The 3G sunset: Navigating challenges & finding opportunities

On 7th September Virgin Media O2 announced that they’ll start switching off their 3G services in 2025. Another mobile network provider sets out their switch-off timetable, and the UK takes another step towards the 5G future.

In 2021 the UK Government and telecoms industry jointly announced the sunsetting of 2G and 3G by 2033 at the latest. Vodafone, EE, and Three will all complete their 3G sunsetting by 2024, with some of the process already underway.

Twenty years ago 3G was a big deal. It helped support the growing demand for internet access via mobile phones, shaping the future of mobile capability and enabling consumers to experience game-changing connectivity on-the-move.

Wireless carriers want to optimise their radio spectrum allocation, making space for fresh technologies.

Consumers are demanding faster, more data-intensive apps, and 4G and 5G deliver lightning speeds, lower latency, and enhanced performance. They leave 3G in the dust when it comes to streaming and speedy data sharing.

Phasing out legacy tech saves mobile operators money, and they can provide better services and capacity.

Fewer and fewer people are using 3G – Virgin Mobile O2 said it accounted for less than 4% of their network in 2022. It just doesn’t make business sense to keep it running.

And the switch-off is part of the industry’s move towards more global standardisation and compatibility across 4G LTE and 5G technologies.

Mobile providers will switch off their 2G networks by 2033. Because 2G is relatively low-power and low-cost, whilst offering reliable, wide coverage, it’s a popular choice for connecting IoT and M2M devices.

So there’s a slightly longer timeframe for this sunset due to the scale of adaptations required.

Telecoms businesses need comprehensive plans to migrate customers with minimal disruption.

Partners need to be strategising now for how they can best support their customers using older devices to upgrade their equipment. Options to reduce the impact of sunsetting on older devices include replacing the affected hardware; or using an unsteered multi-network SIM, which prolongs a device’s lifespan by allowing it to connect to any of the four UK networks’ remaining 3G coverage.

At Pangea we believe the potential for growth, new revenue streams, and increased customer satisfaction will outweigh the downsides.

In particular, 4G and 5G offer groundbreaking scope for innovation in IoT and connected devices. And we’re leading the charge.