2G and 3G retirement
Network retirement is an operator closing a 2G or 3G network, which stops any device that relies on that bearer.
Definitions only — a term explained here is not a service we sell.
Network retirement closes a 2G or 3G network market by market. A sunset is a deadline for the device, not a SIM setting: a device that speaks only the retired bearer stops attaching.
Two networks in the same market can close years apart, so a country-level map is only a starting point.
Generations in order
Network retirement
- 2G Voice and SMS only
- 3G Capacity refarmed Current step
- 4G VoLTE baseline
- 5G New devices
Text description
The timeline lists 2G voice and SMS, 3G capacity refarmed, 4G with VoLTE as the voice baseline, and 5G for new devices. At the highlighted 3G point, a 3G-only device loses its bearer.
What stops working
Without 2G or 3G fallback, voice on 4G needs VoLTE. Otherwise calls fall back to a network that may be gone.
What to check
Ask the module vendor for certification status and operator device acceptance, not only the chipset specification. Test a sample on the live network. The Export devices guide covers the per-market check.