Verizon has extended the window to activate 3G devices on prepaid until 4/30/2019

[Jack Hagar]

It has very little to do with devices. It has to do with geographic areas not yet ready to provide reliable VoLTE service. Most of them are rural and I have been to a number of them recently in three different states. Verizon still has a considerable amount of work to do to meet their self-imposed end of 2019 deadline. There are significant differences in propagation characteristics between CDMA and LTE to overcome in these areas so it is not merely a case of repurposing their band 5 holdings. The reasons people are concerned about losing coverage are real and significant.

They can switch carriers to one that works

[husavik]

Link to this data. Any Verizon phone sold I the last 4-5 years is VoLTE capable. How many have 5 year old devices?

I purchased a Verizon prepaid Moto G4 Play in December 2017 brand new. It is not volte capable and will not work after this year. (only paid $40 for it so I am not worried about it). But the fact is, major retailers were selling non volte phones as of a year ago.

[Yeswap]

I purchased a Verizon prepaid Moto G4 Play in December 2017 brand new. It is not volte capable and will not work after this year. (only paid $40 for it so I am not worried about it). But the fact is, major retailers were selling non volte phones as of a year ago.

Verizon Prepaid was still selling the Gusto 3 less than 2 years ago and the TracFone brands were selling 3G only Verizon network phones well into last year.

[loboheeler]

There are also about 15 million Verizon MVNO customers, many of whom likely do not have VoLTE capable devices.

Yep, and the MVNOs have not done much to inform their customers about what is coming down. Information from these forums will not get out to many of these customers.

[loboheeler]

They can switch carriers to one that works

Many do not have carrier options in outlying areas. Verizon has quite a coverage edge overall in these places.

[Jack Hagar]

Many do not have carrier options in outlying areas. Verizon has quite a coverage edge overall in these places.

Well if CDMA shutdown results in worse coverage that won't be the case. Also because other carriers refuse to cover an area does not make it Verizon's responsibility to do so. It's like the people that don't have access to wired internet think Verizon is the bad guy because they don't offer totally uncapped unprioritized internet via wireless

[mch]

Many do not have carrier options in outlying areas. Verizon has quite a coverage edge overall in these places.

Some people will simply lose cellular coverage altogether and be without any option other than satellite. This happened when analog was shut off also.

[d g p]

Some people will simply lose cellular coverage altogether and be without any option other than satellite. This happened when analog was shut off also.

Why would they lose coverage if the same band they use for $7 burner phones today is eventually being used for LTE? LTE is more efficient than 3G anyway, so if anything capacity would be increased, right? I'm not seeing how it's lights out for anybody.

[kevink1]

Why would they lose coverage if the same band they use for $7 burner phones today is eventually being used for LTE? LTE is more efficient than 3G anyway, so if anything capacity would be increased, right? I'm not seeing how it's lights out for anybody.

There are reports that the range from tower is not as far for LTE as CDMA for the same band.

[Jack Hagar]

There are reports that the range from tower is not as far for LTE as CDMA for the same band.

I'm telling you this is very overblown but we will see in less than a year. I seriously doubt Verizon spent years planning this for it to turn into a cluster--k at the last minute. People kind of insulting Verizon network engineers here.

[kevink1]

I'm telling you this is very overblown but we will see in less than a year. I seriously doubt Verizon spent years planning this for it to turn into a cluster--k at the last minute. People kind of insulting Verizon network engineers here.

Well, that is the claim by some. My experience in Oklahoma on I-44 is better voice coverage once I upgraded to volte on my plan. I can’t guarantee that there won’t be fringe areas where coverage is worse.

[bobdevnul]

Well, that is the claim by some. My experience in Oklahoma on I-44 is better voice coverage once I upgraded to volte on my plan. I can’t guarantee that there won’t be fringe areas where coverage is worse.

My experience has been that VoLTE works much better in my location than CDMA. I switched to a VoLTE phone in November 2018 (Moto G6).

I am on the rural fringe of suburbia. CDMA calls were intermittent, at best, inside the house. VoLTE is solid even deep inside the house and walking around.

That's my location. Other places could be different.

[Jack Hagar]

Well, that is the claim by some.

they can't claim anything since CDMA is not shut down yet.

[kevink1]

they can't claim anything since CDMA is not shut down yet.

You can claim anything. Whether they are right or wrong is a different issue

In the real world, there are so many variations of cell tower locations, frequency bands, cell phone reception, there will probably be some areas that get CDMA now that won't get LTE. Other areas that don't get LTE now that will after the shutdown and refarming.

[Jack Hagar]

You can claim anything. Whether they are right or wrong is a different issue

In the real world, there are so many variations of cell tower locations, frequency bands, cell phone reception, there will probably be some areas that get CDMA now that won't get LTE. Other areas that don't get LTE now that will after the shutdown and refarming.

My point now there is this mass hysteria that is not warranted.