From the physical side, the radio frequency spectrum used for wireless communication is a very sparse, limited but valuable resource. Each country/region through the world uses and optimizes this common spectrum differently, but the same physical limitations apply.
As new, more advanced, and powerful mobile radio network technologies emerge, older standards make way for future deployments. Current mobile Radio Access Technologies (RAT) range from 2G (GSM), 3G (UMTS), 4G (LTE) including NB-IoT and LTE Cat-M to the most recent fifth generation 5G. The advancements in 4G and 5G provide simpler, scalable network structures and are more optimized for IoT and future-driven use cases compared to 2G and 3G. As a result, many Mobile Network Operators (MNO) decided to discontinue 2G and/or 3G to make space in the radio frequency bands for 4G and 5G deployments.
Migrating to Future-Proof Technologies
Early on mobile IoT device integrations used 2G/3G RATs as primary network resource. Today, many deployed IoT devices still use older RATs as fallback solution as new radio standards (e.g., NB-IoT and LTE-M/Cat-M) start to be deployed. This is backed by the usage statistics we see in the 1NCE Network. While in the European Region 2G still is the dominating standard for IoT applications, the adaption and demand for 4G/LTE with NB-IoT and LTE Cat-M is increasing significantly as availably of affordable modem hardware and international network coverage grows.
As most IoT device integrations aim for long-term deployment, device developers and manufactures need to be on the lookout for ongoing radio resource reallocations in mobile networks. It is all about choosing the right radio technology for future usage. From the SIM card perspective, the 1NCE SIM cards support all Radio Access Technologies (2G, 3G, 4G, Cat-M and NB-IoT). To future-prove IoT hardware devices, 1NCE recommends the usage of 4G and the related LTE Cat-M and NB-IoT modem hardware wherever it is possible. 2G and 3G are good alternatives to use for providing a fallback in case of a 4G outage but should ideally not be considered main point of future IoT connectivity.
Upcoming 2G (GSM) & 3G (UMTS) Discontinuations
Different countries and regions follow different shutdown/sunset/discontinuation patterns when it comes to mobile radio networks. In European Region, mostly 3G (UMTS) services are shut down and 2G (GSM) radio coverage is preserved due to fallback and emergency service use cases. In the US, Asia and Australia, the focus on freeing up radio resources lies on 2G (GSM) network resources.
As 1NCE IoT SIM connectivity relies on their roaming partners for local radio coverage, the overall coverage and available Radio Access Technologies are impacted by the local shutdowns. The list below provides an overview of upcoming changes due to discontinuations in the 1NCE Coverage.
| Country/Region | Network Operator | 2G (GSM) | 3G (UMTS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | Vodafone Albania | - | Completed |
| Andorra | Andorra Telecom S.A.U. | - | 01.09.2026 |
| Anguilla | Cable & Wireless (West Indies) Ltd. Anguilla (Flow) | Completed | - |
| Anguilla | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Cable & Wireless (Anguilla) Limited | Completed | - |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Argentina | Telenet Group BVBA/SPRL | - | Completed |
| Aruba | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Aruba | SETAR (Servicio di Telecomunicacion di Aruba) | 01.08.2026 | - |
| Australia | Optus Mobile Pty Ltd | Completed | - |
| Australia | Telstra Cooperation Ltd | Completed | - |
| Austria | A1 Telekom Austria AG | 31.05.2028 | Completed |
| Austria | Hutchison 3 Austria GmbH | - | Completed |
| Bahrain | STC Bahrain B.S.C Closed | - | Completed |
| Bahrain | Zain Bahrain B.S.C | - | Completed |
| Bangladesh | Grammenphone Ltd. | - | Completed |
| Barbados | Cable & Wireless Barbados Ltd. | Completed | - |
| Barbados | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Belgium | Orange Belgium NV/SA | 31.12.2028 | Completed |
| Belgium | Telenet Group BVBA/SPRL | 31.12.2027 | Completed |
| Bermuda | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) | Curacao Telecom N.V. | 30.11.2026 | 31.03.2028 |
| British Virgin Islands | Cable & Wireless West Indies | Completed | - |
| British Virgin Islands | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Bulgaria | A1 Bulgaria | - | Completed |
| Canada | Bell Mobility Inc. | - | 01.03.2027 |
| Canada | SaskTel | Completed | 01.10.2027 |
| Canada | TELUS Communications Canada Inc. | Completed | - |
