AT&T Sunsetting 2G Services on 1900MHz

Posted by Mgbenka at Monday, March 05, 2012 |

AT&T recently begun suggeting to some customers in the New York City metropolitan area that they upgrade from their existing 2G phones to more current 3G phones. In a letter sent to these customers, AT&T said, "Your current, older-model 2G phone might not be able to make or receive calls and you may experience degradation of your wireless service in certain areas." According to AT&T representative Mark Siegel, who spoke to MarketWatch, AT&T eventually plans to cease offering 2G services on its 1900MHz spectrum so that it can use that spectrum for other services. For the moment, Siegel said the program is voluntary. AT&T did not say exactly when it will stop offering 2G services in the 1900MHz band, but said that it is supporting the 2G network for the time being and that the majority of its customers will be unaffected by this eventual chage. AT&T recently lost its $39.5 billion bid to acquire rival T-Mobile USA, whose spectrum it planned to use to augment its LTE 4G network. AT&T has since begun seeking spectrum from alternate sources.