THIS IS A BLOG ON THE SUNSET OF 2G AND 3G NETWORKS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY AT&T HERE.

THIS BLOG IS AN EXCERPT OF THE WHITE PAPER, “THE SUNSET OF 2G/3G IS COMING. IS YOUR BUSINESS READY?” TO VIEW THE WHITE PAPER IN ITS ENTIRETY, CLICK HERE.

AT&T SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A SUNSET OF ITS 2G NETWORK IN JANUARY 2017 AND IS THE FIRST OPERATOR TO HELP ITS CUSTOMERS SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE SUCH A CHALLENGE.

Did you know that more than half of the 125 million-plus cellular IoT devices currently deployed run on 2G and 3G networks? And although 2G and 3G networks are rapidly approaching sunset, many of the companies that use these devices are unaware that the network connectivity their IoT solutions use is also rapidly approaching its expiration date, according to recent research by James Brehm & Associates. An alarming 47% of participants in a recent James Brehm & Associates survey, in fact, reported not having been notified by service providers of network shutdown.

The impending networks sunset is presenting major decisions for these companies, and potential data loss, network service disruption, and damage to business processes and continuity, are all compelling risks motivating them to begin planning for migration to 4G LTE, and eventually 5G, solutions.

In time, the sunset and the changes it is introducing to the telecommunications world can help reduce operational costs for network operators and users as well as free up resources (financial and otherwise) that they may use to invest in initiatives that improve service, spectral efficiency, and network capacity. And for companies whose solutions involve data-hungry applications, network migration can lead to greater bandwidth as well as lower latency and energy efficiency for low-power, low-bandwidth solutions.

The number of new connections requiring roughly 1 gigabit/month or more—in other words, large amounts of bandwidth—is nothing to bat your eyes at, to be sure. (Connected cars, video surveillance, and branch office failover solutions all qualify as high bandwidth use cases.) However, approximately 75% of all cellular IoT connections, according to James Brehm & Associates’ research, use less than 1 MB of bandwidth per month.

For that reason, U.S. mobile network operators over the past two years have launched Low-Power Wide Area (LPWA) network technologies (e.g. LTE-M, NB-IoT) that have been specifically designed for IoT. The common benefits of LPWA include extended battery life, lower module costs, greater penetration for indoor and outdoor locations, and future-proofed technologies to avoid network obsolescence within the next 10 years.

While the buzz and interest around these low-power solutions has been incredibly high, actual adoption by device manufacturers has been underwhelming, with less than 2 million devices deployed in the U.S. by the end of Q4 2019. We expect that number to change dramatically as chip and module manufacturers ramp production volumes up to capture the majority of the 60+ million 2G and 3G devices that will soon face sunset.

Why AT&T Business?

AT&T Business is the leading IoT service provider in the U.S. and operates one of the top five global networks, working with over 500 carriers worldwide and providing service in 200+ countries.

With AT&T IoT Professional Service’s strategy and business planning, AT&T Foundry’s assistance from ideation to implementation, and AT&T Certification Lab’s guidance through process of deployment on their network, companies trying to plan their way through the sunset will be able to rest a little bit easier, knowing they are in capable hands. AT&T Business is experienced and prepared to assess your company’s migration-related challenges, assist in planning, determine requirements and execute the migration.

Final Thoughts

The success of an IoT deployment is measured by its performance and longevity. In the midst of 2G and 3G sunset, long-term transition plans and migration strategies are vital for enterprise success.

4G – LTE has become the default standard for wireless communications, and virtually all IoT devices can benefit from services associated with LTE and/or 5G. The network sunset is real and coming faster than you may think—don’t let your business get left behind in the dark. Having a solid migration plan now and a well thought-out timeline for completing implementation prior to a service provider’s sunset, will aid in mitigating service disruption and preventing blackout. Now is the time to make the change.

To read about the impact to business you will find the complete white paper here.

To learn more about the services AT&T provides to customers facing the sunset click here.

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James Brehm

Founder & Chief Technology Evangelist

An independent advisor and technology evangelist, James Brehm is one of the leading voices on the state of the IoT and M2M market. Leveraging experience gained in a decade long career as an industry analyst after holding multiple marketing and customer facing roles with leading technology companies, Brehm launched James Brehm & Associates in 2013 to serve the very specific needs of his customers – pragmatic, actionable advice and metrics grounded in reality.

Over the past decade, he has spoken to various groups on topics including wireless services, mobile marketing and advertising, mobile content, VoIP, activation and provisioning, service creation, mobile apps, premium messaging, wireless security, fixed-mobile convergence, mobile broadband (LTE and WiMAX), the telecom regulatory environment and vertical market deployment of web-enabled services.

From 2011 to 2014, Brehm served as practice leader, strategist and senior consultant for Compass Intelligence. Prior to joining Compass Intelligence, Brehm spent nine years in multiple roles at Growth Consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. Prior to joining Frost & Sullivan, Brehm worked in marketing, sales management, and business development at Rackspace Managed Hosting and Interland (now Web.com), two of the largest pure play web hosting companies in the U.S. His responsibilities included researching the competitive landscape of the market, developing new product offerings, assessing emerging markets, improving the overall value chain for Global 1000 clients, due diligence, and acquisition analysis.

