AT&T Looking to Phase Out 2G Network

It’s looking like AT&T may be looking into phasing out its 2G network. The company is urging its customers in the New York metro area to upgrade their devices, warning 2G users that their voice and 2G data quality may soon see a downgrade in some areas.

AT&T has since downplayed all of the 2G doom talk, saying that the notice was only sent out to customers in the New York area for the time being, and the company only plans to send out additional notices to a “small group” of its customer base.

Still, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel went on to note that phones operating on the 2G 1900-megahertz band will lose all service “in the coming months”. It isn’t known what areas aside from the New York metro area will be affected.

For those that are affected by the 2G shutoff, AT&T will be offering free phones to customers who choose to upgrade to AT&T’s 3G network, and the company will waive the early termination fee for those who opt to not upgrade their phone.

It may not be 2G’s death knell, but AT&T’s move to drop at least some 2G service shows that it’s looking to instead focus on bolstering its 3G network as well as its recently-launched 4G LTE service. Siegel explains that by reusing the 1900 MHz spectrum for its 3G network, the system will help handle surging data traffic on its 3G network.