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Field NotesHistorical

AT&T Dropped Calls: No Circuit Channel Available

A field note about dropped calls and the “No circuit/channel available” error, including the 2G-only workaround that resolved it on the affected phone.

By Reflash Lab Posted Updated

AT&T dropped-call illustration with a phone showing a failed call

After replacing a broken BlackBerry, I began seeing dropped calls, calls going directly to voicemail, and the message “No circuit/channel available.” The behavior appeared to follow the service connection rather than a hardware fault.

AT&T support first suggested replacing the SIM card and then replacing the phone. Neither explanation matched what I was observing, so I tested the handset’s available network modes instead.

What worked on this phone

Forcing the affected handset to use its 2G network mode stopped the dropped-call behavior:

  1. Dial 277634#*#.
  2. Open Modem Setting.
  3. Open Network Mode.
  4. Select Network Mode again.
  5. Choose 2G only.

That setting resolved the issue on this specific phone and network configuration.