3G has had its day and all major mobile phone networks are planning to switch it off by 2033 following the Government-led plan.
However, Vodafone has its own 5-year plan to modernise connectivity and will be retiring its 3G network in 2023, allowing customers access to more robust, faster and more reliable 4G and 5G services.
Why is the 3G network switch-off happening?
Technology is forever evolving, and the focus is on improving 4G and 5G networks so Vodafone customers can receive better coverage. 3G is almost 20 years old and approximately only 4% of data used on Vodafone’s network is 3G, therefore, Vodafone wants to repurpose the current 3G frequencies for stronger 4G and 5G networks.
5G is also more energy efficient as data usage increases and is more than 10 times more energy efficient than older 3G equipment. Switching off 3G, therefore, plays a significant part in Vodafone’s environmental strategy to reach Net Zero in the UK by 2027, as they will be replacing old equipment with more energy-efficient equipment.
How might this affect businesses?
4G and 5G are much faster than 3G and offer greater capacity, which means more devices can be connected simultaneously. Businesses will therefore need to see if their current devices can connect to 4G and 5G so they can benefit from faster internet speeds, higher call quality WiFi calling and texting.
Faster 4G and 5G connectivity will also increase employee efficiency and productivity as they can work securely and easily from the cloud or connect to their network wherever they choose to work, without interruption or lag time.
How should businesses prepare for the switch-off?
Vodafone is asking their customers to make sure their devices support 4G and 5G calling ahead of the 3G network switch-off. They are reaching out to everyone impacted by it to give customers the time they need to get a better connection. Some helpful information can be found here.
If you have any questions or want more information on the above, please don’t hesitate to contact your Partner Business Manager or email us at hello@onecompartners.co.uk.
