3G mobile switch off: Everything O2, Virgin, Vodafone, EE and Three customers need to know
3G mobile switch off: Everything O2, Virgin, Vodafone, EE and Three customers need to know
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Virgin Media O2 will be turning off its 3G network service this year, affecting potentially millions of customers. In December 2021, the government agreed with mobile network operators (MNOs) that 2G and 3G services would be phased out by 2033. Currently, networks use four generations of technology: 2G, 3G, 4G, and the latest 5G.
The second generation was first introduced in the 1990s, the third-generation technology was first rolled out in 2003, followed by 4G in 2012 and 5G in 2019. The 3G networks started to be phased out by the "big four" providers - EE, Three, Vodafone and O2 - in 2023.
EE, Three, and Vodafone switched off their 3G networks entirely last year, and Virgin Media O2 is working to switch theirs off over the coming 12 months. The switch off may be problematic for customers using older mobile devices and services that rely on these networks, meaning the device, or at least the Sim, may need replacing. Here is everything you need to know.
Telecommunications regulator Ofcom says turning off 3G networks will free up capacity, or "spectrum", that can then be used to expand 4G and 5G network coverage, which should help to tackle so-called "signal dead spots". According to communications regulator Ofcom, there are around five million people that will be impacted by the switch off of both the 3G and 2G networks.
