At this point, 3G is an ancient technology in tech terms, which is why Three has for a while now been in the process of phasing it out – a process which is now complete, with its final 3G masts having been switched over to 4G and 5G services.
This change is a good thing for customers, as the masts can still be used so coverage should be similar, but it will be delivered at higher speeds through 4G and 5G. The spectrum that was previously being used for 3G will also be repurposed to support these newer technologies.
Plus, many of these previously 3G masts have also now been upgraded to allow Vodafone customers to access them too, which is one upside to these two networks merging.
For most Three customers this retiring of 3G services should be purely a good thing – you’ll either notice no change at all, or you’ll seamlessly be switched to superior 4G and 5G signals if you’re in an area that was affected.
The one exception to that is customers who are still using 3G-only devices. If you’re among them, you’ll need to upgrade to a new phone, but such devices are very rare these days, so unless you’ve held on to your phone for over a decade this probably won’t apply to you. And even then, if it was a smartphone it would probably still support 4G.
Three isn’t the only network phasing out 3G – sooner or later it won’t be available on any of the UK’s networks, but if you’re on Three, that time has come already.
