The transition to 4G is underway, bringing with it faster download speeds, increased reliability – and among many other things, the sunset of 3G devices.
So, what does sunsetting 3G actually mean? This means that carriers, like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, will be shutting off the cellular infrastructure, needed to operative devices that’s based on that network’s technology. Once it’s turned off, devices will no longer draw a connection to that network. Since there are limited amounts of spectrum available to carriers, sunsetting old infrastructure makes room for new technologies and frees up bandwidth for faster, 4G and 5G signals.
The 3G Network Sunset
As carriers migrate to newer, faster 4G LTE networks, that gradual end of 3G support has begun. As the slower, outdated networks are phased out and new towers are built, all 3G powered equipment, not matter who the manufacturer is, will become less reliable – causing connectivity issues and eventually will no longer work at all.
Since the turndown has begun and with carriers already committing to no new 3G activations, the time to migrate is now. To avoid any service interruptions, enterprises should begin to transition at least 6-12 months out from the sunset date, which varies from carrier to carrier.
Source: Image Courtesy of Digi International®: How to Stay Ahead of the 3G Network Sunset
Strengthening The Connection
Don’t get left behind, it’s time to trade up to Opengear 4G devices. Replacing your legacy units with our smart solutions, let’s you leverage the latest cellular technologies and ensure a resilient network with carrier-certified units.
Opengear appliances are specifically engineered to provide cellular Out-of-Band capabilities. They are purpose-built from individual components, uniquely providing Smart Out-of-Band with an integrated 4G LTE cellular capability that has been certified by the carrier as a complete end device.
Most competitors use a pre-packaged cellular board, like a SocketModem™ – that were never designed to support critical infrastructure. Better suited for ad-hoc installations and small projects, these aren’t truly integrated into the end device. This decreases speeds and makes services unreliable. The carrier may certify the module from the original manufacturer but won’t test the performance of the overall Out-of-Band device.
Limitations of certified, pre-packaged cellular solutions:
- LTE CAT 1 – low performance class of bandwidth for IoT
- No native ability to leverage 4G LTE
- Decreased functionality from pre-built design which hinders data usage
- Risk of poor signal strength from package design
- Lost functionality from FOTA updates
- Delayed recertification by the modular supplier when updated
Opengear carrier-certified capabilities:
- Higher performance class, LTE CAT 3 and LTE CAT 6 of bandwidth for IoT (10~50~100 Mbps)
- WAN Failover to Cellular (F2C) in the event of a network issue, like a router or switch failure
- The ability to leverage 4G LTE
- Modem modules using high speed USB 2.0 and 3.0 interface
All this, means that our investment in certifications from each wireless carrier lets you know that you’re deploying reliable and secure solutions on your network. Choosing our carrier-certified console servers reduces uncertainty during deployment, with a single point of connection for and cellular-related issues.
Devices from the Network Resilience Platform also allows you to:
- Monitor and log system health
- Reduce deployment costs with software selectable pinouts
- Utilize embedded carrier-certified modules for 4G LTE access
- Scale for global deployment
- Provide flexibility with vendor-neutral PDU and UPS support
- Monitor 3rd party and Opengear devices
Learn more about upgrading your Opengear legacy devices before the full 3G sunset and how you can earn with our trade-in program.
