3G phones.

[Pete Grey]

Anyone with an old 3G phone please note the service is about to be switched off you need to upgrade.

[bigpaul]

heard about this a long time ago, already upgraded.

[Skean Dhude]

Thanks for the reminder. I've not got one but that is only because when I started my last job they gave me a new one. I don't tend to upgrade every few months like most do so I would still have it.

Even with the reminders there will be a few people surprised to fine the can't make phone calls on the day. Probably after several days of quiet time where nobody calls them. Hope their call isn't for an emergency.

[bigpaul]

I remember all the people who were surprised when we had the fuel protests/blockades back along although it was well known before hand, I guess some people just dont listen.
phone calls arent something I regularly make, I have a new Nokia phone but its only for emergencies, any contact I make is made on line and on forums like this one.

[Pete Grey]

We normally carry an iPhone when out and about, but we do have two 4g burner phones, bought with and topped up with cash, just in case.

[bigpaul]

pay and go phones are I think what our American cousins call a "burner" phone i.e. one that dosent have a contract, which is what I have, not that it gets much use.

[earthman]

EE told me last year that they are switching off the 3G network and that I'd need to upgrade my current very old pay as you go SIM to a new one to be able to access the internet. The problem is that that would put me onto a data subscription basically, meaning that I'd have to top up by £10 every month.

Well I've just accepted that I'll not be able to get on the net when out and about, I can still make a call and text though.
I've heard that the whole railway network runs on 2 or 3G and would take years to upgrade it?
Does that mean that we don't need to panic about being cut off any time soon?

[Skean Dhude]

There are plenty of sims that you can use that you don't have to give your id but you do have to top up regularly. There are none now that don't require that to keep the number valid.

You can get cheap phones and a PAYG SIM easy enough. Newsagents have the SIMs and you can top up there with card or cash.

The railway network is irrelevant they can stay on what they use but you won't be able to use it so you will be cut off when the networks switch over.

[earthman]

Yes, EE told me that I have to make a call or send a text every 90 days to keep the number valid basically, that's fine, a £10 top up will last me years in that case. LOL

The intel I got on the railway communication system, the guy's worked on it for the past 16 years, he said that the network operators will still keep it open to users of old, basic mobiles for some time because it doesn't make financial sense not to, think of how many thousands if not millions of elderly people for example who still use them.
Having said that, most of the elderly took the experimental jab, if they all pass away within the next 2 to 5 years time, the financial aspect for them will no longer stand.