AT&T’s 3G service is ending Tuesday, as the carrier decommissions its network for the aging wireless mobile telecoms tech. The end comes at a time when “less than 1%” of its mobile data traffic runs on 3G, the company said in an email to CNET.
“For nearly two years, we’ve proactively sent numerous communications via direct mail, bill messaging, emails and text messages to help customers transition to next generation networks before 3G services end on February 22,” a company spokesperson said in an email to CNET.
The company said it is working with customers to make the process easier, including providing replacement phones at no cost.
AT&T’s competitors haven’t quite reached the shutdown stage on the two-generations-old wireless service, with T-Mobile’s set to end in July and Verizon saying its service will be shuttered at the end of 2022. Networks started deploying 5G networks worldwide in 2019.
CNET’s Eli Blumenthal contributed to this report.