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It’s curtains for 3G, one of the key technologies that helped usher in the age of the smartphone. Throughout December, Verizon is disconnecting its customers who are still using the technology, cutting off their phones’ ability to use data, make calls and send text messages. It was the last major US carrier to do so – AT&T shut down its 3G service In February, and T-Mobile It started shutting down its old networks A month later.
Verizon customers with 3G devices have plenty of caveats. The network had previously said it would go offline in 2019, but one after another, the date has been delayed. Postponed to December 31, 2022. Meanwhile, it The new LTE-capable phones were shipped to the masses, as well as letters explaining exactly what was going to happen. Customers with 3G devices will have their bills suspended starting the day before the December billing cycle begins, Verizon said. According to Strictly wireless.
Even after that, until the day before the February billing cycle, they can use the phones for two things: 911 and Verizon customer service.
When 3G is available is in use Inside In other countries For a few more years, Verizon’s deadline is the end of the line for that in the US. Technology did not go smoothly that good night; Carriers Late their shutdowns Many timesthere Conflicts between Dish and T-MobileAnd you can’t replace a network that’s been down for years without things starting to break.
One reason carriers are decommissioning their networks is to help them build new ones. As we saw earlier this month, T-Mobile’s latest and greatest 5G technology uses spectrum. Once part of its 3G network.
I certainly won’t miss 3G. But I’m glad it was.
It’s easy to brush off the end of 3G. After all, that’s what happens to technology, right? If you’ve recently had the misfortune of having your phone drop to 3G due to lack of coverage, you’ll know that the network definitely isn’t. It didn’t deliver anything close to the experience we were hoping for.
But despite its obsolescence, I think we should bid it a fond farewell and remember how it was, not what it became. The first 3G phones started appearing in the early 2000s, but in America, the network really came into its own with the rise of the smartphone.
As people started getting phones like the iPhone 3G or the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), the benefits of having a fast (at the time) Internet connection became apparent. Browsing the web on the go may not be a niche activity for those with specific business phones, but it’s something an increasing number of people do every day.
Not to argue that we should keep it around anymore – I’d be too late even if I think it’s the best move. I ask you to think a little about the technology that helped create the mobile-first world we live in; Even if it ends up being the last time you think about it.
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