👉 The first 2G mobile network in the world was launched in Finland in 1991, marking the first digital mobile network and replacing analogue 1G systems.
👉 The Nokia 1100, launched in 2003, remains the best-selling phone of all time, with over 250 million units sold. Also, it had a firmware bug that hackers could exploit to receive one-time passwords (OTPS) meant for online banking systems.
👉 According to the Ericsson Mobility Report Q4 2024, 2G accounts for around 5-10% of total mobile subscribers worldwide, with approximately 870 million subscriptions.
👉 2G still exists in many parts of the world, mainly because of a few key reasons:
- In many developing countries, millions of people still use basic or “feature” phones that rely only on 2G networks. These phones are affordable, durable, and have long battery life—ideal for users who don’t need internet access or can’t afford a smartphone.
- Many older IoT devices, such as utility meters, POS terminals, and some vehicle tracking systems, were designed to operate on 2G.
- In some regions, especially rural parts of Africa and Asia, 2G is still the only available mobile network.
👉Countries That Have Already Shut Down 2G
Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Canada, the United States, Australia, the UAE, etc. But generally, regional experiences vary.
Also, there are many MNOs following the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” 😀
📗 The most essential challenge is IoT and M2M devices, which need a roadmap change and how to upgrade them to LTE-M, NBIoT, RedCap, or mix with other technologies like WiFi, Zigbee, Sigfox, LoRa, etc.
📗Countries shut down for 2G and 3G, like Australia and the US. There are many concerns about emergency services, like 911, for roamers without VoLTE capabilities.