IPHONE owners are finally learning what the E symbol means on their signal bar.
The truth behind the mysterious icon may not be obvious – especially if you’re a younger person.
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It stands for EDGE, or Enhanced Data GSM Evolution, which is a type of phone network.
That might sound futuristic, but it actually means you’re connected to an old 2G-style phone network.
So if you see it, expect to endure extremely poor phone internet.
The truth was revealed in a post to Reddit that has earned over 1,000 upvotes asking “What does that E mean?”.
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One user said they were “crying” because they get the E symbol so regularly.
Another said: “It means your data is gonna be slow as f***.”
It’s understandable that people might not know what E means, given 2G networks date back to the early nineties.
EDGE networks cap your data speed at just under half of a megabit per second.
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By contrast, 5G can deliver hundreds of megabits per second – and potentially even multiple gigabits per second.
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Eventually, the E symbol will stop appearing on phones as these old 2G networks shut down around the world.
In December 2021, the UK Government announced that it planned to switch off 2G and 3G networks.
Both of these networks are due to be killed “by 2033 at the latest, but lkikely much earlier”.
Even in 2024, EE, Vodafone, and Three are all expected to retire 3G – with Virgin Media O2 following suit in 2025.
There’s currently no timetable for shutting off 2G, but it’s expected to be killed by EE before 2030.
“As 2G currently has wider coverage than 4G, it remains important for providing voice and text services in rural areas,” a UK Parliament research briefing explained.
“There are also more non-mobile phone devices that rely on 2G (such as energy smart meters).”
Networks in the United States are also shutting down.
AT&T already sunsetted its 2G network in 2017, and Verizon did the same in 2020.
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T-Mobile is expected to shut down 2G in April 2024.
It’s the only remaining 2G carrier in the US, along with any “virtual operators” that use its network.
