[freetoview33]

Hi im new to this part of the forums (Normally on Media) but decided to come on this part too.

Sorry if this has been covered (or is in the wrong forum)

How soon do people think 2G phones/sims will no longer be available at least for new users and how long for existing users? As capacity is getting squeezed for 4G and we got told that 5G was likely to be "online" by 2020.

[legends wear 7]

Not sure 2G only phones have been available for a while, blackberry curve is last one I can think of

[DevonBloke]

Firstly 2G networks will be around for a long time yet. EE are currently renewing their entire 2G network at great expense.
Secondly 3G is not just for data. It does calls and texts too and it does HD voice calls. Wy would you want a 2G only sim/phone?
Does it matter that it's also capable of 3G?
Anyway, there will always be plans tailored to mainly calls for a while yet.

[Everything Goes]

Japan closed their 2G network a few years ago. Softbank switched off their 2G network in March 2010 followed by NTT DoCoMo in March 2011.

American company AT&T intend to close their 2G network on 1st January 2017.

In the UK you may see 2G closures in 2017. O2 will need to wait till 2027 because their 3G network is dire

See also this thread:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1710076

[DevonBloke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Japan closed their 2G network a few years ago. Softbank switched off their 2G network in March 2010 followed by NTT DoCoMo in March 2011.

American company AT&T intend to close their 2G network on 1st January 2017.

In the UK you may see 2G closures in 2017. O2 will need to wait till 2027 because their 3G network is dire

See also this thread:

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1710076

Steady... you're walking on eggshells there Hahaha

Yes it could be sooner rather than later but only once we have VoLTE working for everyone and LTE coverage at 98%. That will take a while.
If they switched it off tomorrow huge holes would open up in coverage for voice, especially indoors.

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevonBloke

Steady... you're walking on eggshells there Hahaha

Yes it could be sooner rather than later but only once we have VoLTE working for everyone and LTE coverage at 98%. That will take a while.
If they switched it off tomorrow huge holes would open up in coverage for voice, especially indoors.

Yes Wavejock will be along to tell me off as usual

It would be a good idea if the networks set out switch off dates and give the customers and network planners something to aim for. They may indeed have private plans which we don't know about.

[jabbamk1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

Yes Wavejock will be along to tell me off as usual

It would be a good idea if the networks set out switch off dates and give the customers and network planners something to aim for. They may indeed have private plans which we don't know about.

They won't do that as long as they're still selling 2G phones on contract/Pay as you go.

I agree with the 2017 date, it won't be until 4G and Voice over LTE are prominent and works (almost) everywhere.

Aren't their still contracts between O2/Vodafone and the government to provide 2G signal to police/fire or something like that? Anyone know when that ends?

[Aldridge Andy]

I hope that 2G is around for a long time to come... The only way I can get reliable coverage on O2 especially when mobile and at home is to turn off 3G.

Until 3G and the new current technology 4G have respectible coverage for all networks 2G will need to remain.

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbamk1

They won't do that as long as they're still selling 2G phones on contract/Pay as you go.

I agree with the 2017 date, it won't be until 4G and Voice over LTE are prominent and works (almost) everywhere.

Aren't their still contracts between O2/Vodafone and the government to provide 2G signal to police/fire or something like that? Anyone know when that ends?

Its hard to find any 2G only phones on contract these days.

Vodafone's Metropolitan Police contract runs till 2015 by the looks of it.

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/10..._contract.aspx

[freetoview33]

Not just contract but PAYG

[jabbamk1]

Thats not true, Every network (excluding Three of course) sell at least 1 to 4 2G phones on contract. And at least 4-6 2G phones on pay as you go. So they're not exactly hard to find.

And 2G phones are still very prominent in phone stores/supermarkets etc...

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freetoview33

Not just contract but PAYG

Switchover happened with analogue Pay As You Talk (Vodafone were the only ones who did analogue pay as you go). It will happen again with 2G. I believe they offered customers money off 2G phones at the time. No big deal really.

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbamk1

Thats not true, Every network (excluding Three of course) sell at least 1 to 4 2G phones on contract. And at least 4-6 2G phones on pay as you go. So they're not exactly hard to find.

And 2G phones are still very prominent in phone stores/supermarkets etc...

O2 only have one 2G contract phone. Doro EasyPhone 612.

http://shop.o2.co.uk/mobile_phones/Pay_Monthly

Vodafone only one 2G contract phone. Samsung C3350.

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobi...flt_paymonthly

Orange have two 2G only phones. Samsung Solid XCover and Doro EasyPhone 610.

http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-monthly

T-Mobile only one 2G contract phone. Samsung Solid XCover.

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/pay-m...mobile-phones/

Most people are on 1 to 2 year contracts so switch over of any 2G users and there aren't many will be very easy.

[jabbamk1]

Haha, to be honest i hadn't checked this since last year. But my point was that 2G phones will still be around for a while and i don't see any network switching off until after 2016 at the very earliest.

[swnymor1963]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Everything Goes

O2 only have one 2G contract phone. Doro EasyPhone 612.

http://shop.o2.co.uk/mobile_phones/Pay_Monthly

Vodafone only one 2G contract phone. Samsung C3350.

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobi...flt_paymonthly

Orange have two 2G only phones. Samsung Solid XCover and Doro EasyPhone 610.

http://shop.orange.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-monthly

T-Mobile only one 2G contract phone. Samsung Solid XCover.

