Fido block VoLTE and Wifi Calling by blacklisting IMEI

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I've just got a Fido Pulse plan recently, bringing my own device, an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 purchased directly from Samsung. I chose Fido mainly because of VoLTE and Wifi Calling. I installed the lastest Fido firmware on my phone to make sure there is no compatibility problem with the network. The CSC code of my phone (in the settings menu) is FMC, which is the Fido one. VoLTE and Wifi Calling options are present in the settings.

When I enable VoLTE, calls still fall back on the HSPA+ network. For the Wifi Calling, when I click the link to configure the address, I receive the verification code but it tells my phone seems incompatible and to contact the Fido support.

Fido/Rogers, this is a real shame. My phone is indistinguishable from a Fido one and is fully compatible. Well, the only difference is that you didn't get the money...

It doesn't work because you don't allow non-Fido purchased phone based on their IMEI to register on these networks, for no reason. Some people had luck and customer support were able to add their IMEI in the database to get it work, but a lot, including me, don't. I had this luck with an unlocked iPhone 6 with Rogers (after "fighting" with the customer support for over 2 weeks), but this time, it's been a while I ask them but they say they're unable to do it, that the technical support will call me back in 24h-48h but they never call back or that they're unable to join them. There is no technical problem here, it is just an anti-consumer practice.

So I post this here for everyone to see and for people who might consider to bring their device to Fido to be warned about this (even though there are a lot of other post about this), and for you to see their real face, they're just greedy. To get $50+ for a few Gb isn't enough, they want you to buy the same phone you have from them.

And maybe a representent from Fido can help me to get the technical support to contact me to fix this problem before I give up?

What you, Fido/Rogers, seem to forget, is that people who bring their own devices do not have any contract, they can leave whenever they want. And as the CRTC ban the anti-consumer practice of locking cellphones and unlocking fees, people will be able to move between carriers freely, and it will be a real mess for you.

We are a lot in that case, you're going to lose a lot of clients. And don't forget you're not only in competition with other carriers but also with all VOIP services we have now, from Whatsapp to VOIP.ms

P.S. VoLTE and Wifi calling are no more "future technologies", they are today's technologies. LTE is the main network now, almost everybody use it, and you still prevent us to call on this network. As for Wifi Calling, it is important for people who live in basement or in the country side with a poor network quality. It also relieve the towers as there will be less network trafic.

[danthemanx]

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@FidoThomas wrote:

Hey @BrianJM,

I get where you're coming from, it's understandable! Alas, currently we do no support Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE with non-Fido Android devices, it's a business decision that we took. We work with device manufacturers to bring this capability to our customers and currently offer it on most devices on the market. 

That being said, we truly value your feedback as we want to offer services that correspond to our customers needs. Telling us what you want is the best way to see the changes you need  

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To this Fido Rep and all the future ones who answer this thread: you can now stop repeating yourself. Anyone who knows how to read English can read your previous messages which are all copy pasted from each other. Sure you only support Fido-bought phones for IMS services. That's not entirely true. My previous phone was a Videotron converted phone to FMC and it worked fine. Not sure how or why.

Why don't you instead ONLY support Canadian variants of any phone? Rather than some control over specific IMEIs in your database or whatever method you use, which has not been explained yet. You could at least be more transparent about it and enlighten your clients on how or what is being done to restrict these services from non-Fido phones. 

You see how frustrating it is to your CURRENT PAYING customers that keep posting on here. It's more than time for you to do something about it rather than "passing on the message".

All we want, is to be able to use our Canadian variant phones with these features. That's all. I'm not asking to bring in a phone that was intended to work across Asia. My phone is identical to the Fido-purchased ones, in fact I can't see any difference between mine and my friend's Fido purchased S9 except that his somehow loads the RwC VOLTE IMS profile.

Better yet, don't do any IMEI filtering or blocking at all and if it works, that's good, if it doesn't, well then it probably is not compatible (totally different than current situation). At least it won't be because Fido is purposely intervening to piss off (a lot of) its customers who came to Fido through BYOD. 

Thanks

[BrianJM]

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@danthemanx wrote:

Why don't you instead ONLY support Canadian variants of any phone? Rather than some control over specific IMEIs in your database or whatever method you use, which has not been explained yet.

