TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — If you own an older cell phone with 3G or a Kindle you should know that starting in 2022 some of your electronics will stop working because of a 5G upgrade. KGUN 9 checked out what you should know before your phone goes dark.
The new year will bring new changes to technology, and for those who still have 3G electronics the change can leave you with a useless phone.
Experts and mobile carriers say that 5G is in and 3G is out.
The phase out is causing consumers to upgrade their devices to avoid a loss of service.
Another note, is access to 911 on 3G phones won’t be available by the end of 2022.
Mobile companies have also been sending letters and text messages to let customers about the move.
According to the Federal Communications Commission, AT&T will shut down its 3G network by February of 2022.
One of the biggest network combos Sprint and T-Mobile are also tapering down.
T-Mobile will shut down Sprint 3G networks by March of 2022 and its own by July of 2022.
Verizon is dropping 3G service by December of 2022. Meanwhile, Sprint 4G LTE is set to go dark in June of 2022.
The change can affect older cell phones, kindles, home security systems, smart watches, tablets, car tracking services and medical emergency alert devices. Those devices will ultimately become obsolete.
At this point, if your phone is more than six years old check with your provider to find out where you stand.
Some users can also check out the indicator bar on their cell phone screen to see if it’s listed as 3G.
According to RCR Wireless News in 2019, there were more than 80 million 3G devices being used in North America.
If you have Cricket, Boost, Straight Talk or Lifeline contact your service carrier to find out more about upcoming timelines.
