Vodafone offers its customers until 4 February 2020 to adopt 4G and switch over. As of that date, Vodafone literally pulls the plug on its 3G network. Previously, the company already announced that 3G will be taken ‘off the air’ in January, to free up more capacity for faster and more stable 4G. In the coming weeks, customers are given the chance to switch over from 3G to 4G, because Vodafone wants to finalize this process with care.
Reason to deactivate the ‘old’ 3G is because the frequency space becoming available can be used far more efficiently for 4G. And that is necessary, because more capacity is needed on the 4G network since data usage of customers is rising sharply. For that reason Vodafone started to inform customers two years ago about the approaching farewell to 3G. Initially focusing on companies, as 3G modules are embedded in numerous products with a longer working life.
Informing customers in a timely fashion
Timely action has been taken to inform customers about the phasing out of 3G. As early as the fall of 2017, Vodafone stopped selling subscriptions with devices that were only suitable for 3G. In addition, Vodafone has been approaching its customers through various channels to draw attention to the upcoming change. Customers can make an informed choice to keep their current device and subscription. They are not obliged to buy a new phone, because even when 3G is switched off, customers can still use a device that does not support 4G for calling and mobile internet using the 2G network. Both functionalities therefore remain available, but with lower voice quality and internet speed.
Device check and SIM exchange
Because of the fast increasing data usage and new technologies, Vodafone makes every effort to inform customers and help them decide. For instance with a device check for older mobile phones dating back from before 2013, in most cases not compatible with 4G. Customers can also exchange their old SIM card for a new one without extra costs and update their settings to enable the use of 4G.