voLTE Bell

[optimus]

In rural Canada, there is a Bell cell tower 12 km away from where I live, and I get a weak 3G signal. Bell installed a repeater on the top of the church which is using 4G voLTE. My pinephone detects full strength 4G signal, but when I call it falls back to the weak 3G faraway tower signal. This is because my pinephone isn't using 4G voLTE.
Since 4G voLTE protocol handling differs from one carrier to another, I guess that the software to enable Bell voLTE hasn't been developped yet.
Meanwhile, I've been looking at the list of carriers for which voLTE has been enabled:
+QMBNCFG: "List",1,0,0,"VoLTE-ATT",0x0501033C,201909271
+QMBNCFG: "List",2,0,0,"hVoLTE-Verizon",0x05010141,201911251
+QMBNCFG: "List",3,0,0,"Sprint-VoLTE",0x05010205,201908141
+QMBNCFG: "List",4,1,1,"Commercial-TMO_VoLTE",0x05010505,201811231
+QMBNCFG: "List",5,0,0,"Telus-Commercial_VoLTE",0x05800C43,201912031
+QMBNCFG: "List",6,0,0,"Commercial-SBM",0x05011C18,201904021
+QMBNCFG: "List",7,0,0,"Commercial-DT",0x05011F1C,201905311
+QMBNCFG: "List",8,0,0,"Reliance_OpnMkt",0x05011B38,201910161
+QMBNCFG: "List",9,0,0,"TF_Germany_VoLTE",0x05010C1B,201909201
+QMBNCFG: "List",10,0,0,"TF_Spain_VoLTE",0x05010CFA,201909261
+QMBNCFG: "List",11,0,0,"Volte_OpenMkt-Commercial-CMCC",0x05012071,201904281
+QMBNCFG: "List",12,0,0,"OpenMkt-Commercial-CT",0x05011322,201911081
+QMBNCFG: "List",13,0,0,"OpenMkt-Commercial-CU",0x05011505,201807052
+QMBNCFG: "List",14,0,0,"Telstra-Commercial_VoLTE",0x0580079E,202006101
+QMBNCFG: "List",15,0,0,"Commercial-KDDI",0x0501071D,202004041
+QMBNCFG: "List",16,0,0,"Commercial-DCM",0x05010D17,202006101
+QMBNCFG: "List",17,0,0,"Commercial-SKT_VoLTE",0x05012724,201907221
+QMBNCFG: "List",18,0,0,"Commercial-KT",0x05012C0D,202005071'


one can obtain that list by using the command:

Code:

mmcli -m any --command='AT+QMBNCFG="list"'

Since these are all abreviations, I was wondering if the +QMBNCFG: "List",6,0,0,"Commercial-SBM",0x05011C18,201904021 could stand for
SBM = Service Bell Mobility or something.

I haven't been able to enable it, and so I couldn't experiment. If there's anybody in the same situation who are willing to take this further, I hope this give a hint on what to try.

[optimus]

I had to use a Voip number for a while in order to use my phone in my area. Until one day, when it the 4G became available. I don't know if it is because of Bell, or because of a Pinephone update, but now it works perfectly. I've been using it in my basement for 3 months now and the signal strength is always 4 bars.