Telekom wants to say goodbye to the GSM mobile communications standard (2G) in the summer of 2028. Old cell phones can then no longer be used.
Telekom is the first German mobile phone provider to announce a date for switching off its GSM network (2G). A statement from the group states that the outdated mobile communications standard will be “completely switched off” by June 30, 2028.
The reason: “With the 2G frequency spectrum becoming free, we can further improve our network,” informs Abdu Mudesir, Managing Director of Technology at Telekom Deutschland.
The frequencies in the 900 MHz band will then be used for the newer transmission standards 4G (LTE) and 5G. It is said that Telekom wants to improve network coverage primarily in rural areas.
According to the announcement, Telekom wants to provide the areas that currently only have 2G coverage with the new, more modern 4G and 5G standards before the shutdown. “As a rule, data transmission can finally be used in areas where previously only telephone calls were possible via 2G,” writes the company.
Anyone who owns a cell phone that supports the 4G and 5G mobile communications standards will not have to buy a new device when 2G is switched off. Only old cell phones without this support no longer work and have to be replaced.
This mainly affects the cheap senior cell phones offered by mail order companies. These often only support the old 2G mobile communications standard and will no longer be usable from 2028.
A look at the display usually tells you whether your device is ready for fast data transfer. If the terms “5G”, “4G” or “LTE” appear at the top of the screen when using the device, customers usually don’t need to worry about anything else.
A look at the smartphone display also shows whether the device is equipped for the modern 4G and 5G mobile communications standards. If the names 5G, 4G or LTE can be seen at the top of the screen, it will also work after the 2G shutdown in summer 2028.