2G Shutdown: Time to enable VoLTE on your phone
Okay folks! It’s time to say goodbye to 2G. This brings great news ahead as the sunsetting takes place in order to make room for newer and better technologies in the telecom world.
The official date of the shutdown is August 3, 2026. To make sure you’re ready for this transition, we’ve put together a few things you should know.
What does the 2G shutdown mean?
The reason for the shutdown of 2G is to make space for newer technology. As you might already know, 4G/LTE, alongside 5G, are now the main networks across the US, bringing us great connections every day.
These newer technologies also need to be supported by the devices we use.
Manufacturers know this, and that’s why most of today’s smartphones are designed to support these networks.
While the 2G shutdown means that newer 4G and 5G technologies will take the spotlight, it also means that older devices that rely solely on the 2G network will no longer function. These devices must be retired and replaced with newer, compatible, and more capable ones.
Will you be affected by the shutdown of the 2G network?
Only a limited number of our customers will be affected by this, but if that’s the case, you will be notified. Make sure to check your Tello account or any text messages and emails you receive from us going forward.
What should you do about it?
Attention, please: if you’re affected by the 2G network shutdown, don’t worry! The solution to this is our reliable buddy, VoLTE.
What does VoLTE mean?
VoLTE, short for Voice over Long-Term Evolution, is a telecommunications standard that enables voice calls to be transmitted as data packets over 4G LTE networks.
What are the advantages of VoLTE?
Not only is VoLTE a game-changer in the telecom world, but it’s also a necessity for our communication. Here are its main advantages and the reasons why you should enable VoLTE on your device:
- Crystal clear calls and HD voice quality
- Speedy call setup, connecting your calls in a flash
- Simultaneous Voice and Data because we’re all multitaskers around here. VoLTE is the one that makes it possible for you to browse the internet while talking on the phone
- Enhanced call features, making great video calls possible
- Saving battery life, as if the above ones were not enough
How to enable VoLTE on your device?
As this technology is all around us today, most of the phones come equipped with built-in VoLTE capabilities. So what’s left to do is…nothing!
But, in case you manually have to enable it, there are a few steps to follow.
Please note that Wi-Fi Calling will still function and we encourage you to use this feature.
For Android
Keep in mind that settings vary by manufacturer and Android version, so the steps may look slightly different on your device.
Make sure your device is on the latest Android version.
Open Settings → search for “VoLTE” in the Settings Search Bar → click on VoLTE / VoLTE Calls / VoLTE Calling / Enhanced LTE Calling / HD calling (depending on your device).
If your Settings app does not have a search bar, you can usually find VoLTE settings under Connections / Network, under Mobile Networks.
Don’t forget to restart your device after.
For iPhone
Make sure your device is on the latest iOS version.
If you have multiple SIMs:
Open Settings → Mobile Service → scroll down to SIMs and click on the SIM with your Tello Number → click on Voice & Data → make sure any of 4G / 5G On / 5G Auto is selected (we recommend 5G Auto).
If you have one SIM:
Open Settings → Mobile Service → Mobile Data Options → Voice & Data → make sure any of 4G / 5G On / 5G Auto is selected (we recommend 5G Auto).
Don’t forget to restart your device after.
What to do if your device is not VoLTE-capable?
The bad news is, you’ll need to change it. Unfortunately, there’s nothing more to do if your device does not support VoLTE. You’ll need to replace it ASAP. (And by ASAP, we mean by August 3, 2026, when 2G will be officially retired.)
The good news is, we have plenty of options to choose from on Tello.com. All of our phones are compatible with the 4G LTE and 5G technologies.
Back-to-School Deal: All Phones on Sale
🎒 The great news is, we’re running a Back-to-School Deal and all phones are on sale right now, just in time for you to upgrade to a better phone!
Plus, don’t forget that we’re welcoming any device at Tello, as long as it’s compatible with our network, and, of course, it’s VoLTE-compatible. You can check your device’s compatibility here.
We’re here if you need our support
If any hiccups come along, we’re right here for you. Please contact our 24/7 Customer Support Team. They are ready to assist you. Just come prepared with your exact device model name and the IMEI.
To sum it up, the shutdown of the 2G network is inevitable, but if you’ll be affected, there’s still time to get ready. Whether you need to enable VoLTE on your current device or upgrade to a newer phone, we’re here to help every step of the way. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Office work
My phone has LTE/3G/2G selected, will it work after April or not as it does have LTE but it is 3G/2G.
We kindly ask you to check this with our Customer Support Team. They should be able to let you know by checking the IMEI of the device if it still work or not.
08205 NJ Galloway
Available signals
5G NR2500
5G NR600
4G LTE L700
4G LTE L1900
4G LTE L2100
4G LTE L600
GSM
I get the ‘Volte up date warning ‘ from Tello with my former TCL 5102 L phone and just one so far with the 5201 O version. (The newer O version is suppose to make the change). So I made the call to service reps at Tello to double check and the walk through format they used did not fully explain what was happening on my phone. But- with further reading on their site about ‘more of the specifics’- it looks like my O version of this TCL model ‘automatically connects'(different with the L model) to Tello(as the service that is available). When this toggle was turned off and it was searching for what was available- all the networks that could be available appeared(like Verizon, Sprint and the other service providers were listed) -but only Tello was automatically selected and connected. In the reading that I looked at stated that the (auto select mode) was a significant factor that Volte was working with this phone. I do not think Tello really knows which one is doing the connections with these phones that were on the cusp of change- thus the caution/warning notice to users using the 5102 models…not knowing if it was transitioned for the L(former system)model and the newer O model ..that seems to be handling this new innovation. Hope this helps someone else that may be perplexed .if they are going through with the TCL A30 5102 (older L version to the newer O version phone).
Will I be able to use a wifi connection (in-house) to check vmails ??
Sure thing!
You can use Wi-Fi whenever available or needed.
my parents have jitterbug phones that have 4 g but no volte. what do we need to do. they have a tello customer for over 2 yrs
Please be advised that this month, all our phones are on sale, if they are thinking about an upgrade.
Also, unfortunately, the devices will not be compatible anymore.
For the moment, you can check the compatibility on our website: https://tello.com/bring_your_own_phone and see if the devices are still compatible with our service.
Try going to your dialer and putting in this short code. It worked for my son and I both. *#*#86583#*#*
After that, u should have the option in your settings to enable volte!
Si ya quitaron la red 2g porque ahora me dan esa red si mi plan es ilimitado, aparte la red es pésima no funciona y tampoco me dan solución es una falta de respeto y publicidad engañosa si el plan dice ilimitado, pero en realidad solo dan las 35 gb y luego no funciona.
Por favor, ten en cuenta que, efectivamente, el plan ilimitado tiene 35GBs a velocidad 5G/4G, después la velocidad se reduce gradualmente. La red seguirá siendo 5G/4G, pero la velocidad de Internet será más lenta.