AT&T is scheduled to decommission its 3G cellular network, On February 22, 2022. T-Mobile is scheduled to be shut down on July 1, 2022, and Verizon is set to follow suit on December 31, 2022.
AT&T is scheduled to decommission its 3G cellular network, On February 22, 2022. T-Mobile is scheduled to be shut down on July 1, 2022, and Verizon is set to follow suit on December 31, 2022.
The vast majority of cell phones in the service run on 4G/LTE networks, and the world has begun the transition to 5G, but as many as 10 million phones in the US still rely on 3G service. In addition, the cellular network functionality of some older devices such as Kindles, iPads, and Chromebooks are connected to 3G networks. Similarly, some legacy internet-connected systems such as home security, in-car navigation and entertainment systems, and solar panel modems are for 3G. Consumers will need to upgrade or replace these systems.
So why are carriers turning off their 3G networks? As an electrical engineer studying wireless communications, I can explain. The answer starts with the difference between 3G and newer technologies like 4G/LTE and 5G.
Imagine a family trip. Your wife is on the phone arranging activities to do at the destination, your teenage daughter is streaming music and talking with her friends on her phone, and her younger brother is playing an online game with his friends. All these separate conversations and data streams are connected over the cellular network, seemingly simultaneously. You might take this for granted, but have you ever wondered how a cellular system can handle all of these activities at the same time, from the same vehicle?
