AT&T 3G Sunset
3G coverage from AT&T will no longer be available from February 2022.
US telco AT&T has announced that it will be shutting down its 3G network in early 2022. This means that any IoT device that uses 3G connectivity from AT&T to transmit and receive data to and from the cloud will require an alternative solution.
This means that any IoT device that uses 3G connectivity from AT&T to transmit data to and from the cloud will require an alternative solution.
This overview will explain what is happening and when, letting you know what to do next if any IoT devices within your network currently access a 3G connection from AT&T.
When will AT&T be shutting down its 3G network?
The sunset of the AT&T 3G network is planned to happen on February 22, 2022. From then on, AT&T will no longer be able to provide data or voice services over a 3G network.
This is all part of AT&T’s ongoing investment in its 5G offerings.
What does this mean for me?
In addition to impacting consumer cellular customers, AT&T’s 3G sunset will discontinue machine-to-machine (M2M) connections as well.
This means that any IoT devices currently using a 3G connection specifically from AT&T will no longer be able to rely on this particular network for transmitting data to and from the cloud.
Therefore, if your IoT deployment includes hardware that can only access 3G networks, we would advise you to consider upgrading these devices before the AT&T sunset happens in February 2022.
What alternatives are there to 3G from AT&T?
If your IoT device uses a Soracom SIM card to transmit data, it may be able to connect to our other cellular partner, T-Mobile, in the short term.
As long as 3G coverage from T-Mobile is within range, your IoT device should simply connect automatically with the Soracom SIM, without you having to reconfigure anything on the actual hardware.
The only condition required for this to work seamlessly is that your IoT device is set to automatic PLMN selection mode. If your 3G device is configured as manual PLMN selection mode to AT&T, we would recommend changing the configuration before the shutdown.
Connecting Over 4G LTE Instead
Devices that are able to connect to 4G LTE will continue to have access to a 4G LTE connection from either AT&T or T-Mobile as well. Again, your IoT device will automatically detect if 4G LTE networks are available, establishing a connection without you having to do anything.
This solution will work whether your device is connected to Soracom using our physical 3-in-1 SIM card, or our industrial-grade eSIM.
What do I need to do?
For devices that support 4G LTE
In most cases, devices that already support 4G LTE will be unaffected.
Once 3G from AT&T becomes unavailable, any IoT device with a Soracom SIM that’s configured to automatic PLMN selection mode will simply connect over 4G LTE instead.
If you are unsure about whether your device supports 4G LTE, please check with your module vendor.
If you would like to determine if T-Mobile 3G coverage is available in your device’s location, please refer to T-Mobile’s coverage map or use a crowdsourced coverage map like CellMapper.
For devices that only support 3G
Devices that only support 3G and cannot connect to 4G LTE may be able to temporarily connect to T-Mobile, assuming 3G coverage is available in that location. However, in instances where T-Mobile 3G coverage is not available, these devices will lose connection.
While 3G coverage will remain on T-Mobile for a little longer, T-Mobile has stated they will sunset their 3G network in July 2022. Therefore, it is recommended to upgrade all 3G-only devices to 4G before then to ensure connectivity.
Need some help?
If you’re an existing Soracom customer and have questions about the AT&T 3G sunset, we are here to help. Simply log in to your account and open a support ticket now.
If you’re not yet a Soracom customer, you can reach out to our team of IoT experts for a free consultation now. Get in touch with us here.
