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Verizon Confirms That It Will No Longer Activate 3G Phones (droid-life.com)
According to Droid Life, Verizon is no longer activating 3G-only phones. Instead, they will only accept 4G LTE-equipped phones going forward. Here's what Verizon had to say about the matter: "For several years we've been been publicly saying that our 3G CDMA network will remain available through the end of 2019. Virtually all traffic on our network is on our 4G LTE network. To facilitate a smooth transition to 4G LTE capable products and services, we are no longer allowing devices that are not 4G LTE capable to be activated on our network." From the report: Now, as is noted in the statement above, Verizon has committed to shutting down its 3G CDMA network by the end of 2019. They also stopped selling 3G devices some time ago, I believe, and even started selling LTE-only flip phones to replace them. [...] On a related note, an earlier leak suggested that Verizon may stop some older LTE devices from being activated too. The documentation there said that CDMA devices as well as devices that do not support HD Voice or VoLTE will not be accepted.
Funny! I have several persons in my circle of friends and acquaintances who still use 2G phones and don't want anything else. And why should they? Why should someone need to use the internet at all with their mobile phone? But then again telcos won't try to switch them off anytime soon in the country where I live, I guess.
Bullshit.
I was in a very touristy area of New Hampshire last week and got access to nothing BUT 3G.
I use 2G and 3G systems for my data logging projects. They are much cheaper. Eventually I am afraid I will need to use a full 4G LTE system (at least in the US).
As you specified "at least in the US" you're probably living in a country that chose GSM from the very begining. Verizon does not have a "3G" GSM network such as HSPA, they went with CDMA which was a slower, more dead end technology. They're one of the last networks to get rid of it.
If you want to use 3G GSM devices in the US, you need to go with AT&T as they're the only company that implemented an internationally compatible version of 3G GSM.
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
LTE has no relationship at all with CDMA - neither the Qualcomm standard or the air interface concept. It didn't originate from Qualcomm. Indeed Qualcomm initially worked on a rival system before throwing in the towel. LTE is the fourth generation of GSM.
No, he said 3G GSM. Only one version of GSM, 2G GSM, uses a time division multiple access air interface. 3G used W-CDMA, a code division multiple access air interface unrelated to that used in Qualcomm's standards but similar. 4G GSM is LTE and uses an OFDMA air interface.
It's amazing how many people out there still can't get over the fact that CDMA wasn't actually a good standard, and that Qualcomm's version in particular was awful and a dead end.
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
CDMA is not dead. Current LTE is a more advanced version of CDMA and called something else because Qualcomm submitted it to a standards body.
Nope, LTE is the "4th" (3.5th actually) generation of the GSM standard.
WiMax was meant to be the replacement for CDMA although it wasn't developed from CDMA. WiMax has also died a well needed death.
Verizon's CDMA was designed for voice and data was added on as a second thought. While modern versions of CDMA are designed for data and voice.
what you call GSM is the old voice only TDMA tech which was competing with CDMA for voice
Nope, what I call GSM are the group of technologies including GSM, UTMS, HSPA and LTE which colloquially fall under the moniker GSM.
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.