EXPLAINER: Will burglar alarms still work after 3G shutdown?

By TALI ARBEL
AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — As telecom companies rev up the newest generation of mobile service, called 5G, they’re shutting down old networks — a costly, years-in-the-works process that’s now prompting calls for a delay because a lot of products out there still rely on the old standard, 3G. AT&T in mid-February is the first to shut down its 3G network, with the other major U.S. carriers doing so later this year. AT&T says a delay in retiring the network will hurt its service quality. The Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. regulator, says it is working on safeguards.