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4G S8 to be disconnected with 3G shutdown - here is what you can do
If you own a Samsung S8 starting with model number G955U or G950U, and you have received a text/letter from AT&T saying they will disconnect you in February for using a 3G phone, take note.
FIRST: Your phone is 4G and should is supported. Samsung has confirmed this for me and showed me an AT&T web page that doubly confirms it (see https://www.att.com/device-support/article/wireless/KM1273778/Samsung/SamsungG955U/).
SECOND: AT&T is ignoring complaints about unilaterally disconnecting 4G phones under the guise of dropping 3G service. Some are speculating that AT&T is railroading you into upgrading your phone when it is not necessary.
THIRD: You should make your concerns heard by the following interested parties:
SAMSUNG: They should be concerned that AT&T is misinforming customers about Samsung product capabilities. Here is a shortcut to voicing your concern https://www.samsung.com/us/support/contact/?model=N0022597&topic=SYM0000442
FTC: Since AT&T is providing customers fraudulent information, telling the Federal Trade Commission about it will get a response. Visit https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/form/main?pid=B
FCC: Since AT&T rents the public airwaves, and since the FCC has many consumer protection rules, they too should be made aware at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=39744
Be sure to note that (a) you have a 4G phone, (b) AT&T is incorrectly identifying it as 3G and (c) is preparing to kill your service in February (and maybe scaring you into upgrading).
Accepted Solution
Official Solution
ATTTimCS
Employee
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383 Messages
2 years ago
Hello Community,
There is a lot of great information included in this thread, but we wanted to make sure one troubleshooting step was called out, so it isn’t missed.
To Resolve:
Once complete, please ensure you power your phone off and back on to establish a fresh connection with the network.
The information below is specifically geared to the recent 3G shutdown. If you were not part of the 3G shutdown, please troubleshoot as normal using the information included in other posts.
Tim, AT&T Community Specialist
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Accepted Solution
ATTHelp
Community Support
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221K Messages
2 years ago
Hey there, @guyshomenet2! We want to advise that the information that @OttoPylot provided is correct!
We invite you to check out 3G is going away in 2022. Under the section Devices no longer supported, you will find that we no longer activate phones that don't support HD Voice since they won't be compatible to work on our network when 3G shuts down.
If your exact device isn't found among those tested and approved to work on the AT&T network then you will want to upgrade to an HD Voice capable device, upgrade your SIM, or both.
We hope this info helps. Thank you for contacting our Community & Forums!
Lar, AT&T Community Specialist
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OttoPylot
ACE - Expert
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21.8K Messages
2 years ago
Aren't the 4G phones required to have HD Voice (VoLTE) capability as well as the bandwidths required, so I would assume that it is up to the mfr to certify that their 4G phones will meet the requirements that AT&T has had in place for quite some time now?
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guyshomenet2
New Member
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40 Messages
2 years ago
Not the issue. AT&T is specially calling out this device as 3G only.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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33.1K Messages
2 years ago
AT&T is calling out this device (if not AT&T-branded) as 3G VOICE only, meaning it uses HSPA or HSPA+ to carry voice calls and SMS. It is not certified on to use VoLTE on AT&T's network. Being able to use LTE for data is different from being able to use VoLTE for voice over the LTE data channel.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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110.7K Messages
2 years ago
I think you're confused...
The model numbers you listed are both on the whitelist of phones that WILL WORK.
Perhaps the phone in question is either booting with a different carriers boot screen, or is using a very old SIM card which is not provisioned correctly for voice over LTE service.
Just a couple of misunderstandings. AT&T 4G network is actually a 3-g network. A little like AT&T's 5G e is not actually 5G but just LTE.
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guyshomenet2
New Member
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40 Messages
2 years ago
Can you show me on the spec page I provided where it specifically says 3G Voice? Samsung support specifically told me it was 4G compliant on date and voice.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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33.1K Messages
2 years ago
Right here shows that it uses 3G voice.
HSDPA/HSDPA+/UMTS (3G/4G)
850, 900, 1900, 2100
As formerlyknownas stated, if you have the AT&T-branded model, it is certified for VoLTE (with an update).
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guyshomenet2
New Member
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40 Messages
2 years ago
FormerlyKnowAs, thanks for that page, which AT&T proffered before.
But, they send SMS and paper letters saying the opposite (see below).
Given that Samsung blesses it as 4G voice and data (nod to JefferMC for threading a needle which might have exposed incorrect AT&T documentation), we have an internal cluster**** of a situation with AT&T. They have provided contradictory statements, and there is no clear resolution.
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JefferMC
ACE - Expert
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33.1K Messages
2 years ago
Just to be clear, in addition to the link that Lar provided of AT&T-branded phone models that will work post-3G shutdown (which formerlyknownas already showed you the relevant sections of), there is the unbranded list at:
https://www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/wireless/Service-Capabilities-Unlocked-Devices-ATT-Network.pdf
So, $64K question: is your S8 AT&T-branded or not?
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