As technology advances, mobile networks too need to evolve. Outdated networks that can no longer support the needs of IoT devices and applications make way for new, faster and more efficient networks. 2G and 3G sunsetting is where the industry is controlling the change to newer 4G, 5G and 6G networks by gradually switching off the 2G and 3G networks.

In this post I’ll cover:

We regularly publish the latest information about coverage changes made by MNOs. Please find the latest bulletin below (reviewed on 9 October 2024).


Why are 2G and 3G networks shutting down?

Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are shutting down 2G and 3G networks (sunsetting) for a number of reasons:

  • Obsolete Technology: 2G and 3G networks are now outdated technologies and networks need modernisation. 4G, 5G and soon 6G are the next evolution of cellular networks and offer optimised options including faster speeds, greater capacity and operational efficiencies. 2G is over thirty years old now, while 3G is not far behind! These legacy networks were designed for basic data and voice usage. Technology today has soon outpaced their network capabilities and they are unable to support high-speed data applications like video streaming and emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT).
  • Spectrum Efficiency: Did you know there is only so much wireless spectrum to go around? That means that for newer networks to come into play, old ones must go. MNOS will reallocate 2G and 3G spectrums for the likes of 4G and 5G. This will improve the overall quality and capacity of their networks.
  • Cost Savings: Maintaining multiple generations of networks is expensive for MNOs. A legacy network requires ongoing maintenance and support, which diverts funds and resources away from newer networks. It is possible for MNOs to reduce operating costs by retiring older networks.
  • Customer Demand: 2G and 3G service demand is decreasing as more consumers and businesses adopt devices with faster data connections. In today’s fast-paced world, customers expect quick, reliable connections with minimum latency. It’s up to MNOs to deliver on these expectations and meet customer demand.
  • Global Trend: 2G and 3G sunsetting is occurring around the globe, and impacting everyone. More regions are moving toward 4G and 5G technologies, limiting the ability of older devices and services to operate across borders smoothly.

What the 2G and 3G network shutdown means for IoT

2G and 3G sunsetting is impacting IoT in a profound way, especially for businesses that have active IoT estates which rely on these networks for sole connectivity.

Unless businesses can update their devices and move across to newer networks, their devices will be rendered obsolete when shutdowns occur. IoT devices by their very nature rely on connectivity for the transmission of data and insights. Without access to reliable coverage, the business case is destroyed.

For businesses looking to deploy an IoT initiative, it is wise to take the learnings that 2G and 3G shutdowns present and futureproof your device design, so that you are proactively prepared for any other future network landscape changes.

How to future-proof your IoT connections

You’ll have no doubt heard the saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. The same applies to IoT connectivity. The best way to future-proof your IoT business case is to design your device to connect to multiple connectivity types. This is called multiple radio access type connectivity – or multi-RAT for short.

How does this work in practice? Let’s give an example of one of our smart vending customers, Costa Express. The self-service vending machine offers Costa’s most popular hot and cold drinks for customers to buy on-the-go. Currently, Costa Express has more than 13,500 machines in 17 markets across the world.

Each machine has complete flexibility when it comes to connectivity with multiple fallback options enabled by Eseye’s Hera 604 IoT edge router. This means the vending machine can switch between 3G, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi connections depending on availability and network strength. Regardless of which connectivity type Costa Express uses, its smart vending machines will remain up and running. Because Costa Express has connectivity redundancy, its operations will remain unaffected when 3G is phased out in the markets it operates in.

When will 4G be phased out?

The good news is that 4G LTE is not going anywhere soon. 4G LTE is widely available and perfectly adequate for businesses and consumers, offering high bandwidth and high-speed connectivity with reduced latency. The likelihood is that as 5G gains momentum and scales, 4G LTE will be used less and less, and will eventually be phased out in 10 to 12 years’ time (2033-35).

When will 2G and 3G be phased out?

The mobile network operator landscape (MNO) is constantly changing and the situation varies from country to country. Below are the latest dates:

2G Network Shutdown Schedule

Country

Network

Shutdown date (dd/mm/yyyy)

MEXICO

Radiomóvil Dipsa, S.A. de C.V. 

01/09/2020

LIECHTENSTEIN

Swisscom (Switzerland) Ltd (Liechtenstein)

01/01/2021

LIECHTENSTEIN

Telecom Liechtenstein AG

31/01/2021

NETHERLANDS

T-Mobile Netherlands B.V.

01/06/2021

MEXICO

Pegaso PCS S.A. de C.V.

01/12/2021

CANADA

Rogers Communications Canada Inc

31/12/2021

CHINA

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF China Unicom

31/12/2021

COLOMBIA

Colombia Movil S.A.

