3G network being decommisioned, 4G support expected for Karoo?
Answered
In The Netherlands 3G (Kpn and Vodafone) and 2G (T-Mobile) networks are being decomisioned this year. By 2025 we will only gave 4G and up. Similar schedules in other European countries. Rendering a 3G solution useless.... Does Hammerhead plan an upgrade to 4G on short term? Or will the Karoo then have to rely on Wifi solely?
-
Official comment
Hey Joost. Sorry, the Hardware on the Karoo is limited to 3G and will not support 4G. We are not expecting most countries to completely turn off 3G. We will work with our customers to help them as best as we can when/if this eventually happens.
Comment actions -
I had the same question, and (almost) the same answer from Hari Krishnan ( support team as well)
"Though we do not have immediate plans to upgrade to 4G, we will definitely consider it in the future if required. The Product team is already been discussing the possible scenarios and we will come up with a solution when and if required. This is something in our development pipeline. "
I was thinking for an alternative way , via the usb cable. But that is not possible as well. Only possible via OTA (over the air).
Not happy for the near future. This can be for new customers a huge dealbreaker. -
I cannot understand that a tech-savvy company like Hammerhead is not aware of the short term 3G/UMTS shutdown. For me this unawareness is the real dealbreaker. Pity. Maybe this is of any help https://www.emnify.com/blog/global-2g-phase-out?hs_amp=true
The reasoning of not believing countries will not have 3G at all makes no sense either. I have a subscription with one operator. I will not switch provider just for an m2m like solution. Instead I would just use an an additional sim of my regular subscription.... But if they have no 3G anymore or in near future that will not work....
I hope a Karoo will last longer than the few years there is limited 3G. Or does Hammerhead expect me to buy a new device with 4G/5G in a few years?
Nah....
-
I don't understand people getting upset with Hammerhead for the Karoo not supporting 4G. While they should be working on a 4G version, it is unreasonable to expect that back when the KAROO was designed, anybody could anticipate the future 4G requirements. The move to 4G is as much hardware as well as software, it involves different frequency capabilities as well as firmware changes. When Hammerhead does release the 4G and up version, hopefully the radio part of it will be a swappable circuit assembly that could be retrofitted at the factory for future upgrades. While Bluetooth tethering could extend the useful lifetime of present device, it is not the solution that should be expected for going on.
-
When karoo was designed it was already known that 3G networks would be switched off in the near future. I think this was already discussed a long time ago.
I do not care about this since to me the SIM card slot is useless anyway. I just would like an SD card slot to appear in the next generation of hardware since internal memory is tiny and the map data, so hardly any map material fits in the device.
-
Franklin PrinceHey Joost. Sorry, the Hardware on the Karoo is limited to 3G and will not support 4G. We are not expecting most countries to completely turn off 3G. We will work with our customers to help them as best as we can when/if this eventually happens.
OK - so 3g is getting turned off by my UK supplier (vodafone) and many more in next 2 or 3 months - will my Karoo2 sim work as normal on 4G?
-
Hi scmadde - 3g is currently still active in the UK but suppliers turning it off in next few months and was checking but could find no reference searching 3g in support - so just ask the question but did find it funny that just 4 years ago Franklin did not believe 3g would ever be turned off - wonder if the Karoo3 will be 4G / 5G compatable?
-
As I understand, generally 2G should still remain available as a fallback option in most countries. GPRS data isn’t exactly lightning fast but for normal use (routes, rides, tracking) the amounts of data are fairly small as well so most of the time it shouldn’t really that big a difference. Firmware and map downloads (and really long rides) are a different matter, of course.
-
Have found this on official channels - turn offs are now called sunsets - list for europe under - world can be found at... https://www.emnify.com/blog/global-2g-3g-phase-out#Europe
Europe
In some European countries and networks, it could be the case where 2G may even outlive 3G. For example, Norwegian MNO Telenor announced 3G switch-off in 2020 – five years before 2G. Likewise, Vodafone has announced it is to phase out 3G networks across many European countries in 2021 and 2022.
