Get Ready for 5G & Sunsetting 3G

Ready or not, 5G is coming. And when it comes to the readiness of your fleet, don’t leave anything to chance. Much has been discussed about the sunsetting of 3G service for fleet hardware by cellular providers.

There are also legitimate concerns for end users like homeowners with 3g-powered security systems and for legacy cell phones and personal connected devices that don’t support 5g connectivity. However, today, we’re digging into the current projections for sunsetting 3G and how fleet owners and managers can prepare for a seamless transition when it comes to their tracking hardware and software.

Preparing Your Fleet for the End of 3G Cell Service

Before we discuss the actions that fleet owners should take to prepare for the transition from 3g to 5g, let’s take a look at the major carrier schedules for the 2022 3g shutdowns:

Here are tentative dates for carriers’ 3G shutdowns, according to the FCC:

• T-Mobile: Jan. 1, 2022

• AT&T: February 2022

• Sprint LTE: June 30, 2022

• Verizon: Dec. 31, 2022

The FCC notes that many smaller carriers, such as Boost, Cricket and Straight Talk, use those same networks and the 3G discontinuation would follow those providers’ schedules.

How To Get Ready for 5G & Sunsetting 3G

The flexibility that 4G and 5G provide is both exciting and necessary as older networks decommission. However, the most important reason for fleet operators to begin sooner is to ensure they have time to do it correctly. 

Fleet managers who want to be prepared will want to perform the following activities in the coming months:

• Determine how many 3G devices are still active and how many must be switched.
• Understand the lifecycle of new telematics gear.
• Consider how new hardware, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, and other speed- and data-focused features may help the fleet operate more efficiently.
• Discuss the upgrade with the fleet’s telematics provider and find out about cutting-edge technology and future-facing solutions.
• Check to see whether the telematics provider is charging their current clients for this sort of upgrade. This might give you an idea on how they’ll manage future tech upgrades.*
• Ensure that the new hardware is certified and has a route to assisting businesses with regulatory compliance such as ELD or other regional-specific programs.
• Ensure that the required vehicle maintenance is scheduled around the new equipment installation to minimize downtime.
• After you’ve completed the installation, develop a migration strategy ahead of your wireless network provider’s 3G expiration date.

5G Readiness with GPS Trackit

3G connectivity is slated to start ending as early as January 2022. If your fleet is running legacy hardware, now is the time to make sure you’re ready for this update. This will affect OBD II telematics hardware, ELD devices and asset trackers. If you’d like to learn more about how GPS Trackit can help you update to the best 5G-compatible hardware with GPS tracking and telematics, contact a Fleet Advisor to learn how to get started.

If you’re an existing GPS Trackit customer and need to upgrade your systems for the upcoming 5g switch, learn more about a no-cost upgrade for loyal customers. There are also legitimate concerns for end-users like homeowners with 3g-powered security systems and for legacy cell phones and personal connected devices that don’t support 5g connectivity. However, today, we’re digging into the current projections for sunsetting 3G and how fleet owners and managers can prepare for a seamless transition when it comes to their tracking hardware and software.