In 2019, carriers started slowly rolling out 5G networks. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Safe and Secure: SOS and emergency call feature, roadside call assistance, stolen vehicle locator, information assistance and automatic crash notifications. In other words, 3G connectivity uses parts of the wireless spectrum. Carriers may begin retiring parts of their networks sooner. Some estimates point towards late 2021, early 2022 as to when T-Mobile might switch off 3G permanently. } This story, originally published Oct. 25, 2021, has been updated to include the shutdown of all the 3G networks and other information. too. Find out what is going on. Consumer Cellular is one of a limited number of AT&T providers that have VoLTE, Wi-Fi Calling, Facetime over cellular, and mobile hotspot. // Column 3 Header Everyone says theyll fix it but its five different call reps and its still not working. T-Mobile will first shut down Sprint's 3G network on March 31 remember, the two carriers have merged with T-Mobile absorbing Sprint's customers and T-Mobile's own 3G network is targeted for a July shutdown. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. The FCC's official page(Opens in a new window) shows the 3G shutdown time frames for each carrier: AT&T officially shut down its 3G network on February 22, 2022. An eligible household could combine those benefits for internet access or have Lifeline-subsidized cellphone service and ACP-subsidized home internet, the FCC says. Hi there, if you're continuing to have issues and not able to get through on chat you're also welcome to send us a DM to follow up further. How do I know if I have a 3G device? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Call . For more on that, see our story on why your AT&T smartphone may suddenly stop working. For J.D. Consumer Cellular outages have been causing frustration for many of the company's customers. www.aarp.org/volunteer. Verizon plans to phase out 3G by December 31, 2022. These att speeds are terrible! The carriers say that they will contact you by phone or postcard if the shutdown affects you, and will most likely offer you a free, new 4G or 5G phone. document.write(' '); While T-Mobile will continue to run this 2G network for a while, it's best to pretend that network isn't thereit isn't a good network and is frustrating to use. Commercial 4G networks first went live in 2009, and 5G followed a decade later. The FCC adds that many other carriers use the Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile networks, so customers of other . Even though automakers have been aware that these networks are shutting down permanently between February and July, many manufacturers still relied on it until as recently as the 2021 model year.. else if (languages === "Chinese") { Even if your cellular service is . Uses AT&T and T-Mobile networks. Even this ancient Pantech LTE Mobile Hotspot device will continue to work after the 3G shutdown - but if you are still using this, newer tech is much better. No model list provided. But killing off these slower networks will affect much more than just phones: millions of cars have 3G systems, as do many alarms, security cameras, and other devices. Consumers with older cellphones like the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy will likely soon lose the ability to send text messages, log on to the internet and even make phone calls, including to 911 . For instance, Lifeline offers up to a $9.25 discount off monthly phone or internet bills to households that make less than 135 percent of federal poverty guidelines, and the ACP subsidy for high-speed internet access is $30 a month for households with incomes up to 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines not located on tribal lands. In a regulatory filing with the SEC earlier this year, AT&T called out that the 3G shutdown date and plans to redeploy spectrum / manage the transition, https://otp.tools.investis.com/clients/us/atnt2/sec/sec-show.aspx?Type=html&FilingId=13241251&Cik=0000732717, Our 3G network provides services to customers using older handsets and connected devices. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. If your mobile phone is more than a few years old, you may need to upgrade your device before your mobile provider shuts down its 3G network, to avoid losing service. // End Column 1 Header if (languages === "Spanish") { People who use older 3G phones tend not to be interested in wireless data connections, so talking about how those connections will become faster usually just leads to cranky comments about how much they hate TikTok. Canceled services: These services include all Porsche Car Connect services provided by Vodafone as well as Porsche offered Remote, Safety, and Security services. Advertisement: AT&T will finish shutting down its 3G network by February 2022. @Consumer_Cell Finally activated! Some devices may only require a software update to enable VoLTE (HD Voice) or other advanced services. ,