Update on Canadian
3G Network Shutdown
We strongly encourage Canadian oil and gas companies to take stock of any equipment that will be affected by a complete 3G network shutdown and make plans today to upgrade.
TOKU is keeping close tabs on the impending 3G network shutdown by Canadian carriers because a broad range of equipment that relies on 3G modem technology to service the oil and gas industry will lose functionality. We strongly encourage Canadian oil and gas companies to make plans today to upgrade.
What We Know
Last updated Jan 30, 2025. We will update this page as we become aware of new information about the Canadian 3G network shutdown.
Rogers Shutting Down 3G Network on July 31, 2025
- Recently, Rogers announced that they are planning to retire their 3G network on July 31, 2025. After July 31, 2025, the Rogers network will no longer support devices that rely on 3G technology.
- Rogers provided about six months’ public notice for their 3G network shutdown.
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Visit the Rogers website for more information on their 3G shutdown: https://www.rogers.com/support/mobility/3g-network-retirement-everything-you-need-to-know
Telus Planning to Shut Down 3G Network
- This past year, Telus warned on their website that they are planning to retire their 3G network in the future just like carriers in other countries already have (e.g. US in 2022). While Telus has not yet set a date for shutting down their 3G network, they emphasize that less than 3% of their customers use the 3G network and that their goal is to move customers off of the 3G network. Telus also implemented an additional charge for mobile customers who use their 3G network.
- It’s uncertain how much notice Telus will provide when they set a date to retire their 3G network.
- Visit the Telus website for more information on the status of their 3G network: https://www.telus.com/en/support/article/3g-usage-price-increase
Bell 3G Shutdown Likely Tied to Telus 3G Shutdown
- As far as we are aware, Bell has not officially communicated any information about shutting down their 3G network. In western Canada, it is commonly understood that Bell has an agreement to share Telus towers, so it seems that when Telus shuts down their 3G network, Bell may no longer provide 3G services in western Canada.
- It’s uncertain how much notice Bell will be able to provide once they have a date to retire their 3G services.
SaskTel Has No Official Communication About 3G Shutdown
- SaskTel has more than 1,000 of their own cell towers in Saskatchewan. As far as we are aware, SaskTel has not officially communicated any information about shutting down their 3G network.
- It’s uncertain how much notice SaskTel will provide when they set a date to retire their 3G network.
- With over 1,000 TOKU monitoring devices in the field that also monitor their device health and performance, our units are able to provide us with information about cell tower health, including cell channels, frequency and signal strength as well as any data transmission failures.
- TOKU has observed weakening signal strength for some devices on the 3G network in western Canada, which suggests a changing nature of 3G service in some areas.
We encourage you to work with TOKU to plan your upgrades as soon as possible to avoid any disruption to service.
With thousands of EFM systems in Canada that rely on integrated 3G modems, companies that make a commitment to upgrade early will ensure continuous service. Companies that wait to the last minute to upgrade risk limited availability of cost-effective replacements like the QuickSense EFM and subsequently gaps in monitoring. Of course, this risk also depends on how much notice Telus, Bell, and SaskTel provide when they shut down their 3G networks—which is difficult to predict.