3G switch off... any effect on the car SIM and App services

[Nick72]

Just read this...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/25/3g-mobile-uk-network-vodafone-4g-5g-coverage?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1643113731

[Cyker]

I don't actually know what Toyotas use, but I think switching of 2G is a big mistake - It has far better range than 4G and 5G, and is used in a lot of remote monitoring systems, including things like weather stations and smart meters. A lot of underlying infrastructure stuff people have forgotten about is going to break when they switch off 2G, and I don't want to imagine the cost of replacing it all, esp. since hardly any remote stuff uses 4/5G instead of 2G, and stuff that does is a lot more expensive...!

 

[Nick72]

4 hours ago, Cyker said:

I don't actually know what Toyotas use, but I think switching of 2G is a big mistake - It has far better range than 4G and 5G, and is used in a lot of remote monitoring systems, including things like weather stations and smart meters. A lot of underlying infrastructure stuff people have forgotten about is going to break when they switch off 2G, and I don't want to imagine the cost of replacing it all, esp. since hardly any remote stuff uses 4/5G instead of 2G, and stuff that does is a lot more expensive...!

 

That's what worried me. Even if this is only Vodafone in the first instance. Suspect some cars are going to have no service or it becomes more range sensitive because  of new sparsity of basestations.  

[ernieb]

2G does get to places where other signals can not and as has already been said above is used extensively for remote signalling and monitoring.  In fact I use a PowerTxt monitor to check the status of the family lodge's power which uses 2G.  It's been brilliant sending me texts when the power is lost or recoverers, monitors ambient temperature and allows me to remote switch.  My understanding is that there are hundreds of thousands of these in use by my many of the service suppliers as essentially 95% of faults can be remotely sorted by a quick reboot.  How many times have I sorted problems by simply switching kit off and on again, countless, some remote places the emergency services still use 2G as a back up.

 

[philip42h]

There do appear to be stories of 2G and/or 3G being switched off - I don't have any inside information as to how realistic that is.

Since 2018, new models have been required to be fitted with Ecall systems - i.e. the SOS system that reports your position to the emergency services inn the even of a serious collision.

We moving to a world of smart meters that automatically report power / fuel usage and while I don't know exactly which technology is used, I understand that these use mobile data (and require some semblance of a mobile signal to work reliably).

It would demonstrate an even larger lack of planning than we've come to expect for the authorities to promote / mandate systems one year only to permit the removal of the supporting infrastructure only a few years later ... ?

[ernieb]

This is my understanding of the current postion.

The UK will phase out 2G and 3G mobile services by 2033, the government says.

The switch-off date has been agreed with mobile-network operators Vodafone, EE, Virgin Media, O2, and Three.

In July, EE owner BT revealed plans to phase out 3G by 2023, and 2G later in the decade. And many other companies have already begun phasing out technology that support the services.

[Rav Rob]

They said the same about FM radio and its still there!  They had to give it at least another 10 years longer.

I have seen quite a few local masts having teams work in them recently, I presume upgrading to 5G capable but they are still carrying 2/3G. I suspect it will end up like that, with 5G upgrades but the older standards left running as a subset.

[Roy124]

I only have 4g as my previous phone didn't work with my hearing aids, and that was a bluetooth issue. 

[Parts-King]

I never really gave 2G much thought, this is interesting about smart meters, but yes, 2G and 3G used to send your meter readings 

Why are there different WAN communication protocols North and South?

DCC went out to tender to find CSPs (Communication Service Providers) to provide the WAN (Wide Area Network) for three regions: North, Central and South. The winners of this commercial process offered different technologies reflecting the different population density and terrain in the regions :
Arqiva Limited for CSP North region with a 15-year contract worth £625M using Long-Range Radio communications.
Telefónica (O2) for the CSP Centre (Midlands, East Anglia and Wales) and South (south of England) regions using the 2G/3G cellular radio communications network. The two Telefonica contracts over 15 years are worth £1500M.
The contracts were awarded in 2013.

Read more at: https://www.smartme.co.uk/how-they-work.html © SmartMe.co.uk

[ernieb]

I think much of this is to do with the frequency bands that each company has been able to win during the bidding process.

[Seamus OConnell]

What, if anything, in our cars is going to be affected by the proposed shutdown of the 3G network in the UK in the next year or so?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Topics merged and moved to General Discussions.

Enquiry sent to Toyota for clarification.