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Volla
Beiträge: 135
Registriert: Do 25. Feb 2021, 22:31

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

Dear US users,

We are preparing the next generation of the Volla Phone for US customer. Maybe you can help us with the proposal of the frequency bands:
  • GSM: 2,3,5,8
  • WCDMA: 2,4,5,8
  • 4G: 2,4,5,7,8,12,13,17,18,19,25,26,28,30,38,40,41,48,66,71
  • 5G: n2,n4,n5,n7,n8,n12,n25,n28,n40,n38/n41(full),n66,n71,n77,n78
We also talking with a new partner, who can offer international data roaming SIM cards. These SIM cards have also the benefit, that they are not strictly regulated in the EU, so you can be anonymously online

Enjoy the weekend!

Marc Aurel
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Volla
Beiträge: 135
Registriert: Do 25. Feb 2021, 22:31

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

Hello,

One more thing. Here are expected prices of a roaming data SIM card for USA. Let me know, if this is interesting for you:

1. Aggregate price for USA, Canada and Mexico - 0.05$/MB
2. Cost per active card - 1EUR per month
3. Price for SMS - 0.20$/SMS

With a data SIM you could use VoIP for classic telephony and messengers like Signal for availability for audio and video calls.
edjec
Beiträge: 44
Registriert: Fr 9. Sep 2022, 06:39
Wohnort: Utah
VollaPhone mit: Volla OS 12
sonstiges Handy/iPhone mit Android Version/iOS Version: Volla 22 Multiboot running Volla OS, Ubuntu, & Sailfish. Well, I did have UT and Sailfish until the VOS 12 update...

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

Volla/Marc,

This is great news! I am happy to hear of your progress toward a solution for North America. As I’m sure you are aware, our privacy is constantly under attack and flagrantly violated by big tech and the government. Unfortunately, we do not enjoy similar personal protections that are afforded to you in the EU. We are clamoring for a means to mitigate some of the damage and Volla phones appear to be a good start.

The frequencies you listed look comprehensive and appear to cover the NAR region frequencies. However, in the U.S., GSM and CDMA have been decommissioned by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.

T-Mobile’s scheduled 12/31/2022 2G GSM network decommissioning has been delayed with no firm sunset date set, but it appears that they are running it at reduced capacity to support infrastructure such as parking meters, electric meters, signs, etc. This is why some Volla phones with older SIMs can still make and receive calls and send sms messages but do not have mobile data. T-Mobile is not allowing any new 2G connections. https://www.t-mobile.com/support/covera ... -evolution

While the U.S. 2G, 3G, and non-VoLTE bands have been repurposed to 4G and 5G bandwidths, most of the other NAR countries still support those lower bands. Note that the still-in-commission T-Mobile 2G GSM band 2/1900MHz is the only verified frequency band the current Volla phones can access in the U.S.

Rather than list the bands supported in each country, it may be easier to simply review the bands supported by the major cell phone brands sold here. Looking at the frequency bands of the NAR countries, they appear to be similar and the phones listed below do cover all of these bands. These bands should cover the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Greenland, and most, if not all, of the Caribbean Islands, (and from what I’ve seen, Central and South America), which will widen your potential market area considerably.

Compare band compatibility between the top brands sold in the US:

Samsung 23
• 2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• 3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
• 4G LTE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66, 71
• 5G – n(x)-1, 7, 28, 41, 66, 71, 78, 258, 260, 261

Apple 14
• GSM/EDGE 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz
• TDD LTE Bands b(x) - 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 53
• FDD LTE (Bands b(x) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71
• 5G NR Bands n(x) - 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 53, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79
• 5G NR mmWave Bands n(x) - 258, 260, 261

Pixel 7
• GSM/EDGE: Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
• UMTS/HSPA+/HSDPA: Bands 1,2,4,5,6,8,19
• LTE: Bands B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/14/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/29/30/32/38/39/40/41/46/48/66/71
• 5G Sub-6: Bands n1/2/3/5/7/8/12/14/20/25/28/30/38/40/41/48/66/71/75/76/77/78
• 5G mmWave: Bands n257/258/260/261

Proposed Volla US phone
• GSM: 2,3,5,8
• WCDMA: 2,4,5,8
• 4G: 2,4,5,7,8,12,13,17,18,19,25,26,28,30,38,40,41,48,66,71
• 5G: n2,n4,n5,n7,n8,n12,n25,n28,n40,n38/n41(full),n66,n71,n77,n78


Thank you for taking our plight seriously and committing the resources to help!


