Operator T-Mobile announced: Delayed closure of Sprint 3G CDMA network for three months

On October 25, operator T-Mobile announced that it would postpone the shutdown plan of Sprint 3G CDMA network by three months to ensure that its "partners" have time to help customers complete the transition.

T-Mobile initially planned to phase out the network in January, a date that has now been pushed to March 31, 2022. "It has become increasingly clear recently that some of these partners are not fulfilling their responsibilities to help customers transition," T-Mobile said in a statement. "So, we are stepping up on their behalf."

[[430929]]

According to The Verge, T-Mobile's statement did not mention the partner by name, but it is likely referring to Dish Network. The two sides are at odds over T-Mobile's announcement to shut down Sprint's 3G CDMA network and the impact it will have on Dish's Boost Mobile customers.

Dish acquired Boost Mobile in July 2020 as part of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, with the goal of having Dish replace Sprint as the fourth wireless carrier in the U.S. After T-Mobile announced plans to shut down Sprint's CDMA network, Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen said it was making every effort to migrate its customers.

But T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert wrote in a blog post that Dish has “dragged its feet on upgrading its customers to the superior 4G/5G world.” The Justice Department told Dish Network and T-Mobile in a July letter that it had “serious concerns” about the shutdown of Sprint’s legacy network and urged both parties to take “all appropriate steps” to reduce the impact on customers who still rely on it.