Verizon has officially closed down its 3G CDMA network. The extended shut-off date to the end of 2022 was done in order to give the customers enough time to minimize disruptions to their service as they moved to newer and more advanced technologies.
“5G is set to revolutionize our world. It is the platform for 21st-century innovation, offering almost limitless capabilities and opportunities for our customers. And with the evolution into this next phase of wireless networking and communication, comes changes to legacy technology,” VP Mike Haberman explained in a statement.
For the past several years, Verizon has actively helped those who still have 3G devices transfer to devices capable of accessing the 4G LTE or 5G networks. As a result of those efforts, more than 99% of customers are using the enhanced networks and their current focus is the smooth migration of the remaining 3G devices in the market onto 4G LTE or 5G capable products and services.
Many countries are mandating the shutdown of legacy networks — 2G and 3G — between 2025 and 2030. In the US, Verizon had been the last holdout among national mobile network operators, with AT&T and T-Mobile US already having completed their 3G shutdowns.
In the digital era, the 3G shutdown is a necessary move, primarily intended to re-use the spectrum for 4G and 5G, which are newer standards, better technologies and more efficient.