Unlocked Samsung Galaxy phones unable to make or receive calls on AT&T, fix allegedly in the works but no ETA

AT&T is one of the main carriers in the United States. The company has been in the process of improving its network, and one of the steps is the shutdown of its 3G networks.

The AT&T 3G network shutdown began in February 2022. In theory, this should be to the benefit of users, but many are experiencing issues after it.

According to multiple reports, users of unlocked Samsung Galaxy phones (and other brands) are currently unable to make or receive VoLTE/HD calls on AT&T.

The AT&T 3G network shutdown has been progressively done by zones. So, with the passing of days, multiple reports of users affected by the issue have been emerging.

S10 G973U1 BYOD stopped working with 3G network shutdown

My wife’s S10 stopped working when they shut down the 3G network in our area. It is listed as a SUPPORTED phone (G973U1) and had been working for almost a year on the AT&T network when it stopped.

I have gone to the AT&T store and gotten a new SIM card. When I got the new SIM the phone worked for about 10 minutes then back to the same problem again.
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Galaxy S10 Plus cant make or receive calls since 2-2-2022

I have been unable to make or receive calls since 2-22-2022. I noticed no calls on Tuesday, rebooted phone, still no calls, checked for updates, none, phone was up to date, reset network settings, no calls.

put a friends sim card from different carrier, worked fine, put mine back, 1 call successful using my sim, then after 10 minutes no calls, went to AT&T store, put in a sim card from a demo phone booted, inserted my SIM and made a call successfully, 10 minutes later, no calls.
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The reports describe the same pattern after the problem occurs. Affected devices seem to work again when inserting another SIM card, but stop receiving or making calls again 10 minutes later.

It’s worth pointing out that AT&T offers an official list of unlocked or BYOD devices supported by its network. The listing also specifies the specific network services that each device supports.

You can consult the official list of network services of the company and compatible devices through this link. But, users report that even devices officially supported by AT&T’s network services are affected by the issue.

However, there is a possibility that the issue is related to the support level of the device in question. For instance, one of the affected models is the Galaxy S10 (G973U1).

If you check the G973U1 model in the official AT&T listing, it appears that it only supports HD Voice:

Meanwhile, other models appear compatible with all carrier network services (VoLTE/HD/Wi-Fi Calling):

SoSo, affected phones could be those yet to be properly provisioned to support these functions on AT&T network, especially since those compatible with all services aka carrier-locked units don’t seem to be having similar problems.

Also, phones from other brands outside of Samsung (such as LG) could be affected, but most reports come from those with Galaxy devices.

It seems issues with VoLTE calls aren’t exactly new to Samsung Galaxy users on AT&T. There are reports describing similar situations from a few years ago.

That said, a user reports that AT&T may be working on a fix to resolve the issue. However, there is still no official public acknowledgment on it from the company.

Sad news for you folks with unlocked Samsung phones on the AT&T whitelist like me.They don’t have an immediate solution to the problem, they’re working on it, but it’ll probably be a while before they fix it. I was lucky to be gifted a free phone. Many of you will probably have to purchase a new one or switch carriers if thats your preference.
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We will update this story as events unfold in the future with all the new details.

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