Tag: FCC

FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules: Navigating 5G’s Network Slicing Debate

As we eagerly anticipate the full potential of 5G technology, regulatory bodies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are tasked with updating policies to accommodate these advancements. A big debate in this area revolves around “network slicing” and how it fits with the idea of net neutrality.

Recently, FCC officials confirmed that the upcoming net neutrality guidelines won’t directly address innovations like network slicing, which are set to redefine what 5G networks can do. Instead, they’ll stick to the rules set in 2015 during the Obama administration. However, FCC officials hinted that even though network slicing won’t have its own rules, it’ll still need to follow the principles of net neutrality. They think the existing regulations on managing networks are flexible enough to cover new services like network slicing.

The FCC’s plan to vote on the new net neutrality rules on April 25 has caused a lot of anticipation and disagreement. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s release of the public draft of her proposal is a big step. It’s expected to be a close vote split along party lines, with Democratic commissioners likely to support the rules.

The draft rules from the FCC address concerns about network slicing potentially being misused to go against net neutrality principles, like creating uneven internet access or “pay to play” schemes. The agency says wireless internet providers need to check if their network slicing services follow the rules for Broadband Internet Access Services (BIAS). They’re not calling network slicing services either BIAS or non-BIAS data services because this technology is still developing.

While some worry that network slicing might be used to break rules against paid prioritization or unfair discrimination, the FCC acknowledges that this technology is still new. So, they’re not making big decisions about all aspects of network slicing yet. But they’re committed to stopping network slicing from going against open internet rules if they’re put into effect.

The FCC advises mobile network operators (MNOs) to carefully consider if their use of network slicing falls under BIAS and to follow the conduct rules. They promise to watch closely for situations where network slicing might be risky for investment, innovation, competition, or benefits for users. If needed, the FCC says they’re ready to take action against harmful uses of network slicing.

In response to the FCC’s cautious approach, Nokia’s Chief Public Policy & Government Affairs Officer, Brian Hendricks, shows support and confidence in the benefits of network slicing. He says Nokia will work with the FCC and others in the industry to show how network slicing can be good while following the rules. Together, they can encourage investment, innovation, and U.S. leadership in the 5G era.

There are differing opinions from both sides of the political spectrum. Brendan Carr, the FCC’s top Republican commissioner, criticized what he sees as an attempt to control the internet again. This reflects the long-standing divide over net neutrality.

T-Mobile’s suggestion to broaden the definition of “reasonable network management” to include innovations like network slicing has both supporters and opponents. Supporters think it’ll help new tech and services, while critics worry it might hurt internet neutrality.

Verizon, along with other companies in the industry, wants to keep a neutral stance on managing networks, saying too many rules could harm new tech like network slicing. This shows the balance regulators must find between encouraging new ideas and keeping the internet neutral.

The FCC’s view on network slicing and net neutrality is a major focus. Some praise the agency for being proactive in updating rules for new tech, while others worry that not having clear rules might slow down innovation and investment. As the FCC deals with the complexities of 5G and net neutrality, the stakes are high. The outcome of the vote will shape rules for years to come and affect how technology develops and how the internet is managed. In this fast-changing tech world, finding a balance between rules and new ideas is key to keeping a fair and innovative digital world.

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Dish’s 5G Network Makes Significant Strides with the FCC

Yesterday, Dish Network made significant strides in the 5G realm, announcing the successful clearance of two out of three 5G network buildout requirements mandated by the FCC. The completion of the final requirement is anticipated by next year.

Dish had long held unused spectrum designated for wireless network construction. Despite this, they remained inactive for a decade. However, in June of the previous year, they achieved the FCC’s 70% population coverage benchmark for their 5G network.

With the recent FCC approvals, Dish’s 5G network gains substantial ground in the wireless market. The acquisition of Boost Mobile from Sprint also contributed to their growth, although the company continues to face challenges in attracting new users.

According to Dish’s filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the pending commitment involves verifying the network speeds. The company is mandated to provide download speeds of 35 Mbps and will employ an FCC-approved drive test process.

