The world looks a lot more different than it did twenty years ago. One of the biggest changes has been the rise in popularity and prevalence of cell phones. These personal pieces of technology have affected almost every aspect of modern society from entertainment, to communication and even commerce. A couple of decades ago the flip phone was cutting edge and sending text messages involved a lot of clicking. Now, cell phones are used for so many things aside from communication, that it’s hard to imagine life without them. With the rise in prominence that cell phones have seen along with the innovative technology that keeps advancing and opening new doors and possibilities, has led to the emergence of a new culture. For example, one of the most exciting parts of owning a cell phone is when you get to upgrade your device for a new, shinier, faster, and more impressive model. Not everyone sees this time as something that’s exciting or even good, however. For some people, don’t see the point in upgrading their cell phones and would prefer to keep the same one as long as they possibly can. While it can be fun to upgrade your phone, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to keep a model that you enjoy and stick with what you know. New phones mean new learning curves and often times new price tags. However, there are times in the world of technology when things have to change. When it comes to cell phones, nothing is more definite than when a service such as 3G gets taken down as 3G Shutdown.
For the person who doesn’t want to upgrade their phone, it could be frustrating to understand why something like 3G not being available could mean that they have to upgrade. Cell phones are incredible pieces of technology that really work to make life simpler, keep you more connected, and make you happy. For the person who loves their 3G phone, it may be confusing as to why 3G is being taken down, and why that might mean you need to make an upgrade.
If you have been wondering what the 3G shutdown is and how to understand it, here is everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
What is 3G and 3G Shutdown?
The first thing to understand is what exactly 3G is. If you don’t know how 3G itself is important, then it will be hard to understand why it is not only going away but why it actually needs to go away in order for technology to move forward.
The ‘G’ in 3G simply means ‘Generation’ and it refers to the generation of networking capabilities that are currently available. Since people have been able to create mass communication, there have been these generations of networks. A network itself is the infrastructure in which communication takes place.
For example, G1, or generation 1 was simply analog communication. G2, or generation 2, embraced the digital age of communication by allowing SMS, cell phones, and even the ability to send photos digitally. G3 was the next step in this evolution and allowed for a lot more advancements in technology and communication due to the fact that it was an expansion of the network that G2 was unable to provide.
Why Do Networks Shut Down?
Even though the digital world can be hard to understand, think of it as something physical. Just like a city, there are networks of transportation between different destinations. Even then, a city proper only has so much room. At a certain point, if the population gets too demanding of the amount of infrastructure the city can provide, there are two options, build new infrastructure, or expect people to leave.
With networks, building new infrastructure often times involves letting go of networks that can’t service the amount of demand. The reason these have to be let go of, rather than just added to, is because there is only so much capacity to work inside their parameters. One of the biggest reasons that 3G is going away, is because there literally millions more people who can’t operate within the restricted network of 3G and need the infrastructure that is coming with 5G.
Conclusion: What to Do?
If you are wondering what your next steps are once your 3G device no longer has a network to connect to, don’t worry. There are a lot of easy ways to stay connected despite the 3G shutdown. One of the best ways to do this is to upgrade to a 4G or 5G capable device. This has never been easier thanks to services like RedPocket which can help you get an upgraded phone, no matter the budget. With incredibly flexible options and financing, finding a phone to stay connected despite the shutdown has never been easier.
