A Complete Overview of 2G & 3G Sunsets

Latest update in March 2023

Many of our customers are concerned about the upcoming shutdown of 2G and 3G networks around the world. You are probably thinking about it too. We have compiled all the available information into one article, so you are in the right place.

The shutdown of 2G and 3G networks is commonly referred to as sunsetting. Telecom companies are looking to shut down their 2G or 3G networks because they want to free up resources for the upcoming 5G deployments.

If your module is designed to use 2G or 3G, the phasing out of the network may cause problems for many devices. So it's wise to prepare for a future without 2G and 3G networks.

2G and 3G are still essential for IoT and M2M devices because they are cheaper than 4G modules. In addition, megabyte prices are cheaper and global coverage is reliable. Moreover, the speeds of 4G are not relevant for IoT or M2M devices that send minimal amounts of data. The slow 2G connection is still fast enough for today's standards.

From our side, we can say that for truly global deployments, it does not make sense to commit your device to 2G or 3G only. Or even to have a module that allows you to switch between the two. However, if you are only targeting specific countries or regions where they are still a viable option, we can not stop you.

Below is a list of shutdowns that have been announced or have already taken place.

Africa:

South Africa

Cell C

• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

MTN

• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Telkom

•         2G shutdown date: March 2020

Vodacom

•         2G shutdown: planned, but no specific dates are given yet
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2023

Asia:

Bangladesh

Grameenphone

• 2G shutdown by the end of 2025
• 3G shutdown by the end of 2026

China

•         Countrywide 2G and 3G shutdown: planned, no specific dates given

Unicom

•         2G shutdown: end-2021

China Mobile

• 3G shutdown by the end of 2021

Indonesia

XL Excelcom

• 2G shutdown by the end of 2022

India

Airtel

• 2G shutdown by the end of 2023
•         3G shutdown: March 2020

Vodafone

•         3G shutdown sometime in 2022

IDEA India

• 3G shutdown in 2020

Japan

•         Nationwide 2G shutdown in 2012

NTT DoCoMo

• 3G shutdown date: March 2026¹
  

KDDI

• 3G shutdown date: March 2026
  

SoftBank

• 3G shutdown date: June 2024¹
  

Hong Kong

All carriers

•         2G phase out from 2020

Macau, SAR        

Hutchison

•         2G shutdown in June 2015¹

SmarTone

•         2G shutdown in June 2015¹

CTM

•         2G shutdown in June 2015¹

Malaysia

All carriers due to governmental regulation

•     3G shutdown by the end of 2021

Digi

•         2G shutdown by the end of 2024

Myanmar

•         Telenor 2G Shutdown scheduled for 2024
•         3G shutdown planned for 2025

New Caledonia

OPT

• 2G shutdown at the end of
•         3G shutdown at the end of 2030

Pakistan

Telenor

• 2G shutdown planned for 2025
•         3G shutdown planned for 2023    

Mobilink

• 2G and 3G sunset in 2020

Singapore

M1

•         2G shutdown date: April 01, 2017
• 3G will start shutting down from 2025+¹ Singtel
•         2G shutdown date: April 01, 2017
•         3G will start shutting down from 2025+¹

StarHub

•         2G shutdown date: April 01, 2017
•         3G will start shutting down from 2025+¹

South Korea

• Countrywide 2G shut down as of July 2021

Sri Lanka

Wataniya

•         2G shutdown at the end of 2025
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2023

Taiwan

All carriers due to governmental regulation

•         2G Shutdown: July 1, 2017
•         3G Shutdown: December 31, 2018

Thailand

All carriers due to governmental regulation

•         2G Shutdown: October 31, 2019

DTAC TriNet

• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Vietnam

All carriers due to governmental regulation

• Countrywide 2G shutdown planned for September 30, 2024

Caribbean:

Cayman Island  

•         Digicel Cayman 2G was terminated on July 1, 2022

Central America:

Costa Rica

Telefonica

• 3G shutdown on June 30, 2024

Panama

Claro

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2024
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2026

South America:

