The morning read on Europe's digital policy Friday 30 October 2026
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2G and 3G switch-off dates in Europe by country and operator

3G is already switched off in Germany, the UK, Belgium and Sweden, and 2G is now being retired network by network. As of October 2026, France's 2G networks close by mid-December 2026, KPN in the Netherlands follows on 1 December 2027, Germany's three 2G networks in 2028, and UK operators start in 2029 with 2033 as the final deadline.

There is no EU-wide date: each operator sets its own timetable, often region by region. Each entry below links to the operator or regulator source. Last checked: 28 October 2026.

Upcoming 2G switch-off dates

  1. France: SFR and Bouygues Telecom between 1 and 15 December 2026, when Orange also closes 2G in its remaining regulatory white zones.
  2. Netherlands: KPN on 1 December 2027.
  3. Sweden and Norway: Telia in Sweden and Telenor in Norway at the end of 2027.
  4. Germany: Deutsche Telekom by 30 June 2028, Vodafone in September 2028, O2 Telefónica in the second half of 2028.
  5. Belgium: Orange, Proximus and Telenet/BASE in the course of 2028 and 2029.
  6. United Kingdom: EE from May 2029, O2 from summer 2029 and Vodafone in spring 2030, all within the 2033 deadline.
  7. Spain: Movistar targets the end of 2027 for both 2G and 3G, while MasOrange keeps 2G until 31 December 2030 (reported, see below).

Already closed: Swisscom and Sunrise in Switzerland, Odido in the Netherlands, Telia in Norway, Tele2 and Telenor in Sweden, and Orange in mainland France outside its white zones.

Country-by-country schedule

France

  • Orange: 2G was switched off in waves, starting on 31 March 2026 around Biarritz, Anglet and Bayonne, then in Nice on 22 September, in 44 departments on 6 October and in 43 more on 20 October 2026 (Orange calendar published by Arcep). Regulatory white zones lose Orange 2G between 1 and 15 December 2026. Orange's 3G is due to end in 2028.
  • Free Mobile: has no 2G network of its own, so its customers follow Orange's calendar. No 3G end date has been announced (Arcep).
  • SFR and Bouygues Telecom: 2G ends from 15 November 2026 in Brest, Guipavas, Nancy and Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, then everywhere else between 1 and 15 December 2026 (Arcep, Bouygues Telecom). 3G follows at the end of 2028 for SFR and the end of 2029 for Bouygues Telecom.

Arcep counted 2.4 million SIM cards in devices limited to 2G, or to 3G and 2G, at the end of December 2025, 11% fewer than six months earlier (Arcep). Overseas departments follow separate calendars.

Germany

  • 3G: all operators switched it off in 2021.
  • Deutsche Telekom: 2G is expected to be completely off by 30 June 2028 (Telekom).
  • Vodafone: 2G services for consumers and business customers end in September 2028 (Vodafone). Critical IoT applications can stay on 2G until 31 December 2030, but only with prior approval and a separate contract (Vodafone Business).
  • O2 Telefónica: 2G will be switched off in the second half of 2028, the company announced on 1 June 2026 (Telefónica Deutschland).

United Kingdom

  • Deadline: the operators have told the government they will not offer 2G or 3G after 2033 at the latest (UK government).
  • 3G: closed on all four networks. Virgin Media O2 completed its switch-off in late 2025.
  • EE (BT): begins switching off its 2G network from May 2029 (BT).
  • O2: starts switching off 2G in summer 2029. Its 2G network is already closed to international roaming (Virgin Media O2).
  • VodafoneThree: the Vodafone 2G network will be switched off in spring 2030. Three never had a 2G network (Vodafone UK).

Netherlands

  • KPN: 3G is already off and 2G stops on 1 December 2027 (KPN).
  • VodafoneZiggo: 3G is off. It has not announced a 2G end date and keeps 2G running until at least December 2026, according to a May 2026 letter from the Dutch government to parliament.
  • Odido: 2G is already off (ACM). Its 3G network will run past the 1 August 2026 date it had committed to, with no end date yet and at least six months' notice promised (Odido).

Belgium

Belgium's 3G networks were shut down in 2025. Orange, Proximus and Telenet/BASE have confirmed that 2G will go in the course of 2028 and 2029, and the regulator BIPT says exact dates will be announced later (BIPT).

Sweden

  • Tele2 and Telenor: switched off 2G and 3G together on 1 December 2025 through their joint network company Net4Mobility (Tele2).
  • Telia: 3G was fully off by the end of 2025, and 2G stays until the end of 2027 (Telia).

Norway

  • Telia: closed 2G region by region from August 2025. The last areas, including Oslo, were switched off on 2 December 2025 (Telia Norge).
  • Telenor: moved its 2G switch-off from the end of 2025 to the end of 2027 (Tek.no).

