2G and 3G switch-off in Germany
Quick answer
2G in Germany: Planned, 2028. All three network operators switched 3G off in 2021 (Telekom and Vodafone at the end of June, O2 by 30 December). All three have now set 2G dates for 2028: Telekom 30 June, Vodafone September (critical IoT to end 2030) and Telefónica in the second half. 1&1's own network went live on 28 December 2022 for 5G home broadband and opened to smartphones on 8 December 2023; it has never had 3G.
3GOff, 2021
2GPlanned, 2028
Operators
Checked 30 October 2026.
Dates are set by each operator and can change. Check with us before you plan around them.
| Operator | 3G | 2G |
|---|---|---|
| Deutsche Telekom | Off, 30 June 2021 | Planned, 30 June 2028 |
| Vodafone Germany | Off, 30 June 2021 | Planned, September 2028 |
| Telefónica Germany (O2) | Off, by 30 December 2021 | Planned, second half of 2028 |
| 1&1 | Never had | Never had |
Details
- Deutsche Telekom 2G. Telekom expects to switch 2G off completely on 30 June 2028 and reuse the 900 MHz spectrum for 4G/5G. Deutsche Telekom
- Deutsche Telekom 3G. Telekom switched off its UMTS network across Germany on 30 June 2021. Deutsche Telekom
- Vodafone Germany 2G. 2G ends for consumer and business customers in September 2028; critical IoT applications can stay on 2G until the end of 2030. Vodafone Germany
- Vodafone Germany 3G. 3G was switched off from the night of 30 June to 1 July 2021, with the process finished on 7 July 2021. Vodafone Germany
- Telefónica Germany (O2) 2G. Telefónica Germany will shut down GSM in the second half of 2028 (by the end of 2028) and move the spectrum to 4G/5G. Telefónica Germany
- Telefónica Germany (O2) 3G. O2 switched 3G off in stages from July 2021 and took the last sites off on 30 December 2021. UMTS has been off since 1 January 2022. Telefónica Germany (o2)
- 1&1 2G. 1&1 runs no 2G network of its own. Its customers reach 2G via Vodafone national roaming, so Vodafone's date applies. Bundesnetzagentur
- 1&1 3G. 1&1's own network went live on 28 December 2022 with 4G and 5G only, after Germany's 3G networks had closed in 2021. 1&1
Regulator and government
- BNetzA assigns spectrum on a technology- and service-neutral basis and expects operators to use it with efficient, future-oriented technologies. It lists the 2G dates as Telekom ~30 June 2028, Vodafone end September 2028 (critical IoT to end 2030) and Telefónica end 2028. It notes that 1&1 has no own 2G and that Germany's 3G networks were switched off in 2021. Bundesnetzagentur
What this means for your devices
Each SIM profile has its own page, showing where it works and what it supports.
Common questions
When does 2G switch off in Germany?
Planned, 2028.
Is 3G still working in Germany?
Off, 2021.
Sources
- Mehr Speed auf alten Frequenzen: 2G-Abschaltung sorgt für besseres Netz, Deutsche Telekom
- Highlights - Deutsche Telekom Interim Report H1 2021, Deutsche Telekom
- 2G-Abschaltung macht LTE- und 5G-Mobilfunk-Netz noch besser, Vodafone Germany
- Mehr Tempo fürs Internet dank vierspuriger Datenautobahn, Vodafone Germany
- 2G to be phased out by the end of 2028: Telefónica Deutschland is freeing up capacity for more modern mobile networks, Telefónica Germany
- UMTS-Abschaltung: So wechselst du ins LTE-Netz, Telefónica Germany (o2)
- 2G-Abschaltung: Häufig gestellte Fragen, Bundesnetzagentur
- Erstes europäisches Mobilfunknetz auf Basis der innovativen OpenRAN-Technologie erfolgreich gestartet (3 January 2023), 1&1
- 2G-Abschaltung, Bundesnetzagentur
Checked 30 October 2026. Dates move, so check the operator’s own notice before you plan a change.