Farewell to 3G

3G is one of the key technologies that helped bring about the age of the smartphone. In December,Verizon disconnected its customers who were still using the tech, cutting off their phones' ability to use data, make calls, and send text messages. It was the last time a major US carrier turned off its 3G service.

Customers with 3G devices have had a lot of warnings. The network was supposed to go offline in 2019, but with a number of delays, the date has been pushed back to December 31st, 2022. It has sent people new phones and letters explaining what will happen. According to Fierce Wireless, customers with 3G devices will be suspended on the day before their December billing cycle begins.

Until the day before their February billing cycle, they will still be able to use the phones to call for help.

3G will still exist in other countries for a while, but the end of the line for it in the US is near. The tech hasn't gone gentle into that good night, carriers delayed their shutdowns several times, and you can't just turn a network that had been around for years off without things starting to break

Some connected cars and trucks have been offline. Voting results in Michigan were delayed because of AT&T's shutdown.

Helping to build their new ones is one of the reasons carriers are decelerating. T-Mobile's newest and greatest 5G tech uses spectrum that was once part of its 3G network.

I will definitely be able to use 3G. I am happy that it exists.

It is easy to get rid of 3G. That's just what happens to technology. The network definitely wasn't providing anything close to the experience if you've recently had the misfortune of your phone dropping all the way down to 3G because of a lack of coverage

Despite its outdatedness, I think we should remember what it was like, not what it is now. The first 3G phones appeared in the US in the early 2000s, but the network really came into its own with the rise of theSmartphone.

The benefits of having a fast internet connection became obvious as people started getting phones. Access to images and music on the go changed the way we interact with media, while web browsing on the go was still a niche activity for people with specific business phones.

It was 3G that was the best way to do that for a few years.

Even if I thought that was the best move, I would be too late. If this is the last time you think about the tech that helped build the mobile-first world, I want you to spare a thought for it.