2G and 3G switch-off

Mobile operators around the world are closing their 2G and 3G networks. They reuse the radio spectrum for 4G and 5G, which carry far more data, and stop paying to run equipment few people still use. For anyone with devices in the field, the question is when each network closes, and in which countries.

3G goes first, 2G often lasts longer

In most countries 3G closes first. It carries little traffic, and its spectrum is valuable for 4G and 5G. 2G often stays longer, because its coverage is wide and many alarms, meters, vehicles and other connected devices still use it.

The pattern varies by region.

• Already closed: the United States, Australia, Singapore and Taiwan have closed most or all of their older networks.
• Mostly closed: in Europe, 3G is mostly gone, and most 2G networks close between 2027 and 2030. The UK’s operators have committed to close both by 2033 at the latest.
• Still running: in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia, both are often still running, with few dates announced.

Each operator sets its own date

There’s rarely one date for a country. Each operator chooses its own timing, usually within rules from its regulator, such as a notice period or keeping emergency calls working. Two networks in the same country can close years apart.

This matters for devices that roam or use more than one network. A device keeps working only as long as a network it can use is still open where it is.

What to do about your devices

• Find out which devices use 2G or 3G, including those that only fall back to it when 4G is weak or for voice calls.
• Map them to countries and networks, and plan from the earliest closing date that affects them, not the latest.
• Choose a long-life replacement. New devices should use LTE-M, NB-IoT, LTE Cat-1 or 5G, chosen for how much data they send and how long their batteries must last.
• Allow time. Replacing devices in the field takes months, with site visits, testing and stock to arrange.

The Advanced tab lists dates country by country, with a link to each operator’s or regulator’s own notice.

How to read this page

Each operator decides when to close its own 2G and 3G networks, usually within rules set by its regulator or government. The table above gives one line per country. Open a country to see each operator’s dates, the regulator’s rules and a link to every source: the operator’s own page, the regulator or the government. Where we could not find a primary source, we left the operator out rather than guess, so a missing operator means unconfirmed, not still running.

The terms in the tables mean the following. A country line sums up its operators.

• Off means the operator or regulator has confirmed the network is closed.
• Closing means the switch-off has started and is not yet finished.
• Planned means the operator has announced a date. Where that date has passed and the operator has not confirmed the closure, the table says so.
• No date announced means the network is running and the operator has published no end date.
• Never had means the operator never ran that technology.
• Not confirmed means we found no primary source for that network, so we give no date.
• Partly off means some operators have closed the network and others have not, or have no date.
• Off at 1 of 3 operators means we confirmed the closure at that many operators and found no source for the others.

Checked 2 October 2026. Dates move, so check the operator’s own notice before you plan a change for a fleet of devices.

The global pattern

3G is going first almost everywhere. It carries little traffic today, and its spectrum is worth more for 4G and 5G. 2G often stays longer, because it has wide coverage and because many alarms, meters, vehicles and other IoT devices still depend on it. The United States, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan have closed most or all of their legacy networks. Across Europe 3G is largely gone, and most 2G networks have dates between 2027 and 2030. In Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia, both are still running, with few dates set.

Regulators increasingly set the terms rather than the dates. Typical rules require notice periods, protect access to emergency calls, or require one 2G network to stay up for a time for alarms and vehicles.

What this means for IoT devices

• 3G-only devices have already stopped working in much of the world. Where 3G closes before 2G, a device with 2G fallback carries on, on 2G only, until 2G closes too.
• 2G-only devices stop when the last 2G network they can use closes. A SIM that can use several networks may keep working for a while on a network that keeps 2G longer. When roaming, the visited network’s dates apply, not the home country’s.
• 4G devices that fall back to 2G or 3G for voice calls (circuit-switched fallback, 3GPP TS 23.272) lose voice when those networks close, unless they support voice over LTE (VoLTE). This matters for alarms and lifts that call a monitoring centre.
• Emergency calls and eCall are where regulators act most. Several countries now require phones that cannot call emergency services over 4G to be blocked. In the EU, new vehicles move to 4G and 5G eCall from 2026 and 2027.
• Replacing devices takes time. Plan from the earliest date among the countries and networks your devices use, not the latest. Allow for site visits, certification and stock.

For new devices, choose LTE-M, NB-IoT, LTE Cat-1, Cat-1 bis or 5G RedCap depending on data, power and coverage needs. Check that the technology is available, and can roam, in each country you deploy to.