Carl Ford

Community Developer and Strategist

For the last 10 years, Carl’s focus has been on the Internet of Things (IoT) in vertical markets and the requirements for connectivity. Carl is all about connections. Connecting people, networks and, of course, things. Carl has been a community developer for the IoT for ten years, acting as an evangelist and advisor while producing IoT Evolution.Before IoT Evolution, Carl worked for Jeff Pulver in various roles in the production of Voice on the Net (VON). Prior to that, Carl worked as a Product Manager on Enterprise Data Management and fiber system services for Verizon and Service Provider Softswitch solutions at iconnectiv. Carl has also worked on ETSI standards home of 3GPP documentation.As the community developer for James Brehm & Associates, Carl’s role is to reach out to IoT industry leaders and produce and moderate the idIoTs podcast which you can access by clicking HERE or HERE.

Sara Brown

Vice President of Marketing and Chief Brand Maker

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Randy Field

Chief IoT Architect

orem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Dandy Fabian

LPWAN Specialist

Dandy Fabian is an LPWAN Specialist with extensive experience in designing and optimizing low-power, wide-area networks (LPWAN) for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Throughout his career, Dandy has been at the forefront of deploying LPWAN technologies, such as LoRaWAN, to create scalable and efficient IoT solutions that cater to a wide range of industries.

In Just 4 years Dandy quickly advanced from a Field Application Engineer to an IoT Solution Architect. In these roles, he was instrumental in planning, deploying, and managing IoT networks that support thousands of connected devices, ensuring robust connectivity and data integrity while maintaining low power consumption. His work has spanned across multiple sectors, including smart cities, agriculture, industrial IoT, and environmental monitoring, where he has developed innovative solutions that leverage the advantages of LPWAN technologies.

Yasmine Alexa Rojas

Market Analyst and Researcher

As Research Specialist, Yasmine uses her background in statistics to provide and gather insightful data in order to analyze industry trends. Her work at James Brehm & Associates enables her to work closely with clients in order to generate deliverable projects and information.

Yasmine graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2017 with a major in Statistics and a certification in Business Analytics. Prior to her work at James Brehm & Associates, Yasmine gained experience from working at the Statistical Consulting Center at UTSA and in logistics as a bookkeeper.

Angie Cronin

Project Manager and Research Analyst

Angie Cronin is project manager and market research analyst with James Brehm & Associates. In her second tour of duty working for James Brehm, Angie has a diverse background, including working in academia, sales, non-profit, and local government. The skills she gained through academic research and her real-world work experience with diverse populations allow her to approach questions with a holistic view to find answers specific to the needs of an organization.

Angie holds a Master of Arts degree in Intercultural & International Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in Technical Writing from the University of Texas – San Antonio.

Angie and her husband Kevin live in San Antonio with their two dogs, Mabel and Pecan. With both her kids having flown the coop, she spends her time volunteering in her local community, cheering for the Texas A&M tennis team, and trying new restaurants. Perhaps her greatest regret is that she never learned to properly play the oboe.

Todd Day

Strategic Consultant

Todd Day is Strategic Consultant and Head of IoT Business Intelligence and Analytics for James Brehm & Associates. Day combines his education in business administration and finance with his experience in cryptology, network engineering, consulting, and market research to provide clients with industry-specific research, strategic guidance and solution development.

Prior to joining the James Brehm & Associates team, Day spent 14 years as Program Manager, Analyst, and Consultant at Frost & Sullivan, where he managed complex projects for some of the biggest names in telecom and IT.

Prior to joining Frost & Sullivan, Day honed his skills as a Network Engineer for a regional MSO and as a Cryptologic Technician for the U.S. Navy. Day has worked in most aspects of the telecommunication industry and has been key in numerous integration and automation projects, including selection and integration of equipment in signaling and transport, least cost routing models and implementation, product development, testing, and new product deployments.

Scott Williamson

Technology Leader

Scott Williamson is a seasoned executive with a track record of innovation and leadership in the technology sector, particularly in the Internet of Things (IoT) and utility industries. As the former CEO of Capstone Metering, he was instrumental in patenting groundbreaking technologies that have revolutionized the utility sector. Under his stewardship, the company developed hardware and enterprise-level cloud software solutions that set new standards in efficiency and reliability.

Prior to his role at Capstone Metering, Scott focused on developing and commercializing innovative go-to-market and technology strategies and providing IoT / M2M hardware, software, and consultative solutions for the Department of Defense, Scientific Atlanta, EDS, and others for over 15 years. His responsibilities included business development, market research, product innovation and network development and deployment where his expertise in this area not only drove revenue growth but also positioned those companies at the forefront of technological advancements. His strategic vision is complemented by his ability to execute, evident from his successful initiatives in developing new product offerings and entering emerging markets. Williamson’s comprehensive understanding of the technology landscape has made him a sought-after advisor and strategist, helping companies navigate the complexities of the rapidly evolving IoT ecosystem.