Why is Skinny/Spark not provisioning 5G on Pixel 5/5A?

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Why is Skinny/Spark not provisioning 5G on Pixel 5/5A?

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#306680 12-Aug-2023 20:13

It's compatible with their network, 5G works fine with them around the globe - but it seems spark has decided to arbitrarily cut pixels off at 6. Are we doing forced obsolescence already, seems like jumping the gun a bit?

Has anyone found a way to apply the provisioning update for 6+ to pixel 5/a?

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2374 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Spark NZ

#3115222 13-Aug-2023 09:41

Spark will provision 5G for you. Normally this is detected and provisioned automatically but if not just contact Spark via chat and it'll be checked.

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#3115242 13-Aug-2023 11:46

5G is provisioned, I can put the same SIM into any other 5G phone and it will work fine. The issue is with Pixel phones, they need a provisioning update that was only done this year. However - they arbitrarily cut off at Pixel 6 - leaving 4 5G, 5 and 5A out in the cold.
To rub salt into the wound, if you use an Australian SIM, these phones will roam happily on Spark's 5G network. There's no obvious reason for them to be arbitrarily cut off.

RunningMan

8953 posts

Uber Geek

#3115244 13-Aug-2023 11:52

Did Spark tell you it was an arbitrary cutoff when you contacted them?

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#3115245 13-Aug-2023 11:59

https://pixel.withgoogle.com/5G/?

Compare Australia and NZ, pick network using same bands and you'll see that yep these do indeed work. Google even lists the provisioning update required.

Spark says we done "all the things;" Google says it's up to teleco to request it for specific phones. Somehow they decided on Pixel 6 as cutoff. There's no secret ability that 6+ have that 5/5A don't - that I know off. Nobody at Spark came out and said why this particular decision was made, publicly, or otherwise.

RunningMan

8953 posts

Uber Geek

#3115246 13-Aug-2023 12:04

How did you contact Spark? Perhaps go back to them and ask to escalate as per @nzbnw above.

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#3115248 13-Aug-2023 12:10

Used their chat, talked on the phone... Spark's response is always, we provisioned your SIM - at that stage you just end up going in circles with customer support.
After years of people complaining, they seem to have got off their butt and actually talked to Google - but then this inexplicable cut off.

Just to be clear - SIM is 5G provisioned, it's just that Pixel phones require a provisioning update, however, they cut off at a Pixel 6 for reasons that were never explained. Despite the easily demonstrable fact that the phones (4-5g/5/5A) can use our 5G, if you use a SIM from a provider that is white listed and roam.

Bung

6477 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#3115265 13-Aug-2023 13:38

Wasn't there a change from Snapdragon to Google Tensor from Pixel 6 onwards? Rightly or wrongly it may have been assumed that this affected certain capabilities.

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nzbnw

2374 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Spark NZ

#3115268 13-Aug-2023 13:43

Sorry but Spark don't have a whitelist for 5G / VoLTE. If its provisioned from the network side, the device and software version need to also support the relevant technology and bands. Spark won't be stopping you using 5G if as you've said 5G is enabled at the network end.

farcus

1554 posts

Uber Geek

#3115274 13-Aug-2023 14:20

consolation:

It's compatible with their network, 5G works fine with them around the globe - but it seems spark has decided to arbitrarily cut pixels off at 6. Are we doing forced obsolescence already, seems like jumping the gun a bit?

Has anyone found a way to apply the provisioning update for 6+ to pixel 5/a?

Pixels earlier than the 6 do not have any carrier settings for NZ networks.
That's a Google decision.
Remember these phones were never meant to be sold or supported in NZ

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#3115275 13-Aug-2023 14:22

nzbnw: Sorry but Spark don't have a whitelist for 5G / VoLTE. If its provisioned from the network side, the device and software version need to also support the relevant technology and bands. Spark won't be stopping you using 5G if as you've said 5G is enabled at the network end.

Yes, Spark does not... as such... but a provisioning update was needed to be pushed out for PIXEL phones specifically. At least that is what we have been told for years by Spark and Google - which then pointed the finger at each other wrt whose job this was. Recently the impossible became possible - the provisioning update was pushed out and Pixels got 5G and VoLTE / VoWIFI - all the things they always could do, just not on any NZ network.

Except... the update cut out, arguably, the most popular Pixels in NZ - 5/5a, for no obvious reason. They have the same network capability, they work on Spark/Skinny 5G when roaming with an Australian sim...

So why?

Was this a Google decision or Spark?

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#3115276 13-Aug-2023 14:26

farcus:

Pixels earlier than the 6 do not have any carrier settings for NZ networks.
That's a Google decision.
Remember these phones were never meant to be sold or supported in NZ

Neither were Pixel 6 - yet the carrier settings for NZ networks were rolled into an update for them. So...

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#3115279 13-Aug-2023 14:30

Bung: Wasn't there a change from Snapdragon to Google Tensor from Pixel 6 onwards? Rightly or wrongly it may have been assumed that this affected certain capabilities.

Yep... 5 to 6 are when Google dropped Snapdragon and switched to Tensor. However, that Snapdragon chipset is used by many 5G phones on Spark's network - without an issue.

consolation

104 posts

Master Geek

#3115280 13-Aug-2023 14:35

consolation:

Bung: Wasn't there a change from Snapdragon to Google Tensor from Pixel 6 onwards? Rightly or wrongly it may have been assumed that this affected certain capabilities.

Yep... 5 to 6 are when Google dropped Snapdragon and switched to Tensor. However, that Snapdragon chipset is used by many 5G phones on Spark's network - without an issue.

If someone from Spark was to say - hey - this is totally a google thing; we asked them to update the carrier settings on all their phones and they told us to pound dirt; cool - I'll go poison their social media when I get bit bored. But, right now - if you talk to Google, their response is "it's up to the carriers to ask us to enable their network settings."

farcus

1554 posts

Uber Geek

#3115281 13-Aug-2023 14:35

consolation:

farcus:

Pixels earlier than the 6 do not have any carrier settings for NZ networks.
That's a Google decision.
Remember these phones were never meant to be sold or supported in NZ

Neither were Pixel 6 - yet the carrier settings for NZ networks were rolled into an update for them. So...

exactly, all pixels 6 and up have had NZ carrier settings rolled out to them by Google - not by the carriers.

Ruphus

465 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3115282 13-Aug-2023 14:38

Isn't this the risk you take when you choose to import a phone that is not offically supported by a carrier in NZ? YMMV.

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