A year after giving the network a last-minute reprieve, T-Mobile said it has officially begun the process of shutting down its 2G network.
However, the operator said the network is still available and that its full shutdown process will be gradual. It did not provide a date when its 2G services would no longer be available.
"We've started the process and while the changes will roll out over time, our 2G network will remain operational for many customers during this transition," a T-Mobile representative wrote in response to questions from Light Reading.
"T-Mobile is retiring its 2G (GSM) network. Capacity and coverage of T-Mobile's 2G (GSM) network is expected to change starting as early as February, 2025," the company warned on its website. "If you have 2G-dependent devices, you will need to replace them to continue using T-Mobile service without disruption, including the ability to make 911 calls. To make the transition easier, T-Mobile is offering FREE replacement devices that can tap into the latest technologies, including an option for a free 5G phone."
However, those dates are different from T-Mobile's "network evolution" website, which states that "Capacity and coverage of T-Mobile's 2G (GSM) network is expected to change starting as early as September 1, 2024."
Regardless, it's clear that T-Mobile is finally embarking on the shutdown of its 2G network. And it's likely doing so in a protracted way that will give its remaining 2G customers plenty of opportunities to swap out devices that will no longer work after the operator's 2G network is completely turned off.
T-Mobile similarly delayed the shutdown of its 3G network in 2021.
Moving targets
T-Mobile has moved its 2G goalposts a few times. In 2023, the operator said it would turn off its 2G GSM network on April 2, 2024. But then early last year the company said it hadn't yet established an official date for the shutdown.
Regardless, T-Mobile is the last US carrier to operate a 2G network. Both AT&T and Verizon have already shuttered their own 2G networks.
When AT&T discontinued its 2G network in 2017, it disclosed that 4 million customers were still using the network, and that the bulk of those were IoT devices.
T-Mobile, for its part, hasn't disclosed how many customers might still be using its 2G network.
T-Mobile's German parent company, Deutsche Telekom, plans to retire its 2G network in 2028.
2G technology in general has had a remarkable run in the global wireless industry. It was first launched in the early 1990s, and in many countries in the world mobile operators like T-Mobile have moved to shutter their 3G networks before turning off 2G. That's partly because some feature phones and some Internet of Things services still use 2G connections. But it also reflects the incredible durability of 2G technology in an age of 5G.
However, network evolutions are inevitable in the telecom industry. As technology improves, wireless operators are keen to both sell new devices and shift customers onto more efficient connections.
Source: https://www.lightreading.com/2g-3g-4g/t-mobile-begins-dismantling-2g-network