Mobile network operator Three (now part of VodafoneThree) has turned off the 3G network service that it is named after, following 23 years and 6 months of service. The shutdown was completed on the 27th November 2025 and will enable the company to reuse the mobile frequencies that were used for the 3G service on the VodafoneThree 4G and 5G networks.
Three has 16,000 network masts, and only 3,000 of these were 3G-only. Years of planning were involved to upgrade these to 4G and 5G, and also upgrades were applied to allow them to use MOCN (Multi-Operator Core Network) technology. This allows Vodafone customers to connect to the Three mobile towers in the same way as connecting to the Vodafone cells, therefore providing a coverage and capacity increase to those customers.
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They need to change their name to six and get ahead of the curve.
They’ve merged with Vodafone anyway, no idea what name will eventually be chosen for that.
Thereby obsoleting a lot of perfectly useable phones and tablets.
Stupid decision by OFCOM
Thanks, 3, for turning off 3G at ~ 100% strength near Richmond, Yorkshire. and replacing it with 2G service at ~ 40% strength. At least EE has a 4G signal I can use. Goodbye 3.
Err, 3 don’t use 2G and never have! You might find the 3G signal replaced by a 4G one shortly, perhaps asking 3 might be an idea!?!
we are in the 3g mast area, last march 3 turned it off and still haven’t upgraded it, we went from multi that could replace entry telco to SUB 1 mb everywhere including outside, you have to travel half a mile to get 4g speed, this is not 5g its 4,5 g at best without the coverage, a local high road with two schools has become a dead zone its utterly stupid
At last a decent 4g usable signal. For over a year I’ve been complaining of no signal. All that they’d
say was restart your phone no issues. When pressed they said it was congestion Switch to 3G. Yes that worked but now they’ve switched it off at least the 4g has improved.