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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?

Hello jamesm067,

I just received a reply from tmcco elsewhere on this forum, another Volla 22 purchaser who can make and receive calls. In his case, he swapped the SIM card from his old Alcatel Windows phone into the Volla and it was recognized and fully functioning. In fact, he just ordered another Volla for his wife.

His carrier? Ting Mobile, which is an MVNO through Verizon. The card I swapped out from my old HTC Windows phone is a Verizon card as well, and they jammed me straight up stating the phone is not compatible with their system. I’m from the SLC, UT area and 4G VoLTE/5G have been here for some time.

I think the reason that some users can access the same carrier’s network and others can’t is due to the roll-out of the 4G VoLTE/5G networks. Logically, heavily populated areas would be transitioned into the new systems earlier, whereas lesser populated areas will receive the upgrades later. They will no doubt also lose connectivity on December 31st if Verizon completely shuts down the 3G and 4G LTE networks nationally on schedule.

I too sent an email detailing my thoughts to Gregor Zawierucha in Customer Service/Support this afternoon, so I would not expect a reply until Monday at the earliest. I am anxiously awaiting Volla’s solution to this issue.

I am 99.9% certain that the missing 1700 MHz frequency band is the reason these phones don’t work here. The carriers are shutting down the older networks to free up those bandwidths for 4G VoLTE, and 5G which are bandwidth hogs.

I don’t know if the modem that Gigaset uses is firmware driven and the 1700 frequencies can be enabled, but that is my hope. I have found that other phone manufacturers have separate modems for the US, EU, and Africa, so maybe not.

All three are now heavily invested in Band 4 AWS (1710-1755MHz uplink and 2110-2155MHz downlink) and Band 66 EAWS (1710-1780MHz/2110-2200MHz). Since the Volla does not support 1700MHz, it can not work when those are the primary regional bands.

I have now tried all three carriers and cannot get service from any of them. Maybe the Volla 23 will be 5G?
stu
Beiträge: 42
Registriert: Sa 6. Aug 2022, 08:08

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

edjec hat geschrieben: Sa 10. Sep 2022, 07:56
I too sent an email detailing my thoughts to Gregor Zawierucha in Customer Service/Support this afternoon,

I am 99.9% certain that the missing 1700 MHz frequency band is the reason these phones don’t work here.
Great work, thank you!

Sounds as if this is not only a problem for customers in the US, but for everyone traveling there (or to any other country making the transition to 5G).
jamesm067
Beiträge: 15
Registriert: Sa 3. Sep 2022, 20:00

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

Hello,

This is very disappointing to buy a NEW phone that does not work!

How many people in the USA bought the new Volla 22, only to find that it will not work in the USA with Verizon or T-Mobile (using the Volla OS), when trying to make or receive calls?

What Hello Welt (Hello World) needs to do is have their manufacturer (Gigaset) make a Software Defined Radio (SDR) or System on a Chip (SOC), that can cover the range of frequencies, with different antenna lengths as needed, in the phone. The SOC would adapt to the frequency being used, wherever the phone is brought.

Anyone traveling (for example) from Europe to the USA right now with a Volla phone, is at risk of finding that their phone will NOT work here - even if they purchase a local SIM card.

Volla is going to lose the entire US market, with perhaps a few exceptions (e.g. hobbyists, collectors), unless they immediately fix the carrier network/frequency issues.

Yes, all frequencies (speaking for USA, North America, Central America and South America) should be spec'd out and available on the Volla 22 Phone!

Please do not make another phone for 2023, until you can be sure it is truly a global phone that can be used anywhere.

The 1700 band should have been included. And, I too hope that this can be fixed by way of a firmware update. For now, I have a small WIFI based computer, called the Volla Phone 22

It is a wonderful privacy based mini computer, but NOT a phone/smartphone - by the definition of the phone.

I would be happy to make videos praising this phone and helping Hello Welt expand their market of Volla phones, to privacy minded people, in the USA. But first, I need to be able to make phone calls on the phone. I live in a densely populated state called Massachusetts and I am near the coastline (more people, more cell towers) and I cannot make calls on a new phone in 2022 - called the Volla Phone 22.

