2g to 3g Cell Phone Update

[thx1138]

I received notification that AT&T will be shutting down their 2g network next year so I'll need to update to a 3g phone. I don't need all the razzle dazzle of a smart phone. I just need voice. I use it at a rural location so I don't have to drive to town to use a phone. I don't spend enough time there to justify putting in a land line so I use the cell phone and AT&T is the only decent coverage I can get out there.

I did a bit of research and found a phone that is supposed to work with 2g and 3g so I got that and put my 2g SIM card in it and it works, voice wise. Some of my contacts came across and some didn't so I reentered the contacts. It seems to work fine now.

Here's my question: is there any way short of using a spectrum analyzer (I don't have one) to tell if the phone is using 2g or 3g when connecting? I would like to know ahead of time if it is going to work on 3g when the 2g system is taken down.

Or is there a way to read the SIM card and tell from that what frequencies it is using?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. I've always received excellent help from this forum so thought I would try it here. If there is another forum which is more appropriate please let me know.

PS: My 2g phone was a Nokia 2610 and the 3g is a Samsung Rugby II.

[Jack Ryan]

There is usually an icon on the screen that indicates the connection type. I downloaded the manual to have a look but it is in DJVU format - how bizarre!

Check your manual - I'm pretty sure there will be an indicator.

Jack

[twocvbloke]

By 2G, do they mean Data or Voice? 2G data I can understand, it's slower than a constipated slug in a freezer, but pretty much every phone still uses GSM or CDMA for voice, so cutting out GSM (as CDMA is classed as a 3G service) would render hundreds of thousands of phones useless...

[NorthernElectric]

Here's my question: is there any way short of using a spectrum analyzer (I don't have one) to tell if the phone is using 2g or 3g when connecting? I would like to know ahead of time if it is going to work on 3g when the 2g system is taken down.

See if you can see any of the icons in the image below on your status bar, from a Rugby II user manual I found here from a link on this web page.  This is from the support tab on the Rugby II page on the Samsung web site.  The manual does not mention the name 'Rugby II' and says it's for model A847 so see if you can find that on your phone anywhere in case there were different versions of it.

I believe that GPRS and EDGE are both 2G.  You may get different connections at different times depending on location, signal strength, and traffic, so keep an eye on it.

[Jack Ryan]

By 2G, do they mean Data or Voice? 2G data I can understand, it's slower than a constipated slug in a freezer, but pretty much every phone still uses GSM or CDMA for voice, so cutting out GSM (as CDMA is classed as a 3G service) would render hundreds of thousands of phones useless...

Some comments from Telstra (Australia) (Today = 2 years ago)

• Today we are announcing our plan to close the 2G (GSM) network by the end of 2016.
• Today 2G traffic accounts for less than 1 per cent of our total network traffic.
• We have not sold a 2G phone for several years

By 2G they mean the original GSM phone service and the frequency band it uses.

Jack

[19and41]

Our regional 2G system closed about 3 years ago.  I got the Motorola RAZR phone that operates in 3G.  Immediately afterward, I had to get a smart phone, a Samsung S4.  If anyone is interested in avery nearly new 3G no frills phone, PM me and we could negotiate a price.

[thx1138]

Here's my question: is there any way short of using a spectrum analyzer (I don't have one) to tell if the phone is using 2g or 3g when connecting? I would like to know ahead of time if it is going to work on 3g when the 2g system is taken down.

See if you can see any of the icons in the image below on your status bar, from a Rugby II user manual I found here from a link on this web page.  This is from the support tab on the Rugby II page on the Samsung web site.  The manual does not mention the name 'Rugby II' and says it's for model A847 so see if you can find that on your phone anywhere in case there were different versions of it.

I believe that GPRS and EDGE are both 2G.  You may get different connections at different times depending on location, signal strength, and traffic, so keep an eye on it.

Many Thanks. That indicates I'm getting 3G. I didn't know what it was because in the displayed icon the vertical bars of the 3 and the G are merged together as one bar. I had to get out my magnifying glass to look at it. It's fairly easy to recognize when you know what you're looking for.

Thanks for the link. I've got the manual now.

Excellent responses on this forum, as usual. Many, many thanks.

[NorthernElectric]

Here's my question: is there any way short of using a spectrum analyzer (I don't have one) to tell if the phone is using 2g or 3g when connecting? I would like to know ahead of time if it is going to work on 3g when the 2g system is taken down.

See if you can see any of the icons in the image below on your status bar, from a Rugby II user manual I found here from a link on this web page.  This is from the support tab on the Rugby II page on the Samsung web site.  The manual does not mention the name 'Rugby II' and says it's for model A847 so see if you can find that on your phone anywhere in case there were different versions of it.

I believe that GPRS and EDGE are both 2G.  You may get different connections at different times depending on location, signal strength, and traffic, so keep an eye on it.

Many Thanks. That indicates I'm getting 3G. I didn't know what it was because in the displayed icon the vertical bars of the 3 and the G are merged together as one bar. I had to get out my magnifying glass to look at it. It's fairly easy to recognize when you know what you're looking for.

Thanks for the link. I've got the manual now.

Excellent responses on this forum, as usual. Many, many thanks.

Glad to help, and thank-you as well for showing me the writing on the wall.  I keep a cell phone in the car with the most economical prepaid I can get.  I am currently using a flip phone I got for free and before that, one that I got for 2 bucks at a yard sale.  I've heard no rumblings here (Canada) yet about 2G being phased out, but I haven't really looked that hard and it's likely going to happen sooner than later.  So, I'm keeping my eye out for a really cheap phone that supports 3G.

[19and41]

It would be difficult to get a particular frequency on a signal analyzer.  Most devices that use multi frequency switching use a test mode to evaluate the transciever's performance.  Checking the unit's spec's is your best bet