What Is Verizon CDMA-less in 2024 and Why It Matters

You‘ve likely heard that Verizon relies on CDMA network technology. But now with Verizon shutting down CDMA for good by December 31, 2022, what does "CDMA-less" mean for your phone? Here‘s my in-depth guide for consumers navigating the CDMA phase out in 2024.

Over 20 Million Customers Impacted

Verizon officially started notifying customers of the CDMA sunset back in 2018. However, an estimated 21 million devices still rely on Verizon‘s outdated CDMA network as of mid-2022 according to analysis firm Wave7 Research.

That‘s right – over 20 million customers need to upgrade their devices or may lose service. Do you have one of those soon-to-be obsolete phones?

Key Differences: CDMA vs LTE & 5G Networks

To understand the CDMA shutdown, you first need to know that CDMA refers to the 3G and earlier mobile networks that Verizon launched in the early 2000s. Today, those networks lack key capabilities available on Verizon‘s 4G LTE and 5G networks:

So why does CDMA matter in 2024? Keep reading…

What CDMA-less Means for Your Verizon Phone

A CDMA-less phone refers to a Verizon device that cannot fall back to the outdated 2G or 3G CDMA networks. Instead, it can only connect to Verizon‘s 4G LTE and 5G networks.

Without any CDMA capabilities, once Verizon shuts off their CDMA service on December 31st, 2022, any device still depending on CDMA will go blank. No text messages, no calls, no data.

So if you want working service in 2024 and beyond, having a modern CDMA-less phone provisioned properly on Verizon is now essential.

My own OnePlus 8 stopped working properly until…

Activating CDMA-Less Provisioning Was a Headache

When I upgraded to a OnePlus 8 5G device last year, I quickly realized many of the latest phones are becoming "CDMA-less". However, I ran into major issues actually provisioning my device properly on Verizon‘s network.

Despite having a 5G capable phone well ahead of the shutdown, I lost all connectivity within a few weeks of activating it. Turns out my legacy Verizon SIM card was still allowing the phone to occasionally fallback to CDMA networks that Verizon was already beginning to decommission.

I spent hours on the phone with Verizon support trying to re-activate my smartphone properly with "CDMA-less provisioning". And as recent as August 2022, over 15% of customer service calls to Verizon have involved CDMA-related issues according to Wave7 Research.

So don‘t assume you‘ll avoid headaches just by having a recent CDMA-less device…

Here‘s what I learned:

Activating CDMA-less with Verizon in 3 Steps

If you want to use your unlocked, CDMA-less device with Verizon going into 2023, follow this checklist I wish I had from the start:

1. Ensure any new smartphone purchased supports VoLTE and HD Voice. This guarantees no legacy CDMA-reliance. Popular options include:

• iPhone 12 or newer
• Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer
• Google Pixel 4 or newer

2. Check the IMEI # on Verizon‘s BYOD page. Verify Verizon will activate that exact device model on their network.

3. Then when activating your phone, tell Verizon it needs "CDMA-less provisioning". This blocks any fallback from LTE to CDMA which will be useless for service within months.

Following those 3 simple steps will save you the hassle of losing connections as Verizon continues shutting down outdated network tech.

It‘s now more vital than ever to have a future-proof CDMA-less device that aligns with Verizon‘s 4G/5G network advancements through the end of 2022 and into the 5G revolution beyond. Eliminate any 3G/CDMA reliance and enter the next generation of wireless technology!

Hope this guide gave you clarity on successfully navigating Verizon‘s nationwide CDMA sunset slated for December 31st. Let me know if you have any other questions.