AT&T Shuts Down 2G Network

[MageTank]

I don't really see this as a bad thing, as long as the funds saved from this discontinuation gets recycled into improving a superior infrastructure. I understand this sucks for people with 2G only devices, and public technology that also relies on 2G, but in the end, this is still a good thing. If the money saved from this endeavor is used to expand faster networks while improving their reliability, then it's a win all around. Perhaps they can offer a trade-in service for 2G only devices, that offer them a discount on newer devices. As for the public transportation services that rely on 2g, they will simply need to adapt to the newer networks. Yes, it will likely cost tax payers money, but if it means a better network overall, it'd be worth it. 

[Nowak]

I'm sure all 5 people still using the iPhone 2G are disappointed.

[Dabombinable]

6 hours ago, djdwosk97 said:

They also wanted too free to the bands to develop their current 4g and future 5g networks. 

2G bands are at a far lower frequency than 4G, and what 5G will reuire. So they can't be used by 4G and 5G.

[Trixanity]

7 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

2G bands are at a far lower frequency than 4G, and what 5G will reuire. So they can't be used by 4G and 5G.

5G isn't finalized yet and its goal isn't merely higher speeds but also better efficiency and better coverage. It's not unlikely that they will implement lower frequency modes to implement data and calling with great coverage but reduced speeds to fully replace the old 2G standard since it's the lower frequencies of 2G that makes its coverage so much better but that's pretty much it as far as I know. Spanning a wider frequency range will also make it more flexible which could allow it to fully replace both 2G, 3G and 4G.

[Dabombinable]

7 minutes ago, Trixanity said:

5G isn't finalized yet and its goal isn't merely higher speeds but also better efficiency and better coverage. It's not unlikely that they will implement lower frequency modes to implement data and calling with great coverage but reduced speeds to fully replace the old 2G standard since it's the lower frequencies of 2G that makes its coverage so much better but that's pretty much it as far as I know. Spanning a wider frequency range will also make it more flexible which could allow it to fully replace both 2G, 3G and 4G.

There is only so much data that can be transmitted at the frequencies used by 2G, which is why 3G and 4G operate at higher frequencies and have poorer reception while having significantly higher transfer rates. 5G can't have similar range to 2G if ISP want it to also be faster than 3G and 4G. Also it couldn't span the entire 2-4G spectrum as it would interfere with far too many devices.

[79wjd]

31 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

2G bands are at a far lower frequency than 4G, and what 5G will reuire. So they can't be used by 4G and 5G.

Don't shoot the messenger:

 

According to AT&T, shutting down its 2G network frees up valuable spectrum for future network technologies, including 5G. AT&T says the spectrum will be repurposed for LTE.

[S w a t s o n]

10/10 Baiting by the OP, well done!

[Dabombinable]

24 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

Don't shoot the messenger:

 

 

 

And as a result LTE will be shitloads slower and AT&T  will be able to call what is really LTE 5G. Without having to do more than minor changes to the network.

[Trixanity]

20 minutes ago, Dabombinable said:

There is only so much data that can be transmitted at the frequencies used by 2G, which is why 3G and 4G operate at higher frequencies and have poorer reception while having significantly higher transfer rates. 5G can't have similar range to 2G if ISP want it to also be faster than 3G and 4G. Also it couldn't span the entire 2-4G spectrum as it would interfere with far too many devices.

No one says that it would span the entire spectrum at once but that it would have very large amount of bands. Calls do not require a lot of data hence it makes sense to repurpose the old 2G spectrum for 5G calls with great audio quality and great coverage. 4G already uses anywhere from 800 MHz to 2600 MHz here (in fact there is also a company that uses 450 MHz). There is no reason to believe 5G couldn't do that and more. 

The flexibility of 5G could transform the mobile networks to be much better than what we have today and also eliminate all the overlapping that there is between 2G, 3G and 4G right now. As I said: speed is not everything - not at all - and 5G isn't about speed (4G can already do plenty in that department). In fact there is no indication that 5G will improve the speeds compared to 4G or at least not in theory. In practice the experience will probably be a lot better due to better coverage, more consistent speeds and lower latency.