Looking ahead, Dish faces a more daunting task in 2025: covering 75% of the country’s population. Experts highlight the considerable difficulty due to geographic obstacles, especially in reaching sparsely populated remote areas.

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Is 5G Still Causing Issues for the FAA?

The ongoing debate over whether 5G causes issues with airplane equipment continues to be discussed and has reached another compromise. While cellular carriers want airlines to have to bring their equipment up-to-date, an aviation body argues that the current restrictions be made permanent.

The Problem

As satellite TV began to take a dive in the number of users, several frequencies were freed up for alternative use. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) controls who gets to use what frequencies. They ultimately decided that these frequencies were suitable for 5G use so the rights to use them were auctioned off. Verizon and AT&T jumped on the chance to expand their 5G networks and acquired what is called 5G C-Band. 

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was apparently unaware of this auction. They discovered there was a risk of 5G C-band spectrum interfering with radio altimeters. This is the tool that essentially allows the airplane pilot to determine the altitude of the plane. It is always helpful to the pilot, but even more so in conditions of poor visibility. 

Surprisingly, the FAA had been talking about their concerns surrounding the potential risks of C-band interference since 2015. However, the agency didn’t directly communicate these to the FCC until it was too late.

Moving Forward

After several arguments between the two agencies, it’s still unclear as to whether the radio altimeters are truly at risk – there has been limited evidence. Still, delays were put in place to push out deployment, as well as restrictions at and around certain airports.  

An agreement was also made that gave the aviation industry until July 2023 to check their older aircraft. They would update radio altimeters as needed. Since that agreement, the deadline has again been pushed back, this time to February 2024. 

This past October, the aviation industry said that the temporary restrictions weren’t doing anyone any harm. They added that the costs of fixing the issue was expensive. So, it was argued that the power limitations be made permanent. The FAA rejected this. Instead, they decided to give airlines more time. Arstechnica reported the following: 

Today, the FAA proposed a deadline of February 1, 2024, to replace or retrofit faulty altimeters, which are used by airplanes to measure altitude.

Out of 7,993 airplanes on the US registry, the FAA said it “estimates that approximately 180 airplanes would require radio altimeter replacement and 820 airplanes would require the addition of radio altimeter filters to comply with the proposed modification requirement.” The total estimated cost of compliance is $26 million […]

“Some radio altimeters may already demonstrate tolerance to the 5G C-Band emissions without modification,” the FAA said. “Some may need to install filters between the radio altimeter and antenna to increase a radio altimeter’s tolerance. For others, the addition of a filter will not be sufficient to address interference susceptibility; therefore, the radio altimeter will need to be replaced with an upgraded radio altimeter.”

Another suggestion was also rejected by the FAA. The problem was only that affected radio altimeters reported a fault, but still functioned properly. So, they suggested that pilots simply be advised not to be concerned by the alerts at known problem spots. The FAA stated that this risked air crews becoming desensitized to system warnings, which “can lead to a catastrophic event.”

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What Frequency did T-Mobile Win Licenses For?

WASHINGTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) – T-Mobile (TMUS.O) won the bulk of licenses awarded in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 2.5 GHz band auction, successfully bidding $304.3 million, the agency said Thursday.

Most of the auctioned spectrum is located in rural areas and will support wireless services in rural communities, the FCC said. In total, the auction raised gross proceeds of $427 million. T-Mobile won 7,156 of the 8,017 county-based licenses offered for auction.

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How Satellites Can Help With the 5G Rollout

News from the world of satellites comes as U.S. wireless operators try to get more of their C-band spectrum rolled out to users. The reason is that companies like Intelsat and SES have licenses to this spectrum. SES just announced this week that they would be willing to assist with the launch of a satellite. The plan will be to clear out this spectrum so that wireless carriers could begin utilizing it for their 5G networks. 

The SES-22 launched from SpaceX’s Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Wednesday. It will deliver TV and radio content to millions of American homes and provide other critical data transmission.

The FCC began this accelerated C-Band clearing program and SES Chief Development Officer Christophe De Hauwer was brought in to lead SES’ efforts. SES’s responsibilities include ensuring ground stations are correctly pointed and tuned, technology is upgraded where needed and filters are installed to protect customers against interference.  

