Originally Posted by jonmorris:
“2G and 3G isn't going anywhere for some time. What we're going to have is refarming of spectrum, including 2G to 4G and sometimes 3G, and 3G potentially to 4G.
At some point in the quite distant future, we will hopefully see 3G gone. Then at some stage 2G will go, just as 1G did.
With 5G then having arrived, 4G will hopefully be the only thing a handset or terminal needs to fall back on.”
I think 3G will be the first to be phased out, it is perfect for 4G. 2G IMHO is a long way off I would probably say not until the latter part of the next decade. Some early smart meters which relied on 2G for data are being replaced for a new range which should include 4G. My Mam had a smart meter fitted a few days ago, its pretty flash as you'd expect, the bloke was telling me it was using 4G data. He didn't tell me the network, though one would assume it would be Vodafone or O2 due to the amount of 800 they have (also being their primary 4G frequency).
I have a smart meter at my home and it looks nothing like my parents, it seems 1st gen or whatever you want to call them are being phased out. The new meters offer a lot more, exact costing, exact tariff etc. Information is upated with the energy company every 30 mins or so, it shows usage in realtime. I don't think any of that would be possible on 2G, hence why 4G is used.
I should add this is the first time I have seen 4G applied in this way, maybe its the start of a new thing