XPost: nz.comp   
   From: not@telling.you.invalid   
      
   In comp.misc Your Name  wrote:   
   > On 2025-12-15 00:51:37 +0000, Computer Nerd Kev said:   
   >> In comp.misc Lawrence D'Oliveiro  wrote:   
   >>> On Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:39:28 +1300, Your Name wrote:   
   >>>> The reality is that for most people's needs 3G or earlier is   
   >>>> prefectly fine ...   
   >>>   
   >>> But radio spectrum is a finite resource. And quite an expensive one, too.   
   >>>   
   >>> That 3G communication requires radio bands that could be more efficiently   
   >>> redeployed for 4G or 5G.   
   >>   
   >> Less effectively than 3G, so far as coverage range goes. The way   
   >> they've done it in Australia anyway.   
   >   
   > 4G and especially 5G are specifially designed that way by using higher   
   > frequencies to enable (supposed) faster speeds. That of course means   
   > the telecoms companies need more towers, etc. to cover the same area   
   > ... and more money for the tech companies.   
      
   In Aus Telstra are using the 700MHz band for 4G, so lower   
   frequencies to their 800MHz 3G band before. But even their new   
   phones that support that band worked better on 3G before it was   
   switched off (once you disabled 4G in the settings so they   
   wouldn't keep switching to 4G then lose it again a moment later).   
   No new towers either, just back to going outside and finding a   
   good spot to make a call, like it was before more towers were   
   built in the 2G/3G days.   
      
   Like I say, 4G is evidently a _less_ effective use of the spectrum.   
   I don't know about 5G, it's on lower frequencies too but I haven't   
   heard any suggestion that it has better coverage than 4G. Also   
   using 5G for voice calls is a new feature that's only on some   
   phones/networks.   
      
   I use my landline instead (still an analogue line), but they're in   
   no hurry to fix that when it breaks these days because "everyone"   
   uses mobiles. Huff.   
      
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