Vodafone UK has completed its nationwide shutdown of the 3G mobile network, following a similar announcement from EE. The decommissioning frees up radio spectrum to be repurposed for faster and more efficient 4G and 5G services.
Although Vodafone now considers the 3G switch-off to be finished, the operator narrowly missed its original target of completing by the end of January 2024. A small number of locations deemed to have “UK security significance,” along with some remote rural sites, will remain operational for a short, unspecified period after the main shutdown.
The closure of 3G releases valuable spectrum resources, notably 10MHz in the 900MHz band, which can be redeployed to improve coverage and capacity for modern 4G and 5G networks. Reallocating this spectrum should also lower operational costs and reduce power consumption across Vodafone’s network infrastructure.
Andrea Dona, Network Director at Vodafone UK, said: “The 3G legacy switch-off has been a massive programme and I’d like to thank my team for their hard work to make this a success.
“With switch-off complete, we can start to redeploy the remaining spectrum which will ultimately lead to stronger and faster 4G and 5G across the UK. All on top of our existing 4G and 5G network improvement programmes. Good news for our customers, businesses, and the wider UK economy.”
Only two major UK operators have yet to finish their 3G retirements. Three UK plans to complete its programme by the end of 2024, while Virgin Media O2 intends to begin its switch-off process in 2025 and finish within that year.
Under an earlier agreement with the UK government, mobile operators have committed to phasing out 2G and 3G networks by 2033. 2G is expected to remain in service longer than 3G in some areas because it uses less power and continues to support certain rural and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, such as smart meters.
As part of its proposed merger with Three UK, Vodafone has pledged to invest £11 billion into the economy over the next decade to expand 5G Standalone (5G SA) coverage to 99 percent of the UK population by 2034.
(Image Credit: Vodafone UK)
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