Orange Belgium has revealed it will begin the phased shutdown of its 3G network in January next year, with the deactivation process implemented on a region-by-region basis and completed by 2025.
According to a timetable published on the operator’s website, the municipality of Wetteren in eastern Flanders will be the first to lose the service, followed by Namur (February), coastal areas and the High Fens region (April), Antwerp, Ghent and Leuven (May), and Mons (June). The schedule for the remaining areas will be announced at a later date. Orange claims the 3G shutdown will have a limited impact for its customers, the majority of which use the 4G network for both voice (using VoLTE) and data services. Orange Belgium’s 2G network will remain in service until at least 2028.