Randomly not recieving calls

[ShaRose]

So, I really should have gotten on this earlier. I've been a customer since late January last year with a ported number, but I've noticed that sometimes I don't get incoming calls: It doesn't really seem to have any rhyme nor reason with it. I mostly only get calls from the same people (My family, all Bell customers). Sometimes I miss calls while actively using my phone, other times while my phone's screen is off in my pocket or on a table. I don't get a missed call notification, nor do I get notifications if they leave a message if a call is 'eaten'.

I've also noticed in some specific areas that neither outgoing nor incoming calls work, but sms and data are both fine. (Specific example would be inside the Wal-mart at 60 Merchant Dr, Mount Pearl, NL A1N 5J5) On a recent trip, I noticed on my phone that, for a second, I saw a notification that my carrier had temporarily disabled voice service: but it seemed to have been reactivated shortly afterwards. I'm unsure if these issues are related.

These 'eaten' calls can occur while I'm at home or out: and it's followed a move to a larger city.

My phone, a Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900W8, which I've used since 2016 on my previous carrier Virgin Mobile, had no problems prior to the port. I've also done device resets and changed roms several times since joining public mobile, to no seeming effect.

I didn't really bother with it too much because I rarely get calls and almost always just from family who usually text, but I found out today that I had a more important call 'eaten': my doctor had called and left a message about a surgery appointment for next week back on the 25th, and I only found out because I emailed asking for any updates.

[computergeek541]

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@ShaRose wrote:

The issues in stores are 100% because of no VoLTE: I get no signal in stores, and thus can't call or receive calls. The interesting thing is that in such a situation, I DO get voicemails just fine.

Having no signals in stores is unlikely due to the lack of VoLTE. I would say that 700MHz frequencies are unlikely to provide substatntially better coverage that customers would notice compared to 850MHz frequencies.

[ShaRose]

Bumping an old topic, but just in case anyone looks at this again:

The issues in stores are 100% because of no VoLTE: I get no signal in stores, and thus can't call or receive calls. The interesting thing is that in such a situation, I DO get voicemails just fine.

I haven't been aware of any calls that were dropped in the past two weeks with 3G only, but I did remember that one time my sister jokingly called me while I was in my room from the living room, and it didn't go to voicemail, only stating the phone wasn't available. Redialing worked and rang my phone normally, and when I didn't answer went to voicemail.

[Luddite]

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@ShaRose wrote:

I can try it in my old S3 international (GT-i9305), but it supports less bands, so if anything I'd likely have more problems with it.

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Only 3G bands are an absolute requirement for decent coverage at PM: namely HSPA (3G): 850 MHz, 1900 MHz (UMTS). All the LTE bands are basically nice to have, so give your old phone a go; it does seem to have the 850 band.

I always leave my phone on 3g only; seems more stable.

[geopublic]

@ShaRose  It could be a problem with the phone's antenna or a weak solder on the motherboard. Maybe switch phones and try a factory reset on the S5 to eliminate any software causing the problem.

[darlicious]

@ShaRose 

This seems go be a fairly common problem with your model of phone especially after changing carriers. Along with rebooting your phone or using airplane mode to establish a new connection with the network it's been suggested (if you're on the $15 plan you may not want to) that you try the following.....

The phone does not ring, yet there is a voice mail.

What has happened is that the network did not "find your phone" within the specified amount of time to ring it. The network then switches the caller over to your voice mail so they can leave a message.

You can negate this effect by using the phone once in a while. I just press '1' to make it try to call my voice mail. What that does is to re-register the phone with the network so that it "knows where you are".

[computergeek541]

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@fdrcamb519 wrote:

@ShaRose 

Could be the phone problem, I had a iPhone from Rogers they unlocked because it was not factory unlocked I would not receive some calls. 

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A phone is either unlocked or it isn't.  If a phone is locked to a different carrrier, you wouldn't be able to use it at all. This would not cause you to fail to receive only some calls.

[gpixel]

@ShaRose have you tried resetting your network settings?

1. Open Settings>backup & reset

2. Tap Reset Network Settings>Tap Reset Settings
If prompted enter your pin, passcode
3. Tap Reset Settings 1 more time to confirm
4. Restart

maybe going back to the stock ROM might fix your antenna issues. 

[fdrcamb519]

@ShaRose 

Could be the phone problem, I had a iPhone from Rogers they unlocked because it was not factory unlocked I would not receive some calls. 

[will13am]

Random issues like this is likely due to the phone.  Four years is a lot of service for a phone.  One way perhaps to confirm whether it is the phone is to reboot it frequently, maybe once a day.  

[ShaRose]

@gblackmaYeah, but Virgin doesn't apparently doesn't support VoLTE on the S5. Also, I'm not in an LTE only area as said earlier: I actually just turned off LTE on my phone to verify it. That said, I never thought to just keep LTE disabled: I'll do so from now on and see if it helps. It's not like I use data very often, and all my data through public is at 3G speeds anyways.

The areas in which I'm most active are Marystown / Burin (where I used to live) and Mount Pearl (Where I am now). Of note, I've had times where I had a call eaten while I was using it, got a text, and they called me again within a minute and me not moving where the second call comes in.

[gblackma]

@ShaRose as mentioned before, PM uses 3g for voice calls(Virgin has volte. Which would allow you to receive and make calls in 4g areas. ). So in areas where its not present you will not be able to make or receive calls. Stay safe.

[ShaRose]

I don't really think it's the phone (It worked fine on Virgin for years: At first I thought it was the port taking a few days because I had my first eaten call 1-2 days after the port was initiated), and it happens regularly at home and elsewhere. (I'm not in an LTE only area, although that may explain Walmart if they use a femtocell with LTE only, although I can't imagine they would).

I can try it in my old S3 international (GT-i9305), but it supports less bands, so if anything I'd likely have more problems with it.

[kselmak]

@ShaRose 

It's either connection or you phone.

Can you try it in different phone?

For talk you need 3g, if you are in LTE area only that may be the problem

[cellphoneuser1]

Calls where calls don't work might be LTE places. For other places, if could be a network issue or weak signal.