It was written since 2019, AT&T shut down its 3G network on February 22 in the United States. T-Mobile and Verizon are expected to follow later this year. This decision taken by operators to focus on 4G and especially 5G networks does not please everyone. Several devices risk no longer working, across the Atlantic there is even talk of an “alarmaggedon”.
According to AT&T 1% of mobile data traffic goes through 3G
This barbarism reflects the concern of the alarm industry. An industry group estimates that two million devices are at risk of failing. In another area, Axios relays an alert from The School Superintendents Association, according to which 10% of public school buses will lose their GPS and communication system. In San Francisco, transit riders have been notified that all 650 real-time display systems at bus shelters will stop working.
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AT&T has tried to reassure all these beautiful people. The operator claims that less than 1% of mobile data traffic goes through 3G. Two million free or discounted 4G LTE phones have been distributed to replace 3G devices. The company insists, the country’s telephone coverage will not be affected.
About the “alarmaggedon”, AT&T is more offensive. The operator reports that the largest alarm company in the country has managed to update all its devices, in particular thanks to a device that it designed. For those who would not have succeeded, the pandemic would have a good back, it would rather be because they preferred to install new ones than to update the old ones.
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Nevertheless, contacted by Axiosa senior White House official said he is following carrier transition plans and sharing “ concerns about the potential impact of these plans on the function of home security and medical alert devices “.
The Alarm Industry Communications Committee asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to delay AT&T’s project until December, without success. The agency in charge of communications probably does not intend to put a spoke in the wheels of the company after the successive postponements of the deployment of 5G, because of the disturbances caused for the planes.
FCC Chairwoman, Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel, said on February 18, ” I think we are on track for this transition to take place with limited disruption. “. T-Mobile has scheduled the closure of its 3G network on July 1 and Verizon before the end of the year without further details.
Also in Europe the 3G network is approaching its twilight. Germany and Denmark have ended it and other countries are expected to follow. 01net looked at the French case. It appears that the French operators are reluctant for the moment, because there are still many 2G and 3G users in France. For the moment no timetable seems fixed for the end of the tricolor 3G.