3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

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GiveMeABreak
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3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by GiveMeABreak »

For those that don't know, 2G & 3G networks are being phased out in the UK by 2033. As there are limited frequencies that can be used, they are getting rid of the old to make more room for the 4G and 5G and beyond.

Some providers are not waiting to 2033 though:
  • Vodafone, are killing their 3G network by December 2023.
  • EE (and therefore Plusnet and BT Mobile) are shutting theirs off in 2024.
  • Three will be switching their 3G network off by the end of 2024.
  • O2 haven't declared a timeframe as yet, so will likely adhere to the 2033 as their technology is found in a lot of 'Smart' meters around the UK.
This will affect all devices that currently use 3G like your mobile phone, so if you have an older mobile that doesn't support 4G you may be forced to get a new one.

But people often forget that there are millions of vehicles on the roads that use 3G for their telematics services, including emergency calls and emergency services in the even of a serious crash. Live data and traffic services will also be affected. Some manufacturers were still fitting 3G modems in vehicles up to 2021, rendering these immediately obsolete.

For owners of older telematics systems in vehicles where a physical SIM card is installed by the owner these are no longer going to work:
For vehicles built before 2016, with radionavigation systems using a personal SIM card installed by the customer on the dedicated radio slot, Connected SOS and Assistance Services will cease operation. 

Due to platform technical obsolescence which is beyond our control, leading to additional security risks and data breach vulnerabilities, we have no choice but to decommission these services starting 1st January, 2024. 
Personally, I'm awaiting a response back from Citroen HQ to see if my car will be affected. I was told they 'think' it has a 4G system, but will contact me when they can confirm this. :cry:
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myglaren
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

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I'm going to learn semaphore.
Hell Razor5543
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by Hell Razor5543 »

As I understand it (from what the BBC has said from Basingstoke, where Vodafone is going to turn off their 3G systems soon) you will still be able to make/receive phone calls and texts (as these use the 2G system), but anything that is data related will no longer work.
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CitroJim
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

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Hell Razor5543 wrote: 28 Feb 2023, 14:00 As I understand it (from what the BBC has said from Basingstoke, where Vodafone is going to turn off their 3G systems soon) you will still be able to make/receive phone calls and texts (as these use the 2G system), but anything that is data related will no longer work.
100% spot-on James... 2G will be with us for a long, long time yet so no GSM phone will be reduced to being a brick as a result of this... Too much critical infrastructure relies on 2G to switch it off in the foreseeable.

Just this moment and coincidentally, a courier has just delivered my first ever 5G phone along with a 'free' Chromebook...
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GiveMeABreak
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by GiveMeABreak »

2033 is the deadline for 2G & 3G according to the Government, but I expect them to be phased out before then. Another reason not to have a 'smart' meter I'm glad to say.
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bobins
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

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This from OFCOM, who mostly know what they're talking about....

"Customers using the EE, Vodafone and O2 networks with an older device will still be able to make calls and send text messages after 3G switch-off. These services can use the 2G network, which isn’t being switched off yet. But the 2G network was not designed to work for accessing data services, so customers with older devices will no longer be able to access most of their mobile data services after 3G switch-off (although where older devices can connect to Wi-Fi, customers can still use this to access data services).

Three doesn’t have a 2G network, so if you’re using the Three network and have an older device that doesn’t allow you to use 4G or 5G, you’ll need to replace it to make sure you can continue to make calls, send text messages and access mobile data after 2024."
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GiveMeABreak
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by GiveMeABreak »

But as far as connected services in vehicles go - that won't be an option. I was sort aiming more towards the impact this will have on vehicle connectivity. More annoyingly that having known about this for some time that some constructors have continued to fit obsolete equipment right up to 2021...
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GiveMeABreak
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by GiveMeABreak »

Ok, so I've just had an update from Citroen HQ: It would appear that their later independent telematic units use satellite links for communication and not mobile Data networks. :shock:

So I'm waiting for another call back to have some other things confirmed and I'll update where necessary.
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bobins
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by bobins »

GiveMeABreak wrote: 28 Feb 2023, 15:51 But as far as connected services in vehicles go - that won't be an option. I was sort aiming more towards the impact this will have on vehicle connectivity.

Yep, I understand that, I was more highlighting the general position regarding 2G/3G etc.
I hadn't realised that it was already the case that a chunk of the population couldn't use 2G and so it was effectively already off for them. The loss of 3G might also impact some vehicle tracking devices that use 3G to update their location.
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by xantia_v6 »

Circa 2010 I was at a technical conference for UK network operators, the conference was about upselling the latest 3G features, and I got involved in a tea break discussion between product managers of a couple global equipment suppliers and the CTO of one of the UK networks. The topic of conversation was whether 2G or 3G would be retired first, the consensus was that 2G would outlast 3G.
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CitroJim
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by CitroJim »

xantia_v6 wrote: 28 Feb 2023, 20:03The topic of conversation was whether 2G or 3G would be retired first, the consensus was that 2G would outlast 3G.

And history has proved you absolutely right Mike :D
Jim

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myglaren
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by myglaren »

On a related note:-

Ford seeks patent for cars that ditch you if payments missed

A patent application from automaker Ford was published last week for embedded vehicle systems that facilitate an automobile's repossession, including autonomously moving it to a repossession agency.

The patent [PDF], which was filed in August, covers more ways to combat non-payment. The least intrusive is a helpful message delivered to the vehicle or a smartphone notifying the user of the delinquency.
The Register.
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CitroJim
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by CitroJim »

Wonder if they could extend the scheme to those cars that are untaxed, uninsured and have no MoT?
Jim

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GiveMeABreak
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Re: 3G Switch Off - Will this Affect Your Car?

Unread post by GiveMeABreak »

... and that links in perfectly with the 'Pay per Feature thread:

viewtopic.php?p=746949#p746949

So now when the banking system has another glitch as they invariably always do from time to time that affects lots of failed direct debits and outgoing payments, you vehicle will now leave you utterly stranded. Couldn't make it up.
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