As the US switches to the next generation of communication protocols, telemetric devices are among the most vulnerable. At present approximately 85 million devices in the US use 3G and fleet management technology is expected to be the most affected by the 4G migration.
In the US, the 3G shutdown will be complete by 2022. While there is no one shutdown date, all of the four big carriers have addressed 2G, and most have provided updates regarding the 3G shutdown. Many providers have longevity agreements but it’s important to recognise where the future is heading.
- Verizon– was set to turn off 2G and 3G at the end of 2019, however it’s been delayed until the end of 2020.
- Will no longer activate any devices that connect via 2G/CDMA.
- Not that many suppliers
- Sprint– expected to keep 2G going until the end of 2021, and will be 3G active until end of 2022.
- Has stopped activating devices that connect with 2G/CDMA.`
- AT&T– has already turned off 2G.
- It is believed they will keep 3G going until end of 2021/early 2022.
- T-Mobile– will turn off 2G at the end of 2020.
- There has been no announcement about 3G.
M2M telemetry can be vital to the success of unattended retail businesses which cannot always be in the field to monitor a fleet of machines. Telemetry opens the doors for operators in gaining insights into their business activities and understanding their consumers better.
With access to real-time alerts, real-time issues can be attended to more immediately and operators can reduce the risk having a business where there is minimal contact with sales transactions. The benefits operators gain from telemetry are not isolated when it works alongside a complete payment solution which can include cashless payment capabilities, software management and consumer engagement.
When network carriers started sunsetting CDMA/2G Nayax was ready with 3G-compatible solutions. Similarly, to minimize any hiccups, all of Nayax’s existing customers have already been transitioned to 4G. The company’s flagship telemetry devices, VPOS Touch, and AMIT, are 4G LTE ready upon purchase, both of which are available across the US.
While the dates for total shutdown of 2G and 3G are in the future, we see that the reliability of the CDMA service is already being impacted due to CDMA towers not being maintained anymore by the carriers,” commented Carly Furman, chief executive, Nayax LLC. “However, Nayax has prepared for the LTE migration and continue to have access to all critical data. As connectivity will further be affected by degrading towers, we recommend that our customers make the switch to 4G sooner, rather than later, to ensure continued excellent service.”
President and chief executive of operator Mini Melts, Dan Kilcoyne, said: “With the sunsetting of 3G technology, it was time for us to bring our cashless units up to speed, so to speak. We have been working on updating our entire fleet, and by the end of this year, all of our 3,000+ machines will be on the 4G network. This move alleviates any challenges we faced in getting a signal. Now our operators will always be connected.”
