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Lithuanian telco Bitė has announced it will begin the shutdown of its 3G network next month.
The carrier said it expects to complete a full switch-off of its 3G network by the end of this year.
Bitė said the switch-off will enable the carrier to focus on improving its 4G and 5G coverage.
"The 3G shutdown marks the end of an important historical stage. By turning off 3G technology, the frequencies currently allocated to this technology will be freed up," said Arūnas Mickevičius, CEO of Bitė Lietuva (Lithuania).
"This will ensure better 4G connectivity for all customers, especially those living in the country's regions and on the border. By constantly expanding and updating the network of communication towers in Lithuania, we are paying close attention to ensuring that the 'Bitė' connection is even better. The shutdown of the old 3G this year will also contribute to this."
Without revealing specific figures, Bitė noted that "few people use 3G for calls and browsing," while three-quarters of Bitė's estimated 1.2 million mobile customers either use 4G or 5G connectivity for browsing. Bite launched its 3G network in April 2006.
At present, the carrier stated that Internet calls VoLTE account for more than 60 percent of all calls on the carrier's network.
Bitė also noted that its 3G network is now only relevant for making calls, something that the carrier says 2G can do instead.
According to the telco, the switch off will be carried out in phases, with the shutdown kicking off first in coastal parts of the country.
"Last September, we conducted a pilot 3G shutdown project in Šventoji. This test was successful - we did not record any connection disruptions, and customers did not experience any service disruptions," said Mickevičius.
"Bitė deliberately chose a slightly slower abandonment of the old technology in order for customers to experience as little inconvenience as possible."
When 3G is disabled, devices using this connection will automatically switch to another connection network, such as 2G, 4G, or 5G, added the carrier.
Bite's domestic rivals, Telia and Tele2, have already retired their 3G networks. Telia retired its 3G network in December 2022, while Tele2 completed its 3G switch-off in March.
