Verizon has permanently retired its 3G network after years of notifying customers who still relied on the legacy service. The carrier has warned that any device dependent on the 3G CDMA network that is not compatible with newer technologies will be suspended without billing and will lose the ability to make calls, send texts, or use data.
As the last of the major U.S. carriers to sunset 3G, Verizon will repurpose the freed-up spectrum to support more advanced 4G and 5G services. Customers received extended notice about the shutdown over several years, giving them time to upgrade their devices.
Verizon originally announced plans to close its 3G network in 2019, then postponed the shutdown to 2020, and later extended it to the end of 2022. During that period the company says it actively contacted affected subscribers to facilitate upgrades to 4G or 5G-capable devices.
“That outreach included proactively communicating through billing messages, digital and traditional outreach, and even sending some customers updated devices proactively,” Verizon explained. The carrier also advised customers who need assistance to transition to 4G or 5G to call its customer service line at 800-922-0204.
Due to these outreach efforts, Verizon reports that fewer than one percent of its customers were still using 3G services at the time of the shutdown.
T-Mobile was the first of the major U.S. carriers to remove 3G, completing its shutdown in January 2022. AT&T followed in February 2022, and T-Mobile later retired certain older LTE services in June.
Photo by José Matute on Unsplash
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