3G may seem so yesterday, but many alarms and other devices still rely on it  

Mobile phone companies' 5G networks are bringing more speed and innovation to consumers, but there's at least one trade-off: To open up airwaves for 5G, the companies are shutting down older networks that many devices and services still use.

Those older 3G networks were heralded as a revolutionary advancement in bandwidth and connectivity when they debuted in the United States in 2002. Although 3G (short for third generation) started giving way to 4G a decade later, the networks still provide the backbone for older mobile phones and a host of other devices.

In particular, 3G was the network of choice for devices that talked to other devices through the internet, including some fire and burglar alarms, roadside assistance services and personal medical alert devices. And 3G has remained in use because the costs are low. Daniel Oppenheim, chief executive of the alarm and safety monitoring company Affiliated Monitoring, said the components needed to connect to 4G networks were too big and expensive for many devices until recently, which is why 3G-only hardware continued to be in wide use until a couple of years ago.

Yet it was no secret that 3G would eventually be rendered obsolete.

Timing of 3G shutdowns

AT&T, which operates one of the two most extensive 3G networks in the country, has since put a firm date on the shutdown: Feb. 22. Verizon, which operates the other, is planning to shut its 3G system down by the end of the year. T-Mobile plans to pull the plug on the 3G networks it operates, including the one built by Sprint, between March 31 and July 1.

The Alarm Industry Communications Committee, a trade association representing companies like Oppenheim's, has asked the Federal Communications Commission to delay the 3G shutdown until the end of the year, arguing that disruptions caused by COVID-19 have prevented its members from upgrading roughly 2 million consumers' equipment. Even if the date is pushed back, however, the end of 3G is coming.

What old devices can still do

Bear in mind that a 3G device with Wi-Fi can still run its apps and do just about everything you need it to do — but only if you're within reach of an open Wi-Fi network, and you don't mind making phone calls through a voice-over-internet-protocol service such as Skype. In other words, your 3G phone or tablet will still work, but it won't be nearly as mobile.

U.S. consumers replace their smartphones every three years or less on average, which suggests that relatively few 3G phones remain in use. The life cycle is much longer for other 3G devices, however, including alarm and security systems that summon first responders in the event of a break-in, a fire, a carbon monoxide leak or a personal medical emergency.

If these devices or services fail for lack of a network connection, the consequences could be tragic. Oppenheim said that the companies involved have been trying to replace their customers' 3G-only equipment for some time, but that their efforts have been hampered in multiple ways by the pandemic. COVID-19 has reduced the supply of replacement components and interfered with efforts to install them, he said, in part because some customers didn't want workers to enter their homes.

As a result, he said, 10% to 15% of these customers aren't ready to leave 3G.

Here's another problem stemming from long product life cycles: Many cars can summon help automatically after an accident, or connect to a call center with the push of a button, thanks to a built-in cellular modem. But a portion of those cars' modems connect only to 3G networks.

The most critical of these services is automatic crash notification. Consumer Reports compiled a list last month of the vehicles that will be affected; according to the magazine, "some vehicles just need a software or hardware upgrade, but others — including vehicles from Chrysler, Dodge, Hyundai, Jeep, Lexus, Nissan, Ram, and Toyota — will lose their connections permanently."

What do you need to do?

In most cases, the devices that rely on 3G chips are providing services that people have to pay for. So the companies selling those services have already been reaching out to their customers to help them keep their services going.

In other words, if you're affected, you've probably gotten a letter or email already (and possibly several of them) telling you what the problem is and what your options are. If you haven't responded yet, it's a good idea to do so now.