The world jumped for joy as the new Nokia 3310 made a comeback at MWC17. While we welcome the gesture of honouring an icon, in reality, it is what it is – a novelty. If you’re in countries like Singapore or Australia, you pretty much end up with a brick. Well, there’s always Snake.
Anyways, here’s why.
Phones like the Nokia 3310 only come with 2G/2.5G radios (IKR, what?) and therefore rendered useless in Singapore.
You see, starting 1 April 2017, Singapore is officially shutting down its 2G networks. Well, it’s about bloody time to be honest. Thanks for the fish…since 1991.
M1, Singtel and StarHub will pull the plug on their 2G networks, including 2G voice, messaging and data services, in stages. The shutdown process is expected to be completed by 18 April.
Singapore regulator Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) says that 3% or about 250,000 individual SIM cards (prepaid and postpaid) are on 2G.
Seeing all MNOs have achieved 99% nationwide coverage for 3G, the retirement of 2G will allow more efficient use of the spectrum for faster, more advanced 3G and 4G services.
IMDA banned the sale of all 2G-only devices from January as part of the shutdown process. So, if you’ve been waiting to buy the Nokia 3310 in Singapore, it’s not going to happen.
Providers in Japan, Australia and in the US have also retired their 2G networks, or plan to do so.
So, remember this, if you’re traveling to Singapore and only own a 2G phone, you’ll not be able to use any 2G cellular services.
And you know what? It’s the perfect time to upgrade. After all, it’s already been 17 years.
Source: telecomasia.net, ChannelNewsAsia via TheSkop
