The Matawa Chiefs Council, representing nine First Nations in northern Ontario, says Rogers’ plan to retire its 3G network could create safety risks for remote communities that still rely on older technology for essential communication.
Based in Thunder Bay, the council represents First Nations including Aroland, Ginoogaming, Long Lake 58, Marten Falls, and Eabametoong — communities where cell coverage is often limited and modern network upgrades have lagged behind the rest of the province.
Rogers says it has been contacting affected customers ahead of the shutdown. “We have been proactively communicating with the small percentage of customers using our 3G network since last year to help them migrate to an upgraded network experience,” a company spokesperson said to TBnewswatch.
The company added that customers in Matawa communities can move to 4G or 5G service without changing their plans, and it is offering compatible devices at no cost.
The Chiefs Council says that while upgrading sounds simple, the reality is more complicated. Many residents depend on older phones that still use 3G, and not all areas have reliable 4G or 5G coverage. Leaders say losing 3G before infrastructure is ready could make it harder for residents to contact emergency services or stay connected during severe weather events.
In Ontario’s far north, the Kuhkenah Network (KNET) — an Indigenous-led telecom provider serving 25 remote First Nations — is also preparing for changes as national carriers wind down 3G. KNET said it has been “pursuing funding to upgrade beyond 3G for over two years” but still needs support to replace antennas and tower equipment in remote sites.
Tbaytel, another regional carrier that partners with Rogers, said its own 3G plans are independent. “Tbaytel operates its own radio access network and our 3G shutdown approach is independent of Rogers,” the company said, noting that only customers roaming outside its network might be affected.
The Matawa Chiefs Council says it will continue pushing federal and provincial governments to ensure northern and Indigenous communities aren’t left behind as carriers modernize their networks.
Rogers is charging a $3/month Legacy Network Usage charge for those sticking to the 3G network, plus a one-time $75 3G admin charge as part of the transition.
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Strange because looking at the Rogers coverage map, generally, there is much more LTE (4G) coverage than HSPA+ (3G).
I'm with Rogers on booting those off of 3G.
It’s not because a map says there’s coverage that it’s even going to work. Sometimes deadzones are created even if the area has full coverage.
3G has better range and penetration than 4G last I checked which is great for remote locations. It just has a slower speed which might be why they’re keen on changing it.
LTE is also available on 600 Mhz and 700 Mhz though. The last I tried usually with a barely usable LTE signal of one bar, you can hit some impressive speeds. With 3G it’s barely usable.
In any case, the shutdown to 3G isn’t changing. I’m sure the debate raged when it was the 2G shutdown.
They're wanting to take all the spectrum they have with 2G, 3G and even some LTE towards the 5G+ network.