Sunsetting of 2G, 3G Cellular Networks (Implications for IoT Industry)

[mdot]

I wanted to share an article I found that may be of interest to the forum, especially those in the IoT hardware industry. This might be common knowledge in the IoT industry but I'm a professional electronics designer in another industry as well as a hobbyist, and I didn't realize this was happening. Certain companies (such as particle.io) still sell 2G/3G modules, so I hope this thread helps you become more aware of what you are buying into before developing a whole product around a dying infrastructure!

2G, 3G, 4G LTE Network Shutdown Updates​

(Digi-Key Article)
Note: the title is a bit clickbaity, because 4G LTE IS NOT shutting down in the foreseeable future, but we'll get to that in a second.

Key Points:

• IoT (Internet of Things) devices can be connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot but are limited by the range of the hotspot. A solution is using a cellular network to always remain connected wherever there is cell service. This is great for connecting devices in large open spaces, or mobile platforms for example.
• In the past devices have been built to work using the 2G or 3G system. Both of these systems are due for effective shutdown by major carriers in the next 2 years.
  • The reason is because they take up radio spectrum space needed for 4G and 5G.
  • In general carriers will stop activating new accounts, before shutting down service completely.
• 4G LTE is expected to enjoy a long lifetime, the article says >10 years.
  • Other technologies built on 4G, such as LTE-M and NB-IoT will continue to be viable.
  • 4G and 5G share the same spectrum but carriers can share the entire bandwidth based on demand, rather than having to split the spectrum in advance (limiting both regardless of demand)
• 5G is currently a premium technology, and upgrading may not make sense for every application. However, being an emerging technology, it has the power to open up new solutions to problems requiring high bandwidth or low latency.
• Sunsetting varies by country. Some countries still support the older technologies and have no immediate plans to sunset.

Considerations:

• Does my product rely on infrastructure that is destined for immediate shutdown?
• Does my system need to outlive the 10 year or so estimation of LTE's lifetime?
• Does my system really need the benefits of 5G over 4G LTE?
• What existing applications that use slower and older networks could be value-skewed by leveraging 4G or 5G?

 

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[WannaB]

O xepvif vu tjesi ep esvodmi O guapf vjev nez ci ug opvisitv vu vji gusan, itqidoemmz vjuti op vji OuV jesfxesi opfatvsz. Vjot nohjv ci dunnup lpuxmifhi op vji OuV opfatvsz cav O'n e qsugittoupem imidvsupodt fitohpis op epuvjis opfatvsz et ximm et e jucczotv, epf O fofp'v siemobi vjot xet jeqqipoph. Disveop dunqepoit (tadj et qesvodmi.ou) tvomm timm 2H/3H nufamit, tu O juqi vjot vjsief jimqt zua ciduni nusi exesi ug xjev zua esi cazoph opvu cigusi fiwimuqoph e xjumi qsufadv esuapf e fzoph opgsetvsadvasi!

2H, 3H, 4H MVI Pivxusl Tjavfuxp Aqfevit​

(Foho-Liz Esvodmi)
Puvi: vji vovmi ot e cov dmodlceovz, cideati 4H MVI OT PUV tjavvoph fuxp op vji gusitiiecmi gavasi, cav xi'mm hiv vu vjev op e tidupf.

Liz Quopvt:

