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UK 2G/3G Shutdown Thread

ewanmclean2005

Super Pro Member
Good evening all. Having looked around the forum I couldn't find a thread discussing the 2G and 3G turn off commencing next year. With a deadline for 2G services to be turned off by 2033 and networks deciding to switch off 3G over the next two years I thought it would be interesting to discuss what mobile networks in the UK might look like after the shutdown has commenced.

Vodafone plans to turn off 3G services in 2023 and will commence in the early part of the year. They currently use Band 1 and Band 8 for 3G services.
EE is expected to turn off 3G in early 2024. It uses only Band 1 for 3G services.
Three is turning off it's 3G network before the end of 2024. Band 1 only for 3G services.
O2 has not yet announced is going to start turning off 3G by the beginning of 2025 and wants to have 3G switched off by the end of the year.

It's going to take a longer amount of time for 2G to be turned off because a lot of the early smart meters and other M2M devices are still heavily reliant on the 2G network and it is going to take a longer time for these legacy devices to upgraded.

What are your thoughts and what would you like to see from UK networks once they have turned off their 3G services.
 
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Migration will probably not be based on engineering but as increasingly commercial considerations.

There may be some upgrade to 4G for compatibility on current 3G only, but I think the focus will be getting 5G on the lower frequencies and selling new devices.

Probably there already
 
I upgraded my Three contract this week and the switch off is mentioned in the T&Cs.

Three Network Between October and December 2024, we will be making changes to the Three Network. Following these changes, you will need a 4G or 5G handset capable of making voice calls on the 4G network, or a 4G or 5G router to access the Three Services. 3G-only devices, and early 4G handsets that can only make 3G voice calls, will no longer work on the Three Network.
 
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It's not saying anything new that they haven't already announced (i.e. the plan to switch off 3G by the end of 2024).

 
Hard to see 3 switching off 3G anytime soon with so many areas performing better on it vs 4G!
I'd say the opposite. The reason that there is good performance on 3G is precisely so few people are using it - there is little contention for the spectrum.

Once 3G is shut down, and the frequencies refarmed to 4G, it will improve performance for everyone else.

It's definitely in Three's interest to improve performance for the majority of 4G users, than to keep a tiny majority of 3G users happy.
 
I'd say the opposite. The reason that there is good performance on 3G is precisely so few people are using it - there is little contention for the spectrum.

Once 3G is shut down, and the frequencies refarmed to 4G, it will improve performance for everyone else.

It's definitely in Three's interest to improve performance for the majority of 4G users, than to keep a tiny majority of 3G users happy.
I agree, but that's assuming they turn on B1 4G in these areas and not just leave as is with B3,20 4G
 
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A lot of discussion about Three’s switch off.

There has been talk about Three doing Phase 4 MBNL buy in and adding Band 1 to these sites. The antennas on the Phase 4s only have Band 1 and 3 capability at present and I assume that the Band 1 space would be retrofitted to improve LTE bandwidth maybe instead of building a phase 7/8/9.

All 3G only sites are being upgraded to 4G. I also suspect Three wants to do away with Band 20 only sites.

Need to find the slides again discussing Three’s technology upgrade.

Looking forward to seeing how Vodafone handles its 3G switch off.

EE’s switch off will be a breeze. No one will notice they turned 3G off as I suspect no one ever comes off 4G on EE haha.
 
Last time I been to Basingstoke with my Voxi sim I was geting 5G pretty much everywhere, apart from friend's underground parking lot where it went down to 3G. (Im still wondering why when VF 4G in on lower frequency)

Also, Wouldn't VF and O2 be better off trading/swapping some of their B8 900mhz spectrum after 3G switch off?
uk_900mhz_b8_apr_2022.png
I would imageging Voda would be queit keen to switch off their 3G Service as soon a is practical for them to do, as they turned down any share of the newer n28 NR 5G Band Auction (700mhz) in favor of a higher share of the n78 (3.5Ghz wider Bandwidth), Voda also claimed, they don't really need any 700Mhz as 'We have plenty of the 800 and 900mhz Bands that we can Refarm for 5G use'. This move also did EE a big favor who are keen to get their hands on as much Low Band Spectrum as possible in order improve the Rural Areas of their 5G Roll Out.

Also makes you wonder if Voda, who are rich in the Lower Band Spectrum, want to concentrate on acquiring as much as possible on the Wider Bandwidths on the 3.5Ghz Stuff, then maybe at the time of the Auctions they were already heavily involved with Three as a potential Merger, end of the day, Three have so much of the 3.5Ghz Spectrum (through Buy Outs of the UK Broudband / Relish Networks), Three don't really know what to do with the stuff, Let's see.
 
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On upgrading to a Google Pixel 7 Pro, I'm currently passing my LG G6 bought in 2017 to my teenage daughter. I was hoping it would give her 3 or 4 years more service and see her through school. But that may be a forlorn hope, as an IMEI check on the Vodafone site says it is not capable of 4G calling. So here's hoping O2 don't switch of 3G till about 2025 at the earliest!
 
On upgrading to a Google Pixel 7 Pro, I'm currently passing my LG G6 bought in 2017 to my teenage daughter. I was hoping it would give her 3 or 4 years more service and see her through school. But that may be a forlorn hope, as an IMEI check on the Vodafone site says it is not capable of 4G calling. So here's hoping O2 don't switch of 3G till about 2025 at the earliest!
even then, there's still 2G
 
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