4G LTE but no VoLTE ?

[StymiedToo]

My LG Rebel 4 (LML212VL) indicates 4G LTE when mobile data is turned on. These appear to be separate icons because they don‘t line up with each other. The User Guide lists a 4G icon but not an LTE icon.

In the User Guide under Network & internet Mobile networks it states -
Customize the following settings:
• VoLTE (This function may not be available depending on the service provider): You can enable HD Voice and advanced communication services where available.

I do not have a VoLTE function to customize & that would mean it‘s not available from my service provider which is VZ. But I do have an Advanced Calling setting to turn HD Voice on/off.

Under “Network type & strength” the phone indicates 4G - 78dBm.

I’m trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I was under the impression LTE was sort of a compromise between 3G and 4G until full 4G speed was available.

1) A phone icon indicates I have LTE, which supposedly is not full 4G.
2) There is no VoLTE function. Has LTE disappeared & been replaced by full 4G?
3) Network type indicates 4G.

Am I getting real 4G or the lightweight LTE version?
Thanks

[jmac32here]

The option for "advanced calling, hd voice" is Verizons terms they now use for VoLTE.

Also in the US LTE is 4G.

Sent from my Z5156CC using HoFo mobile app

[hpham]

I’m trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

0) I was under the impression LTE was sort of a compromise between 3G and 4G until full 4G speed was available.
1) A phone icon indicates I have LTE, which supposedly is not full 4G.
2) There is no VoLTE function. Has LTE disappeared & been replaced by full 4G?
3) Network type indicates 4G.
4) Am I getting real 4G or the lightweight LTE version?

0) LTE is Long-Term Evolution, generally used to indicate cell phone technology from 4G (4th Generation) onward.
1) If your phone displays an LTE icon, then it has 4G Data, more about VoLTE below.
2) Typically, there's no VoLTE icon at the top of the screen. Some phones have an "HD" indicator on the Call screen (see attachment) when a call is going through VoLTE. Some phones don't show an HD indicator although the call is actually going through VoLTE.
3) Install the app Network Signal Info from Google Play Store and run it WHILE A CALL IS IN PROGRESS. It'll show what Voice and Data are using. If it shows 4G/LTE for Voice, then the call is going through VoLTE.
4) There's no "lightweight" LTE.

Attachment 171493

Attachment 171494

[whacker]

For the legacy GSM companies (AT&T and T-Mobile) and their associated MVNOs, their road to 4G LTE had the intermediate step of the improved version of 3G, which was HSPA and HSPA+, which gave some significant speed increases to the then current 3G standard (which in the GSM world was called UMTS). This was really enhanced 3G, but AT&T appears to have taken the opportunity to refer to it as 4G (with no reference to LTE), and I believe their phones would display "4G" in the status bar (for Android). T-Mobile's phones showed an "H" or maybe "H+") in the status bar when operating with that technology (there may be some variance; I'm writing this from recall).

LTE is 4G, but the use of the term "4G" in the early years prior to LTE being fully built out was the in-between step.

When moving beyond the 4G LTE years, AT&T also had a clever (i.e. deceitful) marketing technique that introduced the concept of "5GE," and had an indicator that displayed this on certain phones.

Here's an article about that aspect: https://www.makeuseof.com/what-is-5g...ith%20coverage.

Nothing but enhanced LTE, but they got to use the "5G" term all over the place. Similar to using "4G" before LTE was fully baked at their network.

Maybe these are the "Lite" versions StymiedToo indirectly refers to.

Luckily the move to real 5G utilizes existing LTE tech to a large degree, and will for years to come. But here we are with the three majors and their stuck-in-the-mud subscribers struggling to shut down 3G UMTS (or in VZW's case 1x/EVDO) this year (or whenever).

[rchang]

Additionally, AT&T has their own non-standard implementation of VoLTE. So, it is possible for the Network Signal App to say that you are connecting to voice over 4G LTE, but an incompatible phone will still not connect to AT&T VoLTE.

[whacker]

Well let's be clear that, as far as AT&T saying they have their own implementation of VoLTE, they've been operating for a couple of years with certain customers' phones using VoLTE in a fully functional fashion, only to find out that now some of them are somehow no longer compliant, and were kicked off or stopped working. This is an arbitrary action by AT&T, and is BS! A matter simply of selection of one compatible device over another for reasons unknown. Allowed before; why not continue to be allowed?

