Phone operator Elisa is to shut down its 2G mobile network in 2028, Sakala reported.
The service will be phased out region by region, and the closure will leave older phones and devices that rely only on 2G or 3G without a connection, as Estonia's 3G network has already shut down.
Elisa spokesperson Toomas Polli said the technology dates from a time when a phone's main job was calling and sending messages, and that the role of networks has changed beyond recognition.
Competitors Telia and Tele2 said they will be closing down their 2G networks too, but not before 2029-2030 – Tele2 spokesperson Tanel Sarri said security devices and gate systems still depend on 2G.
Elisa network services development director Kristo Kork said the 2G closure will happen in phases by region, but the exact timetable and order of regions is still being drawn up and with customers noted in good time - Elisa would not say how many devices on its network are 2G-only, but said most already support 4G and 5G.
The original Sakala piece is here.
Elisa stated on its own website it shut down 3G at the end of 2024, and while most calls and data already run on newer networks, some devices in Estonia still rely on 2G.
Alongside older phones, these include security and alarm systems, electricity and water meters, payment terminals, and industrial and property automation equipment.
Polli said most people won't need to do anything, but devices with a longer lifespan than phones need attention. "Some surveillance, measurement or automation devices may have been installed ten or even more years ago and are still operating on a 2G network," he said.
2G networks, which launched in Finland in 1991, are also being phased out in other North European countries. Sweden and Norway set are to do so in 2027, while Iceland already did so last year. Further afield, G networks have already been shut down in Australia, Japan, and the U.S. Elisa recommends travellers with concerns check whether their device supports 4G and/or VoLTE.
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