Many operators are yet to complete their 2G retirements, leaving cost efficiencies and economic benefits unrealised. Given the risks to the continuity of vital services, industry and policymakers must collaborate to balance ensuring a timely process with effective consumer protection.
So far, only nine countries have completed the 2G switch-off, with the earliest of those coming in 2012. Progress has mostly been slow, although retirements are starting to pick up pace, with 13 further countries expected to complete their switch-offs by the end of the decade.
Transitioning away from 2G poses greater risks than switching off 3G, particularly due to the range and volume of IoT and M2M devices still reliant on the network. Limited transparency on how 2G SIMs are used in these devices has increased the risk of communications in sectors such as healthcare, energy, water and transport ending unexpectedly.
However, 2G retirement presents a significant economic opportunity; we estimate that the UK could save around £1bn by proactively migrating consumers and businesses off 2G networks by the Government’s 2033 deadline, with the NHS alone expected to save approximately £75m.
Successful 2G switch-offs have been defined by appropriate notice periods and direct outreach to consumers via multiple formats. These measures have ensured consumers are protected while enabling operators to reduce costs and free up valuable spectrum for 4G/5G networks.
A collaborative approach is vital to ensuring a safe and efficient 2G retirement. Certain measures appear more important for operators and regulators to adopt than others, with voluntary charters likely to do little more than formalise operators’ pre-existing switch-off commitments.
A small minority of consumers will inevitably fail to migrate from 2G in time, underlining the need for government-led, cross-sector action that draws on lessons learnt from previous network switch-offs, e.g. the PSTN, to mitigate the potential risks for vulnerable groups while enabling countries to realise the benefits of the shift to more advanced connectivity.
2G retirement will pick up pace through the course of the decade
As operators around the world push ahead with rolling out 5G – particularly standalone 5G (5GSA) – a corresponding effort is increasingly underway to retire legacy mobile networks, namely 2G and 3G. Many operators have moved forward with, if not completed, their respective 3G network retirements, enabling them to repurpose spectrum (typically in the 850, 900 and 2100MHz bands) to boost the speed and capacity of 4G or 5G services. While 2G has fallen to just a fraction of total mobile traffic, its importance to Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) devices across a range of applications, as well as the role of the network as a fallback during 4G and 5G outages, has complicated and even delayed 2G switch-off timelines.
However, international efforts to migrate customers away from the legacy network will speed up towards the end of the decade. Operators in 13 countries will have switched off 2G by 2030 (see Figure 1). Operators in some of these countries are yet to announce retirement deadlines, including Ireland and Italy, meaning the final end date for 2G services in these countries may be later. Millions of consumers and businesses around the world will nevertheless be impacted by 2G retirements over the coming years, requiring operators, governments, regulators and civil society to consider what conditions are necessary for a safe, inclusive and efficient transition to more advanced connectivity.
The 2G switch-off is likely to pose more significant challenges than shutting down 3G
3G switch-offs have often been completed fairly smoothly, with Ofcom stating that the process in the UK did not result in any major service disruptions and generated “very few” customer complaints. However, given the wide range of applications in which 2G is used, the network retirement process presents challenges for a variety of stakeholders. Limited transparency in how 2G SIMs are used in IoT and M2M devices makes the task of assessing and ensuring readiness for migration all the more difficult. Though some common use cases have been identified across industries (see Figure 2), businesses and institutions will still need to complete thorough audits to identify all 2G devices that remain dependent on the network. Reliance on 2G in 4G not-spots and as a fallback service in critical devices, including security alarms, will also require organisations to consider alternative connectivity services and contingency plans in advance of network retirement. In some instances, such as the provisioning of telecare, firms may have adopted 2G-reliant devices during their move away from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), but will have to once again prepare and budget for migration costs as countries increasingly make the leap to all-IP.
2G retirement also poses some familiar challenges for consumers, including concerns related to awareness, service continuity and device compatibility. As with PSTN migrations, consumers may face the cost of replacing legacy devices, which could exacerbate risks relating to digital exclusion. Research from ComReg in Ireland and Ofcom in the UK found that lower income and older consumers are more likely to rely on 2G-dependent mobile phones, indicating that groups that are already more likely to be digitally excluded may face an additional barrier to getting and staying online. The cost of replacing common 2G-reliant IoT devices, including security alarms and telecare devices, may also prove a burden for financially vulnerable consumers.
Even among consumers that already have 4G-compatible devices, 2G retirements may still bring added costs. While organisations such as the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) have long warned of the risks, recent major network outages in Australia have highlighted the possibility that some 4G-capable mobile devices may not be compatible with emergency calling protocols after 2G retirement. Consumers in a number of countries may be required to replace their SIMs or even their devices, or risk losing access to these critical services.
