Cell phones have made a huge impact on modern society in a way. For a lot of people, these pieces of personal technology have become such a big part of daily life that it’s hard to imagine even mundane aspects of society without them. Everything from finding directions to the mall, or looking up a cookie recipe, to commerce has been impacted by the rise in popularity of cell phones. Advancements in technology have worked to really promote a huge range of possibilities that personal technology can now bring to people.
With that being said, one thing that cell phones have also done is create a certain amount of culture. For example, every year mammoth tech companies like Apple and Samsung release what kinds of new innovations or products are coming to the consumers that love them. For some people, upgrading their cell phones every year or two is a normal part of their relationship with technology. For others, however, the desire to upgrade their phone really does not exist.
As much as a new cell phone can bring to the table, some consumers simply want to stick with what they have and need a phone that has dependable communicative capabilities. The good news is that while there are constantly new phones and upgrades coming out, it’s fairly easy to stick with what you know and enjoy the consistency that you prefer.
Table of Contents
What is a Network Shutdown?
While it can be generally easy enough to stick with your cell phone and not upgrade, sometimes certain events can make the process of keeping your older phone impossible. One such event is when a network generation gets shut down. This is something that does not happen often, and when it does it can have a big impact on people who enjoyed or even preferred that network. But what does a network generation even mean and what are you supposed to do when one shuts down?
If you have been wondering what the 3G shutdown really means and how it will affect you, here is everything you need to know.
What is 3G?
To understand why the 3G shutdown will affect you and to know what steps you need to take when it happens, you need to understand what 3G is. 3G refers to the third generation of the GSMA networks. The GSMA stands for Global System of Mobile Associate, and in general, every generation refers to the capacity and capability of technology to serve the current demand.
There have currently been five network generations with the fifth network, 5G, being the current and latest iteration. Going all the way back to G1, this first generation supported analog forms of communication. G2 saw the rise of the second generation of networking that embrace the digital world allowing for text messaging and even the transference of pictures. G3 was a generation that saw a lot of advancements that we recognize today such as user-created content platforms like Youtube, and social media like Facebook and Twitter.
3G capable phones refer to phones that are reliant on the 3G network in order to work as communication devices.
Why is 3G Shutting Down?
The reason that generational networks get shut down is typically resource based. At a certain point there becomes too much demand that the generation can not support. Often times this comes down to an infrastructure that can’t sustain the amount of use that needs access to it. Every generation expands its ability to service millions more than the generation that preceded it. When a new generation, in this case, G5, becomes prominent, it can cause other generations to need to be shut down to make room for the new infrastructure.
Shutting down G3 is a decision that has been made because of a lack of resources to support the massive new infrastructure of G5 and continue to support the older infrastructure of G3.
Will My G3 Phone Still Work?
G3-reliant features will not work once G3 is shut down. This isn’t just for cell phones, but any device that relied on G3 for certain features. Most devices like cell phones also have wifi chips that allow them to connect to wifi however, these aspects and features that can be supported by wifi will still be accessible.
What to Do?
If you want to still have a cell phone, the best thing to do is to upgrade to a G4 or G5 capable device. The good news is this doesn’t have to be hard or scary. While you can also go for the latest and greatest on the market, there are a lot of options to consider. Providers like RedPocket are committed to bringing more price-conscious options to the market through excellent service at lower premiums, or access to older generations of phones that are still capable, but not as expensive as the newest flagship cell phone.
