Replacing 2G in Europe
Europe is switching 2G off in waves: all four French operators by the end of 2026 (Orange began on 31 March), all three German operators in 2028 (Telekom on 30 June, Vodafone in September with a residual IoT network to end-2030, O2 in the second half), and the UK by 2033 at the latest. Lift emergency phones, alarms, meters, POS and vehicle units that rely on 2G must move to 4G before their network closes.456
- About 400,000 lifts in Germany are affected and must be upgraded before summer 2028; lifts must keep two-way communication.7
- At the end of June 2026, 1.91 million SIMs in France were still in 2G/3G-only devices, alongside a large machine-to-machine base.8
- From lifts to remote alarms, people’s safety is at stake; the French regulator urges organisations to inventory systems that depend on 2G/3G.9
- NG-eCall, mandatory for new EU vehicle types from mid-2026, runs over LTE or 5G rather than 2G.6
2G / 3G shutdown timetable in Europe
| Date | Country | Operator | Network | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-06 | Germany | Vodafone | 3G | Switched off1 |
| 2021-06-30 | Germany | Deutsche Telekom | 3G | Switched off2 |
| 2021-12-30 | Germany | O2 Telefónica | 3G | Switched off1 |
| 2024 | United Kingdom | EE | 3G | Switched off3 |
| 2024 | United Kingdom | Vodafone | 3G | Switched off3 |
| 2024 | United Kingdom | Three | 3G | Switched off3 |
| 2026-03 | United Kingdom | O2 | 3G | Switched off3 |
| 2026-12 | France | Orange | 2G (from 2026-03-31, region by region) | Planned4 |
| 2026-12-15 | France | SFR | 2G | Planned4 |
| 2026-12-15 | France | Bouygues Telecom | 2G | Planned4 |
| 2028 | France | Orange | 3G | Planned4 |
| 2028-06-30 | Germany | Deutsche Telekom | 2G | Planned5 |
| 2028-09 | Germany | Vodafone | 2G | Planned6 |
| 2028-12 | France | SFR | 3G | Planned4 |
| 2028-H2 | Germany | O2 Telefónica | 2G | Planned5 |
| 2029-12 | France | Bouygues Telecom | 3G | Planned4 |
| 2030-12 | Germany | Vodafone | 2G residual network for industrial IoT | Planned6 |
| 2033 | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | 2G (all operators) | Planned3 |
4G bands a replacement must support
| United Kingdom | B20 (coverage) + B3 + B1, plus B7 for city capacity |
|---|---|
| Germany | B20 (coverage) + B3 + B1, with B8 and B7 recommended; B28 as a supplement |
| France | Orange, SFR, Bouygues: B20 + B3 + B7 + B1; Free: B28 is essential (it has no 800 MHz) |
MF833V on 11 networks in the UK, Germany and France
The MF833V is an LTE Cat.4 USB data terminal, suited to devices that connect over USB for data: alarm panels, gateways, industrial PCs, POS and signage. For lift emergency phones that need voice, please confirm the application with us first. It lacks B28, so it is “limited” on Free in France and “good” on the other 10 networks.
| Operator | Country | MF833V verdict | Score | Missing bands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EE | United Kingdom | ✔ Good | 100% | — |
| O2 | United Kingdom | ✔ Good | 80% | B40 |
| Vodafone | United Kingdom | ✔ Good | 86% | B38 |
| Three | United Kingdom | ✔ Good | 100% | — |
| Deutsche Telekom | Germany | ✔ Good | 75% | B28 |
| Vodafone | Germany | ✔ Good | 78% | B28 |
| O2 Telefónica | Germany | ✔ Good | 75% | B28 |
| Orange | France | ✔ Good | 71% | B28 |
| SFR | France | ✔ Good | 71% | B28 |
| Bouygues Telecom | France | ✔ Good | 71% | B28 |
| Free Mobile | France | ◐ Limited | 50% | B28 |
Four steps to migrate
- Inventory: list every 2G/3G device, its country and network, contract term and shutdown date.
- Check bands: paste the replacement terminal’s band list into Check my module and tick the UK, Germany and France.
- Validate with samples: confirm the application with us (data or voice), request samples as needed and test on the target networks.
- Roll out: plan backwards from each shutdown date and finish at least a quarter early.
MF833V supply terms
- Minimum order
- 100 units
- Samples
- Provided as needed, once we have confirmed the application with you
- Lead time
- Under 1,000 units: delivery in December 2026; over 1,000 units: from January 2027, with the PO placed in advance
- Certification
- CE for the EU; see the UK guide for the UK
Supply terms as of 2026-09-30; the latest agreement with us applies.
Sources
- B O2 switches off its last 3G sites on 30 December 2021 mobiFlip · 2021-12-30
- B 3G shutdown plans of Telekom, Vodafone and O2 (Telekom: 30 June 2021) TECHBOOK · 2020-09-22
- B UK 2G / 3G switch-off timeline CSL Group · 2026-09-30
- A Switch-off of 2G and 3G mobile networks: operator timetable Arcep · 2026
- B After Telekom and Vodafone, o2 also switches off 2G in the second half of 2028 teltarif · 2026-06
- B Vodafone sets September 2028 for 2G (IoT residual network to end-2030); Telekom 30 June 2028 PCtipp · 2025
- B Position paper on the 2G switch-off: about 400,000 lifts affected VDMA Lifts and Escalators · 2026-08-26
- B 2G ends at all four national operators by end-2026; 1.91 million 2G/3G-only SIMs Next · 2026-09
- B 2G/3G switch-off: timetable adjusted (Orange starts 31 March 2026) Banque des Territoires · 2025-07