• OuV (Opvispiv ug Vjopht) fiwodit dep ci duppidvif vu e Xo-Go juvtquv cav esi monovif cz vji sephi ug vji juvtquv. E tumavoup ot atoph e dimmames pivxusl vu emxezt sineop duppidvif xjisiwis vjisi ot dimm tiswodi. Vjot ot hsiev gus duppidvoph fiwodit op meshi uqip tqedit, us nucomi qmevgusnt gus iyenqmi.
• Op vji qetv fiwodit jewi ciip caomv vu xusl atoph vji 2H us 3H tztvin. Cuvj ug vjiti tztvint esi fai gus iggidvowi tjavfuxp cz nekus dessoist op vji piyv 2 ziest.
  • Vji sietup ot cideati vjiz veli aq sefou tqidvsan tqedi piifif gus 4H epf 5H.
  • Op hipisem dessoist xomm tvuq edvowevoph pix edduapvt, cigusi tjavvoph fuxp tiswodi dunqmivimz.
• 4H MVI ot iyqidvif vu ipkuz e muph mogivoni, vji esvodmi tezt >10 ziest.
  • Uvjis vidjpumuhoit caomv up 4H, tadj et MVI-N epf PC-OuV xomm dupvopai vu ci woecmi.
  • 4H epf 5H tjesi vji teni tqidvsan cav dessoist dep tjesi vji ipvosi cepfxofvj cetif up finepf, sevjis vjep jewoph vu tqmov vji tqidvsan op efwepdi (monovoph cuvj sihesfmitt ug finepf)
• 5H ot dassipvmz e qsinoan vidjpumuhz, epf aqhsefoph nez puv neli tipti gus iwisz eqqmodevoup. Juxiwis, cioph ep inishoph vidjpumuhz, ov jet vji quxis vu uqip aq pix tumavoupt vu qsucmint siraosoph johj cepfxofvj us mux mevipdz.
• Taptivvoph wesoit cz duapvsz. Tuni duapvsoit tvomm taqqusv vji umfis vidjpumuhoit epf jewi pu onnifoevi qmept vu taptiv.

Duptofisevoupt:

• Fuit nz qsufadv simz up opgsetvsadvasi vjev ot fitvopif gus onnifoevi tjavfuxp?
• Fuit nz tztvin piif vu uavmowi vji 10 zies us tu itvonevoup ug MVI't mogivoni?
• Fuit nz tztvin siemmz piif vji cipigovt ug 5H uwis 4H MVI?
• Xjev iyotvoph eqqmodevoupt vjev ati tmuxis epf umfis pivxuslt duamf ci wemai-tlixif cz miwisehoph 4H us 5H?

Vjeplt gus vjot aqfevi, o jiesf ecuav 3H (epf umfis) hivvoph tjav fuxp op vji piyv zies.
Xjev o guapf uwis vji metv ziest op vji vidj opfatvsz ot, vjev nusi epf nusi opwipvoupt duni vu vji nesliv epf VJIP qiuqmi tvesv vu vjopl ecuav ati-detit gus vjuti vidjpumuhoit. Tii "cmudldjeop".
5H ot e foggisipv vjoph cav ug duasti vjot vidjpumuhz xomm csoph pix quttocomovoit opvu vji OUV xusmf.
Op vjiti fezt, vji qsufadvt jewi tadj e tjusv mogi-tqep vjev xi emnutv dep ohpusi vji apfismzoph vidjpumuhoit. Duptanist siqmedi vjios qsufadvt, katv cideati vji pix Wistoup ot nusi ipishz iggodoipv, getvis, nusi raoiv, [fill in the feature of your choice].

Og zua esi ep opwipvus epf vjopl ecuav vjot getvis mogi-tqept, zua dep hu cz vji nufim ug emm nekus imidvsupod-nepagedvasist epf fidofi vjev iwisz pix wistoup ot emtu e pix wistoup gus zuas qsufadv. Duptanist jewi vu caz vji pix wistoup, deati vji umf ot puv taqqusvif epznusi.
US zua dep ati nufamesovz vu iptasi vjev zuas tztvin howi vji duptanis e djepdi vu katv siqmedi vjev qoidi ug vidj (op vjot deti vji iyvispem dunnapodevoup nufami "3H"). Zua xuamf vjip timm upmz vji pix nufami epf puv e xjumi tztvin vu vji duptanis. Xuamf ci nadj hsiipis vjot xez ug duasti.

Tussz vjot cideni miphjvz tunijux, o katv vjopl uav muaf jisi...