Operators are shutting down 2G networks: Here's what this means for the world:

Operators are shutting down 2G networks: Here's what this means for the world:

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At the beginning of October, it was learned that one of the largest carriers in the USA. T mobil is taking another step towards the inevitable shutdown of the 2G mobile network by offering free phones to customers who still rely on it.

The free phones are great for those who may be affected by 2G network crashes, as Magenta's set shut down date is as early as April 2, 2024. Other carriers are also joining the fight to “kill” T mobile, or 2G.

So what does all this mean in the bigger scheme of things? That's exactly what we're here to talk about, and we hope to give you the information you need, especially if you'll be potentially affected by this change.

Jump:

What is 2G?

When you see one of the networks like 2G, 3G or 5G and the upcoming 6G, the “G” simply stands for “generation”; The number tells us which mobile network generation is being considered. The second generation of mobile networks, or 2G, was launched in 1991 (yes, it's that old).

2G was the first digital telecommunications standard while 1G (first generation) was analog. But both leveraged digital signals to connect radio towers to larger mobile infrastructure. What 2G brought was the ability to have mobile data, enable SMS messaging and more secure digitally encrypted phone calls.

When and why do 2G networks shut down?

Let's start with the "when" part, which is pretty simple since there are all carriers other than those mentioned above. T mobile have already pulled the plug on their 2G networks, including AT&T in 2017, Verizon and Sprint (which are part of it) in 2020. T-Mobile is the only company that has left parts of its 2G network intact, which means that come April 2, 2024, we'll be sending 2G off into the sunset and watching it become a part of our history.

Now the answer to the question "why" is a little more detailed. There are several reasons why carriers made this unanimous decision, and they are as follows:

•Maintenance costs — 2G (and 3G) uses different technology compared to 4G and 5G. This means carriers must spend manpower and other resources on two separate systems; The user base of one of them is rapidly decreasing. So from a financial perspective, it makes sense to cut these legacy networks.
•Freeing up space for new network generations — Removing the 2G network opens up more frequency bands for deployment, which can be used to install more 4G and 5G antennas.
•Improved energy efficiency — newer cellular technology uses less energy to operate; This could quickly lead to significant reductions in energy costs when implemented nationwide.

What will happen to existing 2G devices and how can I prepare?

For all intents and purposes, all 2G devices will become more or less useless, at least in terms of connecting to a mobile network. And we really mean ALL 2G devices, including but not limited to mobile phones, and IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as sound machines, smart meters, vehicle trackers, and more.

So far 2G devices have been able to rely on T-Mobile's network, and they'll continue to do so until April next year, but once T-Mo's 2G network shuts down, there will basically be no 2G network left for these devices to connect to.

The only way to prepare yourself for this is to eventually move on to something newer. Whether it is one of the free 5G phones T mobile The only way to be sure that you can communicate with others and connect to a mobile network is to deploy or invest in your own