The long-planned shutdown of AT&T's 3G network is happening today, February 22nd, 2022. But, under pressure from various industry groups, AT&T signed a deal with T-Mobile to allow some 3G devices to roam onto T-Mobile's 3G network until T-Mobile's own 3G shutdown which is scheduled for July 1, 2022.
As reported by LightReading, the roaming agreement is intended to help those with 3G alarm and medical alert systems:
AT&T is scheduled to turn off its 3G network today (Tuesday, February 22). But the company has apparently thrown a potential lifeline to affected customers by quietly inking a 3G roaming deal with T-Mobile that might keep some devices connected through July....At issue are the potentially millions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected to AT&T's aging 3G network (AT&T has said that 1% of its network traffic is 3G, but has not provided a number of affected devices or customers). AT&T announced in 2019 it would shut down its 3G network by this month, and has since been working to move affected customers onto its 4G and 5G networks.
The specific terms of the roaming agreement are not clear except that it is focused on providing an additional transition period for a handful of specific industries that utilize a large number of 3G IoT devices. So this agreement probably won't apply to mobile internet users. Additionally, the roaming agreement appears to be for data only and not 3G voice, so those with older phones and devices that require 3G voice still need to upgrade right away.
Key Mobile Internet Related Considerations:
- AT&T's 3G network is shutting down today, (February 22nd, 2022)
- AT&T's 3G roaming agreement with T-Mobile will likely have little effect on mobile internet users
For more information:
- LightReading article: AT&T inks last-minute 3G roaming deal with T-Mobile
- AT&T 3G Shutdown Page: Act Now - 3G is Going Away in 2022 - Wireless Customer Support (att.com)
- AT&T 3G Transition Blog Post: AT&T Guides Customers’ Transition from 3G, Unlocking 5G Benefits
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