A page will turn in the history of the operator…
The Belgian operator Proximus announced on Wednesday the abandonment of its 3G network. This will be abandoned by the end of 2024. The spectrum used for 3G frequencies will be reassigned to 4G and 5G. The operator’s objective is clear: to modernize its infrastructure and services.
According to Proximus, the use of the 3G network is constantly decreasing. Logical, since most consumers today have 4G and 5G devices. The irreducible few who continue to surf the web with a 3G smartphone are few in number today. The shutdown of Proximus’ 3G network at the end of 2024 will not signify the death of their terminals since their devices will continue to operate with the operator’s 2G network. It will still be possible to make phone calls and send SMS using 2G. However, it will no longer be possible to surf the web or use apps that require a data connection. Devices like the first Android smartphones or the very first iPhone will therefore become partially obsolete.
According to the operator, only 2% of traffic on its mobile network still goes through 3G. And a large part of this traffic comes from 4G terminals which connect to a 3G network in areas where 4G is not yet accessible. The impact will therefore be minimal for residential users.
Some businesses, on the other hand, should be strongly affected. “Professional customers, who often use the 3G network for data and IoT applications, will be personally informed of the changes in the coming months. They will thus have the opportunity to replace in due time their devices still operating only in 3G” explained Neighbor.
To ensure the continuity of services, Proximus promises to maintain its 2G network until the end of 2027. However, it invites owners of 3G smartphones to change devices as soon as possible so as not to lose access to certain functionalities.
“At present, the vast majority of devices connected to the Proximus network already support at least 4G. The decision to terminate the 3G network therefore does not entail any change for most residential customers. Their data services will continue to operate in 4G (or 5G for customers with a compatible device), as is already the case today”explains the operator in a press release.
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