3G Shutdown Dates and What Replaces It

Carriers are switching 3G off one network at a time; here are the published dates and the checks to run before a 3G-only device stops working.

There is no worldwide switch-off day. Each carrier publishes its own date, and two of the largest US milestones have already passed: AT&T shut down its 3G network on 22 February 2022, and Verizon closed its 3G CDMA network on 31 December 2022.

The reason is spectrum economics. A 20 MHz LTE carrier reaches 150 Mbps at Category 4, about 3.5 times the 42 Mbps ceiling of dual-carrier HSPA+, so every megahertz moved from 3G to 4G or 5G carries far more traffic.

Voice is the hidden casualty. 3G carries calls on circuit-switched channels, so once a carrier drops 3G, a handset needs VoLTE support to call over 4G. A phone with 4G data but no VoLTE keeps browsing and loses calling.

Run the checks in this order before you trust a device: find its UMTS bands on the spec sheet (Band I at 2100 MHz, plus 900 MHz for rural coverage), confirm the carrier's shutdown date, verify VoLTE support, then place a test call in LTE-only mode.

If the test call fails, the options are limited: enable VoLTE if the toggle exists, ask the carrier whether the handset is provisioned for 4G calling, or replace the device. For band details see the UMTS Frequency Bands page; for what the old network could actually do, see 3G Speeds Explained.

• 22 February 2022 — AT&T 3G shutdown
• 31 December 2022 — Verizon 3G CDMA shutdown
• Check VoLTE support before the date, not after
• Test with a real call in LTE-only mode

Further reading

• 3G Speeds Explained: From 144 kbps to 42 Mbps
• UMTS Frequency Bands: 2100 MHz and 900 MHz