Country Network Operator 2G Status/ Sunset Date 3G Status/ Sunset Date Albania Vodafone 31.12.2025 Austria A1 31.12.2025 T-Mobile 31.12.2024 Belgium Orange 31.12.2030 31.12.2025 Base 30.09.2024 Proximus 31.12.2025 Bulgaria A1 31.12.2025 Czech Republic Vodafone 31.12.2025 No service on all networks O2 T-Mobile 31.12.2025 Cyprus CYTAmobile -Vodafone 31.12.2025 Denmark Telenor 17.04.2023 Hi3G No service 31.12.2025 Telia 17.04.2023 TDC Partial: 01.02.2023
Full: 31.12.2023Estonia Telia 31.12.2023 Tele2 31.12.2025 Falkland Islands Sure No service Finland Alands 31.12.2025 DNA 31.12.2025 Started: May 2023
Finalized: 31.12.23
Elisa 31.12.2023 Telia 31.12.2023 France Free Mobile No service Orange 31.12.2025 31.12.2028 SFR 31.12.2026 31.12.2028 Bouygues 31.12.2026 31.12.2029 Georgia Beeline No service Germany Telekom No service on all networks Vodafone 31.12.2025 Telefonica O2 Greece Cosmote 30.11.2021 Vodafone 31.12.2025 31.05.2023 Wind 13.03.2023 Greenland TELE 03.05.2023 Hungary Vodafone 31.12.2025 30.11.2023 T-Mobile 30.06.2022 Telenor 31.12.2023 Yettel 31.10.2023 Iceland Nova 31.12.2025 Viking 31.12.2025 No service Vodafone 31.12.2025 31.12.2025 Ireland Vodafone 31.12.2025 31.12.2023 3 31.12.2024 Italy Vodafone 28.02.2021 Telecom Italia Mobile 31.12.2029 31.12.2022 ILIAD No service Latvia LMT 31.12.25 Liechtenstein FL1 Partial: 31.12.23 Lithuania Telia 31.12.28 31.12.22 Bite 31.12.28 31.12.25 Luxembourg Orange 31.12.30 31.12.25 Post 31.12.26 30.06.22 Tango 31.01.24 Macedonia Telekom.mk 31.12.22 Malta Melita No service Monaco Monaco Telecom No service Montenegro Mtel 01.01.25 01.01.25 Netherlands Vodafone (Ziggo) 31.12.25 04.02.20 KPN 01.04.22 T-Mobile 01.06.23 Norway Telenor 31.12.25 31.12.21 Telia 31.12.25 09.11.21 Poland Orange 31.12.30 31.12.25 T-Mobile 30.04.23 Portugal Vodafone 31.12.25 31.12.23 MEO 31.01.2024 Romania Orange 31.12.30 31.12.25 Telekom 01.07.22 Vodafone 31.12.25 Digi Mobil 29.08.2023 Russia MOTIV (LLC Ekater…) No service Slovenia A1 31.12.30 30.06.23 Telekom 30.09.22 Slovakia Orange 31.12.30 01.01.24 Slovak Telekom 31.12.23 Spain Movistar 31.12.25 Orange 31.12.30 31.12.25 Vodafone 31.12.25 07.11.22 Sweden Tele2 31.12.25 31.12.24 Telia 31.12.25 31.12.23 Telenor 31.12.25 3 No service Switzerland Salt No service Sunrise No service Swisscom No service 31.12.25 Ukraine 3Mob No service United Kingdom EE 29.12.2024 3 No service 31.12.24 Vodafone 31.12.23 O2 31.12.2025
-
There are countries where 2G is also already switched off (Switzerland e.g.) so this does not work as a fallback. According to the table in the UK 2G is already gone as well. But since Mark has a Karoo 2 that supposedly can do 4G I wonder where the problem is? I haven't tried since I have no use for a sim card in the Karoo but you could just try it out I think and it probably will just work. The missing 4G support was for the now obsolete Karoo 1.
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
12 comments