Cellular community operators world wide proceed to shut legacy 2G and 3G networks with a purpose to migrate helpful spectrum assets to extra extensively used 4G and 5G applied sciences.
Following up on our August 2021 piece masking 3G sunsets in Europe, immediately we take a look at how the scenario has developed since then and which markets can be subsequent to wave goodbye to 2G and 3G.
2G Decline
By the tip of 2022, ten nations had switched off all 2G companies. Most just lately South Korea, which noticed its one remaining 2G community—operated by LG Uplus—shut on July 1, 2021. Beforehand, SKT closed its personal CDMA-based system in July 2020 and KT Corp stopped providing CDMA 2G companies in early 2012.
The Asia-Pacific and Oceania areas are on the forefront with regards to closing legacy 2G networks.
The Asia-Pacific and Oceania areas are on the forefront with regards to closing legacy 2G networks.
The primary nation to finish a full 2G shutdown was Japan, approach again in September 2012. Since then, different notable markets have finalized their 2G switch-offs, together with Macau (June 2015), Singapore (April 2017), Taiwan (December 2017), and Australia (June 2018).
Away from Asia-Pacific and Oceania, quite a few different nations are additionally near seeing an finish to the 2G period.
Rogers, the final of Canada’s principal cellular operators to assist 2G, retains the 850MHz band for each 2G GSM and 3G W-CDMA companies, however 2G is now getting solely restricted use in distant areas exterior the 3G community footprint.
In Switzerland, second-placed cellco Dawn began its gradual phase-out of 2G connectivity on January 3, 2023, after asserting the community closure in August final 12 months. Rival operators Salt and Swisscom accomplished their very own shutdowns in December 2020 and April 2021, respectively.
After initially planning to shut 2G techniques by the tip of 2022, Etisalat within the United Arab Emirates and rival operator Du are actually seeking to full the method by the tip of this 12 months.
Decline of 2G and 3G Subscriptions
Share of Subscriptions by Cellular Know-how
TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that there are 89 nations the place 2G accounts for lower than 10% of general subscriptions, and by 2028, 172 nations will see at the very least 90% of cellular subscriptions belong to 3G, 4G, or 5G networks.
3G’s Days are Numbered
Turning to 3G, the primary nation to section out companies fully was Taiwan on the finish of 2018. Since then, it has been joined by markets such because the Czech Republic (November 2021), Germany (December 2021), Singapore (December 2021), and Malaysia (March 2022).
International locations saying goodbye to 3G in 2023 will embrace Denmark, Slovakia, Greece, Hungary, and Sweden.
International locations saying goodbye to 3G in 2023 will embrace Denmark, Slovakia, Greece, Hungary, and Sweden.
All 4 principal cellular community operators in Denmark are planning to shutter their W-CDMA techniques in Q1 2023, with some 2100MHz spectrum already refarmed to assist 4G know-how.
In Slovakia, Slovak Telekom, O2, and Orange are actually all anticipated to modify off their 3G networks by the tip of this 12 months. Orange solely just lately introduced this information, beforehand anticipating an end-2024 closure.
Every of the massive three cellular suppliers within the U.S. have already accomplished their 3G community closures. AT&T was the primary to push the button at first of 2017, whereas T-Cellular and Verizon held on till mid-2022 and end-2022, respectively.
Verizon revealed that the 3G shutdown price it 909,000 post-paid subscriptions (576,000 Shopper and 333,000 Enterprise) and 237,000 Shopper pre-paid subscriptions.
U.Ok. Steerage
Some markets nonetheless have an extended option to go earlier than a 2G and 3G sundown. The U.Ok., for instance, is more likely to have GSM-based companies till the late 2020s or early 2030s. The older know-how is being maintained past 3G to assist clients with legacy handsets, whereas sensible utility meters additionally require an improve from 2G/3G to 4G.
In February 2023, the U.Ok. regulator Ofcom revealed a doc titled 3G and 2G Change-off: Our Expectations of Cellular Suppliers. Though community shutdowns are carried out by operators themselves and Ofcom has no formal position within the course of, it says it desires to “make sure that customers are handled pretty and may proceed to entry the companies they want.”
A few of the elements the regulator asks operators to contemplate embrace: minimizing the discount in community protection; offering correct contract info with regard to community closures; speaking with and offering assist for customers with regard to updating handsets; and lowering the impression on different companies which use the networks, similar to telecare alarms and fee terminals.
For additional info on community shutdowns, see the brand new 2G and 3G Sunsets part of the GlobalComms Database, which presents historic and forecast information in a downloadable spreadsheet.