01/11/2022

SWITZERLAND

Sunrise Communications AG

31/12/2022

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Emirates Telecom Corp-ETISALAT

31/12/2022

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC

31/12/2022

UNITED STATES

T-Mobile USA Inc

31/12/2022

CHINA

China Unicom

31/12/2022

BERMUDA

Telecommunications (Bermuda & West Indies) Ltd. 

15/01/2023

COLOMBIA

Comunicacion Celular S.A (Comcel S.A) 

28/02/2023

NETHERLANDS

 T-Mobile Netherlands B.V. 

01/06/2023

URUGUAY

 AM Wireless Uruguay S.A. 

31/12/2023

ECUADOR 

Conecel S.A. (Consorcio Ecuatoriano de Telecomunicaciones S.A.) 

31/12/2023

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

Compañia Dominicana de Teléfonos, S.A. 

31/12/2023

ARGENTINA

 AMX Argentina S.A. 

31/12/2023

BERMUDA

Bermuda Digicel

31/12/2023

VIETNAM

GTEL Mobile Joint Stock Company (GTEL Mobile)

01/03/2024

VIETNAM

MOBIFONE CORPORATION

01/03/2024

VIETNAM

Vietnamobile Telecommunications Joint Stock Company

01/03/2024

VIETNAM

Viettel Group

01/03/2024

VIETNAM

Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT)

01/03/2024

COLOMBIA

Colombia Claro

01/04/2024

THAILAND

dtac TriNet Co. Ltd

30/04/2024

INDONESIA

PT. XL Axiata Tbk

30/04/2024

COSTA RICA 

Claro CR Telecomunicaciones, S.A.  

31/04/2024

BRAZIL

Claro S.A

31/04/2024

INDIA

 Bharti Airtel Limited 

31/04/2024

ARGENTINA

Claro Argentina

31/04/2024

CHILE

Claro Chile S.A.

31/04/2024

SOUTH AFRICA

Vodacom S.A.

01/06/2024

COLOMBIA

Colombia Movistar

01/07/2024

EL SALVADOR 

CTE Telecom Personal, S.A. de C.V. 

31/12/2024

MALAYSIA 

Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd 

31/12/2024

MYANMAR 

Telenor Myanmar Limited  

31/12/2024

NICARAGUA 

Empresa Nicaraguense de Telecomunicaciones S.A. - ENITEL 

31/12/2024

PANAMA, REPUBLIC OF 

Claro Panamá, S.A. 

31/12/2024

PARAGUAY 

AMX Paraguay S.A. 

31/12/2024

PERU

 América Móvil Perú, S.A.C. 

31/12/2024

ICELAND

Síminn h.f.

31/12/2024

ICELAND

IMC Ísland ehf. 

31/12/2024

ICELAND

Sýn hf.

31/12/2025

MEXICO

Telcel Mexico

31/12/2025

FRANCE

Orange

31/12/2025

UNITED KINGDOM

EE UK

31/12/2025

UNITED KINGDOM

Vodafone UK

31/12/2025

SWEDEN

Telia Company AB

31/12/2025

SWEDEN

Tele2 AB

31/12/2025

SWEDEN

Telenor Sverige AB

31/12/2025

FRANCE

Société Française du Radiotéléphone S.A.

31/12/2026

FRANCE

Bouygues Télécom

31/12/2026

SLOVENIA

A1 Slovenija, d.d. 

31/12/2030

POLAND

Orange Polska S.A.

31/12/2030

SLOVAKIA

Orange Slovensko, a.s. 

31/12/2030

3G Network Shutdown Schedule

Country

Network

Shutdown date (dd/mm/yyyy)

ITALY

Vodafone Italia S.p.A

01/02/2021

DENMARK

Telia Nattjanster Norden AB

01/04/2021

GERMANY

Vodafone GmbH

30/06/2021

GERMANY

Telekom Deutschland GmbH

30/06/2021

CZECH REPUBLIC

Vodafone Czech Republic a.s.

30/11/2021

MALAYSIA

Maxis Broadband Sdn. Bhd.

26/12/2021

CZECH REPUBLIC

T-Mobile Czech Republic a.s.

31/12/2021

GERMANY

Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG

31/12/2021

GREECE

Cosmote Mobile Telecommunications S.A.

31/12/2021

MALAYSIA

Celcom Axiata Berhad

31/12/2021

NEPAL

Nepal Doorsanchar Company Ltd

31/12/2021

NORWAY

Telenor Norge AS

31/12/2021

PUERTO RICO 

AT&T Mobility Puerto Rico Inc. 

22/02/2022

UNITED STATES

AT&T Mobility

22/02/2022

LITHUANIA

Telia Lietuva AB

01/03/2022

NETHERLANDS

KPN B.V.

31/03/2022

JAPAN

KDDI Corporation

31/03/2022

PORTUGAL 

Vodafone Portugal - Comunicações Pessoais, S.A. 

