Telecom provider T-Mobile will switch off its 2G network completely. As of November 15, 2020, the network will go offline and the company’s customers will only be able to access the network via 3G or 4G. With this, T-Mobile is taking the next step in modernising its networks.
On the T-Mobile site you can find information about the reasons for closing down the network. This is mainly due to the modernisation of the network. Calling and texting is done over 3G and 4G, and with a little bit of luck every smartphone can handle those networks nowadays. The advice to people with a 2G phone is therefore to switch to a new device.
Faster internet
T-Mobile informs Tweakers that it will use the frequencies that will be released to realise faster internet. It is therefore very likely that the space freed up will become available for the provider’s 3G and 4G networks. In this way, T-Mobile claims to be preparing its network for the future.
Since 2015, T-Mobile only uses the 1800MHz band for its 2G network. Earlier, it had stopped the 900MHz band, which was also traditionally used for 2G. This band was then released for T-Mobile’s 4G network. Parts of the 1800MHz band are already in use for the 4G network.
T-Mobile’s choice to switch off its 2G network is one that goes against the trend. Other providers keep their 2G network in order to be able to fall back on it if necessary. They therefore switch off their 3G networks. Vodafone will do this in 2020 and KPN in 2022.
This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.