It’s important that we always pay our respects to those who set the pace for where we are today. When it comes to tech, that remains true. We can’t praise today’s smartphones without praising yesterday’s feature phones. While I’m still in a philosophical mood, we can apply that to network technology. 2G gave birth to the 5G we enjoy now.
2G is ancient by technological standards, but it is still around in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, all technology has to be put to bed at some point, and in the case of 2G for T-Mobile subscribers, that time is now. The carrier has begun to sunset its 2G networks, so if you have a phone that doesn’t support 4G or higher, it’s time for an upgrade.
After a Grace Period, T-Mobile Is Now Gradually Shutting Down Its 2G Network
Globally, 2G has been around since 1991. In a world full of smartphones that could hardly be fathomed back then, that’s ancient technology. However, it still manages to get the job done. In 2002, the US started to see carriers with 3G support, and in 2010, the US had its first carrier with support for 4G. We’re at 5G now, and with that progression in mind, it’s so easy to see how old 2G really is.
That’s why T-Mobile’s shutdown of its 2G networks isn’t much of a surprise, as it was bound to happen at some point. The carrier was meant to start dismantling its 2G network infrastructure late last year, but now, it has finally commenced. You might notice that you can still use 2G on your T-Mobile device, but that’s only because the shutdown is gradual. At some point, you’ll simply no longer be able to access 2G services.
You’ll Have to Switch Over to 4G; T-Mobile’s 3G Networks Have Already Been Phased Out
If 2G is going to die, then all you need to do is get a phone that supports at least 3G, right? It isn’t as simple as that. While 2G is only just being phased out by the carrier, 3G was already killed prior to that—as far back as 2022, in fact. The major reason was that a lot of feature phones and IoT devices rely on 2G, while you’ll find most people with smartphones have support for at least 4G.
What that means is that you can’t run over to 3G for refuge. Instead, you’ll need to get yourself a phone that supports at least 4G. These days, essentially all of them do, so picking won’t be a problem.
Switching to a New Device Is Essential, and T-Mobile Will Make It Easier
One important thing to know is that as T-Mobile phases out its 2G services, you’re going to lose the very important ability to call emergency services on those devices. If you were tempted to keep one around for that purpose, it’s not going to work, and you don’t want to have to find that out at the moment that you need it.
The good thing is that T-Mobile is ready to help you with the transition. The carrier is offering free replacement devices that support modern network standards, and it will even give you the chance to pick up a free 5G phone so that you’re entirely up to date. That’s a nice touch.
