AT&T Canceling Support for 3G Phones Feb 2022...

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by vienna

[...] Given that such a wholesale deletion of a segment of their network not only saves them the costs of network support, they also can look forward to a respectable increase in the sales of new replacement phones and accessories, something that will not be lost on the other phone companies...

This is artificial ageing, or planned obsolescence; or one could plain say: Compulsary acquisition.
But if there's money in it it must be right
Hardware and software companies do the same: "The lifecycle of the product you bought [sic!] from us has expired. To ensure our support and give you the best possible experience throw your expensive stuff in the bin and buy it again from us."
With all the new bugs, shortcomings and less productivity.
Printers stop working after x pages by an internal counter, car electronics fail and all that..

...and, if they see a sizable enough windfall, might it not hasten the extinction of 4G, a much larger potential souce of new sales...?... <O>

Some people claim that the 5G standard is evil, communist, a devilish invention by Bill Gates or George Soros, or the deep state, steals the election or gives you corona (or whatever).
What will those people do with their smartphones when they cut off 4G?
I somehow doubt they will go back to a life without those ..