Hello, I’ve been informed by TIM that it will be migrating to 5G in April and my FP3+ will still allow my to use phone and messaging, but no internet functionalities. Since I bought my phone only 6 months ago, buying a new one, as TIM suggests, would defeat the point of my having choosen FP over other manufacturers. Any thoughts?
Welcome to the Forum!
Do they explicitly say if they really shut down 4G/LTE or “only” 2G and/or 3G? Without having looked into it too deeply, I have not yet heard of any network already disabling 4G, but various countries get rid of either 2G or 3G at the moment. Given that a lot of phones don’t support 5G right now but rely on 4G, I can hardly imagine that anyone would disable it in the near future.
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
First I wondered who TIM was but then I see a network in Italia called TIM, so I imagine that’s who you are referring to.
I’m not sure why the internet will not work if you can still make calls.
As the FP3 dosen’t support 5G then it must use, presumably 4G (LTE) or 3G which I would then think would enable access to the internet. ??
However the other choices are to switch networks or sell the phone. A bit of a hassle and something you may want to avoid.
Still you may just have to wait and see if you can still connect.
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after a 2 seconds search on Ecosia: https://www.italy24news.com/News/339852.html
Since I assume that the FP3(+) runs on 4G for data, but not calls (VoLTE), it looks like you will just stay on 4G for mobile data (internet, messengers) and your calls will run over 2G. So no real loss of functionality i guess.
Thanks! This is what they wrote: “[F]rom April 2022, TIM will start to shut down of 3G network, which will be replaced by 4G and 5G technologies. Since your smartphone does not support calls with these new technologies, in the absence of a 3G network, you will use the 2G network to make calls and send SMS, but you will no longer be able to navigate the Internet on the 4G network at the same time. To make the most of the TIM network, we recommend replacing the old smartphone.”
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Should all be fine
4G (LTE)
Type - Cat. 13
MIMO - 4x2
2CA Carrier Aggregation
VoLTE + VoWiFi
Bands - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 20, 26
Max download speed 300Mbps
Max upload speed 150Mbps
Just check which bands TIM will use for 4G
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Sorry, I should have explained what TIM is, and you are right. I have now posted the message I received.
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If this message was really specifically addressed to you, then they might have misidentified your phone. The FP3 can do 4G as well as VoLTE. Maybe you never used 4G so far? Did you check your phone’s netzwork configuration? To me it looks like you’ll be fine. 3G is being phased out in a lot of places right now.
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Thanks. I do indeed have access to 4G. Part of the problem may be that the TIM setup does not allow me to specify my having an FP product. Let’s see what happens.
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I think that „at the same time“ is the important part of the TIM message. If TIM does not allow VoLTE (4G calls), then your calls drop to 2G (ok), but when you are on a call, you won‘t be able to simultaneously use the internet (does not work on 2G). to make it short: only while you are on a call, will you lose the internet (e.g. using a map navigation and being on a call at the same time will stop working). that‘s how I‘d take that message, and unless you are someone who needs both things at the same time, it should not bother you too much.
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You are right, that is a possible interpretation. It’s just weird that they would not support VoLTE in 2022, but who knows…
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Just like most mobile operators, TIM will switch off 3G. Since your FP3 is capable of 4G, this does not have to bother you. No worries!
Best wishes,
Thomas
As already said, if TIM doesn’t allow VoLTE, there are some worries. A possible download will be interrupted or paused, if someone calls. An online navigation app can’t upgrade data while a phone call is running…
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True. But this trouble is caused by the network, not by the FP3.
A lot of countries shut down 3G already (including here in my country), without any problem because there is VoLTE.
Not enabling VoLTE in a 4G network is - in my opinion - weird. I don’t know this network and I don’t know their reasons. But I would cancel my contract and switch the provider.
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To that extent, TIM said its service “VOCE 4G” (“Voice 4G”) will allow users to surf the internet and utilise their favourite apps without interrupting the call.
Not exactly, as Fairphone is a niche manufacturer, not all providers test their phones and therefore are probably not listed as compatible, although VoLTE works in general.
I currently use an iPhone 7 in Austria with a rather large sub-provider (Hot in the Magenta/T-Mobile network), and although the phone has the option for VoLTE, the provider does not allow it. so it doesn‘t seem to be an issue for small phone companies only, but rather a provider decision. (at least there are no current plans to shut down 3G here in Austria)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203124
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