Plan Ahead for the Phase Out of 3G Cellular Networks

If your mobile phone is more than a few years old, you may need to upgrade your device before your mobile provider shuts down its 3G network, to avoid losing service. For more information on your mobile providers’ plans for 3G retirement and how you can prepare, contact your provider directly.

What is happening?
Mobile carriers are shutting down their 3G networks, which rely on older technology, to make room for more advanced network services, including 5G. As a result, many older cell phones will be unable to make or receive calls and texts, including calls to 911, or use data services. This will affect 3G mobile phones and certain older 4G mobile phones that do not support Voice over LTE (VoLTE or HD Voice).

When will it happen?
As early as January 1, 2022, though plans and timing to phase out 3G services will vary by company and may change. Consult your mobile provider’s website for the most up-to-date information.

• AT&Tannounced that it will finish shutting down its 3G network by February 2022.
• Verizonannounced that will finish shutting down its 3G network by December 31, 2022.
• T-Mobileannounced that it will finish shutting down Sprint’s 3G CDMA network by March 31, 2022 and Sprint’s 4G LTE network by June 30, 2022. It also announced it will shut down T-Mobile’s 3G UMTS network by July 1, 2022, but has not yet announced a shutdown date for its 2G network.

If your mobile carrier is not listed here, you may still be affected. Many carriers, such as Cricket, Boost, Straight Talk, and several Lifeline mobile service providers, utilize AT&T’s, Verizon’s, and T-Mobile’s networks.

Note: These dates are for completing the shutdowns. Carriers may begin retiring parts of their networks sooner.

What do I need to do?
Contact your mobile provider or consult your provider’s website for more information about their 3G retirement plan and whether your phone, or other connected device, may be affected. It is important to plan now so that you don’t lose connectivity, including the ability to call 911.

Some carrier websites provide lists of devices that will no longer be supported after 3G networks are shut down. You may need to upgrade to a newer device to ensure that you can stay connected, and carriers may be offering discounted or free upgrades to help consumers who need to upgrade their phones.

Some devices may only require a software update to enable VoLTE (HD Voice) or other advanced services. If you purchased your phone independent of a mobile provider, you should be able to check whether your device is 4G LTE (with VoLTE or HD Voice) enabled by checking your phone’s settings or user manual, or by searching your phone’s model number on the internet, to determine whether you need to purchase a new device or install a software update.

Does this just impact phones?
No, other devices, such as certain medical devices, tablets, smart watches, vehicle SOS services, home security systems, and other connected products may be using 3G network services. And don’t forget about devices that use cellular connectivity as a back-up when a wired internet connection goes down. If the device is not labeled, contact the monitoring company or other service provider to confirm how the device connects and whether your device may be impacted.

A large number of new cars made in the last decade, even some in the 2021 model year, were built with their connected services running on 3G. That includes things like in-nav traffic and location data, WiFi hotspots, emergency call services, remote lock/unlock functions, smartphone app connectivity, voice assistants, and even concierge services.

I was very surprised to see how many automobiles are affected by this shutdown. It’s common knowledge that automotive tech lags behind normal consumer standards—your smartphone is good, but most in vehicle infotainment systems are not—but it’s still kind of a shock to see the whole list of affected cars that rely on 3G, which includes a lot of luxury cars sold from 2017-2019 and even some 2021 models.

For a list of vehicles affected, check this URL:
https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43187/how-the-3g-shutdown-in-2022-could-screw-your-car

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Quick update to last week’s story:
The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are reportedly looking for alternatives to the controversial facial recognition software ID.me, according to a report by Bloomberg. As Bloomberg notes, the agencies didn’t cite a reason for the possible change, and also didn’t mention any privacy concerns about the service.

BUT – The privacy concerns are:
Although ID.me previously claimed it only uses one-to-one facial matching, which involves matching a user’s face with images of the same face, ID.me CEO Blake Hall admitted it uses technology that matches faces against a larger database. This only exacerbates privacy concerns — politicians, the American Civil Liberties Union, and digital rights advocates have already spoken out about the IRS’ use of the software.