Full-service provider Magenta Telekom, which was formed in 2019 from the merger of wireless operator T-Mobile Austria and cableco UPC Austria, has announced plans to switch off its 3G networks from the start of 2024. The operator said it would reallocate the freed-up spectrum for more advanced 4G and 5G services to improve customer experience. Magenta says 3G services will be phased out gradually from 1 January 2024 and recommends that customers using a 3G-enabled device that does not support LTE or 5G should upgrade to a new handset, as they will only be able to use the 2G network after the 3G switch-off.
‘We have decided to phase out 3G in 2024 in order to devote the free frequencies to future-proof 4G LTE and 5G,’ commented Volker Libovsky, CTIO of Magenta Telekom, adding: ‘Machine networks for industrial solutions will also benefit. For our mobile customers, this means an even better experience when surfing the Internet, making calls and more capacity at peak times.’ Magenta plans to invest a total of EUR1 billion in the expansion of its fixed and mobile networks by 2025. Its 5G network is currently available at 1,900 locations and covers half of all households and businesses, with population coverage expected to reach 55% this year.
Source: https://www.commsupdate.com/articles/2022/04/08/magenta-will-start-3g-shutdown-in-2024/