Until recently, I was unable to get VoLTE going with the L5 on Optus in Australia. Optus advised that technically there was no reason from their end why it should not work, so I went back to Purism support, requested and received the instructions for updating the modem bm818 firmware, and since the update, VoLTE has worked just fine. Though I am getting a new behaviour: whilst the incoming voice is very clear, it occasionally cuts out and I lose a few words before it cuts back in. I don’t recall this happening before under 3G, but for the moment I am blaming this on the caller’s handset …
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Would you be able to report here what modem firmware version you are now running?
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The phone was originally delivered with (according to the BM818 tool):
M100E_YCSN0_1.0.0_210830
YCSN0_M100E_1CMD_B227_V1.0.0.1_20210907
M100E_1.0.4_200715
After the firmware update, it is now
M100E_YCSN0_1.0.0_220926
YCSN0_M100E_1CMD_B227_V1.0.0.2_20220930
M100E_1.0.4_200715
Firmware needed a couple manual power offs and restarts to kick in.
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One of the Optus support pages indicated that Optus may need to enable VoLTE for your account. When I contacted them they indicated that it was already enabled (at their end) for mine. Just saying; in case the firmware update doesn’t work, check with Optus to see if the switch is off for your account. Optus were very professional and supportive at all points, and the phone (L5) and modem (BM818) being new to them was not an issue.
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That’s interesting. I have VoLTE enabled on my account and also with the BM-818 tool and still cannot get a VoLTE call to happen.
M100E_YCSN0_1.0.0_220926
YCSN0_M100E_1ACD_B325_V1.0.0.2_20220930
M100E_1.0.4_200715
This is my modem firmware, slightly different than yours.
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I’m not sure of the meaning of the ‘1CMD_B227’ -vs- ‘1ACD_B325’ difference, but these strings appear in other posts here so not a serial number, and didn’t change when I upgraded firmware so not firmware version. Maybe related to the modem variant (E1/A1/T1)? Mine is T1, what is yours, and are we still talking Australia here?
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Sorry I’m in Canada, but my VoLTE isn’t working either so just trying to see if there is any commonality between our countries. When you make a call is it defaulting to HSPA?
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When making calls the L5 used to drop from 4G to 3G and the BM818 tool would show HSPA. Once the call had ended, the indicator would return to 4G. Since the firmware update it stays on 4G and the tool shows either ‘FDD LTE’ or more commonly ‘TDD LTE’ during calls.
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Hi @alistair23 Newbie here doing as much reading as I can before choosing my next phone. Am happy enough with Vodafone here in Perth. And interested how VoLTE experience is holding up? Is it stable enough for a daily driver?
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FWIW, Telstra has delayed the 3G shutdown by 2 months (from June 30 to August 31). That is of course not motivated by the Librem 5 but the effect is that if you are using a Librem 5 on the Telstra network, you have an extra two months to get VoLTE sorted out.
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My experience on the wholesale Telstra network (ALDI), when receiving calls the VoLTE calls work on the L5, but NOT when calling out from the L5. It reverts to 3G. As you say, we have nearly 4 months to figure this out.
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It’s stopping me pulling the trigger and ordering one 
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It’s stopping me pulling the trigger and ordering one
It has just worked correctly staying in 4G with an outgoing call. Will watch it over the next fortnight to see if it is consistent
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An update on the L5 + 4G experience with Optus. Back in April 4G seemed to be working fine (after the modem firmware update). Voice was very clear, though there were occasional cutouts where words were missed, in both directions. I don’t recall having issues dialing out.
Things seem to have gone downhill in the last couple weeks. Incoming calls seem fine. Outgoing calls rarely connect, or ring once then cut out (voicemail always works though). So something has happened in the last couple weeks either with Optus or with the L5, and 4G is no longer functioning satisfactorily. I also note that I am getting occasional messages about missing VOIP account, and the network icon shows a red marker … this wasn’t happening back in April. Sigh.
I hope there is not going to be a run on 4G capable phones in Australia come September 
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For everyone who comes along on this. There is no VoLTE support on any Telstra based network.
This is not something that is going to be fixed, unless Broadmobi releases a firmware update that supports Telstra, which is very unlikely as the modem seems to be no longer updated. The only option is to switch networks or switch modems.
There was an investigation on using a new modem, which you can see here [Update: Mar 25th] Testing Quectel EM12-G WWAN 4G Modem on Librem 5 - #19 by alistair23. But call audio doesn’t work as it’s too distorted so that isn’t really helpful.
It seems like Vodafone and Optus work though, as long as you have the latest firmware.
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I think it’s more a case of that network not approving the device. I can’t get VoLTE to work here on the Rogers network in Canada and the reason is they will not allow it for the Broadmobi card. I think it’s capable, it’s just that they will not allow VoLTE calls.
My hope is that they change their minds at some point because once they turn of HSPA here there will be a ton of people with older devices, not to mention modems integrated into non-phone applications (security systems etc…) that will stop working, so I think they will have to make some concessions to us, at least that is my hope.
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I’ve found that Optus4G works, mostly, with the new firmware. By mostly I mean that most calls I make go through on 4G and are very clear but about 20% of the time the number won’t connect (they get one ring then the line is lost) but setting back to allowing 3G puts the number through fine. Also, with 4G calls, I get these 1-2 second droouts while one of us is talking where the other side gets nothing. Lots of texts from Optus indicating that my device might not be supported after next month. I’ve had to put the L5 on the back burner for now.
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With Telstra, either is a possibility. As the traditional incumbent monopoly they have a “reputation”.
My guess is that outright IMEI filtering is not happening because I and one or two others have successfully tested the Librem 5 on Telstra’s network to make voice calls. However that was long before VoLTE was supported on the Librem 5 (so we could not possibly test VoLTE).
So it is possible that
a) the Broadmobi modem firmware doesn’t have the necessary config magic to work with Telstra, or
b) Telstra has introduced IMEI filtering that only applies when using VoLTE.
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I really think its the IMEI filtering. Basically Rogers NOC told our support technician as much and I didn’t think they were.
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That’s possibly true in Canada. I know North American phone networks have all sorts of wacky setups.
It’s not IMEI filtering for Telstra. They just have some profile/config that needs to be supported in the modem. The Quectel EM12-G datasheet for example, specifically states that it supports Telstra VoLTE. While the Broadmobi doesn’t indicate that. Optus and Vodafone don’t appear to need any special configs, which is why they work fine with the Broadmobi modem.
Anyway, this is getting pretty off topic for VoLTE in Australia.
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