“It’s definitely a complicated program,” De Hauwer said. “It’s the orchestration of the whole thing… It’s a very big spreadsheet.”

The first phase involved the lower 120 MHz that was cleared last year. This second part requires clearing the lower 300 MHz of spectrum so that everything can be packed into the upper 200 MHz.

SES is launching a total of five satellites to make this second phase happen, De Hauwer said. The launch this week carries one satellite, while two more launches later this year will carry two each. This will give SES enough capacity to support its customers, which are moving into the higher frequencies aligned with the new satellites. The first satellite is expected to be operational for SES customers in August.

After SES completed Phase 1 ahead of the December 2021 deadline, they announced a deal with Verizon to speed up the process. Their efforts earned almost $1 billion in accelerated relocation payments by doing so. They’re expecting to earn another $3 billion in accelerated payments by meeting the Phase 2 December 2023 deadline ahead of schedule.

Satellite companies weren’t happy of course to make these moves, but the FCC offered the accelerated relocation payment plan, and they took it. Naturally, they don’t want their own services to be affected – something that would affect customers of content providers like CBS, Disney and Viacom. They lease capacity from the satellite companies. In turn, they work out deals with cable companies to get their programming on the air.

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Can 5G Interfere with Military Radars?

You may remember months ago when a dispute between airlines and telecommunications companies became a hot topic. That dispute was of course about the risk 5G C-Band could have on aircraft landing tools. As the U.S. looks to deploy more spectrum for faster wireless communications, this topic may soon be back in the spotlight.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is in place to mediate disputes related to spectrum allocation. Earlier this year, they simply stood by while tensions grew with other agencies and the U.S. aviation system was essentially at a standstill. 

“The process fell apart,” Tim Farrar, a technology consultant who leads his own firm, Telecom Media Finance Associates Inc., said. “Nobody talked to anybody.”

The FAA’s mother agency, the Transportation Department, in late 2020 circulated a letter seeking a delay in moves to allow the new 5G service. The NTIA didn’t act.

“We fully expected the NTIA to send our comments to the FCC,” Diana Furchtgott-Roth, the senior Transportation Department official responsible for radio spectrum issues at the time, said in an interview.

Adam Candeub, the NTIA acting administrator at the time, said the FAA’s concerns weren’t forwarded because NTIA experts had found no substance to the concerns.

In coming months, the agency will serve as referee as commercial operators seek access to frequencies that are now used by Navy and Army radars. These radars track targets or artillery fire and launch points for missiles.

Officials will be working with the Pentagon to determine which frequencies can be relinquished, and which can be shared with commercial operators, possibly with restrictions on signal power or hours of use. A decision is expected by next year.

“I think part of the bigger lessons learned that I’ve pulled out of the 5G effort is talk early and then talk early and talk some again,” Michael Weiler, group manager of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Spectrum Engineering Services division, said Wednesday at a webinar sponsored by the nonprofit government advisory group RTCA Inc.

The NTIA hasn’t been the most stable recently due to cycling through five leaders in the final 20 months of Trump’s presidency. In an effort to improve the agency’s performance, the Biden administration pledged to assist. In February, the agency joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in a pact to improve coordination — and avoid confrontations such as the dispute with the FAA.

The 5G experience shows the need for cooperation before controversy arises, said Steve Dickson, the former FAA administrator who left the agency at the end of March.

“We’ve just got to work together to make sure that we have smoother roll-outs going forward,” Dickson added. “This won’t be the last spectrum issue that we encounter.”

Alan Davidson, the Biden administration’s NTIA leader, and FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel have already begun work on this objective. March 29 was the first of their meetings, and they will likely have one a month from this point. In a recent statement, they said they would work together on a task that requires “clear communication, open doors, thoughtful listening, and mutual respect.”

In addition to their improvements, the NTIA and FCC are talking about forming a national spectrum strategy in effort to avoid these issues. They will examine stricter standards for receivers that would focus devices such as aircraft navigation systems on a tighter band and reduce conflicts.

