Magyar Telekom has confirmed that it will stick to a previously disclosed schedule of shutting its 3G cellular network at the end of this month, with phased network closures currently in progress. The operator’s release underlined that its 3G mobile services ‘will no longer be available anywhere from 1 July’, while it highlighted that it has directly notified ‘the most affected customers’ (‘those who have recently been using the mobile Internet on the 3G network and would not be able to reach it after disconnection due to their device settings, old SIM card or use of a device with up to 3G capability’) via SMS in several stages. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, Hungarian regulator NMHH is running a legacy device replacement subsidy scheme, giving applicants cash towards new 4G/5G handsets up until 17 July.
Telekom notes that its near-nationwide 4G network offers a better customer experience than legacy technologies for both voice and data traffic, while its 2G network will also be able to take over voice traffic of former 3G users’ phones. 2.3% of total voice traffic in Telekom’s customer base is currently carried by the 3G network, while the 3G share of data traffic is even smaller, at 0.84%. Furthermore, this includes M2M traffic, which can also be handled by 2G going forward.