Anyone who has recently traveled to the US has already noticed: you can no longer make regular telephone calls via some foreign mobile networks. This is due to carriers switching off their older mobile networks (2G and 3G). In this way they create space for the new technical generations, 4G and 5G.
The 4G and 5G networks use a different voice technology than their predecessors. If your device does not have exactly the right settings, you will no longer be able to make calls in the usual way. As a result, emergency services such as 112 (or 911 in other countries) will be unreachable for some callers.
“We are waiting for the first emergency where someone cannot reach the emergency service,” says Rudolf van der Berg. He is a consultant to research firm Stratix and has tackled the standardization problem together with the European Emergency Services Association, AN A†
According to him, the GSMA, the international trade association of the telecom sector, has not been strict enough with the introduction of VoLTE: that is the abbreviation for Voice over LTE, the speech technology of 4G and 5G.
Lego brick
You could summarize the standardization problem – simplified – as follows: an agreement has been made about which Lego bricks can use mobile networks and device manufacturers, but it is not fixed how you should put those bricks together. As a result, telephones, networks and services used do not work together in the same way.
By far the most recent devices can handle VoLTE, but do not have the correct software settings to use it anywhere and anytime. This poses a problem with mobile calling as soon as the old networks are down.
The GSMA sector organization has set up a ‘exhibition’ where networks and telephone manufacturers can exchange institutions to exchange† But these must then be sent to all devices via software updates. Mobile calling via VoLTE goes wrong with older phones that no longer receive updates. Apple supports the devices for many years, but Android phones sometimes no longer receive new versions after three years.
A problem can also occur if you call via a so-called virtual mobile network (MVNO), which uses the radio network of another provider. Because these MVNOs do not sell large quantities of devices, telephone manufacturers do not always find it necessary to take this into account: the test procedure takes time and money.
Not everyone wants to buy a device through the provider to make sure VoLTE works. In addition, a problem may arise if you switch to a new provider that uses different settings.
Shutdown has begun
In the meantime, the shutdown has already started. AT&T, a major US carrier, turned off both 2G and 3G this year. The Dutch networks are also switching off older networks. T-Mobile switched off 2G, KPN and VodafoneZiggo both switched off 3G. KPN also wants to switch off 2G in 2025. The VoLTE issue occurs once both 2G and 3G become unavailable. In other European countries, providers will switch off their old networks as soon as possible. That causes political unrest. Even though 112 can be reached via VoLTE, not everyone will be able to reach the emergency service once 2G and 3G are out of the air. After parliamentary questions, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has insisted on a structural European approach, but does not want to wait for that. Minister Adriaansens (Economic Affairs & Climate, VVD) plans to talk to market parties to find a faster solution. To fix the VoLTE issue for all users, phone manufacturers must provide retroactive updates.
Also read: Samsung does not have to update smartphones after two years
The Consumers’ Association tried to force market leader Samsung through the courts to extend the update policy, but lost that case in 2018. At the time, it mainly concerned adjustments that promote the safety of the device. Now that the accessibility of emergency services is at stake, the safety of the user is at stake.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of June 14, 2022