Wednesday, January 4, 2023

End of an Era as Carriers Turn Off the Last of 3G

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
At the beginning of this year, Verizon and UScellular threw the final switch, turning off the last of the major 3G networks. The move follows the denouement of the 3G networks of AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile in February, May and July, respectively. The 3G network shutdowns free up spectrum between 850 MHz and 2 GHz, which will be “refarmed” and used for 5G.

Shutting down a network can be messy, leaving customers with useless devices. To that end, Verizon pushed back its original date in 2019 to minimize disruptions and allow users to move to newer technologies. Along with handsets, 3G-connected alarm systems were some of the victims. Verizon said that 99 percent of its customers have moved to 4G LTE or 5G, with less than one percent still accessing the 3G network. Continue Reading

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