The German operator said the shutdown comes as most of its customers have already shifted to 4G or 5G, the move designed to clear the way for faster services.
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“With the 2G frequency spectrum that will be freed up, we can further improve our network,” says Abdu Mudesir, chief technology officer at Deutsche Telekom.
“We want fast data transmission for everyone — and we want it everywhere. That's why we will use the frequencies in our network for 4G and 5G in the future to make mobile surfing even better, especially in rural areas.”
2G networks initially emerged in the early 1990s, replacing the prior standard’s analogue radio signals with digital ones, connected by cell towers, to the wider mobile network.
2G would go on to be replaced by 3G, and is now considered considerably outdated, with Deutsche Telekom touting that its customers have enjoyed access to 4G LTE networks for more than a decade.
From June 2028, Deutsche Telekom will use the spectrum currently blocked by 2G in the frequency range of around 900 MHz for more powerful technologies.
Areas covered by 2G but not 4G will be brought forward to 4G/5G coverage as the company looks to modernise its network.
The impact to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, which once relied on 2G will be minimal as Deutsche Telekom has already shut down its 3G network, instead connecting devices using 4G, 5G, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE-M.
Deutsche Telekom said providers and users should start replacing old radio modules ahead of the 2028 shutdown date.
