Hello Canadian Snowbirds, did you know that 3G networks are officially no longer available in the States? If you didn’t, read on to find out how this can interrupt your cell phone service while traveling in the States.
What is 3G?
All good things come to an end and with 5G networks offering better speed, it’s time to say goodbye to 3G. Basically, 3G is an older network that carriers used to power your service for many years. But now with the faster and better 5G technology, there’s not enough room for 3G. Since the end of 2022, US cellular networks have officially removed 3G networks.
Eventually, Canada will also follow suit and all major carriers such as Rogers, Bell, and Telus along with carriers running off of these networks will change over to only 4G or 5G towers. Luckily, it will be a couple more years for 3G to disappear. But if you are planning to travel to the States in the near future, the device you are using in Canada may not work in the US. It is important to know which devices are compatible before traveling. Otherwise, you may find yourself with little to no service at all.
Why did 3G Closed?
You may be wondering why changing to 4G and 5G towers is necessary and there is a reason. These changes make it easier to maintain towers as well as increase coverage and reception quality. Though these are good changes, those of us with 3G phones will most likely no longer get service. For your average smartphone, 4G and 5G will increase your data speeds and improve your reception.
We don’t want to leave you wondering if your phone stops working suddenly while in the States. We also don’t want to leave you wondering why your phone may be dropping calls and getting spotty service. There are few simple things you can do to make sure your device is compatible with US networks.
Which Device Will Work in the US:
Any 3G devices or lower will no longer be supported in the States. The only devices that will work are 4G LTE with VoLTE capabilities or a 5G phone. If you are unsure, you can contact your service provider and they should be able to check if your phone is compatible in the States.
For Jethro Mobile users, we have a device compatibility checker on our website. We would also be happy to check, just give us a call.
Check with Your Carrier:
If you plan to use roaming services provided by your carrier, it is important to find out what your options/conditions are, as this most likely changed when 3G retired in the US. You can read more information from our blog, “Why US Roaming Plans Changed in 2022.”
During these uncertain times, you don’t want to have to worry about dropped calls, bad reception, or your phone simply not working at all. You need to be able to contact your loved ones these days.
We hope that the information in this article is helpful!
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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