The UK could save around £1bn by proactively migrating consumers and businesses off 2G networks
Despite these risks, 2G retirement and upgrades to more advanced connectivity could deliver significant economic benefits, if the migration process is managed effectively. In the UK, we estimate that consumers and businesses could save around £1bn in avoided downtime by 2033 (the Government’s retirement deadline) if they were to start the switch-off process now. Operators have already outlined plans to complete the switch-off earlier than the deadline, either in 2029 (BT, Virgin Media O2) or 2030 (VodafoneThree), potentially bringing those benefits forward. Given the rate of incidents on the network and the diversion of resources away from 2G network resilience over time, the amount of downtime experienced per year by 2G users may well increase as retirement nears, meaning delaying migration may have an even greater economic impact.
When legacy devices are replaced by newer devices reliant on 4G, 5G or all-IP networks, consumers and businesses may also benefit from improved functionality and efficiency. In the case of telecare devices, we found that the National Health Service (NHS) and local councils in the UK could save approximately £75m by 2033 by upgrading 2G-reliant devices, which could reduce the number of emergency alerts made and ambulance journeys required.
Given the energy-intensive nature of running 2G networks, their retirement is also expected to have positive implications for carbon emissions. According to Arcep, 2G and 3G networks account for approximately 17% of power consumption for operators in France. Despite recognising that some negative environmental impact would occur from replacing all legacy handsets and IoT devices, the regulator found that emissions savings from shutting down the country’s legacy mobile networks would outpace the emissions impact of device replacement within six months of retirement. More advanced connected devices may also support businesses in cutting their carbon footprint. In the water sector, improved monitoring can cut the energy needed for treatment and pumping, which is often the single biggest operating cost for water companies. For the water sector in the UK, transitioning away from 2G-powered devices could support carbon emissions savings as high as 0.25Mt by 2033, equal to taking 59,000 petrol-powered cars off the roads for a year.
An effective migration could have significant social benefits by providing access to critical digital services to vulnerable consumers. For example, adding or increasing charges for telecare services to account for migration costs has been reported to decrease demand and make services inaccessible for financially vulnerable consumers. However, if these costs can be avoided, more advanced telecare devices that require improved connectivity have been shown to decrease emergency calls, ambulance trips and ultimately extend consumers’ abilities to age independently in their own homes. For consumers that may be unaware of the 2G switch-off or may not be able to afford upgrading their devices, migration poses an immediate barrier to accessing vital services. However, if they are supported in the upgrade process and in managing ongoing costs, these consumers may gain access to a wider array of services, allowing for the more equitable distribution of the benefits of digitalisation.
Countries have succeeded in advancing mobile network retirement by prioritising sufficient notice periods and direct outreach
Countries have taken different approaches to try to effect as seamless a 2G switch-off as possible. For example, operators in countries that have already completed the switch-off tended to have adequate and well-publicised notice periods ranging from one to five years (see Table 1). In South Korea, a regulator-led approach proved successful, with the last operator completing its switch-off in 2021. Prior to starting to switch off their networks, operators had to receive approval from the Korea Communications Commission (KCC). As a condition of that approval, the KCC required operators to notify their remaining 2G customers by at least two separate methods (including mail) ahead of the switch-off. One operator, KT, even went as far as visiting the most vulnerable customers in person to inform them of 2G’s upcoming retirement.
The majority of ongoing or completed switch-offs have, however, been market-led. Sweden is among the leading European countries for progress with the 2G switch-off, with two of three operators having completed the process. Here, Telenor, Telia and Tele2 gave customers five years’ notice of upcoming retirement dates, while also launching a joint publicity campaign called “bytnätnu” (or “Switch network now!”) to further raise awareness. Campaigns such as this may be especially important in countries where the 2G switch-off is industry-led, demonstrating direct contact with affected customers that could reduce the need for closer regulatory oversight and/or intervention.
Legacy network retirements in some other countries have been less effectively managed, providing examples of the potential pitfalls operators and policymakers may need to avoid as they look to effect their own 2G switch-offs. In Australia, a Senate committee inquiry concluded in February 2025 that the 3G shutdown “should have been managed better”. The committee found that while Telstra and Optus announced plans in 2019 to switch off the network (completed in 2024), they did not take “significant action” to inform customers until 2023. Many customers, primarily in regional and rural areas, subsequently complained that they had lost the ability to call and text. The committee determined that communications from operators had come too late, not giving customers enough time to switch. Some areas were not provided with adequate 4G services in the wake of the switch-off either, extending the impact to customers who had switched onto new devices. These problems for consumers highlight the importance of operators giving adequate notice periods paired with early, continued and effective communications ahead of network retirement.