31/03/2022

VIETNAM 

Viettel Group 

30/06/2022

HUNGARY

Magyar Telekom Nyrt. 

30/06/2022

ROMANIA 

Telekom Romania Mobile Communications S.A. 

01/07/2022

UNITED STATES

T-Mobile USA, Inc 

01/07/2022

MACEDONIA 

Makedonski Telekom AD - Skopje 

31/07/2022

LUXEMBOURG 

POST Luxembourg 

31/07/2022

DENMARK 

Telenor A/S 

31/07/2022

HUNGARY 

Vodafone Hungary Mobile Telecommunications Company Limited 

30/11/2022

CROATIA

Hrvatski Telekom d.d. 

31/12/2022

DENMARK

TDC A/S 

31/12/2022

GREECE


Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company S.A. 

31/12/2022

SAUDI ARABIA 

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) 

31/12/2022

SLOVAKIA 

Slovak Telekom, a.s. 

31/12/2022

SRI LANKA 

Dialog Axiata Plc 

31/12/2022

POLAND

T-Mobile Polska S.A. 

01/01/2023

ESTONIA

Telia Eesti AS 

31/01/2023

FINLAND

DNA Plc 

31/01/2023

FINLAND

Telia Finland Oyj 

31/01/2023

FINLAND

Elisa Corporation 

31/01/2023

HUNGARY 

Telenor Magyarország Zártkörűen Működő Részvénytársaság 

31/01/2023

PUERTO RICO 

Puerto Rico Telephone Company, Inc. 

31/01/2023

ROMANIA 

S.C. Vodafone Romania S.A. 

31/01/2023

GREECE

Nova Greece

31/03/2023

KUWAIT

Ooredoo Kuwait

30/06/2023

VIETNAM

Viettel Group

01/06/2023

SLOVENIA

A1 Slovenija, d.d.  

30/06/2023

GREECE

Vodafone-Panafon Hellenic Telecommunications Company S.A. 

30/06/2023

HUNGARY

Yettel Hungary

31/10/2023

AUSTRALIA

Vodafone Australia Pty Limited

15/12/2023

SWEDEN

Telia Company AB

31/12/2023

IRELAND 

Vodafone Ireland Limited 

31/12/2023

AUSTRALIA

Vodafone Australia Pty Limited

30/01/2024

JAPAN

SoftBank Corp. 

31/01/2024

UNITED KINGDOM

Vodafone Ltd

31/01/2024

UNITED KINGDOM

EE

31/01/2024

LIECHTENSTEIN 

Swisscom (Switzerland) Ltd (Liechtenstein) 

31/01/2024

PORTUGAL

MEO Portugal

31/01/2024

SLOVAKIA

O2 Slovakia

31/01/2024

CROATIA

T-Mobile Croatia

22/03/2024

NORTH MACEDONIA

Telekom North Macedonia

31/03/2024

MALTA

Vodafone Malta

31/04/2024

SPAIN

Vodafone España, S.A.U. 

31/04/2024

ALBANIA

Vodafone - Albania 

31/04/2024

CANADA

Rogers Communications Canada Inc.

31/04/2024

BANGLADESH

BANGLALINK

09/05/2024

AUSTRALIA

Telstra Corporation Limited

01/06/2024

AUSTRALIA

SingTel Optus Pty Limited

01/09/2024

BELGIUM

Telenet Group BVBA/SPRL  

30/09/2024

UNITED KINGDOM

3UK

31/12/2024

UNITED KINGDOM

O2 UK

01/01/2025

INDIA

Vodafone Idea Limited

01/01/2025

SWEDEN

Tele2 AB

01/12/2025

SWITZERLAND

Sunrise Switzerland

01/07/2025

SWEDEN

Telenor Sweden

31/12/2025

ICELAND

Síminn h.f.   

31/12/2025

ICELAND

Nova ehf.

31/12/2025

ICELAND

Sýn hf.   

31/12/2025

ESTONIA

Elisa Eesti AS  

31/12/2025

ESTONIA

Tele2 Eesti Aktsiaselts 

31/12/2025

FRANCE

Orange

31/12/2028

FRANCE

Société Française du Radiotéléphone S.A

31/12/2028

FRANCE

Bouygues Télécom

31/12/2029

Use 2G or 3G?

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Adam Hayes

Working at the forefront of developments in the telecommunications industry, Adam has both an in-depth knowledge and high-level experience in a range of operational, commercial and financial roles. Adam has a passion for early-stage businesses and has worked alongside the Eseye founders since 2011. Previous roles within telecommunications companies include Mercury, Cable and Wireless, Tele 2 and BlueStar Mobile. Adam’s current responsibilities include understanding and agreeing the commercial and regulatory arrangements with our carrier partners along with the coordination, synchronization and integration of operational and contractual activities. Adam is a Chartered Accountant and holds a degree in Engineering.

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