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0 pointswolrah1y ago0 comments

> 4G doesn't even have a proper voice call support, and substitutes that with a carrier grade Discord type thing called VoLTE(oversimplification).

That "carrier grade Discord type thing" is more or less standard SIP VoIP, just over a prioritized data channel similar to how DOCSIS has PacketCable which is more or less MGCP VoIP over a prioritized data channel.

It's absolutely proper voice call support, the majority of calls you make or receive in 2024 have been connected over SIP at some point along the path.

> Zero chance old firmware could work.

The sorts of modules like the author was proposing using can be interacted with over relatively standard AT commands, so it's actually plausible that if there were a separate application processor it might be able to perform basic functions like placing/receiving calls without any firmware changes. The module handles all the VoLTE stuff and just exposes it as if it were any other modem.

That said it's not uncommon for "dumbphone" type applications to run the application code on the baseband processor, in which case obviously it's incredibly unlikely that this new module is even a related family of processor, much less compatible with existing code.

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wkat42421y ago

It's not proper call support because the standardisation is a mess. Some carriers don't even support it until now, many refuse to allow it on phones they did not sell etc.

It should have been in the standard from the get go, strictly defined so there's no different standards to check and certify. They should all work the same so there's no need for that.

The lack of standardisation is causing huge problems in countries deprecating 2G and 3G like Australia where people have to throw away perfectly good phones because they're not VoLTE capable according to their provider (and the government mandating that phones without voice service must be banned)

Just like 2G and 3G.

upofadown1y ago

>That "carrier grade Discord type thing" is more or less standard SIP VoIP, just over a prioritized data channel...

It is completely restricted to one SIP provider. Which raises an interesting idea for improved competition. Make it possible for the user to choose their SIP provider. Force the phone companies to allow the use of that priority to any SIP RTP stream and otherwise make those companies just sell data service.

That would make a project like the one in the linked article come down to getting a magic module that provided an internet connection...

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