{"id":12527,"date":"2015-11-30T14:20:48","date_gmt":"2015-11-30T19:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stagingms.gofleet.com\/?p=12527"},"modified":"2021-12-10T05:16:34","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T10:16:34","slug":"2g-sunset-faqs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stagingms.gofleet.com\/2g-sunset-faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Get Left Behind: 2G Sunset FAQs"},"content":{"rendered":"

You might have already heard the buzz around the 2G sunset. In the article below, we try to answer some of the most common questions about the 2G sunset and what it means for fleet managers.<\/p>\n

Q: What is the 2G sunset?<\/h4>\n

A: The demand for mobile broadband data has sky-rocketed with the increasing popularity of smart devices and M2M applications. According to AT&T, in the United States, \u201c\u2026data traffic has grown at a staggering rate since 2007, and will continue to increase dramatically in the foreseeable future.\u201d Therefore, some cellular carriers are phasing out 2G to better respond to customer demand for enhanced services.<\/p>\n

Q: When will the shutdown of 2G start?<\/h4>\n

A: Fleet managers should begin planning right away for the North American 2G transition to avoid any interruptions in service. Although AT&T plans to retire its 2G network in the U.S. by January 1, 2017, it has declared that some markets and territories may be sun-setted before then. There are reports that AT&T\u2019s 2G service shut down has already started.<\/p>\n

Worldwide, 2G is the preferred wireless technology, particularly in Asia and Africa, and providers will continue to support 2G for the near future. Australia\u2019s Telstra announced that its 2G (GSM) network will close by the end of 2016. No confirmed dates of the 2G shut down for Canada have been announced, although Canadian Business reports, \u201cIndustry watchers predict most telecoms will abandon 2G by 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: What are the advantages of 3G?<\/h4>\n

A: The key advantages of later generations of cellular communications are enhancements in functionality and speed. All things considered, moving to 3G offers the benefits of upgraded hardware, access to advanced fleet management solutions, and widespread availability.<\/p>\n

Q: Why should fleet managers transition to 3G?<\/h4>\n

A: The 2G shutdown in North America will have a real impact on vehicle tracking and fleet management. Fleet managers with outdated 2G telematics devices will eventually experience issues with connectivity and their units will stop reporting.<\/p>\n

Transitioning to 3G will allow fleet managers to effectively manage and track their vehicles. Many 3G devices are also backwards compatible; this means, if a 3G network is not available, they will fall back or work on a 2G network if one can be found.<\/p>\n

Upgrading devices makes it possible to take advantage of the latest Geotab Marketplace mobile apps and add-ins for driver safety, fleet efficiency, vehicle health, and compliance, such as:<\/p>\n