 

For reference: 2G mostly uses 900 MHz and 1800 MHz. 3G also uses 900 MHz while 4G also uses 1800 MHz. So I can imagine 4G 800 MHz is meant to improve coverage for VoLTE. 5G could do the same or better. 450 MHz could be utilized for maximum coverage but with obviously poor data speeds (but good enough for voice).

[SansVarnic]

9 hours ago, Kloaked said:

SAUCE: http://www.macrumors.com/2017/01/17/att-shuts-down-2g-network/

 

<snip>

FYI all the US Cellular networks will be abandoning 2G with in the next few years. This has been announced several times.

[SansVarnic]

9 hours ago, Kloaked said:

SAUCE: http://www.macrumors.com/2017/01/17/att-shuts-down-2g-network/

 

<snip>

FYI all the US Cellular networks will be abandoning 2G with in the next few years. This has been announced several times.

[Guest Kloaked]

2 minutes ago, SansVarnic said:

FYI all the US Cellular networks will be abandoning 2G with in the next few years. This has been announced several times.

[Juanitology]

Damn this is some quality shitposting. LTT becoming the new reddit

[Guest Kloaked]

1 minute ago, Terodius said:

Damn this is some quality shitposting. LTT becoming the new reddit

I can make more dank posts than this but it'll get reported and edited since people get ultra offended at literally anything.

[captain_to_fire]

9 hours ago, Kloaked said:

#PlannedObsolescence

You call it Planned Obsolescence, I call it evolution. It's time to discard the old and embrace the new emerging technologies that are better. Didn't you know that implementing 4G LTE requires lesser equipment than maintaining an antiquated EDGE network. 

 

Even Bell in Canada had discarded their old 2G network. 

[Dabombinable]

1 minute ago, Kloaked said:

I can make more dank posts than this but it'll get reported and edited since people get ultra offended at literally anything.

#realPCMR

[Juanitology]

1 minute ago, Kloaked said:

I can make more dank posts than this but it'll get reported and edited since people get ultra offended at literally anything.

Don't let haters bring you down. If making dank posts is your passion in life you go and become the best dank poster in history. 

 

[Guest Kloaked]

1 minute ago, hey_yo_ said:

You call it Planned Obsolescence, I call it evolution. It's time to discard the old and embrace the new emerging technologies that are better. Didn't you know that implementing 4G LTE requires lesser equipment than maintaining an antiquated EDGE network. 

 

Even Bell in Canada had discarded their old 2G network. 

But that's dumb. My first-gen iPhone can do literally anything the new ones can do. There's no point in making my phone obsolete.

[Guest Kloaked]

1 minute ago, Terodius said:

Don't let haters bring you down. If making dank posts is your passion in life you go and become the best dank poster in history. 

 

[AlwaysFSX]

2 minutes ago, Kloaked said:

But that's dumb. My first-gen iPhone can do literally anything the new ones can do. There's no point in making my phone obsolete.

Can't play porn in the same quality the 7 can.

 

Checkmate.

[MorganO]

9 hours ago, Jamiec1130 said:

As far as basic functionality wise, they aren't different.

but then you could say that about anything , if you follow the same principle

 

[Guest Kloaked]

2 minutes ago, AlwaysFSX said:

Can't play porn in the same quality the 7 can.

 

Checkmate.

...you got me there

[ARikozuM]

#PlannedObsolescence

 

#LetsDriveModelTs

 

I'm being facetious, by the way...

[Juanitology]

5 minutes ago, hey_yo_ said:

You call it Planned Obsolescence, I call it evolution. It's time to discard the old and embrace the new emerging technologies that are better. Didn't you know that implementing 4G LTE requires lesser equipment than maintaining an antiquated EDGE network. 

 

Even Bell in Canada had discarded their old 2G network. 

iPhone 2G has a headphone jack. #checkmate 

[captain_to_fire]

1 minute ago, Kloaked said:

But that's dumb. My first-gen iPhone can do literally anything the new ones can do. There's no point in making my phone obsolete.

And it's really not the carrier's problem that you still hold on to a phone without 3G HSPA+, a TFT display with crappy viewing angles and poor color gamut, and a single focus 1080p camera that can't record video. Give it two to three years and 3G networks will but shutdown too. Maintaining an antiquated network is costing them way too much money.