Switzerland

  • Swisscom: retired 2G at the end of 2020 and began switching off 3G on 31 December 2025, a rollout expected to take several weeks (heise).
  • Sunrise: 2G has been off since 2023 and 3G since mid-August 2025 (heise).
  • Salt: planned to end 3G at the end of 2026, a spokesperson told heise in December 2025.

Italy

TIM completed its 3G switch-off on 15 October 2022 (TIM). WindTre began a two-phase 3G switch-off in June 2024 with the 2100 MHz band. Its 900 MHz phase was originally expected by 31 December 2025, but the date has since been postponed and no new one is public as of October 2026 (MondoMobileWeb). We found no operator-confirmed national 2G end date in Italy as of October 2026.

Spain

Spanish dates come from operator statements reported by the tech press, so treat them as provisional. Vodafone Spain finished its 3G switch-off in 2024, and Telefónica's Movistar, which has started switching off 3G, has set the end of 2027 as its deadline for both 2G and 3G (Xataka Móvil). MasOrange said in November 2025 that its 3G will end by 31 December 2027 and its 2G by 31 December 2030 (Roams).

Why 2G often outlasts 3G

Most operators close 3G first and keep 2G as a fallback for calls and texts on phones without voice over 4G, and for the small data loads of alarms, trackers and cars. Telia in Sweden cited alarms and cars when it kept 2G until 2027, noting that most 3G phones also work on 2G (Telia).

France, Odido in the Netherlands, and Swisscom and Sunrise in Switzerland closed 2G first instead. In France, 3G phones keep working until 3G itself shuts from 2028.

What stops working after the switch-off

Cars with eCall

The original eCall system, required in new car and light van models since 2018, places its automatic emergency call over 2G or 3G. Under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1180, new vehicle types need its 4G and 5G successor, NG eCall, from 1 January 2026, and from 2027 it is required in all new vehicles. German networks switched NG eCall on in January 2026 (Telekom).

Older cars keep the legacy system, and emergency centres must keep handling it as long as at least one 2G or 3G network operates in the country (EU eCall rolling plan). A study published by the European Commission on 28 May 2026 estimates that, without intervention, about 64 million vehicles could lose eCall, and recommends urging member states to keep at least one circuit-switched network until at least 2030. The Dutch government puts the figure for the Netherlands at about 1.8 million vehicles, but concluded that stopping the switch-off would not be proportionate (Dutch government).

Alarms, telecare and IoT devices

Arcep's list of equipment at risk includes connected alarm and video-surveillance systems, personal telecare devices, connected heating controls, intercoms and some medical devices (Arcep). Ask the supplier which network a device uses before its operator's date. For fleets, meters and trackers, Telekom and Telefónica Deutschland point to 4G, 5G, NB-IoT, LTE-M and RedCap modules as replacements.

Phones without voice over 4G

A phone with 4G data but no VoLTE still uses 2G or 3G for calls. Once both are gone, it can go online but cannot call. Arcep advises checking the handset's specifications or the operator's compatibility list, installing software updates, which can add VoLTE, and enabling 4G or 5G in the network settings. In Sweden, the regulator PTS required operators to block, from 2 February 2026, phones that support VoLTE but cannot make emergency calls over it (PTS).

A phone that relies on 2G or 3G for voice can also lose calls abroad where those networks are gone, so ask your operator whether voice over 4G works when roaming. Our guide to EU roaming countries covers where Roam Like at Home applies; more is in our telecom and policy sections.

Frequently asked questions

When is 2G switched off in Europe?

There is no single EU date. As of October 2026, France closes 2G by mid-December 2026, KPN on 1 December 2027, Telia Sweden and Telenor Norway at the end of 2027, Germany in 2028 and the UK between 2029 and 2033.

Is 3G still working anywhere in Europe?

Yes. France's operators still run 3G, with announced end dates in 2028 and 2029, and Odido in the Netherlands has not set a 3G end date. Salt in Switzerland planned to close 3G at the end of 2026, and MasOrange in Spain by the end of 2027.

Will my 4G phone still work after 2G and 3G are switched off?

It will still work for data, but calls need VoLTE support, and in Sweden the phone must also handle emergency calls over VoLTE or be blocked.

When does Germany switch off 2G?

Deutsche Telekom expects 2G to be fully off by 30 June 2028, Vodafone ends 2G services in September 2028 and O2 Telefónica switches off in the second half of 2028. Vodafone keeps 2G for approved critical IoT uses until 31 December 2030.

Does eCall still work after the 2G and 3G switch-off?

Cars with the original eCall need a 2G or 3G network to place the automatic call, so the function can fail once no such network remains in the country. Newer cars with NG eCall use 4G and 5G networks instead.