Vodafone has told subscribers it will be starting the 3G switch-off in January. The 3G closure will start in specific areas, and then expand regionally, with the full national 3G switch to be completed by the end of September.
Customers have been told: “Switching off 3G will enable us to bring 5G to more places and boost our 4G network across the country. Removing 3G is also an important part of our plan to reach net zero by 2027 as the modern 5G networks can be up to 10x more energy efficient than old 3G technology
“For now, the 2G network will remain in place, especially to support narrow-band IoT (Internet of Things) applications. Along with all UK networks, we have agreed to the Government’s proposal to switch off the 2G network by 2033. This means our longer-term strategy is to continue to move all voice and non-IoT data traffic to 4G and 5G. As part of the switch-off, the Vodafone technical team will enable 4G Calling and 4G data on all business services. We will also be enabling 4G on complex products such as APNs. If your business services have not been enabled yet for 4G, we will contact you about this”.
