AT&T announced that it will now be shutting down its 3G network in the U.S. The wireless carrier said Tuesday that older smartphones and analog cellphones using its 3G signals would no longer work starting this week.
The shutdown of the network was inevitable as most people nowadays no longer use 3G services in light of their evolving needs. Around 20 years ago, when 3G was first launched, people only used wireless services to send text messages and make calls. However, today's consumers now use their smartphones to send pictures and videos, stream, play games, work, and scroll through social media.
AT&T and wireless carriers such as Verizon and T-Mobile are now gradually shutting down their 3G networks to make room for faster network technologies such as LTE and 5G.
In the U.S., Verizon was the first carrier to launch its own 3G network back in 2002. During that time, Apple's first iPhone was still five years away, and the top smartphone brand in the country was still BlackBerry.
AT&T announced that its 3G network will no longer be available starting today, Tuesday, Feb. 22. The company said customers who own cellphones that do not support HD video calls would no longer be able to make calls - including emergency calls to 911 - or send and receive text messages. Wireless data on those phones will also no longer work. The company advised those who are holding out on buying newer models to upgrade their devices.
Apart from cellphones, the shutdown of AT&T's 3G network will also affect other older devices, including older e-book readers, tablets, vehicles SOS services, medical alert devices, home alarms, and other gadgets that rely on 3G signals.
Both Verizon and T-Mobile have also announced plans of shutting down their own 3G signals. T-Mobile said it would shut down the 3G network it acquired from Sprint on Mar. 31 and its own network by Jul. 1. Meanwhile, Verizon said it plans to shut down its 3G network at the end of this year.
In light of the recent announcements, the Federal Communications Commission has advised consumers to check with their wireless providers if their devices will be affected by the shutdown. The three major carriers have provided lists of devices that will be impacted. While some devices will be fully rendered useless following the shutdown, others can still be used after a software update is installed.
The planned shutdowns underscored the carriers' commitments to go full steam on 5G. The fifth-generation mobile network is much faster than its previous iterations and is meant to cater to the increased upload and download demand in today's society.