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How AT&T is Helping Pave the Road to 6G

With 5G networking becoming more widely available, we’re now learning more about future technologies – 5G Advanced and 6G. 

According to AT&T news, AT&T has asked the FCC for two, two-year experimental licenses that will be used to “demonstrate the functionality and capabilities” of these newer wireless systems. 

The carrier will be performing tests out of Austin, TX. Coincidentally, Austin is home to the University of Texas at Austin’s 6G research center, which is supported by AT&T and other companies like Samsung and Qualcomm.

“The advances in both wireless communications and machine learning over the past decade have been incredible, but separate,” said 6G@UT Director Jeffrey Andrews, a professor in UT Austin’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in a press release. “Coupled with vast new sensing and localization abilities, 6G will be defined by an unprecedented native intelligence, which will transform the ability of the network to provide incredible services.”

AT&T’s application will be to use the spectrum licenses for testing communications between mobile units and fixed base stations. These units will be placed both indoors and outdoors. Tests will be performed to verify if wireless links can be established between the base stations and the mobile user equipment at distances up to 5 kilometers. Their end goal is to gain valuable insights into how to optimize next-generation cloud-native architectures and technologies as well as develop new use cases using multi-Gbps throughput.

The licenses AT&T is asking for include the following spectrum bands:

  • 5.9 GHz to 8.4 GHz
  • 10.7 GHz to 15.35 GHz
  • 92 GHz to 100 GHz

The equipment used with these licenses must operate within higher spectrum bands. This includes the sub-Terahertz (THz) band, which is between 95 GHz and 3 THz. This band was made available for experimental licenses in March 2019 by the FCC. It was done as part of the agency’s Spectrum Horizons First Report and Order. 

The THz spectrum offers more benefits than GHz. It’s capable of delivering data-intensive, high bandwidth applications at super-fast speeds for a short distance. Similar to the millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum though, a signal traveling in THz spectrum can only travel a short distance (typically between 100 to 150 meters). It has yet to be fully tested, but some believe the signal will be impacted by environmental conditions.

AT&T was not the first company seeking to use the FCC’s Spectrum Horizons experimental licenses. Test and measurement company Keysight Technologies was granted the first FCC Spectrum Horizons experimental license for sub-THz frequency bands. This was announced back in March. They weren’t specific, but the company said it would be using the license to develop 6G technology.

3GPP, a standards organization, is also working on 6G standards and is expected to be released after the next several years. It’s also expected that 6G will incorporate advanced antenna technologies as well as more efficient coding and modulation schemes and will likely deliver multi-gigabit download and upload speeds. Most of the industry players anticipate that 6G will incorporate sub-THz and THz spectrum.

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What is the Latest on Verizon’s C-band Deployment

Last week, we reported that Verizon Wireless would be adding more C-band coverage to 30 additional markets this year. This is happening about a year ahead of schedule. 

With a budget of more than $45 billion, Verizon obtained C-band at a FCC auction and received an average of 161 MHz nationwide, including 60 MHz in the top 46 markets, which is where it’s already deployed covering 100 million people. Additional markets covered by the so-called “A block” licenses in the 3.7-3.8 GHz range, weren’t expected to be ready until the December 2023 time frame.

Verizon can utilize those A block licenses now to deploy its 5G Ultra Wideband service “on at least 60 MHz of spectrum and up to 100 MHz of spectrum in some areas.” Those include large metro areas of Atlanta, Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Denver.

The second part of the C-band rollout, which is an additional 180 MHz of spectrum between 3.8 GHz-3.98 GHz, remains on track to be cleared in December 2023, according to a Verizon spokesperson.

In addition to the amount paid for the licenses, Verizon owed clearing costs to ready the band plus incentive payments. This enticed satellite operators to speed up the process and they made the spectrum available earlier.

Roger Entner, principal and founder of Recon Analytics, says he expected things to play out as they are. Following the auction, the FCC encouraged satellite players and license winners to negotiate for faster clearing times.

Due to the quicker schedule, Entner says Verizon is paying additional money to those like SES, however the carrier declined to disclose details on the contracts.

