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MSE News: Vodafone has become the first major mobile network to switch off 3G

MSE_Chris
MSE_Chris Posts: 210 MSE Staff
Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
edited 14 March 2023 am31 9:05AM in Mobiles
Vodafone has become the first major mobile network to switch off 3G in parts of the country with other networks set to follow. Here's how to check if your handset is impacted and what you need to do about it.

Read the full story:
'Got an old phone? You may soon lose internet access as Vodafone begins to turn off 3G with others to follow'

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.
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Comments

  • Will MiFi devices no longer work if they are not 4G?
  • This looks like the state of the art £1000+ phones that we have now will get 4 & 5g cut off in the future.
    All it is basically is a signal (like a TV areal) 
    What a swizz
  • dld2s
    dld2s Posts: 441 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker Uniform Washer
    But what about the planet! up to 5.5 million perfectly good phones binned and more resources used for new phones, not very green is it

  • Rich2808
    Rich2808 Posts: 1,353 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 14 March 2023 pm31 9:20PM
    My phone supports 4g but I can often only use 3G data with my provider. Sometimes 4g works sometimes it doesn’t but 3G always gives me a connection.

    I probably need to upgrade phone anyway and I have until the end of next year apparently to sort this out. Even if I don’t get a signal the freebies with a coffee firm and a cinema group more than pay for my monthly mobile fee!
  • Casskale
    Casskale Posts: 33 Forumite
    10 Posts Name Dropper
    dekdee said:
    This looks like the state of the art £1000+ phones that we have now will get 4 & 5g cut off in the future.
    All it is basically is a signal (like a TV areal) 
    What a swizz
    Of course they will, but you obviously don't understand how this works.

    There is a limited amount of the electromagnetic spectrum, and that spectrum is limited in how much of it is useful for communications. What they're doing is freeing up the spectrum for use with newer, more useful technologies.

    3G is now about 21 years old.  Very few people will have 3G only phones at this point. 
  • artyboy
    artyboy Posts: 1,379 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Casskale said:
    dekdee said:
    This looks like the state of the art £1000+ phones that we have now will get 4 & 5g cut off in the future.
    All it is basically is a signal (like a TV areal) 
    What a swizz
    Of course they will, but you obviously don't understand how this works.

    There is a limited amount of the electromagnetic spectrum, and that spectrum is limited in how much of it is useful for communications. What they're doing is freeing up the spectrum for use with newer, more useful technologies.

    3G is now about 21 years old.  Very few people will have 3G only phones at this point. 
    I'm fine with that, but given my 'state of the art' phone still cuts back to 3G several times a day, I'd like to have a consistent 4/5G signal before I lose this backup...
  • ProDave
    ProDave Posts: 3,785 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    artyboy said:
    Casskale said:
    dekdee said:
    This looks like the state of the art £1000+ phones that we have now will get 4 & 5g cut off in the future.
    All it is basically is a signal (like a TV areal) 
    What a swizz
    Of course they will, but you obviously don't understand how this works.

    There is a limited amount of the electromagnetic spectrum, and that spectrum is limited in how much of it is useful for communications. What they're doing is freeing up the spectrum for use with newer, more useful technologies.

    3G is now about 21 years old.  Very few people will have 3G only phones at this point. 
    I'm fine with that, but given my 'state of the art' phone still cuts back to 3G several times a day, I'd like to have a consistent 4/5G signal before I lose this backup...
    Isn't the point of turning off 3G so they can re use the bandwidth that used to occupy to improve 4G or 5G services?  so chances are when 3G is turned off instead your phone will get a better 4G signal and will continue working.

    Really the only people to "worry" are those with really old 3G only phones.
  • nrmsmith
    nrmsmith Posts: 60 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 10 Posts
    Don’t electricity & gas Smart Meters also rely on the 3G network?  Are they going to stop working?
  • PHK
    PHK Posts: 2,070 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    nrmsmith said:
    Don’t electricity & gas Smart Meters also rely on the 3G network?  Are they going to stop working?
    As far as I know they are 2G and modern ones are 4G. 
  • KxMx
    KxMx Posts: 10,818 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 16 March 2023 pm31 9:02PM
    I'm definitely hoping when 3g goes off locally, the 4g improves as a result because it is absolutely pants. I actually have my phone set to 3g only, because otherwise it defaults to the poor 4g, even though the 3g signal is much better. 
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