Vodafone Stops 3G Network, To Improve 4G And 5G Services

After 17 years of operation Voafone, stop 3G network. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA – British telecommunications company Vodafone will start shutting down its 3G network in 2023. This is part of their plan to improve 4G and 5G services for customers.

Vodafone's 3G coverage is gradually being phased out and replaced by strengthened 4G and 5G services, which offer faster and more reliable connectivity. According to Vodafone, 4G and 5G networks will benefit from increased coverage and speed from reusing 3G spectrum.

The move away from 3G will also reduce the company's environmental impact, as modern 5G networks are more than 10 times more energy efficient than legacy 3G equipment. However, it also means many people with old phones will no longer be able to use them and will have to upgrade to modern devices.

This follows a similar decision from EE, which announced in July 2021 that it would phase out 3G networks within two years. In the US, telecommunications companies including AT&T and Verizon are planning to discontinue 3G this year. In Indonesia the same thing is also done gradually.

Vodafone says it won't be discontinuing its 2G network anytime soon, meaning new phones like Nokia's reboot line can still access the internet. The closure of 3G comes 17 years after Vodafone launched its 3G network in the UK.

Since then, 3G networks have handled nearly 500 billion call minutes, but the dependency continues to decline rapidly.

According to Vodafone, there is still less than four percent of data on its network moving using 3G today. While in 2016 there were still more than 30 percent using it. The operator has turned off 3G in Germany and Italy.

"We are building the UK's most reliable mobile network, and are focusing on the technology that best connects our customers and has the least impact on the environment," said Vodafone chief executive Ahmed Essam. “3G has connected so many customers over the past 17 years, but the future is 4G and 5G.”

"We will focus on providing customers with a faster and more reliable mobile experience, and minimizing our impact on the environment by removing layers of our network that uses inefficient equipment," Essam said.