RIP: Verizon’s 3G Network Will Officially Be Shut Down in 2022

LG enV 3G Verizon Phone 2 Credit: Nesster / Flickr
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With 5G rolling out at a feverish pace, older cellular technologies like 3G are becoming more obsolete than ever. It may surprise you to find out that Verizon is still keeping its older 3G network alive even as it expands further into 5G. Though, the days are numbered for this antiquated technology, with Verizon confirming its plan to sunset 3G at the end of 2022.

VP of network engineering Mike Haberman confirmed that the wireless carrier would shut down its 3G network on December 31, 2022. According to Haberman, the carrier’s 3G network is accessed by only 1 percent of its 94 million customers. Nearly all of its subscribers (99 percent) use 4G LTE or 5G for their connectivity.

Verizon is encouraging customers to move off its 3G network, with Haberman noting that the company will be dedicating fewer resources to support these remaining 3G devices. 

“As we move closer to the shut-off date customers still accessing the 3G network may experience a degradation or complete loss of service, and our service centers will only be able to offer extremely limited troubleshooting help on these older devices.”

VP of network engineering Mike Haberman

Verizon has been planning to shut off its 3G network for years, but the company keeps pushing off this shutdown.

The carrier introduced 4G LTE in 2012 and began considering shutting down 3G as early as 2014. Then the carrier announced plans to shut down the network by 2019, but that date was pushed off to 2020.

Verizon confirms this latest delay is final, and the company will not be extending this date again.

Customers who have not switched to a 4G LTE or 5G device will lose service.

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