The ironic thing about T-Mobile, is that it is a German based company and I am using a German made phone with a T-Mobile SIM card -and yet, I still cannot make a phone call with this phone.

No luck with Verizon either. I have not tried AT&T yet. But, I am wondering if I should even bother.

Hello Welt, please fix this Volla Phone 22 issue. I want to use your phone, in the USA! Also, please do right by all the users in the USA, that have purchased Volla phones (first or second generation Volla phones), who cannot make or receive phone calls.

Regards,

-J
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 just went to the Indiegogo pages for the V22 and VX, and the latest comment from Hallo Welt to someone asking about service in the USA is that others have reported that SIM cards from T-Mobile and Mint (MVNO for T-Mobile) work. However, as we know, this is based on old information. T-Mobile shut down the Sprint network (GSM) in July.

Hallo Welt also stated:
Mobile operating systems need to be adapted to each hardware. Therefore Volla OS is only available on Volla devices. Ubuntu Touch is available on many other devices, but this operating system doesn’t support VoLTE yet, which is mandatory for US mobile networks.
So they are aware of the changing market here, but maybe only now realizing how far it has advanced.

On the Volla X page 9 months ago, a potential purchaser was told that there were over 100 users in the US. Who are these people and have their phones ceased functioning too?

@jamesm067:
Anyone traveling (for example) from Europe to the USA right now with a Volla phone, is at risk of finding that their phone will NOT work here - even if they purchase a local SIM card.
You are correct. It's a hardware issue, but not one isolated to the Volla phones.

Hallo Welt Systeme, if you read these posts, please suspend sales to North America* and find a solution for us, as the situation is only getting worse. GSM & CDMA are now almost completely extinct in the US. Only 4G VoLTE and 5G will function here after December 31, and the frequency bands are different from those used in Europe.

Your phones are a breath of fresh air to us here and you have done excellent work with the Volla OS and your input to Ubuntu. We love your phones, please help us!


*Canada is also beginning to experience these same connection issues. Although they have many more regional carriers, the effects are staggered as they update their systems.
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?

jamesm067 hat geschrieben: Sa 10. Sep 2022, 14:40 What Hello Welt (Hello World) needs to do is have their manufacturer (Gigaset) make a Software Defined Radio (SDR) or System on a Chip (SOC), that can cover the range of frequencies, with different antenna lengths as needed, in the phone. The SOC would adapt to the frequency being used, wherever the phone is brought.
I've been away from electronic development for a while and was not aware of this possibility. Although it may be a topic for another discussion, I did find an interesting article discussing this here: https://www.eweek.com/mobile/software-d ... ile-use/

While this certainly has possibilities, it also has even more opportunities for misuse. I can envision where regulatory bodies might have credible issues with this technology and be reluctant to approve its use. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for SDR as I doubt phones with this capability could be sold unless approved by the receiving country.
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?

Purism is offering two SIM plans named AweSIM and SIMple, but doesn’t advertise what carriers they use, so I reached out for clarification.

I did receive a response and was informed that Purism is an MVNO through both T-Mobile and ATT. So, unfortunately, this is not an option either.

I have now exhausted every avenue I can think of to resolve this problem. The ball is in Hallo Welt’s court.
Gregor
Beiträge: 20
Registriert: Sa 28. Aug 2021, 14:53
sonstiges Handy/iPhone mit Android Version/iOS Version: Hülle

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

Hello.
Thank you for your precious feedback. As you mentioned there are different experiences with the connection which reach us. I see that we have to pay some more attention to the US market and the developments there.
I am sorry for your inconvenience. We will investigate it in search for a solution.
Benutzeravatar
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?

The situation is simple: Mobile network operators use selected frequency bands to offer their service for telephone calls and data traffic. In urban regions, higher frequencies with a short range are usually used for larger amounts of data, and in elongated regions, lower frequencies with a longer range are used.

