5G support

[KCM]

I took out a Virgin Mobile 5G sim-free contract. However, I subsequently found out that Virgin does not support my Moto G 5g plus phone. This was nowhere made clear to me before I took out the contract which is clearly in breach of consumer protection law (not as described). When is Virgin going to start support my Moto phone? If it is not, then I must be entitled to a refund of my monthly charges since taking out the contract because I would not have taken out the contract had I known it would not support my 5g phone. I should also be allowed to end my contact early without charge so that I can find another provider which supports the Moto G 5g plus,

[enlli · Accepted solution]

They don't support your phone for WiFi Calling but 5G is a different matter. A 5G phone in a 5G area with a 5G SIM should work. The connection to the 5G network is controlled by Vodafone and they do support Moto phones.

[KCM]

Thanks for the quick reply. I do have a Virgin 5g sim but when I go into preferred network type in settings I only have a choice of 4g (recommended), 3g and 2g, i.e. no 5g option. Being in London I should surely have 5g coverage? Sorry for maybe sounding dumb, but if it's supported by Vodaphone why isn't this displayed anywhere on my phone?

[enlli]

Good question

Is there anyway of trying the SIM in somebody else's 5G phone? Tall order I know.

Also, when you do a manual network search what networks show?

[KCM]

Might take a time to find someone else's 5G phone I can access. When I do a manual search all I can find is the Virgin one a several other 4G and 3G ones - none of them Vodaphone.

[enlli]

Sounds like you are definitely on Vodafone then

I'd be most annoyed if Virgin are limiting 5G to certain handsets. AFAIK nobody else is.

[Molly_T]

Hi @KCM welcome to the community! Thank you for posting. 

Sorry to hear of your difficulties getting your new phone set up with 5G. 5G is still in the process of being rolled out across the whole of the UK. Although London was the starting point, it is still being rolled out there also and may not have flawless coverage. You can check the coverage in your area or areas you have been trying to use the phone here: https://www.virginmedia.com/mobile/5g#getit . If there is no 5G coverage your phone will always default to offer you the best speeds available at the time. 

Could you confirm if you have ever been able to use 5G on the phone, on any network? If you can also check the coverage checker and let us know if 5G coverage is showing in the area you are trying to use the phone. 

All the best. 

[KCM]

Hi Molly
Thanks for your reply.
Living in London I should have 5G coverage but I have never been able to use it on my phone.
I have read on social media that Virgin don't support 5G on my phone, a Moto G 5g plus.
Is this right?
As I said before, this wasn't made clear when I took out the contract.
Tbh, I'd switch to another provider except that I'd get " fined" for doing this mid-contract even if this contract appears to have been mis-sold to me.

[Molly_T]

Hi KCM, you are welcome. 

As I said in the last post, although 5G is available in London, this does not mean there is coverage, or full coverage across the whole area. Were you able to search your specific area via the link provided? What coverage did you find? 

Does this mean that you have been able to see the option for 5G on the phone but not use it? Or have you never had a 5G option from any network? 

We would not be able to confirm or deny if the handset would be compatible with 5G and you may need to speak to Motorola. We would never guarantee the functionality of a handset that we did not sell. Looking at the specifications it does look like it should work with 5G. It could be a case that there is a fault with the handset if 5G option is not showing.

Every customer has 14 day customer service satisfaction guarantee, are you still within that time frame? If this is the case you should still be able to cancel under this if necessary. 

Let us know if you have been able to access 5G at any point with the handset, so we can offer further support! 

All the best. 

[enlli]

As you have not been able to access 5G in the network types it is either down to the phone or the SIM. You do not have to be in a 5G area to enable that option on Android. I'm presently in 4G area but the option is still there.

For peace of mind coverage is shown here

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/network/status-checker