Nowadays, more and larger amounts of data are being consumed. 2G and 3G are less able to handle this demand. In this article, we take a closer look at the various reasons for the network retirement and what impact this will have on your organisation.
The networks at a glance
The 2G (GSM) network was designed to enable voice communication and SMS, this network operates on specific frequency bands. Its successor is 3G (UMTS) and new frequency bands were created. This improvement enabled both voice and data services. From 2008, the more advanced 4G (LTE) network was introduced with new frequency bands for higher data speeds. Soon, with the introduction of the 5G network, new frequency bands will again be allocated to ensure even higher data speeds.
Capacity constraints and innovation
Several reasons can be attributed to sunsetting the network, the main ones can be summed up to capacity constraints and innovation.
The network infrastructure of 4G (LTE) and 5G is a lot more advanced than its predecessors to support higher data rates and low latency. However, current 2G and 3G networks have limited space compared to 4G and 5G networks. The higher data usage can strain the available space on the older networks, this affects network performance in a negative way. Therefore, the 2G and 3G networks are being retired, also known as ‘sunsetting’. With sunsetting, the older generations disappear and creating more space for improving 4G and 5G technology. It also frees up space again for newer technologies such as 6G.
What should you consider during ‘sunsetting’?
It is important to find out which devices are using the 2G/3G network spectrum so that they can be replaced in time. Failure to identify this could affect your business processes. If your devices do not support the more modern networks, the likelihood of outages in certain regions is likely. The other devices that do support the more modern networks will automatically jump to 4G, LTE-M, NB-IOT or 5G.
The benefits
We can imagine that replacing your devices is not pleasant, but the demise of 2G and 3G also brings a number of benefits. 4G and 5G bring improved reliability, speed, security and reduced latency. It also enables the integration of more advanced IoT devices and applications, think enhanced functionality, analytics and real-time applications.
You can also opt for NB-IOT and LTE-M, these networks are based on 4G and 5G. These networks are also suitable for sending and receiving lower data quantities.
What is the status of sunsetting the networks?
Globally, all 2G and 3G networks are being retired in the near future. Maintaining the older networks is increasingly financially unattractive and the global need for high-speed data processing continues to grow. In some countries, these networks are already being phased out. European Telecom operators will discontinue 3G networks earlier than the 2G networks.
Click here to see which networks will retire in 2024.
More information
For more information, please contact us by calling 085-0443500 or emailing info@thingsdata.com.