3G mobile services will come to an end in the US after the last telecommunication provider Verizon discontinues the old network on its customers’ devices this month. Earlier, AT&T shut off its 3G service in February 2022, while T-Mobile ended old networks in July. Sprint, which has now merged with T-Mobile, closed its 3G network on May 31, 2022.
Verizon has sent people new, LTE-capable phones and a letter explaining everything that will be happening and by when.
According to reports in The Verge, the company has informed its customers that their “lines will be suspended starting the day before their December billing cycle begins”.
Later, after the deadline ends, 3G phone can only be used to call 911 and Verizon customer care.
Experts say that the closure of 4G services will lead many network-driven features to become obsolete.
According to the CTIA, the body representing the wireless communications industry in the US, “fewer than nine per cent of the US wireless connections are 2G or 3G subscriptions.” A smartphone launched after 2014 won’t experience any issues once 3G is shut down.
Europe is also planning to wind down 3G services by the end of this decade. According to Fierce Wireless, telecom carrier Orange is likely to phase out its 2G and 3G networks in Europe by 2030. In France, 2G services will stop by 2025, followed by 3G by the end of 2028.
India has already rolled out 5G services which now constitute nearly 99 per cent of the total data traffic consumed across the country. According to Nokia’s Mobile Broadband India Traffic Index report, the availability of low cost 4G phones led people to upgrade to 4G devices.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
For all the latest business News Click Here
