Spark sets 3G shutdown timeframe

Spark will shut down its 3G network about a year after One NZ. (Image Getty)

Wed, 29 Mar 2023

Spark is shutting down its 3G cellular network in late 2025 to free up the spectrum so it can expand its 5G network.The 3G network was put into place in 2009 when Spark was known as Telecom. The network has since been superseded by two generations.One NZ, formerly Vodafone NZ, will begin to switch off its 3G network starting at the end of 2024. 2 Degrees has not yet announced an end date for its 3G network.Where 3G’s general download speed is about 3 megabits per second (Mbps), 4G is about 100 Mbps and 5G sits around 300 Mbps, although th...

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