The cellular network operators in this country should somehow be forced to develop and follow a path of universal device acceptance on their LTE and newer networks. Anything less than this will always leave the door open for the hucksterism of this or that network needing specially compliant devices.

[hpham]

Here's a screenshot of my old LG Q7 which doesn't have VoLTE on AT&T (it does on T-mo). It showed 4G at the top of the screen, but Voice was going through UMTS and Data was using HSPA+.

[advcomp2019]

Yea, I know people over at reddit does not understand that AT&T and T-Mobile has confused people with HSPA/HSPA+ and even LTE-A now.

Some people think HSPA/HSPA+ will still be around when they shut down 3G or support VoLTE since their phones says 4G.

Now they are doing it again with LTE-A because they think their phone supports 5G even tho their phone does not have 5G.

[hpham]

Well let's be clear that, as far as AT&T saying they have their own implementation of VoLTE, they've been operating for a couple of years with certain customers' phones using VoLTE in a fully functional fashion, only to find out that now some of them are somehow no longer compliant, and were kicked off or stopped working. This is an arbitrary action by AT&T, and is BS! A matter simply of selection of one compatible device over another for reasons unknown. Allowed before; why not continue to be allowed?

An example is my TF-unlocked A51 which has been working with a FreeUp AT&T SIM and has VoLTE since Feb 2022 when I got FreeUp C.S to provision the SIM for VoLTE. At that time, the IMEI check on FreeUp said it was fully compatible. Although the phone/SIM is still working today with VoLTE (confirmed by Network Signal app), a few weeks ago I started getting warning messages in my FreeUp account that it's not compatible "after 2/22/22" and the IMEI check now says it's not compatible. All because it's a TF S515DL model and not A515U or A515U1 (factory unlocked). I hate AT&T and their whitelist B.S.

[whacker]

I've just been reading a bit more on this topic, and have come to the conclusion that I need to know more before I comment. The whole issue of LTE vs. LTE-A is its own can of worms. According to what I'm reading only LTE-A is true 4G, and I don't yet know by definition which major carriers may be using just LTE or the - A improvement in their dash for 5G. One of the major quests for 4G compliance is to get everything (including voice, meaning VoLTE) using IP in the data stream. There are some websites that put speeds up as the defining aspects of what constitutes LTE vs. LTE-A. So lots to deal with here.

I need a "... For Dummies" version of network standards to get all this straight, I'm afraid.

To hpham: Supporting my point precisely!

[gmannix]

Hpham, do you leave the Network Signal Info on at all times? I'd think that would nibble away at data...no?

[hpham]

Hpham, do you leave the Network Signal Info on at all times? I'd think that would nibble away at data...no?

I don't leave the Network Signal Info running all the time, especially because it now requires the GPS (location) to be on which uses battery power. That app does not use any data.

[StymiedToo]

This is just one website I looked at when searching for information. Other sites said essentially the same thing.
https://www.signalbooster.com/blogs/...een-4g-and-lte

Their saying “4G LTE is a major improvement over 3G speeds, it is technically not 4G.” And “LTE data transfer speed standard is merely a stopgap measure standard devised until actual 4G speed is realized.”

So I was thinking if 4G speed is now realized, then we’re no longer in the LTE transition period. And if VoLTE is Voice Over LTE, and we’re no longer in the LTE change over phase, then voice would not be over LTE. Voice would be over 4G.

But apparently the term “LTE” is still used.

Here’s 2 screenshots of the Network Signal Info on my phone. I had to scroll down & take a second screenshot in order to display more information.

[hpham]

So I was thinking if 4G speed is now realized, then we’re no longer in the LTE transition period. And if VoLTE is Voice Over LTE, and we’re no longer in the LTE change over phase, then voice would not be over LTE. Voice would be over 4G.

But apparently the term “LTE” is still used.

Here’s 2 screenshots of the Network Signal Info on my phone.

Your left screenshot shows Voice uses LTE*4G, so the call was going through the Data channel, which is commonly known as VoLTE.

What make/model is your phone? Use it to call another cell phone that uses VoLTE on Verizon and see if the HD indicator shows up on the call screen, near the call timer.

[hpham]

So I was thinking if 4G speed is now realized, then we’re no longer in the LTE transition period. And if VoLTE is Voice Over LTE, and we’re no longer in the LTE change over phase, then voice would not be over LTE. Voice would be over 4G.

But apparently the term “LTE” is still used.

If call going through the Data channel is to be called "Voice over 4G", then when everything is on 5G will it be known as "Voice over 5G"?