London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Vodafone 3G turn-off sparks internet access fears

Vodafone 3G turn-off sparks internet access fears

Campaigners have warned that Vodafone turning off its 3G network will lead to people with older and more basic phones falling into "digital poverty."

Vodafone will be the first UK telecoms firm to stop providing 3G when it begins a nationwide phase-out in June.

This will free up radio frequencies for faster 4G and 5G services, it says.

Vodafone says it is working to support vulnerable customers, but campaign group Digital Poverty Alliance has criticised the switch-off.

Vodafone UK's chief network officer, Andrea Dona, said 3G use had "dropped significantly" - with less than than 4% of its customers' data being used on its 3G network, compared with more than 30% in 2016.

He said that meant it was now "time to say goodbye to 3G and focus on the current benefits and future possibilities of our 4G and 5G networks". 

The company says it is working with third parties, including charities, to help customers.

It has also pointed to the support it is providing for customers, including information on its website about how to check if a phone is capable of accessing 4G. It has worked with a body called We Are Digital to set up the Digital Skills Helpline, which is free to call from all UK mobiles and landlines.

Digital Poverty Alliance, which says its objective is help people access the "life-changing benefits" of digital services, says 14 million British people rarely engage online, with 18% of adults relying on their their phone to access digital services. It said switching off 3G would have "detrimental effects".

"Older and basic devices do not have 4G capabilities, so individuals who can only get online using a basic device will fall into digital poverty," it warned in a statement.

"Switching off 3G will have an adverse effect on the mission to help more people access the digital world," it added.


'You rely on the service'


Vodafone says it is pressing ahead with a nationwide phase-out after successful pilots across Plymouth and Basingstoke.

However, some customers have expressed concern about how it will affect them.

Dan Jones, 36, a self-employed IT consultant who lives in a village near Manchester, told the BBC he only got a 3G signal at his home office.

He said he was informed by Vodafone in October that it was going to shut 3G services and since then 4G and 5G in his area had been "pretty much non-existent".

Mr Jones said he was now contemplating changing providers.

"I'm self-employed, I'm an IT consultant - when your living is made through phone calls and that sort of thing, you rely on the service," he told the BBC.

"It's not like I live out in the sticks."

The regulator Ofcom has said all 2G and 3G services will be shut off by 2033 at the latest, with 3G networks being shut first.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×