Rogers is telling some of its customers and customers with its Fido sub-brand that they will have to upgrade their phones before the company. planned 3G network shutdown next year. Rogers is offering free phone upgrades to affected customers.

“As part of our commitment to continually invest in our voice network, we will retire our 3G mobile network on July 31, 2025 to make way for updated technology,” said Rogers’ announcement, which was shared on reddit. “After a review of your account, we noticed that you will need to update your device to ensure that your phone will continue to work.”

Fido customers also distributed a similarly worded notice.

Rogers and Fido encourage affected customers to contact their carrier to obtain a replacement phone “at no additional charge.”

When asked by MobileSyrup which phones will be available for no-cost upgrades, Rogers simply said it “offers various models” and encouraged customers to contact it directly or head to a store to see their options.

However, one of the affected customers shared their experience by talking to Rogers on Reddit, noting that they were given two phone options and a bill credit equal to the phones finance price, effectively making the price $0. Phones on offer included the Moto G 5G (2023) and the Samsung Galaxy A54. Notably, both phones are already available for $0 off and $0/month financing on the Rogers site, so this isn’t really a special deal.

Humorously, one Redditor said he called the number Fido provided in his ad and spoke to two agents, neither of whom knew about the device replacement offer.

Ultimately, it’s best for customers to wait and see what deals come out during Black Friday and the holiday shopping season. Customers could buy a much better phone than what Rogers offers and find a better deal on a 4G/5G plan with another provider (Note that all Canadian providers will be phasing out their 3G networks).

Another concern is what will happen to customers’ existing plans. When I asked Rogers about it, he pointed it out to me FAQ page about the impending shutdown of the 3G networkwho notes that “in most cases plans do not need to be changed”. Rogers also said it will “make sure you’re paying a similar price to what you’re paying today” if customers need to switch plans.

Finally, it’s worth noting that some people can avoid getting a new device entirely by changing some settings on their existing phone. Rogers’ FAQ page notes that 3G-only devices and phones that do not support Voice over LTE (VoLTE) will need to be replaced. While there’s not much people with 3G-only devices can do, those with 4G-capable devices may be able to turn on VoLTE if their phone supports it.

iPhone users can go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data > LTE > VoLTE to enable the feature.

Android users can find VoLTE by going to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > VoLTE calls.

Rogers recommends restarting your phone after turning on VoLTE to “resolve any network connectivity issues.”

If your device doesn’t support VoLTE, you won’t see the option on your phone and you’ll need to upgrade your device before the 3G network shuts down in July 2025. Since the best mobile phone deals are usually during the holidays, it’s likely that Black Friday is the best time to update your phone.

Source: Reddit, (2), Rogers