Vodafone in UK is Switching Off its 3G Network to Boost 4G and 5G
upstart writes:
Vodafone is switching off its 3G network to boost 4G and 5G:
Vodafone will retire its 3G network next year and refarm the spectrum to improve the speed and coverage of its 4G and 5G services.
The company's 3G network launched 17 years ago and has coexisted with Vodafone's 4G and 5G infrastructure in order to provide additional coverage in areas that LTE can't reach and to customers whose handsets are not compatible with modern standards.
However, as 4G has become increasingly available, the need for 3G and its inferior speeds and capacity is significantly reduced. Most mobile data in developed markets is transmitted via 4G, while Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology means such networks can also handle the majority of calls.
Vodafone says just 4% of all customer data is carried by its 3G network compared to 30% five years ago. Meanwhile demand for 4G data and the ongoing rollout of 5G means the 3G service is using valuable resources that could be better deployed elsewhere.
Vodafone's 3G switch off will be in phases and the company will launch a communication campaign to ensure that any customer still reliant on a 3G device is aware of the retirement. Although only a small part of the company's susbcriber base falls into this category, these customers are typically less tech-savvy than those using more modern handsets.
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