2G and 3G switch-off dates in the UK, and which IoT devices are exposed
On their own pages, all four UK networks say 3G is switched off, and the three that run 2G give closure dates from 2029 (EE, O2) and spring 2030 (Vodafone), ahead of the 2033 date operators gave the Government. This guide gives each date with its source and shows which IoT devices are exposed.
Switch-off dates by network in the UK
Last checked: 3 October 2026. Every date below was read from the network's own page or a government page on that day, and the bracketed numbers point to the sources at the foot of the page. If a page gives no date, we say so. For a shorter, practical version aimed at gate and intercom owners, see our gate, alarm and intercom guide; this page adds the network-by-network dates and a device table.
| Network | 3G | 2G |
|---|---|---|
| EE | Switched off during January and February 2024 [12]. | Closing begins from May 2029 [12][10]. |
| Vodafone UK (part of VodafoneThree [16]) | Switched off. Vodafone's release dated 27 February 2024 says the work finished that week [15]. | Spring 2030 for the Vodafone 2G network [14][10]. Vodafone says it will take a phased approach, so 2G in certain areas may be retired ahead of that [14]. |
| Three UK (part of VodafoneThree [16]) | Shut down on the morning of 27 November 2025 [16]. | No 2G network. Three UK has never had one [14][9]. |
| O2 (Virgin Media O2; giffgaff, Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile use this network) [17] | Virgin Media O2 says it completed its 3G switch-off in late 2025 [17]. | Starts summer 2029 [17][10]. Already closed for international roaming [17]. |
The 2033 date and the three-year rule
The mobile operators have told the UK Government they do not plan to offer 2G or 3G services beyond 2033 [9]. Every operator date above is earlier. Under the government's 2G Switch-off Charter (updated 15 September 2026), signatories commit to announcing a 2G switch-off date at least three years before it begins [11]. EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree are among them. The charter also commits them to work for a safe switch-off for vulnerable users, life-critical services and critical national infrastructure, and notes that many IoT devices use 2G today, including telecare and other medical devices [11].
Roaming SIMs: a 2G cut that has already happened
Virgin Media O2 says its 2G network is already closed for international roaming [17]. The government's telecare action plan (11 February 2025) says some telecare devices may connect using international or roaming SIMs, and that these may be affected by Virgin Media O2's plans to withdraw roaming on its 2G network from October 2025. It also cautions against replacing telecare devices that rely on the analogue landline with 2G or 3G dependent equipment that has a limited lifespan [19]. If a device arrived with a foreign SIM built in, find out which network it really uses.
Which IoT devices are exposed
The radio inside the device decides. A 3G-only unit has already lost 3G on all four networks. A 2G-only unit still works, but on the dates above it now has an end point. Only equipment that depends entirely on a closed network loses service. Check which network the SIM is on before reading the table.
| Device | What the sources say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm dialers and communicators | Vodafone UK names security alarms, care alarms and door entry systems among equipment that may rely on 2G [14]. EE's business page names security alarms and door entry systems, and says to contact the equipment manufacturer or provider, which may not be EE, to check the equipment is 4G or 5G compatible [13]. | The radio list in the installation manual. One manual (DSC 3G4010, V4.0) lists UMTS/HSPA and GSM/EDGE radios and does not list 4G [24]. Vodafone tells business customers who think they may be using 2G to contact their service supplier as soon as possible [14]. Tell the monitoring company before any change. |
| Smart meters | Smart DCC says meters in central and southern regions use 2G/3G cellular and wireless mesh provided by Virgin Media O2, and northern regions use long-range radio provided by Arqiva. It says meters are designed to switch to 2G when 3G closes, that new 4G communications hubs are being installed, and that first-generation SMETS1 meters not yet upgraded must be physically replaced before 2033 [18]. | Questions about a specific meter go to your energy supplier. |
| Tills and telemetry | EE says businesses using 2G or 3G only devices, such as tills, security systems or telemetry devices, should plan to upgrade to 4G or 5G compatible solutions [12]. | The device's connectivity specification and your supplier's notices. |
| Trackers | None of the UK operator pages we read names vehicle trackers; Vodafone refers to IoT and M2M devices in general [14] and EE to telemetry devices [12]. Teltonika's 2022 launch of the FMC920 and FMM920 is one example of a tracker line adding 4G with a 2G (GSM) fallback [22]. A 2G fallback is itself subject to the 2G dates above. | The exact model code and which radios it uses. Variants of one tracker family can differ. |
| EV chargers | None of the EE, Vodafone UK or Virgin Media O2 pages we read names EV chargers. As an example of why the data sheet matters, ABB's EVLunic Pro M configuration manual (2019) refers to a “GSM module” on certain variants and sends the reader to the installation manual for the radio data [25]. | The model's data sheet, then its installation manual. A bare “GSM” does not say which generation. |
| Solar loggers | Not named on the EE, Vodafone UK or Virgin Media O2 pages we read. Victron's GX LTE 4G modem manual (rev 04, 09/2024) states support for 2G, 3G and 4G and a Mini-SIM slot [23]. | The modem's radio list and the SIM format it takes. |
| Lifts | SafeLine, a lift telephone maker, wrote its article for UK lift companies. It says older 2G GSM equipment is on a separate phase-out timeline run by mobile operators, and that 4G or 5G cellular is the most resilient option for most UK lift installations. It describes EN 81-28 as requiring a two-way voice connection at all times, including an automatic test call at least every 72 hours [21]. | Your lift contractor, the radio in the lift telephone and the last test-call record. |
Landline devices moving to mobile
Openreach says traditional phone lines go digital by 31 January 2027. It lists alarms, CCTV, payment terminals, telecare devices, health monitoring equipment, door entry systems and lift phones among equipment that can be connected to a phone line [20]. A device moved from a landline onto mobile becomes a radio question, so pick a 4G unit rather than a 2G or 3G one with an end date.
