The impending sunsets of older mobile networks pose a risk to legacy IoT applications and therefore demand immediate attention.
The retirement of 2G and 3G networks presents a logistical hurdle that threatens to interrupt supply chains, utility grids, and payment systems if not navigated with precision. While the consumer migration to 5G dominates headlines, the real friction lies in the industrial sector, where millions of IoT devices still rely on older connectivity standards.
According to analysis from Omdia, Europe currently leads the global charge in network decommissioning, specifically targeting 3G services while often preserving 2G. This diverging approach – where 3G is scrapped but 2G remains operative – is caused largely by the continued necessity of 2G for M2M and IoT applications across multiple European markets.
For enterprises operating across borders, this creates an uneven connectivity map. A logistics tracker that functions seamlessly in Germany, where 3G is phased out but 2G remains, may fail in Japan, where 2G is fully decommissioned. Understanding these regional variations is vital for maintaining operational continuity.
The fragmentation of global connectivity
The pace and prioritisation of network shutdowns vary widely by region, creating a complex setting for global asset management. Omdia’s report highlights that countries such as Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands have already phased out 3G, yet they retain limited 2G coverage specifically to support older use cases.
This retention of 2G mobile networks is a pragmatic response to the high volume of industrial IoT hardware – including smart meters, point-of-sale terminals, and vehicle telematics – that are built on GPRS technology. However, the UK presents a stricter schedule.
All UK mobile network operators (MNOs) have committed to shutting down both 2G and 3G networks by 2033 to align with national goals regarding 5G spectrum expansion. More urgently for short-term planning, all UK 3G networks are expected to be switched off by early 2026.
Contrast this with the Asia-Pacific, where the focus has been heavily on shutting down 2G networks first. Japan led the way as the first country to fully decommission 2G. An enterprise that is shipping legacy machinery to Tokyo today would find zero connectivity support for 2G-only modules.
North America offers yet another variation. The region has effectively completed its 3G shutdowns; the US finalised the process at the end of 2022, and Canada is set to conclude its phase-out in 2025.
Meanwhile, in Africa, 3G is expected to disappear before 2G, primarily because a large portion of the population continues to depend on basic 2G services for voice and SMS.
For mobile operators, maintaining four generations of network technology is financially and technically unsustainable.
Sarah McBride, Principal Analyst for Regulation at Omdia, explained: “With the growing adoption of 4G and 5G, mobile network operators are switching off their 2G, 3G, or both networks to free up resources, reassign spectrum, reduce complexity and save costs, as the cost of operating all four networks simultaneously is extremely high.”
For an enterprise with IoT assets, this spectrum refarming offers long-term benefits in the form of improved capacity from 4G and 5G mobile networks. However, the immediate period creates operational risk.
The sunk cost of legacy IoT deployments must be weighed against the risk of service loss. Organisations that fail to audit their device registry against these regional shutdown timelines face sudden data blindness.
Regulatory oversight and consumer protection
Omdia observes that while switch-off processes are largely initiated by operators, governments and regulators are frequently stepping in to mandate or oversee the process.
This oversight is necessary to protect vulnerable users. As the phase-out of older mobile networks accelerates, consumer protection has risen as a major concern, with elderly populations, rural communities, and IoT users identified as facing the greatest risk of disruption.
McBride explains that regulators can supervise the switch-off programme to ensure consumers are protected, approve spectrum-use changes, or even require operators to seek permission before terminating services.
“This can involve supervising the switch-off program to ensure consumers are protected, approving spectrum-use changes or even requiring operators to ask permission from the regulator before switching off services,” explained McBride.
To address disruption risks, regulators are increasingly mandating transparent communication strategies, including timelines, details of alternative services, and structured migration plans.
For enterprise leaders, this regulatory involvement is a double-edged sword. It provides a safety net and defined timelines, but it also imposes compliance requirements.
Regulators are urged to enable technology-neutral licensing across existing spectrum to ensure efficient use, rather than waiting for licences to expire. This flexibility is necessary for operators to repurpose 2G/3G bands for modern IoT standards without bureaucratic delays.
Ensuring the successful migration of legacy IoT assets to newer mobile networks
A successful network switch-off should involve close cooperation between regulators and MNOs. For the enterprise customer, this means engaging early with telecoms providers to understand their specific roadmaps.
Reliance on older networks is no longer a viable long-term plan. While Europe’s retention of 2G offers a buffer, it is not a permanent solution. The operational reality is that legacy networks are becoming islands in a sea of modern connectivity.
“Proactively implementing consumer protection measures is essential to ensuring inclusive and disruption-free legacy network shutdowns,” concludes McBride.
For the C-suite, the directive is to treat this migration away from older mobile networks not as a simple vendor swap, but as a necessary infrastructure upgrade for their IoT assets. The cost of inaction is not just the price of new modems, but the potential silence of essential business assets.
See also: Juniper Research releases emerging IoT trends report for 2026
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