Verizon will also likely be quick to gain access to any A-block spectrum that is not covered by current agreements.

“You can bet they are heavily negotiating with the other satellite providers to also clear that out and so that they can accelerate this even further,” Entner said, adding those payments would be less as there’s a time value component – say for six months early versus a year.

With so much competition from T-Mobile lately, it’s clear why Verizon has been moving so quickly to deploy C-band service. They started by increasing coverage from zero to 90 million when it launched on January 19. Then, it increased by 5 million one week later, and now they are up to more than 100 million.

“This early spectrum clearance is just the latest development that allows us to bring 5G Ultra Wideband to our customers faster,” said Kyle Malady, EVP and president of Global Network and Technology, in the announcement. “We’ve been able to accelerate deployment because we’re driving more efficiency and coverage from the C-band spectrum, leveraging opportunities like the one we are announcing today, and leveraging our already in place infrastructure. In my career with Verizon, I have never experienced a network deployment move so quickly.”

A-block Licenses

While AT&T focused on less expensive B and C block licenses, Verizon set its sights on A block licenses during Auction 107. This is part of the key to 5G C-band access. 

“Their game plan is coming nicely to fruition,” Entner said of Verizon’s focus on those licenses. “They’re getting the markets faster.”

According to Entner, Verizon is getting a full 100 MHz of C-band earlier than expected in certain locations. To users in some cities smaller than the top 46 Partial Economic Areas (PEAs), this could mean faster bandwidth speeds even sooner than those in the largest markets would receive. The reason for this is that, of the earliest available A block C-band, Verizon has 60 MHz in those 46 markets while AT&T has 40 MHz. They are essentially sharing the 100 MHz A-block until 2023, which is when AT&T is expected to shift to the B/C block license channels. After that, Verizon will obtain its full amount of A block spectrum.

Even so, Verizon can always negotiate to have full access in any of the markets smaller than the top 46, Entner noted. That was made evident when Verizon recently announced the full 100 MHz for some markets.

C-band

As it’s been said multiple times before, Verizon needs to step up their competition and pushing up its C-band deployment to cover more people with mid-band 5G is going to be the key to this. 

“Verizon really needs this,” Entner said of the faster C-band deployment timeline.

The carrier gained new subscribers last year, but not net accounts. Essentially, their growth was solely from existing customers adding new lines, Entner explained. 

“That is not sustainable, it’s like wringing water out of an already dry sponge,” Entner said.

Most might say this is because of the premium price Verizon has been known to charge for their service. This has become more challenging for the carrier as third-party speed results continue to show T-Mobile as the 5G network leader for speeds and coverage.

“And when the claim and reality become divergent, you have a problem,” Entner said.

Consumer perception and lack of account growth is “why they [Verizon] really need C-band and C-band fast, so that they can close the gap with T-Mobile,” he continued. “So that T-Mobile can’t say ‘I have a faster network and I’m cheaper’ to consumers.”

Speeding up the deployment of C-band could help Verizon to catch up with T-Mobile. Although they have big plans to reach 300 million people with mid-band spectrum by the end of 2023. Verizon only expects to cover 250 million by the end of 2024.

For comparison, AT&T is set to cover 200 million people by the end of 2023 with mid-band 5G, including 3.45 GHz spectrum.

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What is the Status of 5G in the U.S.

While carriers in the U.S. continue to challenge and compete with one another, both China and Korea are still miles ahead of the U.S. when it comes to the 5G race. It looks like it will be a repeat of what happened with 4G LTE as our country was behind back then as well. 

The importance of 5G

It’s been found that 5G could contribute an estimated $565 billion in value to the global economy by 2034, according to research results from GSMA. This has however been shadowed by how slowly the technology has been to roll out. 

Sadly, the truth is that shifting to 5G service may not change our everyday lives. Instead, we expect that due to the limited availability, the service will apply more to businesses and government. The importance of 5G lies in the ability to provide faster connectivity and lower latency, which will impact many industries and alter how businesses do work. 

How Does 5G Work?

