Network service providers are planning to phase out the use of 3G across the UK before eventually switching it off for good at the end of 2024.
Networks including Three and Vodafone are some of the many providers in Edinburgh who are planning to phase out 3G, as well as EE and O2. In December 2021, UK operators committed to a government plan to switch off their 2G & 3G networks by 2033.
However, many operators have brought forward the turn-off dates of their 3G networks to ten years before the deadline. Vodafone and EE will switch their 3G network off by the end of 2023, with Three opting to set a deadline for 2024.
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O2 is the only major mobile network operator yet to announce a self-imposed deadline for its 3G network switch off.
But when can you expect your 3G to stop working across Edinburgh?
What is 3G?
3G stands for third-generation mobile network. Launched in 2002, 3G improved upon its predecessor 2G by offering users faster data rates and higher bandwidths.
This allowed users to perform more data-intensive tasks while on the networks, including web browsing, sending emails & standard definition video streaming.
Why is 3G being switched off?
3G networks are being closed down across Edinburgh and the rest of the UK for a number of reasons. These include low network usage, and operators aiming to reach Net Zero.
Many operators claim that replacing inefficient 3G infrastructure will save energy usage across the mobile networks. Also, the 3G networks have increasingly lost their importance as 4G & 5G coverage has been expanded.
Vodafone saw 30 per cent of its data traffic stem from 3G services in 2016. By 2021, only four per cent of its data traffic came from 3G.
Which network providers have provided deadlines for 3G closure?
Vodafone wrote on their website: "You may have seen in the news that all 3G networks are being switched off. Here at Vodafone, we’ll be switching off our 3G network by December 2023, so that we can focus on strengthening our 4G and 5G networks.
"We’ll start by switching off our 3G network in the Plymouth and Basingstoke areas in February 2023. We’ll share more information soon about where 3G is being switched off next."
Three also posted on their website, saying: "We’ll be phasing out our 3G network service gradually over the next 2 years and switching it off by the end of 2024.
"At the same time, we’re working on bringing you faster download speeds, better quality streaming, and an even more reliable experience with our 4G and 5G rollout.
"We’re not alone in doing this; other networks in the UK and abroad are also in the process of phasing out their 3G service."
EE also said: "All UK mobile network operators have committed to closing their 3G networks. At EE we’ll be saying goodbye to 3G in 2024, so that we can focus on strengthening our newer and more reliable 4G and 5G networks.
"But this isn’t just happening in the UK. 3G networks are being shut down across the world – meaning that if your device doesn’t support 4G or 5G, then you may not be able to make calls (including to the emergency services) or use data roaming while abroad.
"The 3G network isn’t energy efficient, and its removal will be the dawn of a more sustainable future."
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