Forcing 3G over 4G

[jasons6930]

Hi guys,

This may not be in the correct forum so please move if not!

Anyway, i have an Iphone12 and an 02 esim.

Thing is, i would like to force 3G on the esim, rather than defaulting to 4G (no 5G here at all yet).

What i have found is the phone keeps favouring a poor 4G connection rather than (when it does decide to change) a much better 3G signal.

I know with previous contracts and phones one could select 3G only in the data settings.

After having browsed the Apple forums, it seems i am not alone, and i think the consensus was, it was down to the carrier, and some where even of the opinion that many carriers are soon to be shutting down the 3G network, to allow more and better 4G coverage(?) and so are no longer 'officially' supporting selecting 3G only on phones.

Cheers guys.

[jasons6930]

@MI5

Ok both say Network Provider - 02 45.0.

If that is the correct info?

[MI5]

@jasons6930 

Yes, sounds correct.

So on a 5g phone it cuts off 3g only but on a 4g phone it doesn't.....?

[jasons6930]

@MI5 

Yes kind of.

The 5G phone will fall back to 3G should 4G disappear, but it can no longer be overridden in the settings.

On a 4G phone, the option for 3G is still selectable.

[MI5]

@jasons6930 

Confirms what I thought.

I guess the only possibility is if you can manually select an O2 3g network in network settings. rather than having it on auto.

[jasons6930]

@MI5 

Yes, that would be great although i am not sure if it is in the code from the carrier, or the phone.

I am more thinking phone, especially as a non 5G phone still has the option available.

😞

[MI5]

@jasons6930 

Could well be the case unfortunately, although check what networks are showing up from a manual search.

[jasons6930]

Thanks, although after reading some online guides on how to perform the search, i don't have any of the options in any of the menus on the phone to be able to do it.

[MI5]

@jasons6930 

Settings >Network selection, on mine.

[jasons6930]

@MI5

No, nothing like that at all.

Oh well, thanks for all the help anyway.

[MI5]

@jasons6930 

Sorry, missed a bit.

Settings >Mobile Data >Network selection