Up to 10 million will need new devices as carriers look to reuse that part of the airwaves
by Edward C. Baig, AARP, Updated February 3, 2022
Most every mobile service provider pitch you come across nowadays screams 5G, shorthand for the fifth generation of wireless rolling out across the country.
While you can’t blame the carriers for wanting to usher in the next era in wireless, millions of people, including many older adults, still rely on phones and other devices that tap into 3G, the third-generation networks that debuted in 2002. The 4G networks that came after have been around more than a decade.
Have questions?
Tom Kamber, executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)/Senior Planet from AARP, led AARP’s director of livable communities and a representative from the Alarm Industry Communications Committee, in a discussion about the transition to 5G and the shutdown of 3G.
On demand: Check out a recording of the hourlong seminar on YouTube.
The carriers are finally running out the clock on 3G, forcing consumers with older devices to act before they lose cellphone service entirely, including the ability to call 911.
Read more HERE.