At the start of this year Vodafone became the first UK mobile operator to begin the process of switching off their old 3G mobile (mobile broadband) network, which started with a pilot in the Devon city of Plymouth and the Hampshire town of Basingstoke. The operator now plans to start switching off the remainder of its 3G from June 2023.
The government and all major mobile operators have already agreed to phase-out existing 2G and 3G signals by 2033 (here), which will free up radio spectrum bands so that they can be used to further improve the network coverage and mobile broadband speeds of more modern 4G and 5G based mobile networks. The switch-off will also reduce the operators’ costs and power consumption.
NOTE: Vodafone’s 3G has been live for 18 years, but back in January 2022 it accounted for just 4% of the data used on their network (down from over 30% in 2016).
However, 3G services will be the first to go because older 2G signals remain useful as a low-power fallback (they’ll be sticking around for a lot longer) and are still necessary for some rural areas, as well as for particular applications (e.g. many Smart Meters and other Internet of Things (IoT) / M2M services are dependent upon 2G). But most operators expect to have completely phased out 3G by the end of 2024.
In the case of Vodafone, the operator has today stated that their national shutdown will happen in phases throughout the remainder of 2023, starting in June with Hull, Oxford and Greater London, before progressing across the South. The remainder of the UK will follow later in the year.
On the technical front, the change will enable some 10MHz of spectrum in their 900MHz band to be re-purposed for use by modern 4G and 5G mobile services, which could result in faster mobile broadband speeds and better network coverage from those platforms.
Nevertheless, the move will inevitably cause some data connectivity problems for anybody who still relies on a 3G-only device (rare), which is why the operator has been running a campaign alongside charities and consumer groups to “reach its most vulnerable customers and ensure everyone stays connected.” But most of those with a 3G handset (i.e. one that can’t do 4G or 5G) will find that it may continue to function, albeit only via basic 2G services (i.e. voice and very slow data). Anything that doesn’t fall back to 2G will, however, cease to function.
Vodafone’s UK Network Director, Andrea Dona, said:
“Our focus remains to continue to build the UK’s most reliable mobile network and to continue to do this, we need to ensure our technologies are fit for purpose. 3G use has already dropped significantly as most of Vodafone’s customers now use the 4G network.
We’re also strengthening and improving our 4G and 5G coverage and this can only mean good news for our customers as well as the wider UK economy. At the same time, we’ve been working hard to make sure our customers are fully aware and have the information and tools they need to support themselves, as well as friends and family through the programme.
The Digital Skills Helpline is a great asset, bringing customers the skills they may need to make the most of their device. On this solid bedrock, now is the time to say goodbye to 3G and focus on the current benefits and future possibilities of our 4G and 5G networks.”
Take note that the changes will impact any dependent Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO), so you won’t be able to escape it by switching to an MVNO on the same physical network. As for the other operators, their plans for 3G are as follows.
The Phase Out Plans for 3G Mobile
➤ Three UK said they’ll be phasing out our 3G network service gradually over the next 2 years and switching it off by the end of 2024.
➤ EE (BT) will this year begin moving customers off 3G rather than switching the network off, but they aim to switch it off in early 2024.
➤ O2 (Virgin Media) informed us that they’ve yet to announce a public sunsetting timeframe, but are supportive of the Government plans to switch off both 2G and 3G by 2033.