As we recently revealed, Altice, NOS and Vodafone intend to turn off the 3G network and even the 2G network, since there is already good coverage of the 4G network and even 5G. However, such action is not yet scheduled.
ANACOM has already reacted and mentioned that customers cannot be penalized.
The end of 2G and 3G networks may be coming soon...
3G mobile technology aims to support a wide range of services, ranging from support for multimedia applications (video, audio, data) to access to various services available on the Internet (WWW, e-mail, e-commerce, etc.) . Altice, NOS and Vodafone admit turning off the 3G network and the 2G network, but there is still no timetable.
Following the news that operators intend to discontinue the 3G network, and perhaps 2G, ANACOM warns that this cannot affect the quality of mobile services for around 820 thousand 3G users.
Anacom will necessarily follow this matter and the decisions that operators will adopt in this regard"
guaranteed official source of the regulator to Dinheiro Vivo
Last year, the penetration rate of the mobile service in Portugal reached 125.7 per 100 inhabitants, with more than nine million people using mobile networks (3G, 4G or 5G) to access the internet. "Internet users using mobile broadband via 4G totaled 8.3 million in 2021, which represents about 91% of users of the service. The remaining 9% are users of 3G networks [cerca de 820 mil utilizadores]", reveals the same source.
As for data traffic, "it is estimated that 68% is related to the 4G network and the rest to the 3G network". As for 5G, there is still no official regulatory data, as the network has only recently become available.
Also according to ANACOM...
There is not exactly an obligation to make available a specific technology, whether 2G, 3G or any other. However, operators with rights of use of frequencies for the provision of electronic communications services are subject to several obligations, namely coverage and network development, and voice signal reinforcement, and must ensure compliance with the use of technologies that will be most suitable for this purpose
It is expected that ANACOM will release some regulatory recommendation when Altice, NOS and Vodafone begin to prepare the ground to discontinue the pre-4G and 5G networks.
Remember that the 1G network appeared in 1980 and became known for starting the world of wireless telecommunications.
The second generation (2G) systems appeared around 1990, in order to overcome the limitations of the first generation (1G) mobile communication systems.
2.5G mobile technology served as a transition between second-generation (2G) and third-generation (3G) systems.
3G mobile technology was intended to support a wide range of services, ranging from support for multimedia applications (video, audio, data) to access to various services available on the Internet (WWW, e-mail, e-commerce, etc.) . 4G is the mobile communications generation that significantly came from 3G systems.
5G will allow 10x faster speeds than 4G using the same amount of data. As has been said, 5G will not be an Internet for the end user… but also. 5G makes it possible to respond to critical, highly resilient emergency services, such as industrial applications (Industry 4.0), autonomous vehicles, remote surgeries or emergency services.