Although consumer protection tends to be the primary focus during the 2G switch-off, the completion of the process presents economic benefits for industry too. In Australia and Singapore, Telstra and StarHub have benefitted from reduced operating expenditure through the lower network, energy and maintenance costs of more advanced technologies, such as 4G and 5G. Telstra made further savings by freeing up staff and hardware that had previously been part of its 2G operations, while StarHub similarly reallocated spectrum resources to 4G. These benefits highlight that operators and regulators do not need to sacrifice strong consumer protections for faster switch-offs. The most effective switch-off processes, which have given consumers sufficient, years-long notice periods, direct or personalised outreach, and in some cases free or discounted replacement devices, have also been some of the most economically efficient.
Stakeholders should collaborate to ensure a safe migration that capitalises on the opportunity of advanced connectivity
An effective 2G switch-off requires coordinated action from industry, regulators and governments to ensure consumers are protected while at the same time not hampering the retirement of less cost- and energy-efficient networks. However, certain measures appear less crucial than others. In March 2026, the UK Government published its voluntary 2G Switch-off Charter, setting out the steps that signatories will take to ensure customers have timely and accurate information, to maintain coverage and to identify and protect people and critical national infrastructure (CNI) throughout the switch-off process. While seemingly a positive development, it has not materially strengthened the commitments already announced by industry. While charters similar to this may provide other countries with a useful, formalised collation of any operator commitments, they should only be viewed as ‘nice-to-haves’.
Policymakers and operators should instead consider taking the following, more meaningful measures ahead of and during 2G network retirement:
Notice periods ranging from one to five years, incorporating an early stop-sell of 2G devices, trial switch-offs and a phased retirement to ensure consumers have adequate time to switch to new devices;
Direct, personal outreach about any network switch-off to the most vulnerable consumers via multiple communication methods (e.g. mail, phone, in-person visits) and from an early stage of the process through to the deadline;
Collaborative public awareness campaigns organised by stakeholders, whether that be operators, policymakers or both; and
Regulatory supervision and, where necessary, control of planned switch-off dates to ensure consumers are prepared in time for network retirement.
Countries that have not yet completed their 2G switch-offs would not need to adopt all of these measures to ensure a smooth retirement, but a collaborative approach between operators and policymakers on at least some could help strike a balance between ensuring effective consumer protection and avoiding undue barriers to switch-offs progressing.
Policymakers should intervene where necessary to ensure vulnerable consumers are protected
Despite best efforts from operators and policymakers, it is all but inevitable that a small fraction of customers will not transition from their 2G devices before the switch-off date. As many operators go beyond typical commercial incentives to encourage 4G/5G adoption, such as discounted or even free device upgrades, it may become a policy question as to when it is appropriate for the switch-off to be completed. In countries where 2G customers still make up a significant share of total mobile connections, policymakers could consider setting a threshold that 2G must fall below before operators can advance and ultimately finalise retirement. In South Korea, the KCC only granted approval for operator switch-offs once 2G customers represented less than 1% of their mobile customer bases. While a potentially sensible safeguard in theory, any such requirement would need to be set against the risk of slowing the switch-off process, which would delay the benefits of a full transition and require operators to continue to incur the costs of maintaining legacy infrastructure. Countries that already have lower proportions of 2G customers (e.g. the UK with 0.2%) are less likely to need any such intervention.
The primary concern here though is that vulnerable consumers may be left without service or that crucial IoT devices, such as telecare devices, would no longer work in emergency situations. To mitigate these risks, a forward-looking, cross-sector approach is necessary, involving affected industries, policymakers, operators and civil society. Such an approach is being taken in the UK, where the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) published the Telecare National Action Plan in February 2025 to safeguard telecare users during the PSTN switch-off.
Policymakers in the UK and further afield should draw on their PSTN switch-off experiences, alongside the 2G retirement journeys of their peers, to guide their approaches to migrating vulnerable consumers away from 2G-dependent devices. Targeted planning and interventions from governments and regulators, developed in partnership with consumer and/or industry bodies, would build awareness of roles and responsibilities ahead of the switch-off date. Meanwhile, operator-led initiatives should prioritise network availability and reliability, as well as transparent and understandable communication with customers regarding how they will be impacted. While this combination of individual and collaborative approaches may not eliminate risk entirely, it would position countries as standing the best chance of delivering an inclusive and efficient 2G switch-off process, enabling both end users and operators to more quickly benefit from the economic opportunities presented by advanced connectivity.
