Verizon, an American telecom operator, is finally killing its 3G network. The company has confirmed the last date for its 3G network to be the last day of 2022. Verizon isn’t stopping its 3G network right away because several people in the US are still using 3G devices, and the transition to devices that support 4G LTE or 5G will take some time.
According to a report from Input, Verizon was supposed to shut down the 3G network in early 2021 itself. But due to delays in January, the company has finally decided to official kill its 3G on the last day of 2022.
There was a time when 3G was referred to as the revolutionary technology to help people connect. A true 3G network can allow users to get downloading speeds of up to 5 to 12 Mbps. However, with 5G on the way, the company would be able to better utilise all the 3G spectrum for either 4G or 5G.
Verizon’s 5G is already available in the US; however, users across the country are still yet to experience the true potential of 5G.
Verizon’s Costly 5G for Customers
Last month, Verizon purchased C-band spectrum to increase its capacity for providing 5G services. The company had to spend around $45.5 billion for making that purchase.
To recover the cost, Verizon will offer customers ‘premium unlimited’ 5G plans, namely - Do More, Play More, and Get More. However, each of these plans will be priced very high. The mmWave 5G that Verizon provides isn’t in enough places of the country that users can rely on it.
But with the additional C-band spectrum that will come live soon, users will be able to experience the true potential of 5G on their smartphones. At present, the company provides its 5G network and services with a very limited spectrum on its bag.
Only time will tell if US citizens are ready to pay a ‘premium’ on their plans for using faster 5G when they can do most of the things they want to do with a 4G plan.
