ith the widespread adoption of 4G cellular technology as well as the growing availability of 5G products and services for remote industrial applications around the world, it is no longer a matter of if but rather a matter of when 2G and 3G services are being turned off. But don't panic, we are here to help. In this short webinar, technical engineers Wesley Nel and Ant Lane walk you through what the phase out of 2G and 3G cellular communications mean, and most importantly, how you can prepare for it.

1. How to prepare for the sunset of 2G & 3G cellular communications
A Westermo Webinar
June 3rd, 2021
By Ant Lane and Wesley Nel

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Presenters
Ant Lane
Technical Solutions
Engineer
Presenter
Wesley Nel
Remote Access Expert
Presenter
Evelina Öhlander
Communications Specialist
Moderator

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Introduction
Who we are and what we do
 Westermo products are used for
creating the most reliable networks
possible for critical control systems
Solutions to industrial challenges
 Westermo has specifically developed
solutions to meet the extreme
requirements for mission critical
industrial control systems
The most reliable products on the market
 Westermo products are designed for
use in harsh environments and allow
you to build cost-effective, reliable,
secure industrial networks

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 What and where is 2G & 3G?
 What is the 2G/3G sunset?
 Challenges of a sunset
 Recommendations
 What's next?
 Technical overview of cellular communication
 What is RSSI, RSRP and RSRQ
 Installing cellular
 System impact
 Are you prepared for a switch off?
Todays topics

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What is 2G and 3G?
 It is the 2nd and 3rd
generation of cellular
technology
 Just like 4G & 5G are the 4th
and 5th
 With each generation, different technology,
frequencies and modulations are used
 Usually increase bandwidth and coverage
 Lower latency

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Where is 2G and 3G?
 It is everywhere!
 Water
 Energy
 Trackside
 Industrial Automation

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What is the 2G/3G sunset?

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What is the 2G/3G sunset?
 Mobile Network Operators
(MNO) are planning to turn
services off
 Free up the radio spectrum
for other technologies
 MNO’s can focus on more
advanced technologies
rather than maintaining
older, aging systems
 It won’t happen overnight
 3G may go before 2G

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Challenges of a Sunset
 There are many devices still using 2G/3G
 Millions of smart meters in the UK with an
expected service life of 15 years
 For an MNO to sunset/shutdown a
cellular generation the user base should
be below 1%
 KT (South Korea)
 Softbank and NTT Docomo (Japan)
 The 2G network still carries a lot of voice
traffic
 Universal coverage
 Despite advance warnings, systems will
fail if not prepared

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Check with your local mobile network operator
Recommendation 1
 MNO’s will advise when services are
being turned off
 Check the source of the information
 Speculation can lead to decisions being
made in haste
 2G/3G sunset is location dependent
 Australia switched of 2G in 2018
 Germany planning to turn 3G off in 2021
 Currently no date in the UK
Examples
 PSTN sunset in UK. Ofcom & BT both
outlining timescales
 2018 ISDN shutdown in Germany
 Customer had time to prepare for
shutdown
 Replacement infrastructure enabled
migration to alternative technology

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 Option to still use legacy equipment
with 4G enabled devices
 Serial over IP
 Only need to upgrade communications
equipment, not the whole system
Understand the impact of the shutdown
on your system
Recommendation 2
 Changing over many devices can be
time consuming, difficult and costly
 4G enabled devices enable support
for 2G/3G whilst it is still available
 4G brings higher data rates,
bandwidth and lower latency

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Understanding the technology
Recommendation 3
 4G has far exceeded 2G/3G expectation
 Lower frequencies enabled coverage in
previously inaccessible areas
 Higher frequencies enabled support for
high dense environments
 4G User Equipment (UE) Categories
define how equipment communicate
UE Category Data Rate
CAT-1 Up to 10Mbit/s
CAT-4 Up to 100Mbit/s
CAT-12 Up to 600Mbit/s
CAT-19 Up to 1566 Mbit/s

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Next generation technology
 4G is still a great choice and current
 Cellular technologies will coexist
 5G is on its way
 High bandwidth
 Low latency
 Private LTE
 LTE450

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 Sunsetting a technology is no easy task
 Keep up to date with official statements from
MNOs & regulators
 Find out how much your system could be
impacted with a technology sunset
 Understanding the technology can help you
choose the right replacement product
Key takeaways

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 What is RSSI, RSRP and RSRQ?
 Installing cellular - Considerations
 System Impact
Technical breakdown

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RSSI – Received Signal Strength Indicator
What is RSSI, RSRP and RSRQ
RSSI indicates the power level that is being received after any possible loss at the antenna
and cable and is measure in dBm. This value can be used as a measurement of how well a
receiver can “hear” a signal form a sender. Reporting range is 0 to -120dBm (0 best, -120
worst)
2G/3G/4G
-65dBm -75dBm -85dBm -95dBm -110dBm

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RSRP – Reference Signal Received Power
What is RSSI, RSRP and RSRQ
-70dBm -80dBm -90dBm -100dBm > -100dBm

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RSRQ – Reference Signal Received Quality
What is RSSI, RSRP and RSRQ
-5 to -10dB
-10 to -15dB
-15 to -20
-20 to -25dB
>-5dB
<-25dB

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Installing cellular – Things to consider
 Installation
 Product
 Antenna
 Cable run
 Low loss coaxial cables (short)
 Ethernet cables (longer)
 Know your site
 Site Survey
 Antenna diversity

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System Impact
 “If its not broken, then don’t fix it”
 Installation
 How much does it cost if it doesn’t work?
 What is the cost of poor installation? Callouts
 Total cost of ownership
 Why you shouldn’t put the antenna inside
 Sometimes customers can not mount them inside
 Warranty/Ingress Protection (IP) rating
 Increase signal by 10dB

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 Signal Indicators – RSSI, RSRP & RSRQ
 Things to consider - cellular installations
 System impact
Key Points

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Are you prepared for a switch off?
2G/3G will be shut off globally
2G, 4G and 5G will operate in combination with each other
Check the facts! Sourcing valid information
Cellular communications requires a good signal strength and quality

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Summary
The sun is setting
for 2G & 3G
cellular
technologies
Check with your
MNO and local
regulator for next
steps
RSSI is not the
only factor with
mobile
connections.
RSRP & RSRQ play
a vital role
It is about giving
mobile networks
the best
opportunity
Westermo can
help
Be prepared,
don’t be
caught out

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