Argentina

Telecom Personal

•         2G shutdown at the end of 2025

Ecuador

CNT

•         2G CDMA was terminated on December 21, 2014

Europe:

Vodafone across Europe

•         2G Shutdown: Not until 2025
•         3G Shutdown: Throughout 2020-2021

Albania

Vodafone

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
  
•     3G shutdown at the end of 2024

Austria

A1

•     3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Bulgaria

A1 (Mobitel)

•     3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Croatia

T-Mobile

•     3G shutdown at the end of 2022

Czech Republic

O2

•     3G shutdown: November 30, 2021

T-Mobile

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
•     3G shutdown: December 1, 2021

Vodafone

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
  
•     3G shutdown on January 1, 2021

Cyprus

Cyta

• 2G and 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Denmark

Three

•         3G phase-out at the end of 2021

TT-Netvaerket      

•         3G phase-out starts from 04.2021

Telenor

• 2G phase-out at the end of 2025
•         3G phase-out starts from 04.2021

Telia

• 2G phase-out at the end of 2025
•         3G phase-out starts from 04.2021

TDC

•         3G phase-out starts from end-2022

Estonia

Telia

• 2G and 3G phase-out in 2025

Finland

DNA

• 2G phase-out in 2025
• 3G phase-out in 2023

Elisa

• 3G phase-out in 2023

TeliaSonera

• 2G and 3G phase-out in 2025

Alands Mobile

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2024

France

Bouygues Telecom

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
• 3G shutdown on December 1, 2025

Orange

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2028

SFR

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2023
  

Germany

Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile)

•         3G shutdown: June 30, 2021

Telefónica / O2

•       3G shutdown: completed by end of 2022

Vodafone

•         2G shutdown in 2025    
•         3G shutdown: June 30, 2021

Greece

Vodafone

• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Wind Hellas

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2023

Cosmote

•         3G shutdown: September 2021

Greenland

TELE Greenland

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2026
  
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2029

Hungary

Telenor EU

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
  
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2028

Iceland

Nova

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2026
  
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2028

Siminn

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2024
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Vodafone

• 3G shutdown at the end of 2023

IMC

• 3G shutdown on March 13, 2023

Italy

Vodafone

•         2G shutdown in 2025
• 3G shutdown: June 30, 2021

Ireland

Hutchinson 3G

•         2G phase-out by the end of 2021
• 3G phase-out starts at 2023

O2

•         2G phase-out in 2025
• 3G phase-out starts at 2023

Latvia

Latvian Mobile Tel Co

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2025
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2023

Telia

•         3G shutdown in 2022

Lithuania

Telia

• 2G phase out in 2025
•         3G shutdown in 2022

Bite

•         2G shutdown: 2026-2028
•         3G shutdown: 2024-2025

Luxembourg

Post Luxembourg

•         3G shutdown in July 2022

Orange

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2030
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2023

Malta

EPIC

• 2G phase out in 2025

Montenegro

M-Tel

• 2G phase out in 2025

Netherlands

T-Mobile

•         2G shutdown: June 2023
• 3G phase-out expected in 2023

KPN

• 2G shutdown until 2025
•         3G shutdown January 2022

Vodafone

• 2G available until 2025
•         3G shutdown since February 2020

Norway

Telenor

•         2G Shutdown: December 31, 2025      
•         3G Shutdown: December 31, 2021    

Com4

•         2G shutdown in 2025
• 3G shutdown in 2020

Telia

• 3G phase out in 2021

Poland

Polska Era

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2030
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

PTK Centeral

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2030
• 3G shutdown on June 30, 2025

T-Mobile

•         2G shutdown: expected in 2024-2025

Portugal

Vodafone

• 2G phase out in 2025
•       3G shutdown: March 2022

Romania

Vodafone

• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Orange Romania

• 2G shutdown on June 30, 2024
• 3G shutdown on March 25, 2025

Spain

Telefonica Espana (Movistar)

•         3G shutdown: 2025

Vodafone

• 2G phase out in 2025

Slovakia

T-Mobile

• 2G shutdown at the end of 2030
• 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Orange

