
Tutor
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8 Messages
When is 3G being shutdown?
I have a 3G ZTE Z222 of which I'm fond. My friends with Sprint have been notified of an imminent Sprint 3G shutdown. I searched that topic on this forum and found that my phone will be good till 12/2012 or "such time as there is a national shutdown." I need something more specific as flip-phones are getting scarcer by the week, and the only 3G flip-phone offered by AT&T right now is, bluntly, junk. How imminent is a national shutdown?
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Fl_retire
ACE - Professor
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2.8K Messages
4 years ago
@quadriped ATT is shutting down the 3G network to make room for 4G LTE and 5G network. Think ATT will furnish new compatible phones like they did when the shut down their 2G network.
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/att-upgrades-3g-spectrum-to-5g/
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.8K Messages
4 years ago
Nothing wrong with that. ATT does sell 2 flip phones that have 4g LTE in them so you should be future proof if you get one of those.
This one is a perfect example https://www.att.com/buy/phones/xp3-8gb-black.html
or
https://www.att.com/buy/phones/att-cingular-flip-2-4gb-dark-gray.html
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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111.2K Messages
4 years ago
There will be LTE flip phones available well before 3g shuts down. You have more than a year before you have to worry about it. Verizon already had them last year and they are shutting CDMA down at end of this year.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.8K Messages
4 years ago
ATT is only selling LTE flip phones just like verizon. ATT's do have 3g in them tho.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.8K Messages
4 years ago
You need to understand how spectrum is used in the USA they are just not going to shut down 850mhz 3g and make it LTE.. Most markets are actually 1900mhz 3g... The US is a hodge podge of spectrum that each carrier owns some of in different areas. In a 40 mile drive to work I see bands 2,5,12, and 30 across the drive.
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quadriped
Tutor
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8 Messages
4 years ago
That date should be 2021, not 2012.
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quadriped
Tutor
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8 Messages
4 years ago
Thanks, that's very helpful. So the bottom line is I should start shopping for a new phone before the end of the year?
But if ATT offers me only a smartphone, I'll switch to another carrier. Or I'll buy a 4G flip-phone before they switch. I have no use for those oversized, bloated electronic toys.
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GLIMMERMAN76
ACE - Expert
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23.8K Messages
4 years ago
@quadriped
Before long even flip phones are going to be smartphones. You are in the 3% that don't want a smartphone.
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quadriped
Tutor
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8 Messages
4 years ago
That's OK, I rarely follow the trend, and I'm too mature to care what others think of me. My phone is small enough to fit into my pocket, and I have a landline and 3 desktop computers at home. I work from home online, and I don't want to be connected 24/7. I (and most of my friends) will wait till we're forced into it, and then I would use it only for phone calls anyway. I bought a GPS for my car already.
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quadriped
Tutor
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8 Messages
4 years ago
GLIMMERMAN76
The first is actually a smart-phone, and way beyond my budget. I called and the only one they have now is the Cingular Flip2. I know the feature phones have already disappeared from some other sites or been replaced with junk. I'll wait till my current 3-month payment is due to expire and decide then.
What's CDMA and LTE?
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