Not all 5G is created alike. Some connections may only be a fraction faster than LTE service. In comparison, a fully operational 5G network should be at least 10x faster than an LTE network. Theoretically, many experts have even estimated it to be 100x faster. These kinds of bandwidth speeds is what can make IoT (Internet of Things) and IIoT (Industrial IoT) more of a reality as it can enable self-driving cars and robots in factory settings.

“Network Slicing” is something that will likely be used to showcase 5G in the immediate future. This is a practice that allows multiple networks to operate on one dedicated platform. This represents a radical change from current approaches and would enable industries like automotive, government, logistics, media and healthcare to benefit from customized data processing.

Take how quickly Uber works to connect you with drivers, map the driving route and then process your payment — all in just a few clicks. Before LTE networks, an application like Uber or Lyft would have been nearly impossible because of the speeds and latency.

4G LTE technology opened up countless possibilities and introduced new types of connectivity that seem commonplace now. Just like digitization transformed our current market, 5G will prompt new business practices that can be difficult to imagine now.

Why is 5G Taking So Long to Deploy?

Like we mentioned earlier, not all 5G is alike. Neither are all cellular spectrums. There have been safety concerns and auctions over what carrier gets to use what spectrum. The U.S. found itself in a bit of a spectrum crisis amid the push for 5G.

Due to the FCC’s constraints on cellular, 5G can only operate on certain frequencies of the radio frequency spectrum in the U.S. The FCC controls and allocates the spectrum for nonfederal use by public and private organizations. The “mid-band” spectrum, which is best for 5G service, was allocated in the U.S. for federal use. It wasn’t until recently that more of this spectrum has been made available for carriers. 

In 2019, the U.S. pursued mmWave for its 5G deployments. This turned out to be a costly mistake, which has since been acknowledged by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “If we just relied on millimeter wave spectrum, we’d actually grow the digital divide with 5G,” said Rosenworcel in 2020. 

It’s true that mmWave supports a large capacity, but the problem is that the signals do not travel long distances and do not easily penetrate obstacles. This requires expensive investments in ground infrastructure to achieve full functionality. In contrast, other countries run their 5G deployments with the mid-band spectrum. This is known as the sweet spot for 5G because of its combination of capacity and ability to send signals over relatively long distances.

How Can We Move Things Along?

The FCC recognizes the importance of the mid-band spectrum and what it can do to help the U.S. achieve what our competitors overseas have done. They have started to make more of the spectrum available by auctioning off frequency bands in record-breaking auctions through 2020 and 2021. In 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) also announced an initiative that aimed to share the spectrum on a widespread basis with commercial interests.

Keep in mind that each spectrum has limited use. As it is auctioned off for more uses, we are confronted with new challenges in sharing the spectrum between highly sensitive DoD assets and commercial interests. There are still several things we don’t know or understand about using the spectrum efficiently and how to make spectrum-sharing a viable solution for all parties involved.

You may recall that in late 2021, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) raised urgent concerns about potential interference occurring between 5G C-Band and sensitive aircraft communication systems. As a result, Verizon and AT&T agreed to delay some of their 5G rollouts. 

These somewhat avoidable delays just goes to show how much more organizations need tools to monitor and understand radio frequency spectrums. Still, limited resources are currently available. 

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What Do I Need to Know About the 3G Shutdown?

As 5G becomes available in more areas, and on more frequencies, the 3G networks are getting closer to their shutdown dates. This could be a serious problem for some companies as some services still operate over the 3G frequencies. 

On February 22nd, AT&T is scheduled to be the first carrier to shut down its 3G network. T-Mobile’s shutdown will happen by July 1st. 

You may recall that Verizon was originally set to shutdown 3G back in 2019. After much back and forth with the Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. regulator, they agreed to push the shutdown to this December.

Among the companies that are affected by this shutdown are vehicle connected services, home-alarm systems, and 911 alert necklaces. 

The home-alarm industry has asked the FCC to delay AT&T’s network sunset until December. Per FCC Spokesperson Paloma Perez, the FCC is monitoring the 3G phase-out and working to “implement safeguards” for older phones and other devices.

