Yettel Hungary, one of the country’s largest telecommunications firms, has announced that as of next month operations will steer away from 3G use, increasing use and accessibility to 5G networks instead.
The mobile operator stated that the 3G service will retire as of November 13th 2023, becoming the largest Hungarian network to cancel its 3G offerings. The first to do so was Magyar Telekom in 2022, closely followed by Vodafone Hungary in 2023.
Last year, Yettel switched off their frequency band of 900 mHz. This year, actions to close 3G services of 2,100 mHz frequency are underway and the opeerator will continue to switch off services around the region. Which, so far, has included Lake Balaton and Lake Velence as well as the entire region of Veszprém and Székesfehérvár.
As companies move away from 3G, this opens up opportunities for 5G expansion and growth. Neighboring countries have also announced plans to eradicate 3G networks, with Slovak Telecom stating it will begin the process this month. Crnogorski Telekom also confirmed that it will close on its 3G outreach in Montenegro by the end of the year.
The move is not by any means limited to eastern and central Europe, but also will affect Scandinavian nations. Telia Finland has already initiated closure of 3G this month. Danish and Lithuanian businesses are in the process of retiring their networks. Across the channel, the UK will see provider EE start its network closure in January of 2024, while Virgin Media 02 will seek to close the following year.