American telecom giant AT&T is planning to shut 2G wireless networks by 2017

While 2G spectrum is creating headache to operators in Indian mobile market,AT&T to shut 2G network in the U.S.

AT&T will suspend 2G network because it is readying to utilize its 4G LTE networks in the U.S in a big way.AT&T said about 12 percent of its contract wireless customers used 2G handsets at the end of June 2012. AT&T will work proactively in coming years to move them to more advanced devices. This will be a good move for smartphone companies such as Samsung, Apple, HTC, Nokia and Research In Motion.

Like the other major carriers, AT&T customers mostly use phones with third-generation technology, and it is aggressively rolling out a nationwide 4G LTE network. AT does not sell 2G handsets to contract or prepaid customers. Along with phones, the company does have some other devices connected to its 2G networks, but it also expects that they will transition to more modern technology in coming years. 

AT&T said the transition away from Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM, and Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution, or EDGE, will be on market-by-market basis. Service on the networks will be fully discontinued by about Jan. 1, 2017.