Should 2G/3G be shut down?

Should 2G/3G be shut down?

  • Yes

    Votes: 74 36.5%

  • No

    Votes: 113 55.7%

  • Other

    Votes: 16 7.9%
  • Total voters
    203
RonSwanson said:
I might add large-scale electric fence energisers and other security kit that communicates status and compromised zones. And the examples you mentioned are all urban. Many 2G M2M devices are in industrial settings, like factories and plants, in fluid meters and other sensors, measuring and reporting on flows of fluids, wear on bearings and temperature status of things. Many also in primary industries, like mines and farms. The livestock farmer who tagged all of his cattle, sheep and goats's ears with RFID tags and other elctronic "bells" in 2005, uses a number of reader gateways that convert the data signal to EDGE / 2G. He uses the data to track how long each cow spends at the maize trough, the lucern bales and the water trough, because analysis of the data gives early warning of medical conditions, such as pregnancy and disease. Soil moisture sensors, amongst others, also report useful information, as do remote weather stations.
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I know exactly what you meant with your original statement (I studied electronic engineering :) )

I tried to put the importance of 2G into lay terms by using examples the people in here should readily be able to identify with.

Just because 2G is older than 3G doesn't mean it's useless, in fact it's far more useful!
 
Rouxenator said:
IoT or M2M 2G will not go anywhere. Considering how little spectrum a single timeslot of GPRS will take, it will be with us for a long time to come. I would actually bet it becomes a bit like 88~108 FM.

That said if 2G is killed off, I will no longer be able to use my 1996 Nokia 1610i whish currently is still working.

Independent - it can be done via stock standard 2G circuit switching or over 2G packet switching or even 4G (like VoLTE).
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I think that it will gradually evolve, but slowly. EDGE / 2G has great range and data rates (up to 10Mb/s), but it is more power hungry in comparison with newer tech like LTE Cat0/1, NB/IOT, LoRa, and Wifi (11f/h). It is also far more expensive than the last two, and that is where I believe that the decision to move will come. As the newer networks get cheaper, all that MNOs need to do is to levy a surcharge on EDGE / 2G, and the implementations will gradually move over to cheaper tech, such as Sigfox and Weightless N/P/W.
 
The_Ogre said:
I know exactly what you meant with your original statement (I studied electronic engineering :) )

I tried to put the importance of 2G into lay terms by using examples the people in here should readily be able to identify with.

Just because 2G is older than 3G doesn't mean it's useless, in fact it's far more useful!
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Yep, I was just supplementing your argument with some larger-scale examples.
 
There's a few reasons why they need to put it on hold. Too many people that can't afford smartphones that rely on cheap devices with no internet access, let alone people with disabilities...
 
Rouxenator said:
IoT or M2M 2G will not go anywhere. Considering how little spectrum a single timeslot of GPRS will take, it will be with us for a long time to come. I would actually bet it becomes a bit like 88~108 FM.

That said if 2G is killed off, I will no longer be able to use my 1996 Nokia 1610i which currently is still working.

Independent - it can be done via stock standard 2G circuit switching or over 2G packet switching or even 4G (like VoLTE).
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This was my first phone. Mine had the extended battery which made it even bulkier.

That was before mini SIM breakaways, and you had to insert the full credit card sized SIM in the phone. :ROFL:
 
Totempole said:
This was my first phone. Mine had the extended battery which made it even bulkier.

That was before mini SIM breakaways, and you had to insert the full credit card sized SIM in the phone. :ROFL:
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Yup, still running this one like that. I modified the battery and it now has a rechargeable 9 volt battery on the back. Phone does not seem to mind despite it being a 6 volt phone.
 
2G will remain for the multitude of basic coms devices and basic voice capability. Home alarms, car trackers, water monitors and weather stations etc - they can't be replaced as phones can. The poor will have voice calls and even whatsapp. They can continue without disruption albeit at a slower speed. 3G adds no real advantage and a guess very limited 2G/3G only devices still in the mix that really need 3G. 2G complete removal will be 10+ years at minimum
 
No.

Many rural areas rely on 2g and 3g as the only form of communication, I don't mean dorpies with a cellphone tower, I mean outlying farms and their workers.
Many many 2g and 3g devices still in use, not just phones either.
 
Too many devices need 2G & 3G .. my gate can be opened from a mobile, for instance but is a 2G device.
 
Older generation that are not tech savvy still rely on those spectrums to make and receive calls with their 3310's
 
Will shutting off 2G or 3G affect the voice side of old phones, such as my old hands-free Nokia in my Merc, be affected?
 
No. In my job of 39 years in the telecoms field there are many remote telemetry devices that still use 2G and 3G, as well as the poor and old toppies that have old cellphones and cannot afford to buy a new phone, any phone, because they have zero money. Why force them to spend money they haven't got to replace an old cellphone that works perfectly? It's an evil idea.
 
No ways, 4G doesn't even work during load shedding, so I have to use 3G as the only option.
 
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