Control the Cutoff:
When 3G Went Dark
The 3G shutdown exposed risk.
Private wireless broadband restores control.
When 3G Went Dark, Critical Grid Devices Did Too
Controllers. Reclosers. Volt/VAR devices. SCADA endpoints.
When commercial carriers shut down 3G, utilities didn’t just lose connectivity — they lost real‑time operational awareness.
Tens of thousands of grid devices across the country went dark, creating blind spots that slowed restoration, triggered truck rolls, and increased O&M strain.
This wasn’t a planned upgrade.
It was an interruption.
Your Network Shouldn’t Shut Down on Someone Else’s Timeline
The phase-out of 3G revealed a hard truth:
When utilities don’t own the network, they don’t control the lifecycle.
Carrier-driven sunsets force premature upgrades, unplanned O&M costs, and operational disruption.
And more shutdowns are guaranteed: 4G → 5G → 6G.
“The 3G shutdown showed what happens when the grid depends on someone else’s network."
COMMERCIAL CARRIER
= FORCED UPGRADE
Carrier-Controlled Timeline
3G → 4G → 5G → 6G
(You don’t choose)
PRIVATE BROADBAND WIRELESS
= UTILITY-CONTROLLED LIFECYCLE
Utility-Controlled Timeline
Long-life. Predictable. Built for the grid.
From Dark to Connected
Utilities moved quickly to restore stranded devices by transitioning to private wireless broadband — regaining control of their timelines and eliminating forced migrations.
One example:
600 volt/VAR devices restored after the 3G sunset, returning visibility and cutting costly field deployments.
Private wireless broadband puts decision-making power back where it belongs — with the utility.
3G DARK
3G Shutdown – Devices Went Dark
34,000 critical grid devices lost visibility
RECOVERY
Connectivity Restored with Private Wireless Broadband
1 Utility = 600 Volt/VAR devices brought back online
CONTROL
Utilities Now Control Their Network Future
No more forced migrations
Real Results Across the Grid
A few numbers that tell the story:
0+
devices restored0%
reduction in field costs0
unexpected outages after migration0s
more devices protected from future sunsetsPrivate wireless broadband eliminates blind spots before they happen.
4g is next – and the stakes are higher
During the 3G shutdown, 34,000+ utility devices went dark nationwide.
Device counts are only growing.
Operational reliance is deepening.
The next carrier sunset will impact thousands of devices per utility — not just industry-wide totals.
- Predictable lifecycle control
- Long-life connectivity
- Freedom from forced migrations
CONTROL
Utilities Now Control Their Network Future
3G
4G
5G
6G
The Grid Cannot Afford Blind Spots
As the grid electrifies, utilities need communications designed for the future — resilient, secure, and built for decades of evolution.
Private wireless broadband is the foundation for:
- DER orchestration
- Automation
- AI-driven operations
- Modern distribution networks
Utilities are taking back control of their communications lifecycles — and their modernization journey.
Utility-controlled connectivity is no longer optional.
The grid Cannot afford blind spots
3G dark is the wake-up call for modernization