What a SIM can and cannot change
No SIM can give a device a radio it does not have: a 3G-only unit needs a 4G replacement or upgrade whichever SIM sits in it. Where the hardware already has 4G, a multi-network SIM can reduce dependence on one operator, which is what SimFalcon says its multi-network service is designed to do [27]. SimFalcon supplies managed multi-network IoT SIMs for gates, alarms, CCTV, telecare, solar monitoring, EV chargers and vending machines, with published prices billed annually [27]. See alarm SIMs, telecare connectivity, solar monitoring, EV chargers, vending and pricing.
A short audit routine
- List every device with a SIM, including ones installed by someone else.
- Record the model, the manual's radio list, the SIM's network and who supplies it.
- Sort by radio: 3G-only first, then 2G-only by network end date, then 4G.
- Test by function: a test signal to the monitoring centre, a test transaction, or a fresh reading in the portal.
- Keep the result and date on the service record, and re-check the sources below before planning replacements.
- Should a device go quiet after a change, work through weak or no network, SIM not connecting and APN setup.
Sources
- [9] Mobile UK, 2G and 3G switch-off, checked 3 October 2026.
- [10] GOV.UK, Telecommunications Modernisation: Connectivity Timeline (published 24 March 2026, updated 29 July 2026), checked 3 October 2026.
- [11] GOV.UK, 2G Switch-off Charter (updated 15 September 2026), checked 3 October 2026.
- [12] EE, 2G and 3G Switch-Off, checked 3 October 2026.
- [13] EE Business, 2G switch off (business), checked 3 October 2026.
- [14] Vodafone UK, VodafoneThree 2G switch-off: everything you need to know (23 March 2026), checked 3 October 2026.
- [15] Vodafone UK, Vodafone successfully switches off 3G in UK (27 February 2024), checked 3 October 2026.
- [16] VodafoneThree, Three 3G shutdown (15 December 2025), checked 3 October 2026.
- [17] Virgin Media O2, Virgin Media O2 to start switching off its 2G network in 2029 (23 June 2026), checked 3 October 2026.
- [18] DCC (Smart DCC), Do smart meters use 3G?, checked 3 October 2026.
- [19] GOV.UK, Telecare National Action Plan: protecting telecare users through the digital phone switchover (11 February 2025), checked 3 October 2026.
- [20] Openreach, Switching off PSTN across the UK, checked 3 October 2026.
- [21] SafeLine Orion, The PSTN switch-off is confirmed. Is your lift telephone ready?, checked 3 October 2026.
- [22] Teltonika Telematics, FMC920 and FMM920: new vehicle GPS trackers with 4G network (11 July 2022), checked 3 October 2026.
- [23] Victron Energy, GX LTE 4G manual, rev 04 (09/2024), checked 3 October 2026.
- [24] DSC (Johnson Controls), 3G4010 3G (HSPA) Cellular Alarm Communicator, Installation Manual V4.0, checked 3 October 2026.
- [25] ABB, EVLunic Pro M charging station, configuration manual V1.02 (2019), checked 3 October 2026.
- [27] SimFalcon, SimFalcon UK (home page), checked 3 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When are UK networks switching off 2G?
EE says from May 2029, Virgin Media O2 says from summer 2029 and VodafoneThree says spring 2030 for the Vodafone 2G network. Three UK never had 2G. The operators have told the Government they do not plan to offer 2G or 3G beyond 2033.
Has 3G already gone in the UK?
According to each operator's own page, yes. EE switched off during January and February 2024, Vodafone in February 2024, Three on 27 November 2025 and Virgin Media O2 in late 2025. A device that only supports 3G needs a 4G replacement or upgrade.
Will smart meters stop working?
Smart DCC says GB smart meters are designed to switch to 2G when 3G closes. It says new 4G communications hubs are being installed and that first-generation SMETS1 meters not yet upgraded must be physically replaced before 2033.
How much notice will operators give for 2G?
Signatories to the government's 2G Switch-off Charter, including EE, Virgin Media O2 and VodafoneThree, commit to announcing a 2G switch-off date at least three years before it begins. Their dates above are already announced.
Do EV chargers and solar loggers need replacing?
Not necessarily. The EE, Vodafone UK and Virgin Media O2 pages we read do not name them, so check the radio list in the data sheet. Only equipment that depends entirely on a closed network loses service.
Questions about connectivity for your equipment? Talk to SimFalcon or ask Engineer Support.