• 2G shutdown on June 30, 2024
• 3G shutdown on March 25, 2025

Slovak Telecom

•     3G shutdown: December 2021

Slovenia

A1

• 2G shutdown on June 30, 2024
• 3G shutdown on March 25, 2025

Sweden

• 2G and 3G phase out nationwide in 2025

Switzerland

Swisscom (Switzerland and Liechtenstein)

•         2G Shutdown: December 31, 2020

Sunrise Communications

•         2G shutdown: end-2022
• 3G shutdown in 2024 (already downsizing frequencies and capacity)

United Kingdom

BT (EE)

•         3G shutdown: 2022

Vodafone UK

•         3G shutdown by 2024

North America:

Canada

•          Bell Mobility 2G Shutdown: 31.01.2017-30.04.2019 (depending on the region)    
•         Telus Mobility 2G Shutdown: 31 May, 2017

Rogers Wireless

•         2G on 1900 MHz Shutdown: March 31, 2021 (will continue to work on 850MHz until December 31, 2021)    
•         2G complete Shutdown: December 31, 2021
•         3G on 1900 MHz Shutdown: March 31, 2021 (Continued 3G support on 850 MHz until 2025)    

SakTel

•         2G CDMA shutdown July 21, 2017

Puerto Rico

Claro

•         2G shutdown at the end of 2028
•         3G shutdown at the end of 2025

United States

AT&T

•         2G Shutdown: January 2017
•         3G Shutdown: February 22, 2022

Verizon

•         2G Shutdown: December 31, 2019      
• 3G available until December 31, 2022

T-Mobile

•         2G shutdown date: December 31, 2022      
•         3G Shutdown: October 1, 2021
•         3G Shutdown (formerly Sprint): January 1, 2022

Cricket wireless

•         3G shutdown: February 2022

South America:

Ecuador

CNT

•         2G CDMA was terminated on December 21, 2014

Mexico

•         AT&T 2G shutdown: 2019
• AT&T 3G shutdown: February 2022
•         Telefonica (Movistar) 2G shutdown by January 2021

Middle East:

Israel

Orange

• 3G shutdown at the end of 2024

Hot Mobile

• 2G and 3G shutdown at the end of 2025

Pelephone

•         2G CDMA shutdown date: July 30, 2017
• 3G shutdown on May 31, 2023

Jordan

Umniah Mobile Company

•         2G shutdown by the end of 2021

Kuwait

Wataniya

• 2G shutdown on December 1, 2023
• 3G shutdown on June 20, 2023

Saudi Arabia

STC

• 2G and 3G shutdown sometime in 2022

Zain

• 2G shutdown sometime in 2022    

Mobily

• 2G shutdown sometime in 2022

UAE

•         Countrywide 2G shutdown by the end of 2022

Oceania:

Australia

Telstra

•         2G Shutdown: December 1, 2016
•         3G Shutdown: March 25, 2019 (turned off 3G connectivity on 2100MHz, continued support for 3G services on 850MHz)    
•         3G in 850MHz available until 2030.

Optus

•         2G Shutdown: August 1, 2017

Vodafone

•         2G Shutdown: March 31, 2018
•         3G Shutdown: March 18, 2019 (turned off 2100MHz, continued support for 3G on 900MHz)    

New Zealand

Spark

•         2G CDMA shutdown date: July 31, 2012

2degrees

•         2G shutdown date: March 15, 2018

Vodafone

•          2G shutdown in 2025¹

Sunsets do not have to be the end of your deployment dreams. If you plan properly, you can avoid all the headaches by choosing the right hardware for your deployment region from the start. You can read more about the different modems that support 2G, 3G, 4G and eSIM here.

We will also update this article or make new posts when new announcements are made by telecom companies regarding their 2G or 3G shutdowns around the world.

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References:
1. GSMA Legacy mobile network rationalisation, Experiences of 2G and 3G migrations in Asia-Pacific, May 2020

If you’re interested in how to get your IoT devices connected to cellular networks, contact our sales team and we’ll find the best solution for you.