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2G Network Closure
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Stereo Steve
04-05-2015
I suppose if you look at it network by network...nobody would notice if O2 or VOD turned off 3G. In the 3 places that they rolled it out, they are replacing it with 4G before they do anything else. Most of their customers will not have benefited from 3G anyway as they didn't bother with it. EE are pushing out 4G on the same frequencies as 3G pretty quickly so it's only the core of users with non 4G phones that would notice once rollout is further advanced. Three the same really although they may soon have access to O2's 900 2G which will suddenly allow their customers to make actual voice calls which will be a novelty.

Obviously turning off 3G tomorrow would land a lot of people in it but I think that turning off 2G would cause more issues. How many built in car phones work on 2G? I'm thinking taxi drivers and the like again. Do people who need solid voice and nothing else really use much 3G? Maybe but 2G would cover them. Doubtless many have a smartphone in their pocket but I bet for business coms, most use the best 2G network in their area, probably VOD / O2. 4G may change that but 3G never will.
Gigabit
05-05-2015
Vodafone literally is a 2007 3G network. Want to relive the days when you had to travel to a large city to try out 3G? Hop onto Vodafone!
DevonBloke
05-05-2015
Vodafone have no 3G in Totnes. It's 2015 and no 3G?
Just EDGE that doesn't work.
On the other hand I tested EE's new Huawei EDGE in several places today, some with just a couple of bars and it actually works. Bookface took 30 seconds to update fully (including a couple of pics) but that's way better than never!
Speedtest was 150 Kbps which is about 19 KB per sec so not at all bad.
Quite impressed.
Stereo Steve
06-05-2015
Originally Posted by DevonBloke:
“Vodafone have no 3G in Totnes. It's 2015 and no 3G?
Just EDGE that doesn't work.
On the other hand I tested EE's new Huawei EDGE in several places today, some with just a couple of bars and it actually works. Bookface took 30 seconds to update fully (including a couple of pics) but that's way better than never!
Speedtest was 150 Kbps which is about 19 KB per sec so not at all bad.
Quite impressed.”

VOD EDGE has never worked in Totnes. It comes up on the screen but it just doesn't work. Quite funny really. There are people on the VOD forums going mental about it and all they get is corporate BS.
Everything Goes
14-05-2015
Originally Posted by Everything Goes:
“O2 52%
Vodafone 65.4%
EE +90% (estimated)
Three +95% (estimated)

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...&postcount=229

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...&postcount=226

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...0&postcount=89”

O2's Smartphone Penetration has actually gone down from 52.1% to 49.3% this year

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showp...&postcount=249
Everything Goes
29-04-2016
AT&T will shutdown its 2G network by end of 2016

AT&T are getting closer to the big 2G switch off. Things are going well and look to be on target and AT&T see some big savings being made.

Quote:
“AT&T has actually been transitioning its customers off the 2G network over the last year, with roughly six million customers being moved off the 2GB base in that time. The remainder of devices still rocking 2G EDGE are connected devices, but even these are starting to make the shift to 3G and beyond.

So what happens to the 2G network once it is shut down? AT&T will refarm the spectrum and repurpose it with the aim of providing faster network speeds for its customers. Of course the reason for the shutdown isn’t just because 2G is a bit too slow for today’s users, it also comes down to a matter of costs.

According to AT&T CFO John Stevens:

There still is a lot of cost that is left just to operate even a piece of the 2G network. So we are anxious to capture that savings and use it to continue a strong EBITDA story for our wireless business.”


http://www.androidauthority.com/att-...utdown-689895/
mrgs12
02-05-2016
Don't you have to upgrade every mast first to be able switch off in UK? Perhaps they've done that in USA but long way off here and mentioned on here ee will keep some only 2g masts.
packages
02-05-2016
Originally Posted by mrgs12:
“Don't you have to upgrade every mast first to be able switch off in UK? Perhaps they've done that in USA but long way off here and mentioned on here ee will keep some only 2g masts.”

With there 95% geo coverage commitment, I doubt they are doing this now. I think every mast will be 4G'd
BarmyTights
02-05-2016
Originally Posted by Everything Goes:
“AT&T will shutdown its 2G network by end of 2016

AT&T are getting closer to the big 2G switch off. Things are going well and look to be on target and AT&T see some big savings being made.




http://www.androidauthority.com/att-...utdown-689895/”

Jesus just wept.
jonmorris
02-05-2016
I am not sure how long even an embedded M2M system is designed to last, so inevitably they will be replaced with 4G (or 4.5G) solutions at some point - and 2G could be turned off.

I do think 3G could go first, with 3G spectrum refarmed for 4G, then 2G refarmed to 4G in stages (so initially leaving a tiny amount for 2G users and embedded systems not upgraded). A proper road map set out by Ofcom would kick everyone into action, so there shouldn't be any nasty surprises.

Ultimately, 2G still has users that have no 3G or 4G. 3G users losing 3G would have 2G for essential communication. 4G users (which will become the vast majority in 5-10 years) would not care if they lost either 2G or 3G as VoLTE will have been standard for ages.

So 3G goes first. Then some 2G. Then all 2G.

Simple (to me!)

5G will also be coming by then, but at least 4G will still be a perfectly viable fallback, which 2G certainly wasn't when 4G launched (and because some networks had totally failed to roll out 3G properly).

This time around, 4G is being rolled out as 3G should have been.
de525ma
03-05-2016
Originally Posted by jonmorris:
“So 3G goes first. Then some 2G. Then all 2G.

Simple (to me!)
”

OMG. But you can't run tunein radio on 2G so it must have to be switched off first.
heidtheba
03-05-2016
Okay, quick q if possible .

