How could Free Markets have let this happen?"

We have speed limits for a reason.   Free for all, no regulations works great -- till it stops working.   Then things hit bottom.  Hard.

georgebmac

AppleInsider said:

As mentioned earlier, most modern smartphone support VoLTE. But there's a caveat that users with unlocked devices should keep in mind.

According to Xda Developers, AT&T uses a whitelist for VoLTE that could preclude using unlocked or "bring-your-own-device" smartphones. Unless AT&T changes its practices, some customers could be forced into buying a device directly from the carrier.

This crap is why I have never bought a phone from a carrier and, instead, only by "Simless" phones direct from Apple.

cloudtalkin

mike1 said:

rob53 said:

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

There's nothing that requires them to support obsolete technology forever. Can't buy a VHS machine these days even if you have a whole library of movies you can't watch.

I think what you wanted your analogy to say was: 1. Can't force companies to keep making VCR's simply because you have a whole library of tapes.  or 2. Can't for studios to produce their movies on tape simply because some people still have VCR's.  

Your overarching point is valid.  No company has to support obsolete tech.  VoLTE was intro'd on phones in 2012, and in practical use by 2014 on Android and iOS devices.  This is really only an issue because of the poor communication by the TMob and especially AT&T.  

cloudtalkin

dcgoo said:

Actually what the article said was, TMO is requiring new activations to be on VoLTE compatible devices.  Not that older phones would suddenly go dark in January.  But the handwriting is clearly on the wall.  

This is incorrect.  TMob is requiring new activations to be on VoLTE devices starting Aug. 4.  Before Aug.4 you can still BYOD your non-VoLTE device to TMob, BUUUUUUTTTTT, after Jan. 2021 that device and any legacy other non-VoLTE device on their network may go dark.  After Aug. 4 TMob will only activate a VoLTE compatible device, either from their inventory or BYOD.  All of their current inventory of phones, from flip to smart, are VoLTE compatible.

georgebmac

CloudTalkin said:

mike1 said:

rob53 said:

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

There's nothing that requires them to support obsolete technology forever. Can't buy a VHS machine these days even if you have a whole library of movies you can't watch.

I think what you wanted your analogy to say was: 1. Can't force companies to keep making VCR's simply because you have a whole library of tapes.  or 2. Can't for studios to produce their movies on tape simply because some people still have VCR's.  

Your overarching point is valid.  No company has to support obsolete tech.  VoLTE was intro'd on phones in 2012, and in practical use by 2014 on Android and iOS devices.  This is really only an issue because of the poor communication by the TMob and especially AT&T.  

No, you can't force companies to support "obsolete" tech.   But:

1)  "Obsolete", like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.   It is a judgement call, not a fact.

2)  Quality companies that take the long view (as opposed to the quarterly bonus view) support their previous tech for some reasonable period of time.

mplsp

GeorgeBMac said:

CloudTalkin said:

mike1 said:

rob53 said:

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

There's nothing that requires them to support obsolete technology forever. Can't buy a VHS machine these days even if you have a whole library of movies you can't watch.

I think what you wanted your analogy to say was: 1. Can't force companies to keep making VCR's simply because you have a whole library of tapes.  or 2. Can't for studios to produce their movies on tape simply because some people still have VCR's.  

Your overarching point is valid.  No company has to support obsolete tech.  VoLTE was intro'd on phones in 2012, and in practical use by 2014 on Android and iOS devices.  This is really only an issue because of the poor communication by the TMob and especially AT&T.  

No, you can't force companies to support "obsolete" tech.   But:

1)  "Obsolete", like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.   It is a judgement call, not a fact.

2)  Quality companies that take the long view (as opposed to the quarterly bonus view) support their previous tech for some reasonable period of time.

Obsolete can be take to mean ‘out of date’ or ‘no longer useful.’ For this discussion, I think the latter definition is more relevant and it would be more accurate to say that carriers requiring VoLTE support makes the older devices obsolete rather than the carriers are requiring VoLTE because they are obsolete. 

edited July 2020

georgebmac

MplsP said:

GeorgeBMac said:

CloudTalkin said:

mike1 said:

rob53 said:

I have to wonder if this is actually legal. Is it being done because they want to get rid of old equipment or is it being done to force people to purchase new equipment? Does this mean older flip phones will no longer be allowed on these networks? What about the typical "burn" phone? Are these capable of VoLTE? 

There's nothing that requires them to support obsolete technology forever. Can't buy a VHS machine these days even if you have a whole library of movies you can't watch.

I think what you wanted your analogy to say was: 1. Can't force companies to keep making VCR's simply because you have a whole library of tapes.  or 2. Can't for studios to produce their movies on tape simply because some people still have VCR's.  

Your overarching point is valid.  No company has to support obsolete tech.  VoLTE was intro'd on phones in 2012, and in practical use by 2014 on Android and iOS devices.  This is really only an issue because of the poor communication by the TMob and especially AT&T.  

No, you can't force companies to support "obsolete" tech.   But:

1)  "Obsolete", like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.   It is a judgement call, not a fact.

2)  Quality companies that take the long view (as opposed to the quarterly bonus view) support their previous tech for some reasonable period of time.

Obsolete can be take to mean ‘out of date’ or ‘no longer useful.’ For this discussion, I think the latter definition is more relevant and it would be more accurate to say that carriers requiring VoLTE support makes the older devices obsolete rather than the carriers are requiring VoLTE because they are obsolete. 

True!  (Or, maybe, more correctly, it's:  "Not useful enough!"