3G is shutting down!

[Ilya]

3G is shutting down in 2022

Remember 3G? It's going away as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile shift to 5G. What to know about 3G shutdown

As the shift toward 5G wireless connectivity continues, we're getting closer to the end of 3G. Here's what you need to know about the upgrade.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Ilya]

I received the following text message from AT&T for one of the older phones on our family account:

AT&T FREE MSG: In Feb 2022, we're shutting down our 3G network to make improvements to our network. We're shipping you a new FREE cell phone to replace your device ending in *….*. All you need to do is activate the new device. You'll find setup information in the box. If you don't activate your new cell phone, we will automatically activate it in approximately 30 days. Once your new cell phone is activated, your current cell phone will only be able to call 911 and 611 until Feb 2022. If you need additional assistance, visit one of our stores or call us at 800.880.8581

 

[Ilya]

Per AT&T, here is the list of phones that will still work in February:

https://www.att.com/idpassets/images/support/wireless/Devices-Working-on-ATT-Network.pdf

 

[NYDutch]

T-Mobile just announced a 3-month extension of their Sprint 3G service:

T-Mobile Delays Shutdown of Sprint’s 3G Network and Throws Shade at Partners

Although it didn't specify which partners hadn't "followed through on their responsibilities," it's highly likely T-Mobile was referring to Dish Network.

gizmodo.com

 

[Foxbat]

I wonder how many Automobiles with 3G telematics will be disconnected?

 

[KE4EST]

I wonder how many Automobiles with 3G telematics will be disconnected?

You know, I wondered the same thing.

 

[Juan]

Back when I had onstar
It worked on old analog cellular
When they got rid of that
They offered a free upgrade to 3g
I assume the same will happen with telematics

 

[Juan]

The sun is setting on fleets that rely on 3G for telematics

The transition away from 3G can be costly and complex, but trucking firms that don't move to 4G may put their businesses in jeopardy.

www.transportdive.com

 

[navychop]

There are burglar alarms with cellular backup, including 3G. But these should be ea$y to fix.

 

[Radioguy41]

Yeah, Consumer Cellular sent the wife a free phone a couple of months ago to replace her old 3G phone.

 

[Ziptied]

Yeah, Consumer Cellular sent the wife a free phone a couple of months ago to replace her old 3G phone.

Over the last few months, Consumer Cellular has sent me several letters telling me that I need to replace my Mom's 3g Rugby flip phone within 30 days. They have not offered or sent a free replacement thus far.

 

[Juan]

Over the last few months, Consumer Cellular has sent me several letters telling me that I need to replace my Mom's 3g Rugby flip phone within 30 days. They have not offered or sent a free replacement thus far.

Did they give you a website or anything for acceptable phones?

 

[Ziptied]

Did they give you a website or anything for acceptable phones?

They actually offered a compatible flip phone replacement for $35. Mom suffers from Dementia. She no longer makes calls and rarely receives calls on this phone. I gave it to her in the mid 2000's and she still keeps it close. I may just let it go dormant and see what happens.

 

[Foxbat]

Old thread, made relevant by what happened to me today. I went to text my manager that our Company’s stock closed up $3.60 today and it failed immediately to send. I looked and saw I had zero bars.

We have cell repeaters in the office and I thought they might need a reboot. Did that, still no bars, so I tried cycling through Airplane mode, then shutting down my phone and powering up after a minute, but still no signal. I have Cricket Wireless which runs over the AT&T network, so I asked one of the AT&T users how their signal looked. They said they had 2 bars, about right for our office. Hmmmm…

I checked DownDetector for Cricket and saw a big increase in outage reports.

So something was happening. Twitter for CricketNation showed NCAA mascot action, but one user said that their phone lost service and they had to get a new SIM card to fix it. Twitter also had reports from people who were able to get ahold of Cricket Online Support who told them to go to a Cricket Store and get their SIM swapped for a new one for free.

I stopped in to the Cricket store by our house (zip bars the whole way) and told the store rep that I have been a Cricket Wireless customer for over six years. She suggested trying a SIM swap but I had to pay $10 for the new SIM. I figured in the interest of time I wouldn’t push the free SIM thing, and while she was setting up my new Universal SIM, a guy came in and said he lost service on his Cricket phone while he was on a sales call. I asked how long he was a customer and he said 7-8 years, so his SIM was probably older than mine.

Anyway, Cricket was shutting down their 3G networks, and apparently the older SIM card in our phones could not run without 3G. Today in the afternoon was that day in our area. Why Cricket wouldn’t have sent a text or email explaining that we needed a new SIM card I don’t know.

At least I was able to get a $10.69 credit on my account to reverse the cost of the new SIM card.