Canada’s ongoing 3G shutdown is coming to a new region next month.
Starting Oct. 17, 2026, Freedom Mobile says it will start shutting down 3G in the Peterborough, Ont., region. This comes after Freedom shuttered 3G in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and across Quebec in July, and in Manitoba last year. Notably, SaskTel is also set to shutter its 3G network in October.
Most Canadian wireless providers aim to shutter 3G networks by March 2027. Bell, Telus, and Freedom all cite that date on their respective 3G shutdown support pages, while Rogers completed its 3G shutdown last year.
Carriers are shutting down 3G in order to enhance LTE and 5G networks, but the move is impacting Canadians using older devices or ones that aren’t officially supported by Canadian carriers.
The core issue relates to Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology, which is used to transmit phone calls over LTE networks. However, phones that don’t support VoLTE, either because they’re too old or because they’re not compatible with Canadian carriers’ VoLTE systems, fall back to 3G networks to make phone calls. That means those devices will no longer be able to place phone calls once the 3G network is retired.
Most Canadian carriers offer tools on their websites for users to check if their device is compatible with VoLTE. So, if you’re not sure, that’s a great place to start. For some people, the solution will be as simple as turning on VoLTE in their device’s settings app. Others may have to upgrade to a newer phone.
Unfortunately, Canadians carriers typically only ensure compatibility with the smartphones they sell, which has left some people in a lurch. For example, many OnePlus devices that are capable of VoLTE were facing issues during Rogers’ 3G shutdown last year. OnePlus ultimately pushed an update to address the problem, but it’s worth keeping in mind that some phone brands may face compatibility issues if they’re not available from Canadian carriers.
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