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UK 2G/3G Shutdown Thread

No more 3G in Basingstoke area.

(reposting if anyone missed it:
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/threads/anyone-in-plymouth-or-basingstoke.39402/#post-300323 )
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Is that Vodafone?

Also how is 4G looking in that area? Any old 3G spectrum being used for 4G/5G?
 
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Three are meant to have upgraded some 4G in my area but I've not noticed any difference at all on Smarty. I've now left them for 1P Mobile as I get EE5G in my house. When Three have switched off the 3G I'll test Smarty again but I expect to have signal black spots considering how many times the phone fell back onto its 3G signal, according to their coverage checkers I'm meant to have great 4G coverage.
 
Is that Vodafone?

Also how is 4G looking in that area? Any old 3G spectrum being used for 4G/5G?
Yep

I have not checked 4G, will do on next trip to see if theres any difference in deployed spectrum than the standard B20 B8 B32 B1 and B7 that I got here in Southampton.

Also, any one know what phone will support B20+B8 at the same time? never seen them together on S22
 
It's All Voda gone around here, 2 and 4G Only, with a wiff of 5G on top, same as EE here, again all gone (Epping Forest Areas) and if I'm honest it's not working to clever without the 3G fall back in the patchy 4G Areas.
 
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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 any plans to turn 3G off. Currently using Band 1 and Band 8 for 3G services.

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.
Is it the case the smets2 smart meters are using 3G, but they didnt have foresight to add 4G support?
 
It's All Voda gone around here, 2 and 4G Only, with a wiff of 5G on top, same as EE here, again all gone (Epping Forest Areas) and if I'm honest it's not working to clever without the 3G fall back in the patchy 4G Areas.
Sounds like something has gone badly wrong with the team responsible at Vodafone for the 3G exit as all the operators including Ofcom have said that once 3G is no longer available that it would be refarmed to improve the existing 4G and 5G coverage in that area.

Seems to be a bit short sighted to get rid of 3G which has been explained numerous times why it needs to to be done and not have the now available spectrum available immediately to be used by both 4G and 5G.

Equally I do believe that 3G shouldn't be removed from service until upgrades are in place so the service doesn't get worse eg Three have already stated that their masts which only has 3G at the moment will be upgraded to 4G so this should have been done everywhere so the above experience in the Epping Forest area doesn't happen.

Once a acceptable level of 4G coverage is available than sure, turn off the 3G technology and than start the process to refarm it to be used by both 4G and 5G.
 
Vodafone appear to be aware with issues in the area. In addition, probably not connected some 4G coverage maps are not working.

Dual SIM/MIFI advisable during changes. THREE appear best other for 4G around Epping Forest.
 
So I have some observations I’d like to share with current 3G switch offs.

EE has switched off 3G in Warrington. Observation of some 3G map data on EE has also shown that some 3G sites have gone offline in Ayrshire south of Dalmellington on the A713 road into Galloway Forest park from the May update of coverage to the July update.

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Vodafone’s latest press release on its 3G switch off has confirmed that they’ve turned off the network in Plymouth, Basingstoke, Hull, Oxford, and Glasgow.

More info can be found here.

 
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)
Lower frequencies are better at passing through stuff, higher frequencies are better at bouncing off stuff. Sometimes the only way to get indoors is by bouncing off stuff, sounds like the underground parking lot is a good example of that.
 
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I wonder what will happen to smart meters. IIRC they use 2G/3G.
I know some of them have LoRA too but I believe the vast majority of deployed ones are 2G/3G.
 
I wonder what will happen to smart meters. IIRC they use 2G/3G.
I know some of them have LoRA too but I believe the vast majority of deployed ones are 2G/3G.
Probably going to continue working on 2G. No one seems to be in a hurry to turn that off.
 
Probably going to continue working on 2G. No one seems to be in a hurry to turn that off.
This link seems to suggest that O2VM will by 2033.

I can't seem to find any (reliable) source on the other networks and their plans for 2G. I read one place that said they "have to" shut off by 2033 but I really doubt that. I don't think ofcom or anyone else is forcing them to do this.

Granted 2033 is 10 years down the line, but we've had our electricity meter since the house was built in 1999 so it's lasted 23 years and counting. The smart meter replacement cost billions to bill payers and will likely cost more billions to replace again
 
This link seems to suggest that O2VM will by 2033.

I can't seem to find any (reliable) source on the other networks and their plans for 2G. I read one place that said they "have to" shut off by 2033 but I really doubt that. I don't think ofcom or anyone else is forcing them to do this.

Granted 2033 is 10 years down the line, but we've had our electricity meter since the house was built in 1999 so it's lasted 23 years and counting. The smart meter replacement cost billions to bill payers and will likely cost more billions to replace again

Isn't the life time of electricity meters around 20 years?

Don't quote me on this, but I think I've read something that mentioned 20 years. It's something that needs to be replaced from time to time.

Your point about the costs is still valid though.
 
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I wonder what will happen to smart meters. IIRC they use 2G/3G.
I know some of them have LoRA too but I believe the vast majority of deployed ones are 2G/3G.
It depends where you live - Wales and the south of England use 2G from O2, Scotland and the north of England use LRR from Arqiva. I guess the south has higher population density so I suppose the majority of meters are on 2G. I believe DCC signed a deal with Vodafone earlier this year to provide 4G, so they'll gradually be switched over to that before 2G gets switched off.
 
I can't seem to find any (reliable) source on the other networks and their plans for 2G. I read one place that said they "have to" shut off by 2033 but I really doubt that. I don't think ofcom or anyone else is forcing them to do this.
Can confirm the VMO2 shut-off is for 3G only, not 2G. That's what MVNOs have been briefed.

The speculation is that they will keep 2G until at least 2028 as part of their government smart meter contract. That's just gossip though.
 
Isn't the life time of electricity meters around 20 years?

Don't quote me on this, but I think I've read something that mentioned 20 years. It's something that needs to be replaced from time to time.

Your point about the costs is still valid though.
Smart meters are modem upgradable.

While this is a non issue in Scotland, in the rest of the country, smart meter installation companies will need to upgrade the modem in smart metres at some point in the next ten years.
 
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Smart meters are modem upgradable.

While this is a non issue in Scotland, in the rest of the country, smart meter installation companies will need to upgrade the modem in smart metres at some point in the next ten years.
 
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