Strange ringing on Vodacom phones explained
The strange ringing which happens when calling some Vodacom subscribers is related to the routing of the call from the LTE to 3G network.
When calling a Vodacom subscriber using an LTE enabled phone (such as the iPhone 5) which is connected to Vodacom’s LTE network, a curious ringing sequence occurs. The phone rings a few times, pauses, and then starts ringing in a different tone.
The reason behind this curious ringing is because LTE does not support circuit switched traffic, so a call to someone connected on LTE has to be re-routed to 3G.
Vodacom spokesperson Richard Boorman explained that this is true of LTE networks worldwide, and inevitably results in a pause while the call is set up.
To minimize possible confusion because of the pause, Vodacom induces ring tones during this period to let the user know that their call is being connected.
The first two or three rings are therefore not true rings, but rather ‘fake’ rings. The second set of rings are true rings – using the actual ring tone – which starts when the phone is ringing on the other end.
“We’ve got a bit of a pause between the induced and actual ring tone that we’re working on eliminating,” said Boorman.
The following sound clip demonstrates the strange ringing when calling a Vodacom LTE connected subscriber, with the ringing on the phone being called only kicking in on the second set of rings.
More about Vodacom LTE
First commercial LTE call in South Africa
iPhone 5 LTE support for Vodacom
Vodacom LTE for prepaid officially launched
Vodacom launches LTE in South Africa
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