The sun is setting on the first generation of cellular phone technology today. Chicago Public Radio’s Shawn Allee looks at what devices might go dim in our area.

If you’ve kept an ancient, clunky cell phone in a closet for a while, you might want to chuck it or recycle it. That’s because Verizon and AT&T are shutting down their analog cellular networks today. Only their newer, digital phones will work. Both companies say less than one percent of their customers will be affected.

Analog phone customers with U.S. Cellular will have a few months to switch to digital. Old cellular phones aren’t the only devices left in the lurch, though; some security alarms use analog cellular services. Older cars with emergency wireless capability are also tied to analog phone networks.

The federal government hopes all-digital mobile networks will free up bandwidth for new wireless data services.

I’m Shawn Allee, Chicago Public Radio.