City of Olivet issued the following announcement on Dec 18.
Important Information
Starting in February we'll begin to see the first decommissioning of 3G networks.
It is important that consumers understand that older phones may cease operating in early 2022 due to the retirement of 3G networks and support for phones using 3G service. This may include other devices that use 3G connectivity, such as some medical alert devices, tablets, smart watches, home security systems, and other devices.
The phones that are 3G compatible WILL NOT be able to connect to 911. Many shelters give out old phones with no service so those in need that cannot afford to pay for a cell phone can still call 911 for help. Most of these phones are 3G so they will not be able to call 911 from them once the network is decommissioned. They will connect to whichever carrier is the closest tower with the strongest signal, so there’s no way to pinpoint when these types of phones will stop reaching 911.
Contact your specific carriers with any questions you may have. Some carriers are offering free replacement phones that will be compatible with the 4G network, they would just need to work with their providers.
Below are the dates that carriers have targeted to decommission their networks.
AT&T - Decommissioning its 3G network - February 2022
Sprint - Decommissioning its 3G network - March 31, 2022
Sprint - Decommissioning its LTE network - June 30, 2022
T-Mobile - Decommissioning its 3G network - July 1, 2022
Verizon - Decommissioning its 3G network - December 31, 2022
Original source can be found here.
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