iOS 9.3's option to switch to 2G, 3G or LTE

Senbu wrote:

Guys. now it in 'Settings - Mobile data - Mobile data Options'

You realize even that is something determined by your carrier - it is not universal to iOS. My AT&T iPhone 6 has no menu item named "Mobile Data" anywhere in my settings menu, for example.

To make it clear:

My carrier is congstar/ Telekom. Depending on the the quarter i'm moving around 2g, 3g, or LTE is available at the maximum. When I'm booked in a 3g-net I see °°°°°3G in the upper left corner of my screen. When only 2Gg is available I only see °°°°°; 2g is the standard where I live i.e. the phone falls back to 2g. 2g is not switched off by congstar, otherwise I would not be able to use my older EDGE-Nokia-phones.

I can hardly believe that constar manipulates the settings/ options of my iPhone with iOS9.3 and it doesn't of my friend's iPhone with iOS9.2.1; both with the same carrier!

Please explain; I like to understand

Are you certain that both devices are on the same carrier update (not iOS version, but the carrier firmware update, which I have no knowledge of how to determine or check)? Regardless, those settings are determined by your carrier firmware, not iOS itself. This is why they vary so much by carrier, or device.

Good question! All I know is the kind of cellphone. I don't know how to check what you like to know.

But in parallel to here I posted a question on the Congstar Support Forum concerning the influence of Congstar on the settings of the iPhone depending of iOS9.2.1 or iOS9.3. I wonder what they say.

OK guys you're right!

Here is what I got from congstar:

The network owner/ carrier -telekom- checks new software for compatibility and maybe modifies (!!!) the OS, "carrier settings". When the carrier released the new OS the service provider -congstar- spreads out the new OS. That's why new releases are not spread out at the same time to all customers.

That happens although 2G, 3G, LTE is available and ther are no plannings up to now to switch off.

Again all the experts above are right!!! Thanks for your information.

ervau

Thanks Senbu. Simple solution that my wife had been discussing with Vodaphone for ages. Changed her phone to 2G like you said - works like a dream! Big browny points for Del!

This helped, except in my iPhone it was called Cellular instead of Mobile. So the path is Settings\Cellular\Cellular Data Options Then you can choose the network.

Edi88888,

It no longer sounds like the argument you are making is for the means of an actual resolution, but for the sake of handing out pitch forks and witch hunting. This is a TS user to user based forum. Leave your opinions elsewhere please.

Additionally, the options you speak of were not available to all users as it depended on carrier provisioning. Example: Visual Voicemail is a feature that is offered by Apple, but is subject to carrier provisioning.

Also, AT&T never offered this as an option when it was introduced and so the setting was not in my software. The only you have ever had with AT&T [again, example] was to disable LTE, which then switches you to the next tier down available in your area as far as data coverage. There has never been an option through this carrier for switching to the specifics of 2G, 3G, etc. That is because my carrier did not see to providing this option in their build with my iOS.

thanks info
btw, it's more clear if u say

Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Option > Voice & Data : Choose LTE

YYou can still turn off LTE, click on Cellular data options and it is in there.

I am not agree with any of the replies.

Recently I switched from iPhone 5c (iOS 9.3.3) to iPhone SE (iOS 9.3.3) using the same carrier (Zain KSA), In 5C I had the option to choose 2G, 3G or LTE whereas in SE this option is gone and showing only Enable LTE option instead.

So I believe it's neither due to iOS update nor by the carrier. Because even in iPhone 6S same issue. Hope so Apple will address this issue in upcoming iOS 10.

The problem is in my area 3G & LTE signals are very weak and even if I turn of LTE, my phone converts to 3G with very low signals whereas I want my phone to to keep using 2G network all the time.

any help will be highly appreciated.

Regrads,

Sidhu

here's the thing: some carriers have the option to enable 2G regardless the ios version, while other carriers had this option from ios 8.1; but starting ios 9.3 this users lost the ability to enable 2G

So it seems that the truth is in the middle... This unhappy combo: having a newer version of ios than 9.3 and a carrier that is influneced by the version of ios will leave you with the impossibility of enabling 2G.

Most carriers are in the process of completely shutting down their EDGE (2G) networks. There's a strong possibility that there is no 2G network to switch to in many places.

Yos45 wrote:

here's the thing: some carriers have the option to enable 2G regardless the ios version, while other carriers had this option from ios 8.1; but starting ios 9.3 this users lost the ability to enable 2G

So it seems that the truth is in the middle... This unhappy combo: having a newer version of ios than 9.3 and a carrier that is influneced by the version of ios will leave you with the impossibility of enabling 2G.

AT&T will have completely shut down it's 2G network by January, after having announced that would be the end date for their USA 2G network some 3 or 4 years ago. T-Mobile has (reluctantly it sounds like from the press) extended their final shutdown to 2020, but is largely trying to restrict 2G to select users (e.g. alarm companies who need to transition fixed radio transmitters). Rogers is the only company in Canada still running a 2G network, but only for another couple of years.

Since most of carriers have not sold 2G only consumer devices for years, in anticipation of shutting off those old networks, they see no need to support the feature on their consumer devices. For the most part, legacy 2G networks are only being kept up for commercial users, and yes, the carriers are removing the ability for consumers to utilize 2G since they are getting rid of 2G and wish to reclaim that bandwidth with the FCC for new technologies. So you are right, they don't want you even trying to use 2G connections, even where still available, as they want to be rid of that legacy technology (and now largely under utilized bandwidth) as soon as they can. Keeping it active is actually holding them back from updating and expanding newer services.

iPhone 4s uptrend set