BT ‘phases out’ 3G – time to ditch your old phone?

Thousands of people using old phones will be forced to buy a new model after BT announced it will switch off its 3G signal in 2023 – becoming the first UK network to do so.

The company said customers on the EE, Plusnet and BT brands would be “phased off” 3G, adding that it now represents only two per cent of data sent.

The move will free up spectrum to help BT extend its 4G and 5G connections. It aims to add 4,500 square miles of rural 4G coverage by 2025, so customers who can currently get only 3G aren’t excluded. Anyone using 3G would be offered “an attractive deal” to upgrade, a BT spokesman said.

It also hopes to grow its 5G network “to cover half of the UK population by early 2023, four years ahead of the UK Government’s ambition”, ultimately extending to 90 per cent of the country’s land mass by 2028.

In some remote locations, BT will provide “on demand” coverage through portable cells that can be carried in a backpack and connect to a satellite. It said it wants to make getting a connection as simple as ordering a cab.

3G phones have remained popular with many people, particularly older customers, because they’re seen as easier to use than modern smartphones. Many people use one as a back-up phone for emergencies.

Marc Allera, EE’S chief executive, said the move would affect “hundreds of thousands, but not millions”. He estimated that between two to three million people still use 3G phones across all UK mobile networks.

Read BT’S full announcement at www. snipca.com/38947.