Hi all, I recently learned that Fido (and Rogers) will be shutting down the 3G network soon. I’ve been told my current phone, the ASUS ZenFone 8 (model ASUS_I006D), will no longer be compatible—even though I consistently see a 4G or 5G connection on the signal icon. After doing some digging, I found out this has to do with VoLTE requirements, which is required to make and receive calls once 3G is gone.
Here’s the confusing part:
The ZenFone 8 is fully VoLTE-capable.
In the Phone Info dialer menu (*#*#4636#*#* ), it shows "Voice Network Type: LTE".
The phone was purchased unlocked, directly from a seller (not carrier-branded).
Data works great—LTE and 5G—but I’m being told that once 3G is shut down, calls and SMS will stop working.
The screencap below further shows this:
From what I understand, this is likely due to Fido only allowing VoLTE on certrain whitelisted/certified IMEIs, even if the phone technically supports it.
Is this correct? And if so:
Is there any way to enable VoLTE for my ZenFone 8 on Fido?
If not, is there a published list of compatible VoLTE devices Fido allows?
I’d really prefer to stick with Fido, but it seems frustrating that a modern, VoLTE-capable phone is being effectively blocked from voice service because of a policy—not a hardware limitation.
Thanks in advance for any help or clarification!
Thanks for the reply. I did manage to get VoLTE to enable after some fiddling so this SHOULD work unless Fido/Rogers specifically decides which devices will and won't be allowe on their network which is basically anti-competitive behaviour.
We'll see what happens come the end of July and the 3G voice networks shuts off, this will either work or it won't and I can decide what to do then. The competitors are offering similiar prices so I can just move.
Hello Fredyo,
As you may have read from other posts, Fido traditionally have not supported certain services (ie voLTE and/or Wifi-calling etc) on devices or versions of devices they do not sell. Though, that does not necessarily mean people had to purchase from Fido. Fido sells the same Canadian versions of devices as the other Canadian mobile providers as well as local box stores etc. As long as the device was the same version as the one they sold, it was possible for those services to be supported.
On the other hand, non-Canadian versions of devices (ie US or Global Samsung S series etc) would likely not be supported for those services. In addition, other devices from manufacturers which are not generally sold from Fido or Canadian mobile providers (ie Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, etc) are also likely not to be supported for those services (see here, here, here, here. etc). Unfortunately, I don't believe Fido sold any Asus devices.
I understand that device may be LTE-capable. In fact, you do note that you are able to use data using that network. However, as you note, the issue would be related to voLTE and not necessarily access to the LTE network.
I also understand the device is voLTE-capable. However, does the device indicate voLTE in the notification panel? As far as I am aware, that device should indicate voLTE when enabled (see here and here). While both of those videos are in different languages, they do show the voLTE symbol when enabled. Yes, it's possible different versions of that device might not indicate voLTE when enabled...
Is there any additional information provided further down that Phone info page which was not included in your screen capture? As far as I am aware, there should be settings for voLTE provisioning (and Wifi-calling provisioning) further down (see image here). I am aware that image is regarding a Zenfone 9, however, I believe the details provided should be similar.
You might be able to test whether your device can actually avail of voLTE. If your device has the option to only allow access to the LTE network (LTE-only or 4G-only), you could try to make a call using that setting. If you are able to make a call without access to the '3G' network, that could indicate your device is using voLTE. However, if the call does not go through, that would be an indication that your device still relies on the the '3G' network for calls. If that is the case, you would not be able to use the device for calls and/or messages after the '3G' network sunset in July 2025.
Unfortunately, if your device is not supported for voLTE and/or Wifi-calling, there would not be anything to be done in order to enable it for your device. That said, I understand that once the '3G' network is decommissioned, limiting voLTE to only Canadian versions of devices they sell will be problematic for other device users. However, I do not know if, or when, they might allow voLTE and/or Wifi-calling support for non-Fido (non-Canadian version) devices.
Hope this helps 😀
Cheers
