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Do I have to purchase phone from three to use band 20

Tom K

Casual Member
Hi all,
Was wondering do I have to get my phone on a contract from three to be able to use band 20 for data or will my current phone (unlocked supports band 20) as on their coverage checker it says "Please ensure you've downloaded the latest software update." Or is that just for VoLTE and WiFi calling
 
As long as your using a Three sim card you can get band 20 but only from masts which use it. Band 20 masts tend to be used for long distance data comms so are based in more remote locations and typically offer very slow speeds.
 
I don't know of it's still the case but Three did limit access to B20 to only select devices that were VoLTE enabled. Some of them needed Three's version of the firmware. Things have improved somewhat over time but depending upon your phone it's not guaranteed to have access.

The reason it has to be limited to only VoLTE devices is because the signal travels further and deeper into buildings compared to B1 (2100mhz), their 3G frequency on which calls usually take place. I believe there is a requirement for providers that if you have signal then you must be able to make a call, for emergency purposes, hence if you're on B20 then you must have VoLTE.
 
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My phone is on 3 and not supplied by 3 and does not connect to band 20. My B525 and B715 routers were not supplied by 3 but both will connect and use band 20 for data, for voice they drop from 4G to 3G for the call and return to 4G when the call ends. For data band 20 is fairly useless, band 3 gives 3 to 4 times the download speed and this is the band I use.
 
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