With the last three months of 2021 remaining, is it still in time for Malaysia to shut down its 3G network at the end of the year?
According to the Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the government has stopped certifying 3G equipment and plans to shut down the country’s 3G network by the end of 2021.
3G is the network that became mainstream in 2005. The so-called 3G network is the 3G or H+ network that is commonly displayed on mobile phones. The coverage and penetration of 3G networks are better than 4G and 5G, so many semi-urban and rural areas in Malaysia still use 3G networks. Some urban areas are also using 3G for dial-up calls because the 4G networks offered by some telecommunications companies do not support voice calls, except for Volte’s 4G.
Before phasing out 3G networks, the government will expand 4G coverage to 96.9% from 91.8% and increase the speed of mobile networks from 25Mbps to 35Mbps.
If you still have a 3G-only phone for the last three months of the year, you might want to consider getting a new one. If your phone doesn’t already have VoLTE enabled, you can do so now.
