AT&T says network data traffic grew 100,000% between Jan. 2007 and Dec. 2014, and, as such, the carrier needs to shutdown its GSM-based 2G network to shift spectrum capacity to its 3G and LTE networks. The planned shutdown date is Jan. 1, 2017.
According to AT&T, the company “expects to fully discontinue service on our 2G network by approximately Jan. 1, 2017. As AT&T progressively frees up valuable spectrum for our mobile broadband network, we may conclude that some markets or territories need to turn down 2G service prior to the nationwide turn down.
