When AT&T announced that they would be shutting down 3G, and Verizon followed suit soon after, a lot of customers panicked. Many people with older devices that work on 3G technology wondered if they were going to be left without access. Due to the outcry, both companies have slowed down their timetables, but 3G will still be phased out as newer and faster 4G and 5G become the standard. As Softcom customers, we wanted you to understand what this is about and how it might affect you.
What is 3G Technology?
According to national statistics, only around 5% of phone users still rely on a 3G connection. 3G, which first arrived in the early 2000s, refers to the “third generation” of wireless mobile telecommunications technologies. Much of what we recognize as the modern cell phone network was built on 3G technology.
What about 4G and 5G?
4G was introduced in 2009, and is still the current standard, though 5G has been in the works for some time. 5G is the fifth generation of mobile network technology. At its most basic, 5G promises faster speeds, but it requires a lot more equipment to do so. 4G LTE, the service that Softcom provides, relies upon relatively few large towers that are positioned miles apart. This is what allows us to bring stable, high-speed internet access to rural and remote regions.
If you have good 4G LTE coverage now, you have more than enough to function at a high capacity for home, work, gaming or anything you do online. The average smart phone and internet user needs a high-quality connection with a decent speed to get everything they want, and that’s exactly what 4G LTE provides.
If all this talk about 3G, 4G, 5G and data speed numbers confuse you, here are a couple articles that might help:
As technologies like 5G emerge and progress, you can be assured that here at Softcom we are committed to updating and adapting our network to meet the needs of our community for the best speed and connection they can get. Personal experience and commitment to our community are the foundation of our company, and expansion and improvement is a constant at Softcom. We are continually reinvesting back into the company so that we can deliver the best quality service for safe, speedy and secure online access to the world and all it offers. For questions or concerns, we’re here for you at (800) 982-7675, option 1.