WHY IS 3G BEING PHASED OUT?

3G networks were first introduced by AT&T, who ended up being the exclusive carrier for early iPhones later that decade. The networks we currently rely on for video streaming, social media apps, and others mostly use the 4G LTE network as their standard. 

For the cellular providers, shutting down 3G is simply part of the upgrade process. Once these outdated networks are gone, it allows them to use the freed-up bandwidth for newer services.

AT&T says that delaying the shutdown would hurt its 5G rollout, degrading its customers’ ability to use their service and causing more dropped calls. The carrier argues that companies have had about five years to upgrade their customers’ devices. Interestingly, the carrier also says the FCC doesn’t have the authority to stop its shutdown.

WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO MY 3G PHONE?

Phones that operate solely on 3G will quit working – including for phone calls and text messaging. In those cases, users will need to upgrade to at least a 4G LTE phone. 

Your cellular provider should have contacted you in some fashion about this. AT&T, for example, sent offers of free replacements via letters, emails and texts. Spokesperson Jim Greer said fewer than 1% of AT&T’s consumer devices, including phones, tablets and watches, will lose cellular service. 

WHAT OTHER DEVICES ARE AFFECTED?

Everything from home fire alarms to ankle bracelets used by law enforcement and the 911 alert necklace your Grandmother may wear. It’s not certain how many outdated products are out there, or how much of an impact it could make if updates were to take place after February 22nd.

The alarm industry and other companies say they have had issues replacing devices even though they’ve known about the coming shutdown for years. Recent setbacks include both pandemic-triggered supply-chain issues and customers hesitant to let technicians into their homes because of potential health risks.

An alarm-industry lobbying group estimates that 1.5 million customers still need to upgrade their fire or burglar alarms, while about half a million have medical alert devices that run on 3G; it said most rely on AT&T service. 

While a non networked fire alarm will still sound an alarm if there’s smoke, it won’t be able to contact the fire department. Likewise, burglar alarms won’t route to emergency responders if triggered. 

Not all providers say there’s an issue. ADT said in November that it was on track to update its AT&T customers by February; a spokesperson declined to offer an update on Sunday.

AARP, the advocacy group for adults over 50, is also concerned that users of medical alert systems — those necklaces and bracelets, like Life Alert — that connect users to emergency call centers won’t know their gadgets don’t work anymore or won’t be able to replace them in time.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty about the impact and about how many people are affected,” said Tom Kamber, the executive director of Older Adults Technology Services, a nonprofit affiliated with AARP. The AARP has asked the FCC to delay the AT&T shutdown until December.

With regards to vehicles, some manufacturers are eliminating important safety features – such as the emergency SOS button in BMWs – after phone carriers start phasing out 3G services. Some carmakers are offering free upgrades, while Tesla and Chrysler are charging for them. Others including Hyundai, Lexa, Nissan, Toyota and BMW are sending out notices to tell drivers they will lose the features immediately. Those with OnStar, like Honda and GM, are offering software upgrades, but they are time sensitive and require action in the next week. Check out a list of the affected vehicles here. 

Zonar, which provides GPS and other services for buses and trucks, says tens of thousands of vehicles will be affected. Trucks that aren’t upgraded may have to be idled if drivers can’t electronically log their hours as federal rules require. Zonar has a workaround for the trucking industry, but not all customers have placed orders for it, said Susan Corscadden, a company marketing executive.

One manufacturer of ankle bracelets for people on probation, parole or pre-trial release said it hasn’t been able to update many 3G-reliant devices. A premature shutdown could potentially allow tens of thousands of offenders like child abusers, sex offenders and drunk drivers to go unmonitored while out of prison, Alcohol Monitoring Systems wrote in an August FCC filing. The company did not respond to questions.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I’M AFFECTED?

Check with your cellular provider to make sure your phone will still work, or see what you need to upgrade to. 

For customers that have network connected burglar alarms, fire alarms, a personal medical alert device, or a vehicle with cellular connectivity, call the companies to see if you need to update your equipment. If so, schedule an appointment before your provider’s scheduled shutdown, or see about getting a new device shipped to you.

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