Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (Liikenne- ja viestintaministerio, MoTC) has announced that the government has altered the terms of existing 2G licences, with concession holders now only obliged to offer 2G connectivity until the end of 2029. Under the previous terms, mobile network operators (MNOs) had been required to maintain their respective 2G networks until the end of 2033, but the change in licence terms follows a review by the ministry which got underway earlier this year.
In a press release regarding the development, the MoTC noted the 900MHz/1800MHz licences granted to DNA Finland, Elisa and Telia Finland oblige them to offer 2G voice and data services to 99% of the population of mainland Finland. Despite having shortened the timeframe before 2G networks can be shuttered, the ministry did highlight that there were still ‘a very large number of meters and control devices related to, for example, electricity and water networks’ connected via the technology. As such, it has suggested that despite the truncated timeline for 2G shutdowns, operators will still be required to inform the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Liikenne- ja viestintavirasto, Traficom) ‘well in advance’ of their plans to discontinue 2G connectivity, so that the transition to newer technologies ‘is as controlled as possible’.