| Cayman | Cable & Wireless West Indies | Completed | - |
| Cayman | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| China | China Mobile International Limited | 23.06.2026 | Completed |
| China | China Unicom | Completed | 30.06.2026 |
| Colombia | Colombia Movil S.A. | Completed | - |
| Colombia | Comunicacion Celular S.A. (Claro) | Completed | - |
| Costa Rica | I.C.E. (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) | Completed | - |
| Costa Rica | LIBERTY TELECOMUNICACIONES DE COSTA RICA LY | Completed | - |
| Croatia | A1 Hrvatska d.o.o. | - | Completed |
| Croatia | Croatian Telecom Inc. | - | Completed |
| Curacao (Netherlands Antilles) | Curacao Telecom N.V. | 30.11.2026 | 31.03.2028 |
| Cyprus | Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) | - | 31.12.2027 |
| Czech Republic | O2 Czech Republic, a.s. | - | Completed |
| Czech Republic | T-Mobile Czech Republic | 01.01.2028 | Completed |
| Czech Republic | Vodafone Czech Republic | Completed | Completed |
| Denmark | Hi3G Denmark ApS | - | Completed |
| Denmark | TDC NetCo | - | Completed |
| Denmark | Telenor A/S | - | Completed |
| Denmark | Telia Denmark ApS | - | Completed |
| Dominica | Cable & Wireless Dominica Ltd. | 30.08.2026 | - |
| Dominica | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| El Salvador | Telemovil EL Salvador S.A | Completed | - |
| Estonia | Elisa Eesti AS | 31.12.2029 | - |
| Estonia | Tele2 Eesti AS | - | Completed |
| Estonia | Telia Eesti | 31.12.2029 | - |
| Finland | Alands Telekommunikation Ab | Completed | - |
| Finland | DNA Ltd | 31.12.2029 | - |
| Finland | Elisa Corporation | - | Completed |
| Finland | Telia Finland Oyj | - | Completed |
| France | Bouygues Telecom France | 31.12.2026 | 31.12.2029 |
| France | Orange France | 31.12.2026 | 31.12.2028 |
| France | SFR France | 31.12.2026 | 31.12.2028 |
| French Guiana | Digicel Antilles Française | Completed | - |
| French Guiana | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Germany | Deutsche Telekom | 30.06.2028 | Completed |
| Germany | O2 / Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG | - | Completed |
| Germany | O2 / Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG | - | Completed |
| Germany | Vodafone | 31.12.2030 | 31.12.2030 |
| Great Britain | EE | - | Completed |
| Great Britain | EE Limited | - | Completed |
| Great Britain | Hutchison 3G UK Ltd | - | Completed |
| Great Britain | O2/Telefonica UK Limited | Completed | Completed |
| Great Britain | Vodafone UK Limited | 31.12.2030 | Completed |
| Greece | COSMOTE Mobile Telecommunications S.A | - | Completed |
| Greece | Vodafone Roaming Services S.A.R.L. | - | Completed |
| Greece | WIND HELLAS Telecommunications S.A | - | Completed |
| Greenland | Tele Greenland A/S | - | Completed |
| Grenada | Cable & Wireless Grenada Ltd. | Completed | - |
| Grenada | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Guadeloupe (French Antilles) | Digicel Antilles Française | Completed | - |
| Guadeloupe (French Antilles) | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Guam | PTI Pacifica Inc. dba IT&E | - | Completed |
| Guernsey | JT (Jersey) Limited | - | Completed |
| Haiti | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT/CSL) Limited (PCCW) | Completed | - |
| Hong Kong | Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited | Completed | 31.10.2026 |
| Hong Kong | SmarTone | Completed | 30.09.2026 |
| Hungary | Magyar Telekom Plc. | - | Completed |
| Hungary | Yettel Magyarország | - | Completed |
| Iceland | Nova Island | - | Completed |
| Iceland | Síminn hf | Completed | Completed |
| Iceland | Sýn hf. (Vodafone) | Completed | - |
| India | Airtel Andhra Pradesh | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Assam | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Bihar | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Chennai | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Delhi | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Gujarat | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Haryana | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Himachal Pradesh | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Karnataka | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Kerala | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Kolkata | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Madhya Pradesh | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Maharashtra & Goa | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Mumbai | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel North East | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Orissa | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Punjab | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Rajasthan | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Tamilnadu | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel UP East | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel Uttar Pradesh West | - | Completed |
