Will O₂ finally support 4G calling ahead of its impending 3G switch off?

[NFH]

O₂ has never supported three functionalities for pay-as-you-go customers:

• 4G calling
• Wifi calling
• eSIM

Given that O₂ will be switching off 3G later in 2025, thereby preventing calls on 3G, will O₂ finally support 4G calling so that customers can make and receive calls on 4G instead of on 3G? Ir not, customers will experience a deterioration in voice coverage.

Is O₂'s current lack of support for 4G calling caused by the same technical limitation (such as an old back-end system for pay-as-you-go) as its lack of support for wifi calling and eSIM?

[MI5]

No one here will know and it's been raised many times before on the forum.

We're all waiting for an announcement one way or another.

Possibility is that everyone will be moved to giffgaff who already offer all the above functions.

[madasaf1sh]

@NFH 

O2 are only starting to switch off 3G in 2025, it wont completely disappear... 

Looking at Tesco Mobile who use o2, they are getting rid completely of their classic PAYG offering (lite and Triple Credit) at the end of 2025 and moving everyone to a bundle plan which means they can move to offering VoLTE (4G Calling) so I can see the following (all speculation) 

1. o2 will kill off Classic PAYG and everyone on PAYG will be forced onto a Rolling Plan which can only be paid for by Debit or Credit card, no more voucher sales (these cost money to provide via 3rd Parties), which means they can migrate all PAYG customer to the Pay Monthly platform 

2. o2 will kill off PAYG completely and mass port everyone to giffgaff, and then they dont need to do any migration from one platform to another, and the customer gets 5G, WiFi Calling and VoLTE, and they save money as giffgaff don't have centres and its all down to live agent or community help...

As I and others have said this is all speculation, and o2 will not publicly announce something on here, before it happens..

[Oxonian]

In my view @madasaf1sh, and this is also pure speculation, 2 is more likely than 1.

As giffgaff (sic) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of O2, It should be both legal and straightforward to move PAYG customers in tranches and with their credit intact. However, closing the PAYG service would presumably involve having to give refunds and could potentially get messy ! 👍     

[NFH]

The other three MNOs (Vodafone, EE and Three) all provide PAYG services, including 4G calling, wifi calling and eSIM. Why should O₂ be any different?

[Enlli]

@NFH Commercial Decision the answer to which we will never know

If you want those things then go with the network that is best for you.

BTW giffgaff will work in old PAYG mode

[Enlli]

@Oxonian Virgin had a large number of PAYG customers and they managed to close it down.

Can't see it being different for O2

[NFH]

When did O₂ make this "Commercial Decision" to cease its PAYG service, potentially with one of the two outcomes listed above?

[Oxonian]

They have not done so yet @NFH, or if they have, they have not announced it. That is why @madasaf1sh and I have both said our comments are speculation. 👍  

[madasaf1sh]

@NFH 

No one on here know about any commercial decisions that VMo2 are making as none of us work for VMo2, we are all customers, so all we are doing is speculating.. 

Virgin closed it down as is made no money..

And let's remember PAYG is a loss leader, and makes very little ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), which is what counts, especially Classic PAYG hence Tesco Mobile, one of the largest MVNO's are killing it off..

And remember o2 dont have to offer any PAYG service if they dont want to.. they are not a charity or a bound by law to offer PAYG

Nothing stopping  Vodafone moving its customers to Voxi or Three to Smarty or even EE to 1p Mobile if they so desired..