Vodafone to shut down 3G network in Galway, Cork and Dublin from this month

The country’s largest mobile operator says that some older phones dependent on its 3G network won’t fully work anymore from this month on. The shutdown will also hit some users of Clear Mobile and A Post Mobile in the three counties, as both of the budget mobile operators use Vodafone’s network.

Commenting on the switch off, Ireland’s telecoms regulator, Comreg, has warned that several mobile-connected devices may not work anymore, as they are dependent on the 3G signal. This could include some security alarms, retail point-of-sale machines, heating systems and ereaders.

It could also affect some cars. Tesla has told its Irish customers that some of its older Model S vehicles will lose features such as roadside assistance to unlock the car remotely, navigation, maps and Supercharger availability over the mobile data network. It has advised that these vehicle owners will need to spend at least €163 for installation of a new 4G modem in their cars.

Vodafone has already switched off the 3G network in Limerick. It says that it is ditching the 3G signals to help redirect capacity to its 4G and 5G networks. Vodafone claims to have 99pc population coverage for its 4G network, but this has not been fully independently tested. A coverage map published by Comreg claims that large chunks of the country remain with weak or no coverage by Vodafone’s 4G or 5G signal.

Under Irish law, mobile operators are not required to have 100pc coverage across the country, with licensing conditions typically requiring between 70pc and 90pc of population coverage.

Vodafone says that customers in areas without a 4G or 5G signal may still be able to make phone calls using its older 2G network. However, they will not be able to use their phones for data services, such as Whatsapp, Facebook or Maps.

Only a small minority of older smartphones are thought to be without 4G or 5G antennae, although a substantial percentage of legacy Nokia ‘feature phones’ are still limited to the bandwidth.

Vodafone has advised “vulnerable” customers, or those caring for such customers, to contact the company.

“We know that some customers will need extra support to get ready for 4G and our dedicated teams will be ensuring they are guided through the transition,” it says in a website explanation.

“For further advice, please get in touch with your local retail store.”