Millions of people will be without mobile phone internet connectivity as Vodafone becomes the first network provider to switch off its 3G network next month.
Britain’s largest providers are planning a nationwide shutdown, which threatens to plunge certain regions into digital obscurity.
Vodafone is the first of the major telecom companies to persevere and to phase out the service.
It says this frees up radio frequencies for faster 4G and 5G services.
However, mobile phones still connect to 3G when faster networks are not available.
Switch off: Britain’s largest mobile phone network providers are planning a nationwide shutdown of their 3G services, leaving certain regions in danger of falling into digital darkness
EE and Three also announced plans to retire their 3G network this year, with the service shutting down industry-wide by 2033.
More than 30 million Britons still regularly use 3G, according to a recent survey by price comparison website Uswitch. Nearly one in ten people say this is the only network they have access to.
Bristol is the UK’s most reliant city on 3G, with 29 per cent of residents using the network regularly, according to data from Uswitch.
Yorkshire is the region with the worst connectivity in the UK. Only 48 percent of residents say they can get a reliable 4G signal, so they have to fall back on 3G.
In Wales, 22 percent of mobile phone users regularly connect to 3G, compared to 15 percent in the North West of England.
Campaign groups warn that the elderly and people in rural areas in particular will be left without vital connections. Only half of us know the service is being phased out, says Uswitch.
A Uswitch spokesperson said, “While the network speeds offered by 3G are slow by modern standards, there are still many who rely on this older generation network, especially in rural areas, as a lifeline.”
Nationwide Shutdown
The government wants the 2G and 3G networks to be switched off by 2033 to free up the radio frequencies they use for faster network services.
In response, Vodafone began phasing out its 3G service in Plymouth and Basingstoke in February. It now plans to phase out the rest of its UK 3G network from June.
Hull, Oxford and Greater London will be first, followed by the rest of the south. The rest of the country will follow later in the year.
Vodafone says the move will enable it to offer faster internet speeds and improved call quality to its 18 million UK customers.
Virgin, Talkmobile and Asda customers will also be affected as their service runs on Vodafone’s network. EE plans to shut down its 3G network in early 2024 to focus on strengthening its 4G and 5G service.
On demand: Over 30 million Britons still regularly use 3G, with nearly one in ten claiming it’s the only network they have access to
BT, Plusnet and Utility Warehouse customers will also be affected if they piggyback on the EE network.
EE plans to expand its 4G service to more than 90 per cent of the UK and has added 2,000 square miles to its coverage in recent years.
Three will also discontinue its 3G service by the end of next year and plans to upgrade its network before that date.
It is investing £2bn to build additional 4G and 5G sites and will accelerate 5G roll-out to meet demand.
O2 has not yet announced any plans to withdraw its 3G network.
All four major mobile network operators have pledged to provide 4G coverage to 95 percent by 2025. of the UK. According to a recent industry report, a total of up to 20 percent of the UK is not covered by the four largest mobile networks regulator Ofcom.
Around 92 per cent of the UK has 4G out-of-home coverage from at least one provider, but this drops to 83 per cent in Scotland.
Thousands are still unable to connect
Ofcom estimates there are around 30,000 homes in the UK that cannot get decent broadband service or good 4G mobile service.
Among them is David Jeffries, 59, a Three customer in Ashwellthorpe, Norfolk.
‘I live close to Norwich and although we have 4G I only get one bar on a good day.
“It’s a running joke in the village that we don’t have a signal,” he says. “Last year a car crashed into my front yard and it took me several attempts to dial 999 because my phone wouldn’t connect.”
Deadline: The government gives telecom providers until 2033 to shut down their 2G and 3G networks to free up the radio frequencies they use for faster network services
Others say the signal in their area is so bad they can’t even load a web page. Rob Chisholm, 43, a father of two from Southport, says his connection is so weak he has a download speed of 1.05MB per second, too slow to stream a video.
In general, providers should provide a minimum of 12 MB per second for reasonable coverage.
The senior business analyst has been with GiffGaff for ten years, but may switch to a provider with a stronger 5G network.
“Despite living just outside Manchester, our signal has been very poor in recent weeks,” he says.
“We have had a 5G mast installed in the area, but it is not working and is affecting our signal.”
What should I do now?
People with newer smartphones don’t actually need to do anything to connect to 4G or 5G.
Many older and simpler mobile devices do not have 4G capabilities, but can use 3G. This means that they cannot connect to the internet at all if 3G is turned off.
If you don’t have access to 3G or 4G, you can still call and text over the 2G network, even if you don’t have internet.
Those with older phones will have to buy a new device if they want to connect online.
You can also transfer your telephone subscription to a provider that is still running 3G. If you are a paying customer, you can do this by purchasing a new SIM card.
Dennis Reed, of campaign group Silver Voices, said: “This decision by the giant telecom companies is an unnecessary and cynical move to force as many customers as possible to smartphones and the 4G and 5G networks.”
A spokesperson for Vodafone says: ‘3G usage has fallen sharply because most of our customers are now using the 4G network. Now is the time to say goodbye to 3G.’
a.cooke@dailymail.co.uk
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