Verizon has started shutting down its 3G network
by Ryan Whitwam
It's the beginning of the end for 3G networks in the US. Verizon, a carrier that once touted its supremacy in 3G coverage, has started switching it off. In place of its 3G network, Verizon will expand 4G LTE coverage, which has been its main push since the first locations went online back in 2010. If you're still relying on Big Red's 3G network, you might be looking at a device upgrade before long.
Verizon's LTE network started out in the 700MHz block C range, but has since been expanded to AWS 1700/2100. Verizon calls this XLTE, but that's just a marketing term - it's just another LTE frequency to increase bandwidth. The 3G network runs on 1900 and 850MHz, and is used for both voice and 3G data known as EV-DO. While EV-DO has a theoretical max of 3.1Mbps, Verizon has been diverting backhaul to the 4G network for years. You're lucky to get more than a few hundred kilobits on Verizon's 3G anymore.
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