I live in remote area, my setup is a dual sim with a 3 sim for use during the day (I work in a 3g area) and a voda sim for the house .
There is a roaming signal on the 3 sim, but it goes if I try to connect, but there is o2, voda and EE if I do a manual search.

Obviously , my voda 2g signal is slow as treacle but my question is would EE be the same?

Ie, is all 2g the same?
Everything Goes
03-05-2016
Originally Posted by heidtheba:
“Okay, quick q if possible .

I live in remote area, my setup is a dual sim with a 3 sim for use during the day (I work in a 3g area) and a voda sim for the house .
There is a roaming signal on the 3 sim, but it goes if I try to connect, but there is o2, voda and EE if I do a manual search.

Obviously , my voda 2g signal is slow as treacle but my question is would EE be the same?

Ie, is all 2g the same?”

In the UK there is two 2G technologies in use GPRS which gives real world performance of about 35k and EDGE about 135k.

Most web pages are an average of 2.3MB so using such antiquated technologies as 2G makes for a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

There is very little difference in speed between 2G providers. EE have the best 3G and 4G networks and are promising 95% Geographical 4G coverage. Well ahead of what the others have planned.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04...w_big_as_doom/

http://ee.co.uk/our-company/newsroom...ge_to_95_of_UK
heidtheba
04-05-2016
Cheers.

It's a cert I'll be in the 5% though...
de525ma
04-05-2016
Originally Posted by heidtheba:
“Cheers.

It's a cert I'll be in the 5% though...”

If you can get 2g now, you will get 4g eventually.
jchamier
04-05-2016
Originally Posted by heidtheba:
“Ie, is all 2g the same?”

No, worth getting a PAYG SIM from one of the others to test; as you've got voda, then try an EE SIM before you try O2.

EDGE is faster than GPRS but some masts have EDGE signal but still only a wet string connection to the internet, so don't actually have any faster.

Things will change this year, by the end of 2016, you may pick up faster - Voda and EE are worth watching as they are both spending a tonne of money. Keep an eye on their coverage maps on the websites. O2 and Three are also spending lots.
Everything Goes
07-01-2017
AT&T 2G Shutdown update

AT&T have already started shutting down their 2G network. This should be complete by the middle of February.


http://www.fieldtechnologies.com/att_2g_sunset/
Aaron_McGowan
07-01-2017
Hmmm... can't see the UK doing this any time soon.

There can't be that many 2G only devices compared to the amount that can do either 3G or 4G (or both), so shutting down 2G can give more bandwidth to 3G/4G, i.e. services that can actually be used for stuff on the Internet, other than very basic, plain text browsing and email with no attachments. (From my experience, 2G EDGE was pretty much useless and 2G GPRS was even worse, you might as well not have anything.)
moox
Yesterday, 09:22
Not to mention that EE must have spent a little bit adding 2G to their 4G base stations, so the same reasons why AT&T did it do not apply to them.

(it is thought that AT&T did it to get rid of legacy equipment)
jchamier
Yesterday, 11:12
Originally Posted by moox:
“Not to mention that EE must have spent a little bit adding 2G to their 4G base stations, so the same reasons why AT&T did it do not apply to them. (it is thought that AT&T did it to get rid of legacy equipment)”

Two different things of course. The US is quite different to UK/Europe and when spectrum is sold/licensed by the FCC it is done in regional areas called markets. So AT&T might have 10mhz in NYCity but only 5mhz in Chicago for example.

AT&T has always had a spectrum challenge in NYC on the PCS 1900mhz band as this was used for both 2G and 3G mobiles. It was only with LTE (4G) that additional spectrum was released by the FCC. Also 2G is a very inefficient technology for handling voice calls - better to have equal or better 3G signal and move everyone over to this. You just have to get rid of anyone using legacy feature phones (Nokia never was big in the USA, so they would be LG, Samsung and Motorola handsets).

You may have had problems with internet connectivity over GPRS or EDGE in the UK but mostly that was down to capacity. You would be surprised to learn how many tracking systems (for commercial van fleets, even aircraft) use GPRS to report back their position. Often not using the internet but a private network from the mobile operator to the tracking company whom then sells the information to the company paying.
Cloudane
Yesterday, 13:41
Hahaha this was being discussed as early as 2012?

Only just now, now that 800MHz 4G is enabled, would I think it's probably getting to a point where EE could turn 2G off, and even then.. it's not quite there yet, just approaching it, AND they're upgrading the 2G whenever they do 4G. You'd want everyone on the 4G-800 really, and that's going to take a decade for all the old phones to filter out. As for the other networks, I can go out of town and O2 has EDGE, Vodafone has GPRS, and Three has the voice-only fallback from EE. So they won't be doing it for a long long time.

There are also quite a lot of "I only use my phone for voice and text and want decent battery life" people out there with 2G phones

Not happening any time soon.
packages
Yesterday, 15:47
Originally Posted by Cloudane:
“Hahaha this was being discussed as early as 2012?

Only just now, now that 800MHz 4G is enabled, would I think it's probably getting to a point where EE could turn 2G off, and even then.. it's not quite there yet, just approaching it, AND they're upgrading the 2G whenever they do 4G. You'd want everyone on the 4G-800 really, and that's going to take a decade for all the old phones to filter out. As for the other networks, I can go out of town and O2 has EDGE, Vodafone has GPRS, and Three has the voice-only fallback from EE. So they won't be doing it for a long long time.

There are also quite a lot of "I only use my phone for voice and text and want decent battery life" people out there with 2G phones

Not happening any time soon.”

IMO 3G is going before 2G in the UK
jchamier
Yesterday, 16:52
Originally Posted by packages:
“IMO 3G is going before 2G in the UK”

Agreed. No question. Vodafone and O2 are apparently already reducing 3G capacity to increase 4G capacity.
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