As one of the famed big four of UK mobile network operators, O2 provides its customers with a host of services that are best suited for the fast paced world in which we live. One such service is the super fast 4G Calls that are ideal for just about every situation and match the needs of the users irrespective of whether they’re individuals, or businesses.

However, if you’re an O2 user, chances are that you’ve received the dreaded notification, showing you that your access to these specific calls has been stopped. So, why has O2 stopped 4G calls from being used by you? Let’s examine some of the reasons below, according to UCtel.

Types of calls

Before getting into why any 4G call access has been kept from you, an understanding of the calls themselves is needed. This type of calling is basically the placing of calls using an MNOs 4G network and is a great way to avoid issues such as indoor blackspots (places with poor signals). This, of course, is only the case if the area you’re currently in provides access to the network generation in question.

Why problems occur

When that dreaded message is sent, what happens is that you go down a few levels and end up using past network generations to support your activity, be they 3G or even 2G. These are ultimately slower and not at all ideal in today’s world, which makes many ask “why has O2 turned off 4G calls?” in whatever moment they need it. Well, a number of things can be culprits, and they include:

Overnight occurrences

Overnight occurrences refer to the nature of the O2 network in relation to your device. Basically, around every 24 hours, there may be changes, either to the network, or to your device in terms of data updates.

General incompatibility

It could also be that you aren’t compatible with this O2 service. This incompatibility is seen with certain devices that just don’t have the ability, or those with the ability, but don’t have the appropriate data plan to access the service.

Physical barriers

If it turns out that the above are particularly not the main issues, chances are that the other issues that affect signals in general may be the culprits. One such potential issue is the presence of physical barriers in the surrounding area. Said barriers are numerous and include:

• Mountains
• Hills
• Tall building
• Tall trees
• Foliage
• Forests

This is a general signal issue that affects not only 4G, but all other network technologies both preceding and proceeding. It is these things that make it so that being in outdoor spaces that are more open, will often result in better conditions for 4G calls.

Signal interference

Another general issue that may lead to you asking the question “Why has O2 switched off 4G calls on my device?”, is that of Interference. This mainly refers to radio interference, which refers to any sort of electrical, or signal-related barriers that negatively affect the smoothness of the calls. The causes of these, which you should look out for are varying, and include the following:

• Poor weather, particularly rain
• The closeness to other wireless, as well as electronic devices
• Amplifiers, lighting and ignition systems

Tower proximity

The final general culprit is how close you are to the nearest cell tower. The farther away you are from these towers, the more likely you’re going to face the major signal issues of dropped calls and poor internet.

How to solve the general issue

With all the above in mind, it’s only fair that solutions should be explored. Fortunately, there are a number of things that can be done to better things, and they include the following:

Restarting the device

This potential fix is the one that’s most in your control and is the easiest fix. If the aforementioned overnight occurrences are the source of the 4G call issues, this should do the trick.

Ensuring that settings are appropriate

If that doesn’t work, chances are that your settings are configured appropriately. Fortunately, this is almost as easy to fix as the previous example, only requiring you to visit the advanced area of your mobile network settings and confirming if it is 4G configured.

Being certain of any current maintenance

If none of the above work, then perhaps O2 is doing some maintenance work on its masts, which is bound to happen, given that the operator’s millions of subscribers will need constant service. Fortunately, via the operator’s status checker, you can zero in on a mast and all progress regarding how far along the maintenance is, and when things are likely to be remedied.

Upgrading your current plan

It could also be that your plan is not the right one and actually caters to the preceding network generations. In such cases, the best option is to upgrade to the appropriate plan that offers 4G calling, even if it may cost more.

Seeking help

While all these issues are likely to help you with fixing the 4G call issues, they aren’t the last resort. If none of the above paths will fix the issue, the last thing to do is to directly contact O2 and ask for their assistance. Via their customer support number and the help they provide, you’ll get a good idea of what exactly the problem is.

Final thoughts

If you’re an individual or a business, making a call, the most convenient thing would be for everything to be smooth and uninterrupted and that’s exactly what 4G calls by O2 give you. So, when things go wrong with this service and the question “why has O2 stopped 4G calls for my device”, it’s best that you go through all the potential issues that could be the cause.

Once these causes have been identified, you can then begin the process of zeroing in on the actual issue and solving it via the solutions provided above. Once that is achieved, the chance of receiving the benefits of 4G calls is improved.