The closure of the 3G network in 2022 could deprive your car of certain features
You probably upgrade your phone a lot more often than you upgrade your car. You don’t see a lot of people lining up in coffee shops pecking their 2009 Blackberry 8300 or Motorola RAZR. But many of us drive cars from this same era of technology. The average car on American roads today is over 12 years old. It’s about to become a minor problem.
In 2022, US mobile phone network providers plan to shut down the networks that powered these old phones. Since not many people use them yet, it won’t bother many phone users. But a lot of cars still use them. They may lose some functionality.
What is 3G?
Cell phones, tablets and other connected devices communicate through parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. This spectrum has a limited number of frequencies, and there is no way to add more.
3G stands for “third generation”. The third generation of cell phone technology communicates through a certain part of the RF spectrum. Newer, fourth generation (4G) and fifth generation (5G) phones use a different part of the spectrum.
Cellular phone service providers maintain national networks of towers that broadcast on each of these frequencies. Since few customers are still using the old 3G network, the major providers plan to shut down these networks in 2022.
They will reuse the same parts of the spectrum to support 5G and even 6G devices. But 3G devices will stop working.
Your car can be a 3G device
Modern cars have a lot of features that require the car to communicate with a server somewhere. Many cars do this with a 3G connection. Connected services include items such as:
- Remote locking and unlocking
- GPS navigation
- Traffic updates
- Smartphone connectivity
- Restrictions for teenage drivers
Some cars use 4G or 5G networks to drive these services. They will not be affected by the closure.
When it happens
There are three major 3G networks in the United States. Each will end in 2022.
- AT&T will close its network in February
- T-Mobile, which recently merged with Sprint, will shut down Sprint’s network in March and its own network in July
- Verizon will shut down its network in December
You probably know which network is providing service to your phone. But it can be difficult to know which network your car is using.
What are automakers doing about it?
Some automakers have made plans to keep their connected services in service by upgrading cars to 4G or 5G connections. Others may decide to let the functionality disappear.
General Motors, for example, has already started sending over-the-air software updates to vehicles equipped with OnStar, which should keep most vehicles connected. The automaker has launched a 3G shutdown website with more details.
Subaru, which has its own shutdown website, says dealers will need to install a physical upgrade to keep its STARLINK system running. They will do the work for free.
Some automakers may offer chargeable upgrades. Most Tesla currently in circulation are already equipped with more modern systems. But some Model S cars built before 2015 still use a 3G connection. Tesla will upgrade these cars with a new modem but charges $ 200 for the service.
What can you do?
The best way to know if your car will lose service is to ask a dealership. The Drive also keeps a list of cars that they are sure are affected.
It’s an evolving story.
As shutdown dates approach, more and more automakers will likely roll out their own solutions to keep older cars connected. Car manufacturers and car dealerships make money from these services, so they would like to make them work.