Note: with 5G being so aggressively marketed here, any new phones offered should be 5G compatible to sell at acceptable levels. A new phone brand offered with only 4G VoLTE might be viewed as old technology. Although the 5G upper bands are included on the above phones as these are flagship models, few other phones offered today have this capability. Those that do sell at premium levels that fewer people can justify.

FYI: Regulatory requirements.

All devices sold in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico (NAR - North American Region) must be registered with the FCC, ISED, and the IFT before they can be legally sold and used in the NAR. It would appear that the FCC functions as the main regulatory body with Mexico under a mutual agreement with its own process. Canada’s regulatory body is the ISED or Innovation, Science, and Economic Development.

Resources:
U.S. – FCC Certification and FCC-ID: https://www.fcc.gov/engineering-technol ... horization

Canada: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/certif ... -bureau/en

Mexico: https://www.fcc.gov/general/equipment-a ... mexico-mra
https://www.ift.org.mx/industria/unidad-de-cumplimiento
https://www.csagroup.org/global-certifi ... be-tested/

There is also a mutual agreement between the FCC and the European Community to facilitate the assessment and trade of communications equipment between member states. Germany is a participating state within the Telecommunications Annex. There may be other options for certifications through these means. https://www.fcc.gov/general/equipment-a ... ion-eu-mra

Note 2: without an FCC certification and ID, carriers in the U.S. will not allow devices to pass the IMEI check or to access their networks.

I’m sure we all realize that this process won’t happen overnight, but yesterday will be soon enough! ;)
Zuletzt geändert von edjec am Mi 8. Feb 2023, 01:00, insgesamt 1-mal geändert.
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Volla
Beiträge: 135
Registriert: Do 25. Feb 2021, 22:31

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

Thank you for the high quality response. We hope that we can also get certification through a US startup that want to offer mobile contracts with our devices as MVNO. For US companies, FCC certification costs about 15T USD, while for a foreign company it costs about 150T USD. Also, some wireless carriers seem to charge some kind of registration fee.

Anyway, with a special model for the US, we will apply for FCC certification. For the existing model, we want to go the way with an importer, distributpr or dealer like an MVNO. who has the ability to negotiate with the network operators.

Furthermore, we are looking into acting as an MVNO ourselves and offering ROmaing contracts. Here we are also in talks with partners that we can recommend further. Starting next month, Protecturo is expected to offer low-cost data SIM cards. If I am informed correctly, mobile operators are obliged to allow roaming. I will post a link of that offering as soon it is availanle.
dobroplr
Beiträge: 2
Registriert: Di 24. Jan 2023, 00:11
Wohnort: North Carolina, USA

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

As one of the, I'm sure, many US lurkers here, this is a very encouraging discussion. In the US we don't have the many great mobile options that you have in the EU and elsewhere. We are mostly stuck with "de-Googled" options on older phones that, for the most part, are not reliable daily drivers. Having a great OS option installed on a phone out of the box would be a dream come true.
edjec
Beiträge: 44
Registriert: Fr 9. Sep 2022, 06:39
Wohnort: Utah
VollaPhone mit: Volla OS 12
sonstiges Handy/iPhone mit Android Version/iOS Version: Volla 22 Multiboot running Volla OS, Ubuntu, & Sailfish. Well, I did have UT and Sailfish until the VOS 12 update...

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

Marc,

I can’t thank you enough for your honest and transparent reply. Understanding the challenges Volla is confronted with in developing a phone for our market goes a long way toward reassuring us that Volla is concerned about us as customers, and more importantly, as people who want our privacy back.
FCC certification costs about 15T USD, while for a foreign company, it costs about 150T USD.
I had no idea how high the bar was to obtain federal certification here. Do you know if the US/EU MRA offers any relief for the registration fees?

Unfortunately, in this country, it is “Pay to Play” to the max when dealing with both commercial and government entities. On the other hand, there are about 360 million people in the U.S. and almost 700 million people in the entire NAR region, which presents a very large potential market. Even though you are primarily interested in the U.S. market, ancillary sales in other regions could be substantial too. In all honesty, if the phones pass the IMEI check, I would continue to purchase online and import the devices myself.
Also, some wireless carriers seem to charge some kind of registration fee.
Is this a fee to get a device included in the IMEI database or network access for a device? I wonder if the MVNOs are constrained by the same requirements on the devices they sell or provide network access to.

