Vodafone has announced that it will start switching off its legacy 3G network across Evesham in the next few weeks.

The move follows the company's customer awareness campaign which began in January 2022 and significant network improvements across the area in recent years, including the introduction of 5G in Evesham.

This latest phase follows successful switch-offs of 3G networks in other locations in the UK, with the remainder expected to follow by the end of February 2024.

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The move means that the radio spectrum currently used for 3G can be redeployed to strengthen 4G and 5G services across the country.

While the company's 2G network, which covers 99 per cent of the UK population, will remain for calls, texts and a number of IoT services, other mobile network operators in the UK have confirmed to the government that they do not anticipate offering 2G or 3G mobile networks after 2033.

The decision to deactivate 3G is in line with Vodafone's goal of improving its network and services for customers.

To ensure customers are prepared for the switch off, Vodafone has been providing information and advice, including how to check if their mobile device is 4G-capable and how to carry out necessary software upgrades.

Vodafone's UK chief network officer, Andrea Dona, said: "Our 3G switch off programme has gone extremely well so far.

"As a result of our ongoing network improvements, data traffic has declined over the last few years with less than 2% of the data used on our network being on 3G.

"This means we can start to redeploy its remaining spectrum to our 4G and 5G services, ultimately leading to stronger and faster coverage for more parts of the UK.

"Good news for both our customers but also the wider UK economy.

"At the same time, with modern networks being much more energy efficient, its retirement is also an important step forward for us reaching Net Zero for our UK operation by 2027.

"As we continue to focus on building our reliable award-winning network, now really is the time to say goodbye to 3G."