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.
“We worked for the past several years to help those who still have 3G devices transfer to devices capable of accessing the 4G LTE or 5G networks and continue to actively work with remaining 3G customers to migrate them to new devices and technology,” Verizon said. “We’ve already developed migration plans with most of our business customers to ensure any 3G devices they have in vehicles and equipment have been migrated to 4G LTE or 5G technology as soon as possible.”
The network shutdowns mark the end of an era that began when commercial 3G was rolled out between 2001 and 2007. The advances in the network led to the invention of the smartphone, which combined the features of a personal digital assistant with a mobile phone.
“Suddenly iPhones and Androids were like portable computers and 3G introduced the term “mobile broadband” because its speed and capability made it a great alternative for internet browsing,” Verizon said. “3G introduced us to the benefits of apps and GPS systems and made our entire life-on-the-go possible.”
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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