On the ground though, the average user needs to be able to pass the IMEI checks required before any phone is granted network access by either carrier or MVNO. Very few people have the expertise or patience to spoof that number to gain access. Is there another way for Volla phones to be included in the IMEI databases?

As for the roaming SIMs; I’m not sure I fully understand the purpose of this. Yes, our carriers must allow access to international roaming SIMs, but they will function only if the phone’s hardware supports the bands used here. We’ve not seen a Volla phone able to connect to any band other than the b2/1900MHz network provided by T-Mobile/MVNOs since last July. This network is 2G with a theoretical bandwidth of only 49KB/s. The actual rates I’ve seen have been in the neighborhood of 1.9KB/s to 14KB/s maximum, depending on network load and deprioritizing. Calls work and so do SMS messages, but as I stated in my previous post, there is no mobile data and MMS messages are extremely slow (sometimes days) if they transfer at all.

The roaming SIMs might bring minimal function to Volla owners that are not able to “modify” their phones, but they must understand the reduced capabilities. Please keep us informed as to your activity with this issue.

Again, thank you for the first encouraging response we had, and if possible, please continue to post updates on your progress with the Volla US model!

Ed
edjec
Beiträge: 44
Registriert: Fr 9. Sep 2022, 06:39
Wohnort: Utah
VollaPhone mit: Volla OS 12
sonstiges Handy/iPhone mit Android Version/iOS Version: Volla 22 Multiboot running Volla OS, Ubuntu, & Sailfish. Well, I did have UT and Sailfish until the VOS 12 update...

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

@ dobroplr

Hello, and thank you for making your presence known!

I am certain you are correct about many others just watching these forums and waiting/hoping for a solution.

To the rest of the “lurkers”:

Please chime in, if only to voice your support. We all (you’re included) need your help in stressing to Hallo Welt/Volla the groundswell of people in the U.S. who want to break free of Google and Apple.

Come on! Raise your hands and say “hello”!
dobroplr
Beiträge: 2
Registriert: Di 24. Jan 2023, 00:11
Wohnort: North Carolina, USA

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

Thanks for the welcome. I think what might help Volla here is to have more of a presence on line. For instance, there are many Reddit groups about de-googled phones, linux phones, UB touch. etc. There is even an active Palm group in Reddit. The Volla Reddit presence seems pretty languid, but Volla is mentioned sometimes in other threads, usually with negative or incorrect info.
edjec
Beiträge: 44
Registriert: Fr 9. Sep 2022, 06:39
Wohnort: Utah
VollaPhone mit: Volla OS 12
sonstiges Handy/iPhone mit Android Version/iOS Version: Volla 22 Multiboot running Volla OS, Ubuntu, & Sailfish. Well, I did have UT and Sailfish until the VOS 12 update...

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

I would agree. So many self-professed experts re-dispensing “information” they’ve seen without a clue of what they’re talking about or any personal experience.

Volla has a Marketing and Social Media department and they do follow the forums. They may have been hesitating until a more viable phone is available for the US before participating in these venues. We’ll see.
edjec
Beiträge: 44
Registriert: Fr 9. Sep 2022, 06:39
Wohnort: Utah
VollaPhone mit: Volla OS 12
sonstiges Handy/iPhone mit Android Version/iOS Version: Volla 22 Multiboot running Volla OS, Ubuntu, & Sailfish. Well, I did have UT and Sailfish until the VOS 12 update...

Re: Cannot get Volla Phone 22 configured with Verizon APN in USA, to send or receive phone calls?

This is just an FYI and I’m posting it on this thread because it is one of the most active.

For anyone curious as to why those of us here would want to de-google/apple their phones and lives, download Blokada for either OS, install it on your current phone, and turn it on. It’s OK – it’s Swiss. The Swiss are just as concerned about privacy as the good folks at Volla are.

It will install its own VPN and start blocking known trackers and ads. After it’s run for a bit, while you have used the phone as usual, open Blokada and tap the vertical bars at the bottom. Do you see all of the pretty red colors? Each one of those is a tracker, spyware, or ad service that’s been blocked!

That’s an eye-opener, isn’t it? Your phone has been cheating on you, and you had no idea. What’s your number? Mine is over 49,818!

Does your phone always seem to be warm? That’s because its radios are busy 24 hours a day letting these companies know where you are, who you’re with, and what you’re doing. And yet, you wonder why your batteries die so quickly and your data plan evaporates into thin air.

My Volla phone only needs to be charged every third day.

Now you know why we want to help Volla get its phones configured for the U.S. market.

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