>Some rural residents, religious communities, and people who just like simple phones are still reliant on the vanishing network
>Ending 3G will free up bandwidth for better 4G and 5G service. “Cellphones use radio frequency bandwidth,” explains Seva Epsteyn, a data communications engineer who helped create the community network NYC Mesh. “Carriers pay the FCC to use the bandwidth, which is analogous to a highway: Shutting off 3G is like shutting down its slow lane, making more room for fast lanes.”
>But the sunsetting of 3G will also leave those who still depend on the network with phones that are as good as paperweights.