I wanted try going back to using an old 3G 'dumb phone' for awhile and in the process I learned that Verizon is going to stop allowing activation of 3G phones on 12/31/2019 and will be 'turning off' their 3G network on 12/31/2020.<p>I was wondering, what happens to all the old, incompatible infrastructure when a new mobile generation gets rolled out? Do the telecoms lease access to the old equipment? Sell the network wholesale, in-place? Do they liquidate all the equipment to make room for new antennas and equipment? What happens to the unused spectrum once all the providers are phased out?<p>P.S.
I'm bummed out by the lack of <i>truly</i> dumb phones that'll work on 4G (at least, on Verizon's 4G network in the US). The dumbest phones I can find all seem to be android-based. I'm tired of carrying around such a powerful device and wish I could just have access to sms and non-ip-based telephony without it just being a pared down launcher for a general purpose operating system.