The Volla Phone and Volla Phone X support the following frequencies:
  • GSM / 2G: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
  • UMTS / 3G: 900 / 2100 MHz
  • FDD / LTE / 4G: 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600 MHz
The Volla PHone 22 supports more frequencies:
  • GSM/2G: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
  • UMTS/3G: 900 / 2100
  • TDD/LTE/4G: 2300 / 2600
  • FDD/LTE/4G: 700 / 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600
A smartphone can only be used in a mobile network that uses one of the frequencies, that are supported by the device.

Mobile networks that don't use any G2 or G3 frequencies, which a Volla Phone supports, necessarily use the VoLTE standard for telephony. This standard is currently only supported by Volla OS. We are working with the UBports Foundation to introduce VoLTE for Ubuntu Touch. Currently, Ubuntu Touch only supports the data connection on the 4G network.

We have received confirmation from US users using a SIM card from Mint or T'-Mobile that you can get your Volla Phone up and running
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?

Hello Gregor,

Thank you for your response.

I have found that those that are able to connect using T-Mobile or any of its MVNO wholesalers are previous users switching SIM cards from an old phone to the new Volla. Anyone trying to activate a new phone or customer account with any of the Big-3 carriers is greeted with an IMEI verification process. In all cases, that I have tried, the Volla IMEI is instantly rejected.

Please, try it yourself here:
Verizon https://www.verizon.com/od/prepaid/bri ... heckDevice
ATT https://www.att.com/buy/byod/identify?devicetype=phone
T-Mobile https://www.t-mobile.com/resources/bri ... -own-phone

T-Mobile did allow me to pass the rejection screen and activate the SIM card (Mint-Mobile) manually, but when booting the Volla 22, I was greeted with a message stating "Emergency Calls Only". Manually entering the APN did nothing to activate the SIM card and the phone continued to display the emergency message. Note that neither ATT nor Verizon allowed for emergency calls. At least, there was no message stating so. Gone are the days when we could swap SIM cards. The results were the same whether using Volla OS or Ubuntu Touch (UT does not support VoLTE).

I first tried to activate the Volla with the SIM card from my existing Windows phone that has been my daily use phone, continuously active since 2014. I have in the past swapped this card into other phones for testing and have always been able to activate them without issue. Now, Verizon halts any SIM swap with the mandatory IMEI activation process. Needless to say, the Volla was rejected even though the Windows phone uses many of the same frequencies as the Volla.

T-Mobil absorbed Sprint in 2019. Sprint was a large user of the GSM spectrum and at the end of July of this year, T-Mobile shut down most of that network to transition those frequencies to their 4G VoLTE and 5G networks. Verizon is slated to complete this same transition on December 31 of this year. I receive monthly notices from Verizon informing me that my Windows phone will cease working on 12/31/22.

These changes have already occurred in most of the major metropolitan and surrounding areas. Some of the more rural areas may still have service in these lower bands, but it will not be that way much longer. My hunch is that any US Volla phone user able to place calls has one of these grandfathered SIM cards or is in a more rural area.

I believe that many of your US customers ordered the Volla phone before the July shutdowns or soon after and were not aware of the impending network changes. This is certainly not an issue caused by Hallo Welt, but we are looking to your company to guide us to a solution.

Please, help us.
Benutzeravatar
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?

If the frequencies used by the mobile network are supported by the Volla Phone 22, it should be technically possible to use it in this network.

Theoretically, it is conceivable that a mobile network provider blocks a device for non-technical reasons. Roaming is possible in any case. This could suggest that there is a non-technical reason.

The APN settings are relevant for the data connection. Do you have a data connection to the mobile network? For some networks, it has been reported to us that a data connection but no telephony is possible.

You can check the exact connection status of the device by dialing *#*#4636#*#* in the Phone app and the first entry from the list displayed in the connection.

We are discussing this topic both with our supplier for the manufacturing of our devices and as part of our plans to become an MVNO ourselves. We will also try to get in touch with one of the carriers.

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