3G Network Shutdown

Beginning in 2022, all major cellular carriers and many regional carriers began shutting down their 3G networks. United has roaming agreements with many of these carriers to give customers the best service when traveling outside United’s home territory in Southwest Kansas. The 3G network incurs a great cost to keep it running, and support for this outdated network has ended due to it being end-of-lifed by the manufacturers of that network equipment. Shutting down our 3G network also positions United to utilize that spectrum for the buildout of our 5G network infrastructure, which will give customers much faster data speeds in many markets.

United will fully shut down its legacy 3G network on Monday, July 31, 2023. United has been communicating with impacted customers since the fall of 2022 to give them ample time to update their phone software or upgrade eligible phone(s) to avoid an interruption in service.  In late April and early May 2023, United began sending affected customers final notice letters instructing them to take the required action to avoid service suspension and eventual termination of service.

Many customers will not notice a change when United’s 3G network is shut down. Impacted customers have received multiple communications from United via letters and text messages instructing them to either update their phone’s software or upgrade eligible phone(s) at no cost to them. If you receive a message from United and are unsure of the legitimacy of the communication, please contact United at 620-227-8127. It is essential that customers being asked to update or upgrade their phones do so to prevent suspension and eventual termination of their cellular service with United.

Many customers will not notice an impact to service with the shutdown of United’s 3G network. For other customers, a simple software update can make their phones eligible for our new VoLTE network and no other changes are needed.

Customers with older phones may need to upgrade their phones to an eligible model. United has a replacement program allowing customers to receive a complimentary upgrade to a new phone(s) if their phone(s) is not compatible with United’s new network. These complimentary phones have the same or even better specs than their current models!

The old 3G networks were designed for voice coverage. The newer 4G/LTE and 5G networks are designed for data. Because of this, customers may experience changes in expected coverage and signal. If you previously had voice service in your basement or in a metal shed, for example, you may notice that your calls could be choppier or have a lower quality. United has launched VoWi-Fi for iPhone customers to help provide service in areas where the new network does not offer as strong of voice signal.

After United completes the shutdown of its 3G network, network technicians and engineers will optimize the new network and evaluate if there is a cost-effective need for any additional cell sites in Southwest Kansas.

You may also experience changes in ringback on the new network. In some cases, you may not hear ringing when attempting to call another party, you may only hear ringing on some calls, or you may only experience an interrupted ring (it may not ring the entire time you are waiting for the other party or their voicemail to pick up).

The new VoLTE network will keep calls connected in a different manner than the previous 3G network. Instead of dropping a call, you may experience a period of dead air or lose audio if one of the parties on the call is moving around in an area of weaker coverage. If you experience a period of dead air, do not end the call right away. Usually, the audio will come back within 10-15 seconds.