UK mobile operators have been warned to prepare well in advance for the forthcoming shutdown of legacy 2G networks or risk leaving customers without access to vital services.
As of December 2025, 19 countries worldwide had turned off all 2G services, with a slightly greater number removing 3G networks. Japan was the first country to do this, shutting down all 2G services as far back as 2012. But since 2021, other countries have followed suit including South Korea, Canada, Switzerland and the UAE.
In the UK, the government issued a joint statement with operators in 2021 committing to shut down all 2G services by 2033 at the latest. Doing so should help to deliver cost savings as operators will not need to maintain old, outdated technology in the face of declining usage by customers. It will also help to free up useful spectrum that can be refarmed to improve reliability on newer networks.
But a report from Plum Consulting has warned that the UK must learn from the shutdown of 2G in other...