Finally, AT&T shut down its 3G network on Tuesday. The company notes that phone coverage will not be affected, though the concern is among older devices that will stop working. Examples include
- 3G-connected cars — including some only a few years old — may require software or hardware upgrades or lose automatic crash notifications and other features entirely.
- As much as 10% of all public school buses across the country will lose GPS and communications services, according to a filing from AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
- San Francisco warned bus riders that more than 650 prediction display systems at bus shelters that rely on AT&T’s 3G service would stop displaying real-time information.
T-Mobile’s sunset date is July 1, and Verizon by year’s end for their 3G services.
Why do we care?
This gap shows another version of what we covered earlier – legacy computing. This shouldn’t have been a surprise… yet it seems to be.
If some device stops working, now you know why or where to look.