KDDI, which handles au, will end 3G communication used in mobile phones called feature phones in 31 days.
It is a communication standard that has supported the spread of mobile phones, such as being able to send photos and videos as well as voice calls. In the future, high-speed, large-capacity 5G will be developed under smartphones.
The 3G communication standard started its service in the early 2000s and is mainly used in mobile phones called feature phones.
Each company has diversified its functions with service names such as ▽ FOMA and ▽ CDMA 1X WIN, and has supported the spread of mobile phones by making it possible to send photos and videos as well as voice calls.
After that, 4G became the mainstream communication standard under the rapidly spreading smartphones, and KDDI, which handles au, will end the 3G service in 31 days due to the decrease in users.
As a general rule, it will not be available after midnight on April 1st and will be automatically canceled, so the company accepts model changes for free and calls for early change procedures.
Hiroyuki Kashiwakuma of KDDI said, "We also have a 4G mobile phone that can be operated in the same way as a feature phone, and we also provide guidance on how to operate it. Please contact the store."
Softbank and NTT DoCoMo will continue 3G for the time being, but ▽ Softbank will end in January 2024 ▽ NTT DoCoMo will end in March 2026.
Each company plans to proceed with the development of 5G, which is faster than 4G and has a large capacity.
Applications of mobile terminals such as SNS, payment, and services using AR = augmented reality technology are likely to become more diverse.