It’s time for the next old cellular technology to run out

Once again, it’s time to say goodbye to an outdated technology: This year’s 3G shutdown will follow the end of MMS.

There was a time when Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) was the only way to send pictures and photos from your cell phone to other devices or email recipients on the go. MMS celebrated its European premiere in April 2002 on the Vodafone network. With the start of MMS messages, the restriction to 160 characters per SMS has also decreased. Color pictures, music or sounds can also be sent as multimedia messages.

There is no chance against the Messenger

The outdated and rarely used Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) on Vodafone’s network will expire. And on January 17, 2023. The service will only operate without restrictions until the end of December 2022. For business customers, Vodafone will be in
Offer individual solutions if necessary. also Telecommunications It aims to set a closing date early next year. Messenger such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger or Threema has long outlived the multimedia messaging service.

After 3G shuts down, MMS will follow next year

Technically, an MMS like SMS is sent over a mobile data network in a 2G, 4G or 5G network. Data tariffs are not necessary. The MMS image is first compressed on the mobile phone, then forwarded to a central multimedia message center and sent from there to the recipient. While a smartphone image can reach several megabytes today, the maximum size of an MMS image in all German networks does not exceed 300 kilobytes, i.e. 0.3 megabytes. So the images sent via MMS reach the recipient at a lower resolution due to compression.

These are: Vodafone