It has been explained. Just a few messages ago a moderator explained that it was a "business decision". Granted he didn't explain the reason for the business decision but to me it's pretty clear: We didn't make any money from the handset you bought nor were we able to get our bloatware kickbacks from your phone, so we won't let you use IMS. Next time, buy your phone from us so that we can load it with bloatware and get our kickbacks, or else you won't get our enhanced services.

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@danthemanx wrote:

All we want, is to be able to use our Canadian variant phones with these features.

And all they want is to make money from selling you a handset with a boatload of bloatware on it and they are holding anything more than basic services hostage to that.

[danthemanx]

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@BrianJM wrote:

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@danthemanx wrote:

Why don't you instead ONLY support Canadian variants of any phone? Rather than some control over specific IMEIs in your database or whatever method you use, which has not been explained yet.

It has been explained. Just a few messages ago a moderator explained that it was a "business decision". Granted he didn't explain the reason for the business decision but to me it's pretty clear: We didn't make any money from the handset you bought nor were we able to get our bloatware kickbacks from your phone, so we won't let you use IMS. Next time, buy your phone from us so that we can load it with bloatware and get our kickbacks, or else you won't get our enhanced services.

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@danthemanx wrote:

All we want, is to be able to use our Canadian variant phones with these features.

And all they want is to make money from selling you a handset with a boatload of bloatware on it and they are holding anything more than basic services hostage to that.

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I honestly don't think the bloatware is that terrible anymore. Don't think there's much bloatware, so really that's fine put it on my phone if you need to but allow me to use VoLTE and wifi calling.

[patrickchan]

this is same as Telus currently only supporting lgg6 for VoLte/WiFi calling,

as least Rogers/Fido does support samsung s9+ (mine directly from samsung store in canada), with new Fido Simcard (and refresh apn settings).

[Zxaz]

if you search like i did...you will find easily a provider that once you gonna pop your sim...volte/wifi calling/video call come instantly....this what happened with my s9 bought directly from samsung....

liked to be with fido....but needed the wifi calling...and became bored to arguing with them just because i didn"t bough the phone from them..

there is alway a solution at the end....

[Berlo]

Is there a solution now for the Samsung Galaxy S9+ purchased unlocked from Samsung? I don't want to change the firmware. What was CRTC/CCTS response about this?

[Zxaz]

Yes....the only solution im aware is to change provider right away if you want wi-fi calling and volte....

[FidoGabrielle]

Hello everyone!

We're still exploring our options in order to be able to offer these features on non-Fido phones in the future but we are not there yet. We will update this thread once we have any updates regarding this.

[BrianJM]

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@FidoGabrielle wrote:

Hello everyone!

We're still exploring our options in order to be able to offer these features on non-Fido phones in the future but we are not there yet. We will update this thread once we have any updates regarding this.

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You have been "exploring" for a long time.  I think you are using exploring in it's "dragging our feet so that we don't have to do something we don't want to do" meaning, yes?

[Zxaz]

this is probably the better realistic post i saw from a moderator....was about time!!!

however how much customer will you lose because of it??  just me as of today..2 lines  

[FidoPhilippe]

Hey @Zxaz!

We've replied to you on the other thread you posted on here.

[patrickchan]

hi all

i have tried an note 8 phone via from telus, and not able to use the VoLte and wifi calling , as note 8 is not supported yet (only lgg6 via telus support website). i have placed my Fido sim in the note 8, and cannot use the VoLte and wifi calling (my guess is that note 8 is not supported by Fido, eventhough that the IMS registation was good to go. therefore, the VoLte and Wifi calling depends on the carrier support of the manufactured phone companies (notice that most apple iphones do support the VoLte and Wifi calling, only limited android phones will be supported). 

[Anonymous]

Hi.

Just a question? Do we know if its just limited to Fido which is blacklisting IMS Services to Fido-sold fido branded handsets or does the same occur on competitors such as Telus, Bell, Rogers?   

I used to use Wi-Fi calling back in the day (2009) and it was beautiful. There was a spot in my house which had NO cellular reception but I turned on the Wi-Fi and my phone was able ot make and receive calls without a hitch.  I love this feature.  I also want my next smart phone to have this feature too

[BrianJM]

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@FidoThomas wrote:

Hey @BrianJM,

I get where you're coming from, it's understandable! Alas, currently we do no support Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE with non-Fido Android devices, it's a business decision that we took.