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/pay-m...mobile-phones/

Most people are on 1 to 2 year contracts so switch over of any 2G users and there aren't many will be very easy.

I`v just read that 40-45% of phones in the UK are 2g only....which does`t surprise me in the slightest.

[DevonBloke]

And most of those are on O2!.... sorry

2G won't be turned off for a long time. 3G just isn't good enough in a lot of places, especially rural locations indoors. VoLTE will help but it'll be years before most people have an LTE handset and/or an LTE plan.
I'm not sure what's going to happen on Three when they have LTE on 1800. There's going to be loads of indoor places where the handset is working fine with a 1-2 bar LTE signal but when the user goes to make a call...no signal!! how are they going to explain that to the general public?
EE won't/don't have this issue because in most cases where there's LTE, there's 2G to fall back to.
Surely they are either going to have to lanch with VoLTE or turn the 2G fallback on again?
I can't see an easy answer.

[Thine Wonk]

O2 have only just got to 90% 3G coverage, 4 or 5 years behind most of the others as they still have a long way to go. So no chance of it happening for a while.

[The Lord Lucan]

2020 I reckon. It won't be due to squeeze as there are a good few frequencies being offered up to allow LTE service. It will be switched off due to lack of use and 4G/LTE having better coverage.

If networks were to use 700mhz on the rural masts ie Highlands, Most of Wales & Cumbria for example to provife LTE.
LTE would exceed the coverage currently seen on 900/1800 2G by quite a bit.

[Redcoat]

Typical, another thread which sees O2 bashing for the sake of it.

Anyway, there are still plenty of cheap PAYG phones which are 2G only being sold and used. Both my parents phones are 2G only, neither of whom have any interest in mobile web and only text the very odd occasion. A young cousin of mine got her first mobile last month, a Nokia 201 which is 2G only again. I remember back in 2010 one of the most popular mobiles sold that year was the Nokia C3 which again is 2G only, and I'm sure plenty are still knocking around. Take a look at Argos, many supermarkets or independent phone retailers and they still have plenty of new cheap 2G only phones for sale.

As for overseas network 2G shutdowns, Japan's is different as it never had a GSM 2G network - only with UMTS did any GSM network features arrive there. One network, KDDI, has a CDMA network which technically can still work with 2G CDMA phones (CDMAone or IS-95). In New Zealand, Telecom NZ only closed down its 2G/3G CDMA network just over 5 years after its announced intention to move on to a UMTS 3G network (mainly on 850MHz with some 2100MHz in urban areas). Telstra in Australia sent a memo out in late 2008 to some firms manufacturing products using its 2G GSM network that it intended to close down that network in 2011/12 but it's still in service despite almost all of it's 2G coverage also having 850MHz 3G coverage (except in a few isolated places). AT&T's 2G GSM network closure for 2017 is as much on pressure squeezed on its current spectrum as much as anything else.

Neither Vodafone, O2 or EE currently has a 3G network in place that currently matches or exceeds their current 2G coverage. With the exception of 1800MHz by EE (and 3 later this year) all LTE activity in the UK will be on new mobile bands which shouldn't affect current 2G & 3G services. That's not to say that LTE/LTEZA won't be used on 900 MHZ & 2100 MHZ in the future, but it won't in the short term. Following patterns in other countries, any network in the UK intending to shut down its 2G net will likely either give at least four years notice, or make special offers or subsidised deals to 3G/4G refusinks to try and convert those who refuse to budge or are happy with their current phone. And either will only happen if a 2G user can get either a 3G or 4G signal in all the places they regularly use their mobile.

We're a while off yet. I'd say the UK's looking at 2019 before any 2G GSM switch off. Considering the age of the technology it's had an incredibly good innings.

[ney]

Cant see 2g being done away with just yet. As parts of Scotland dont even get 3g.
Like I was in the Callander area last Sunday and Monday and there was only 2g there and I was lucky to even get 1 bar for a 2g signal.
Even been in the Pitlchrty area a few times and they also dont have any 3g signal.

Darren

[jabbamk1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ney

Cant see 2g being done away with just yet. As parts of Scotland dont even get 3g.
Like I was in the Callander area last Sunday and Monday and there was only 2g there and I was lucky to even get 1 bar for a 2g signal.
Even been in the Pitlchrty area a few times and they also dont have any 3g signal.

Darren

Obviously with the 2G switch off networks would be allowed to refarm the 2G spectrum for 3G/4G and thus they'd be able to fill that gap straight away...

So i see your point, but it means nothing.

[Everything Goes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ney

Cant see 2g being done away with just yet. As parts of Scotland dont even get 3g.
Like I was in the Callander area last Sunday and Monday and there was only 2g there and I was lucky to even get 1 bar for a 2g signal.
Even been in the Pitlchrty area a few times and they also dont have any 3g signal.

Darren

Depends on the network you are on. On Arran for example there is only 2G coverage on O2 but Three has great 3G coverage. Shows what you can do if you can get off your arse lol

[plymouthbloke1974]

I'm surprised O2 don't still run ETACS

[moox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plymouthbloke1974

I'm surprised O2 don't still run ETACS

Unlike everyone else they will be upgrading not to LTE but instead to the latest radiotelephone technology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improve...ephone_Service

80% coverage in 2030?

[jabbamk1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moox

Unlike everyone else they will be upgrading not to LTE but instead to the latest radiotelephone technology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improve...ephone_Service

80% coverage in 2030?

I hear O2 are doing a walkie talkie rental system next month as well