3G to end in December 2018?

Several articles talk about the end of 3G communications these days, such as

I’m no techie, and still use my 3G “dumb” phone, does this mean I need to get a new phone or just that the telcom companies will incorporate 3G into their 4G communications, and end users don’t need a new phone?

Yes, need a new phone then. I’ll also lose the ability to use a 2nd SIM card on my brand new samsung phone. Thank you, NCC.

Here is another article in English:

In the TT article it says “However, users of 3G might need to change to 4G SIM cards if they want to continue using their 3G cellphones after the telecoms’ licenses expire, he said.”

So it sounds like you can still use a 3G phone, just change SIM card, and contract? What about prepaid IF service?

3g phoned cannot use 4g networks, regardless of sim card. I’m not sure what that article means, but if all 3g networks are switched off, no 3g only phones can work any more. Simple, technical fact. (The receive/send part doesn’t work with 4g, it’s a different and incompatible technology)

I’ll try to find out details

Seems like there is some “backup plan” to keep a kind of 3g network operating. Maybe only for voice, not data. SMS? No idea. But seems like not a complete switching off of 3g. The news are quite unclear on that… I’ll to find out more…

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They wanted me to change phone numbers, I said no, so they gave me a 4G card linked to my number.

Coworkers were also a bit unclear about the details of the frequency things, but the common understanding seems to be:

3g phones can still be used for voice and SMS, not internet though. New SIM card necessary.

I guess I’ll have to ask the Telecom companies if I want to understand the background…

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Thanks for looking into it, with more than 6 million 3G subscribers you’d think they’d make things clear and simple.

Haha maybe I’m just stupid and drunk :thinking:

I use 3g and have a basic plan since I first got the number - phone calls and sms. I have no interest in being able to use the internet on my phone (I can use WiFi for that if needed - barely ever). I barely use the phone as it is and leave it at home some days.
After seeing more frequent text messages reminding me the change comes at the end of the year, I went to the Da Ga Da store. The guy spoke a little English and my Chinese is not good enough to talk about phone contracts etc. (He had some colleague over asking her and she could not understand why someone would not care about not needing the internet on my phone). They told me I would need to sign a new contract for 2 years at least.
I don’t want to sign a 2 year contract. I want to continue paying 200/month for what I have now.
I guess I will have to call their customer service number up and find out if there are actually other options.

Amazing plan if you only want phone and text.

For me it’s the opposite. I don’t really need phone or text and do all that with data at around NT$1200 a month (still have phone and text).

You will likely have to sign some form of contract to sign up again for 4G service.
They’ll give you a new 4G SIM card (keep your 3G SIM card in case your contacts are on that card, for which they can help transfer contacts from SIM to SIM).
My CHT bill went from NT$183 per month in the most basic/cheapest rate for 3G to now NT$199 per month for 4G (500MB of download per month! Yeah, so much, ha ha. 20mins of calls or something).
I had choice of signing 1 or 2 years.

I believe 亞太電信, Asia-Pacific Online, has a new deal just this week (八八節).
NT$377 for 7G of download per month.
Otherwise, go with any of the other telecoms for like NT$499 per month of unlimited (signed contract, likely 2 years).

Is it possible to get 4G card with same mobile number as 3G? Do they have number portability service here?

I believe they have about 5 phone stores on every block in Taiwan. Pop in and ask them maybe

Chunghua updated me to 4G SIM earlier this year with same phone number.

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Thanks @tango42 :slight_smile:

Does anyone know the current situation?

I am assuming that the 3G towers will be turned off, so my phone needs to support 4G.

It is an HTC U11 Ultra, Dual Sim. One slot supports 4/3/2G, the other 3/2G. So I assume that only one will be working from January 1. Both Cards (one is FET, the other Telstra in Australia) support 4G as they have been used on 4G with the 4G Data icon showing,

Partner is Tech Illiterate and in a Blind Panic, having been conned by a FET salesman into buying a new phone when 2G closed down a couple of years ago as one slot in the phone then was 2G only and was the one supporting the FET SIM.

Yes, it can still be used as a single SIM phone by switching the SIM slot as required.

For internet, yes. Phone and text is a different signal.

Unless you use data on both, you’re ok. Otherwise, you’d have to switch back and forth when you go to Australia.

Thanks, I was suspecting that it was just the Internet side that will require 4G. And I do only need one at a time.

Well 3G is still working for Phone/Text on both FET and Chunghwa…

And FET at least still seems to still have 3G working for Data - I switched that SIM to 3G Only and could still browse the Web - icon showing was either “3G” or “H”.

Time will tell…