Dutch telco KPN has announced that it will extend its 2G shutdown date to December 1, 2027.
The carrier had initially been set to call time on its 2G network by the end of 2025, but has now extended the date by two years.
In a statement, KPN said it's giving its customers and businesses more time to switch over to 4G and 5G technologies.
"The number of 2G users has been declining rapidly in recent years, but there is still a relatively large group of active users. In order to ensure continuity and to ensure that the Netherlands can carefully stop using this outdated technology, KPN is giving the market two additional years to make the switch," said KPN.
KPN previously retired its 3G network in 2022.
Several telcos have moved to either shut down or phase out their legacy 2G and 3G networks across the world.
In the UK, all four mobile operators have agreed to switch off 2G services by 2033, while in France Bouygues Telecom will decommission its 2G network by the end of 2026.
German carrier Deutsche Telekom has confirmed it will retire its 2G network in 2028.
However, it's still some distance behind other nations, with Japanese network operators notably calling time on their 2G service back in 2011.
Source: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/kpn-extends-2g-switch-off-date-to-december-2027/