Newer standards like LTE are incredibly more bandwidth efficient. This means that any phone that's still using the old standards uses up the bandwith that multi

Newer standards like LTE are incredibly more bandwidth efficient. This means that any phone that's still using the old standards uses up the bandwith that multiple newer phones could use. As free bandwith is extremely rare, at least in urban areas, network operators are pushing towards new standards. This phenomenon is real. E.g. in Germany the provider Deutsche Telekom has put a clause into their TOS that allows them to turn off 3G from 2020 onward (idk about their US daughter company T-Mobile USA). Yes, this means you as a citizen have to buy a new phone that supports 5G/LTE. But it's driven mainly by customer demands for bandwidth, not by evil phone makers that conspire with network operators.