Europe Leads Global 2G And 3G Shutdowns As IoT Devices Slow The Exit
Light Reading reported that GSA figures put Europe at 43% of global 2G and 3G switch-offs, but IoT replacement cycles and delayed Orange deadlines show why legacy-network exits still carry operating risk.
Europe accounted for 43% of global 2G and 3G switch-offs by 13 August 2026, ahead of Asia at 26% and Latin America and the Caribbean at 9%, Light Reading reported from Global mobile Suppliers Association figures.
That concentration puts legacy shutdowns directly in front of operators, regulators and industrial-device owners.
Retiring 2G and 3G can release capacity for 4G and 5G and reduce the energy cost of lightly used systems.
The difficult part is the installed base: many machine-to-machine and Internet of Things connections still depend on older hardware with long replacement cycles.
Legacy Shutdowns Meet Device Lifecycles
France shows the migration problem behind the regional numbers.
Orange had to postpone 2G and 3G sunsetting after industry concerns over elevators and other IoT systems that still used the older networks, and the operator is now aiming for 2G and 3G switch-offs by 2028 and 2030.
The UK has already closed all four of its 3G mobile networks, even as the wider move away from older infrastructure has proved harder in areas such as the public switched telephone network.
That pattern requires operators to align shutdown timing with customers whose equipment has not moved.
GSA Data Shows Momentum And Friction
GSA identified 313 completed, planned or in-progress 2G and 3G switch-offs in 89 countries and territories by the end of June 2026.
The same dataset counted 158 operators with completed closures, 119 with planned closures and 36 with shutdowns in progress.
The breakdown shows 2G and 3G moving at different stages.
For 2G, GSA found 139 operators in 70 countries and territories with completed or planned exits, including 56 operators in 29 countries and territories that had already closed 2G networks.
The 3G track is further along: GSA counted 102 completed closures in 48 countries and territories, with 50 operators in 28 countries planning shutdowns and 22 operators in 17 countries and territories already in progress.
Momentum has not removed the timing risk.
About 37 networks were in the process of being switched off and 25 more sunsets were planned for the second half of 2026, while the pace is expected to increase as more operators launch 5G standalone networks.
The operational consequence is that 5G growth makes legacy spectrum more valuable, but it also exposes every device estate that has not moved beyond 2G or 3G.
Ericsson’s June 2026 mobility report said 5G subscriptions had passed three billion, half of global mobile data traffic was already on 5G, around 390 providers had launched commercial 5G services and more than 90 had launched 5G standalone.
