3g Phone Users What to Expect After Shutdown

If you're a 3G phone user, you're likely aware that the technology is being phased out in many countries. This means that your phone may no longer be able to connect to the internet or make calls in certain areas.

As of 2022, many mobile networks have started to shut down their 3G services, which can cause problems for users who still rely on them. In the UK, for example, the main mobile networks shut down their 3G services in 2021, affecting over 7 million users.

You may need to upgrade to a 4G or 5G phone to continue using your phone's internet and calling features.

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The 3G shutdown is a result of outdated technology. The form of 3G used by Sprint and Verizon is an enhancement to 2G, which is basically 1995-1996 technology.

Carriers have limited access to airwaves, and licensing them from the FCC comes at a great cost. The 3G technology assumes less computing power than modern devices, making it less efficient.

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This inefficiency is a major reason for the shutdown. The CTIA says 5G is 23 times more spectrally efficient than 2G, meaning newer technology can handle a much larger number of users.

The age of 3G networks is also a factor. AT&T and T-Mobile introduced 3G widely in 2006-2007, and it's been a long time since then.

If you're one of the many people who's been putting off checking on the status of your 3G device, now's the time to take action.

You can start by texting the word '3G' to 550 to get instructions from your provider on what you need to do to prepare for the end of 3G. This will give you a clear idea of what steps to take, if any.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has a page showing the 3G shutdown time frames for each carrier, so you can check to see when your carrier's network will be shutting down. Here are the shutdown dates for each carrier:

If you're affected by the shutdown, your carrier will likely contact you by phone or postcard to let you know your options.

You need to check your devices to see if they'll be affected by the 3G shutdown. If you have a mobile phone, smartwatch, tablet, medical alert device, or car that's more than 3 or 4 years old, or you have an alarm service, check with your phone company, service provider, or device manufacturer.

You can start by checking your mobile phone company's 3G page online, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The single most helpful resource for phone, tablet, and watch compatibility is the list compiled by AT&T.

Text the word '3G' to 550 to check your device quickly. This will send a response with instructions from your provider on what you need to do to prepare for the end of 3G.

Most people won't need to do anything, as their devices will be able to use 4G instead. If you do need to take action, you'll want to know as soon as possible.

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If you're wondering when your 3G network will shut down, the answer varies by carrier. AT&T officially shut down its 3G network on February 22, 2022.

Dish is a notable exception, as it never ran a 3G network and its network is pure 5G. This means that if you're a Dish customer, you won't be affected by the 3G shutdown.

If you're a Sprint customer, your 3G network, which Boost shares, officially shut down on May 31, 2022. T-Mobile's 3G network will shut down on July 1, 2022, but its 2G network will stay alive in an extremely limited way.

US Cellular is expected to be the "last large carrier" to shut down 3G, but it hasn't given a date, likely meaning 2023 or 2024. Verizon's 3G network will shut down by December 31, 2022.

Here's a quick rundown of the 3G shutdown dates for major carriers:

About 9% of wireless connections remaining in the US are 2G or 3G, which includes phones, tablets, home alarm systems, medical alert devices, cars, and other machinery.

The good news is that newer smartphones are fine, including the iPhone 6 and all newer iPhones, as well as Galaxy S5 generation of phones and later.

However, gray-market devices that weren't designed for US networks, including international variants of popular Samsung phones, are getting cut off.

Other devices that will be affected by the shutdown include older Kindle ebook readers and some smartwatches, which will become Wi-Fi-only.

It's essential to check your device's status bar for "4G LTE" or "5G" when Wi-Fi is off to determine if it's a 3G phone that will no longer work after the shutoff.

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About 9% of wireless connections remaining in the US are 2G or 3G, including phones, tablets, home alarm systems, medical alert devices, cars, and other machinery.

The iPhone 6 and all newer iPhones will continue to work, ditto for the Galaxy S5 generation of phones and later.

Smartphones that launched after 2014 and flip phones that launched after 2017 should also continue to work.

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However, gray-market devices that weren't designed for US networks are getting cut off.

If your phone doesn't say "4G LTE" or "5G" in its status bar when Wi-Fi is off, it's likely a 3G phone and will no longer work after the shutoff.

AT&T published a specific list of phones that still work after the change, while phones on other carriers can look for the "4G LTE" or "5G" indicator in the status bar.

Phones or tablets that currently support Wi-Fi will continue to work as before, meaning any Apple device you own that can access Wi-Fi will still work with iMessage and FaceTime over Wi-Fi with your Apple ID.

Older Kindle ebook readers and some smartwatches will become Wi-Fi-only, but their functionality won't be severely impacted.

The home alarm system industry has been the most vocal about the shutdown, with some providers still using 3G technology.

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Some 4G phones still can't make calls. They fall back on 3G for voice calls, even for emergency calls like 111.

This is because VoLTE, or voice over long-term evolution, adoption was slow among low-cost phones. As a result, some cheaper devices still use 3G for voice calls even when they use 4G for data.

You can check if your phone supports VoLTE on your mobile provider's website. However, support is only guaranteed if you bought directly from your provider.

Not every phone displays the VoLTE symbol, but it's a good sign that VoLTE is active. If you don't see the symbol, look for an option to switch on VoLTE in your phone's settings menu.

Here's how to check and turn on VoLTE on some popular phones:

If you can't turn on VoLTE yourself, contact your mobile provider. They might need to trigger a special software update to activate VoLTE for you.

T Mobile is also shutting down its 3G network, a move that's been a long time coming.

The 3G networks are very old, with the form used by Sprint and Verizon being an enhancement to 2G, essentially 1995-1996 technology.

AT&T and T-Mobile introduced 3G widely in 2006-2007, and it's been clear for a while that 3G is no longer sufficient for modern devices.

Because 3G assumes much less computing power than what modern devices are capable of, it's much less efficient than 4G or 5G.

5G is 23x more spectrally efficient than 2G, meaning each hertz of valuable airwaves can handle 23 times the number of users with the newer technology.

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