Yes, we all understand it's a business decision. That's what we all have been saying here. Fido decided that because they didn't make any money on the handset and the bloatware shoved onto the handset that they are not going to give all of the features to the BYOD customer. There is no technical reason for this. You have just said as much. Just like a spoiled child that doesn't get his way, Fido are being pissy just because they didn't squeeze every last penny from the customer.

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@FidoThomas wrote:

 We work with device manufacturers to bring this capability to our customers and currently offer it on most devices on the market. 

As long as they were bought from you so that you can get every last penny that you can from the customer. That's a really spoilt way to do business.  People have devices that will work just fine but just because they bought them somewhere else, you won't provide all of the features.  Surely you can see how much that makes Fido look like a spoilt little child, yes?

I really wish any one of the people who files CCTS/CRTC complaints about this would speak up and report the result of their claim.

[patrickchan]

hi

i would first get an new sim card from Fido store, have the sales dude, setup and match up your mobile phone settings to match the apn as well. then try to setup wifi calling, register your mobile number, enter your name and address for 911, enable the VoLTE and call someone whom has VoLTE phone. 

[TwitchyPuppy]

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@grreaghbwrote:

Fido told me themselves, from the office of the president, that they in fact only allow Fido purchased phones to use this service. Period (iphones excluded).

I appreciate that you want to help people out, but you are completly wrong about this and that's not me saying that, it's Fido.  

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I’ve tried my SIM card in a Galaxy S7 straight from Samsung and I came to these conclusions:

On Rogers and Fido CSC; VoLTE, LTE+ and WiFi Calling work. 

On any other CSC; only LTE+ works. 

[BrianJM]

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@TwitchyPuppywrote:

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On Rogers and Fido CSC; VoLTE, LTE+ and WiFi Calling work. 

On any other CSC; only LTE+ works. 

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What's CSC?  Firmware image?  I wonder if we can determine what it is about Rogers and Fido firmwares that makes it work.  Could it be just that hose firmware images have something pre-configured to access those services and that a non-Rogers/Fido firmware can be set to access them also?

[TwitchyPuppy]

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@BrianJMwrote:

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@TwitchyPuppywrote:

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On Rogers and Fido CSC; VoLTE, LTE+ and WiFi Calling work. 

On any other CSC; only LTE+ works. 

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What's CSC?  Firmware image?  I wonder if we can determine what it is about Rogers and Fido firmwares that makes it work.  Could it be just that hose firmware images have something pre-configured to access those services and that a non-Rogers/Fido firmware can be set to access them also?

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CSC means 'Customer Service Code' which has different standards for both voice and data communications to a cell phone tower.

I believe it might be some sort of coding in the OS, allowing those features to be enabled only when there's a connection to their network. That's the only possiblity I could think of.

CSC can me manually selected by entering a serie of digits on your phone dialer, followed by your CSC. However, it factory resets the phone.

[Metriadi]

Love that the level of participation by the Fido mods and sales have dropped to zero on this page, probably because they know all they can say at this point is the same BS that's been said on EVERY single page of this thread. Just come clean, at this point, it would actually be refreshing to hear you guys tell the truth for once.

[grreaghb]

The funny part is that they don't block outside iphones.  I assume Apple made it clear to carriers that they are not to be blocked.  Too bad Android manufacturers didn't put the same pressure on the carriers.

I did receive a funny text the other day on my non fido LG G6 that said that they were implementing an Alert system and functionality would be added to a future software update.  Considering my phone is identical in everyway to a Fido LG G6 I bet this service works just fine on my phone, while Fido/Rogers continues to block paying customers from using Wifi Calling and VOLTE.

Hilarious.

[Kenjuta]

my friend's Note 8 bought from Samsung directly worked somehow

my pixel XL directly from Google doesn't

really makes no sense since it's running the same stuff as the one sold by Fido

if i take my current phone and go to the states and put in a TMobile SIM in it will figure out that the phone works with VoLTE and WiFi calling and allows me to use the feature and I don't know why Fido can't do the same

why does Fido even bother with BYOP plans if Fido doesn't allow the phones you bring to full use their network that we're paying for? Pretty sure this is just an excuse for Fido to sell phones themselves by having a whitelist of all IMEI that are allowed to use VoLTE and WiFi calling