| India | Airtel West Bengal | - | Completed |
| Indonesia | PT Indosat Tbk (Indosat Ooredoo) | - | Completed |
| Indonesia | PT. XL Axiata Tbk | - | Completed |
| Israel | Hot Mobile Ltd. | Completed | Completed |
| Israel | Partner Communications Company Ltd. | Completed | Completed |
| Israel | Pelephone Communications Ltd. | Completed | Completed |
| Italy | Telecom Italia SpA | 31.12.2029 | Completed |
| Italy | Vodafone Italy | - | Completed |
| Italy | Wind Tre S.p.A. | - | Completed |
| Jamaica | Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited | Completed | - |
| Jamaica | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Japan | KDDI | Completed | Completed |
| Japan | NTT DoCoMo | Completed | Completed |
| Japan | Softbank KK | Completed | - |
| Jersey | JT (Jersey) Limited | - | Completed |
| Jordan | Umniah Mobile Company | Completed | - |
| Korea, Republic of | KT Corporation | Completed | - |
| Korea, Republic of | LG Uplus Corporation | Completed | - |
| Korea, Republic of | SK Telecom | Completed | - |
| Kosovo | IPKO Telecommunications LLC | - | Completed |
| Kuwait | National Mobile Telecommunications Company (K.S.C) | - | Completed |
| La Désirade (French Antilles) | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Latvia | Latvijas Mobilais Telefons SIA | - | Completed |
| Latvia | SIA Bite Mobile | - | Completed |
| Latvia | TELE2 Latvia | - | Completed |
| Les Saintes (French Antilles) | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Liechtenstein | Telecom Liechtenstein AG | Completed | Completed |
| Lithuania | Telia Lietuva, AB | 31.12.2028 | Completed |
| Lithuania | UAB Bite Lietuva | 31.12.2028 | Completed |
| Luxembourg | Orange Luxembourg | 31.12.2030 | Completed |
| Luxembourg | Post Luxembourg | 31.12.2026 | Completed |
| Luxembourg | Tango SA | - | Completed |
| Macau | Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau, S.A.R.L. | Completed | Completed |
| Macedonia, North | Makedonski Telekom AD Skopje | - | Completed |
| Malaysia | Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd | - | Completed |
| Malaysia | Maxis Broadband Sdn. Bhd. | - | Completed |
| Mariana Islands | PTI Pacifica Inc. dba IT&E | - | Completed |
| Marie Galante (French Antilles) | Digicel Antilles Française | Completed | - |
| Marie Galante (French Antilles) | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Martinique (French Antilles) | Digicel Antilles Française | Completed | - |
| Martinique (French Antilles) | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Mayotte | Orange Reunion | Completed | - |
| Mexico | AT&T Comercialization Mexico | Completed | - |
| Montenegro | CRNOGORSKI TELEKOM A.D. | - | Completed |
| Montenegro | MTEL d.o.o. Podgorica | Completed | - |
| Montserrat | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Nepal | Nepal Doorsanchar Company | Completed | - |
| Netherlands | KPN B.V. | 01.12.2027 | Completed |
| Netherlands | T-Mobile Netherlands | Completed | - |
| Netherlands | Vodafone Libertel N.V. | 31.12.2026 | Completed |
| New Caledonia | Office des Postes et Telecommunications | Completed | - |
| New Zealand | Spark New Zealand Trading Limited | Completed | Completed |
| New Zealand | Two Degrees Networks Limited | Completed | Completed |
| Norway | Telenor Norge AS | 31.12.2027 | Completed |
| Norway | Telia Norge AS | Completed | Completed |
| Oman, Sultanate of | Oman Telecommunications Company S.A.O.G. | - | Completed |
| Oman, Sultanate of | Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company | - | Completed |
| Philippines | Smart Communications, Inc. | - | 31.12.2026 |
| Poland | Orange Polska S.A. | 31.12.2030 | Completed |
| Poland | T-Mobile Polska S.A. | 31.12.2030 | Completed |
| Puerto Rico | AT&T USA | Completed | - |
| Puerto Rico | T-Mobile USA | - | Completed |
| Qatar | Ooredoo QSC | - | Completed |
| Qatar | Vodafone | - | Completed |
| Reunion | Orange Reunion | Completed | - |
| Romania | Orange Romania | 31.12.2030 | Completed |
| Romania | Telekom Romania Mobile Communications S.A. | - | Completed |
| Romania | Vodafone Romania S.A. | Completed | - |
| Saint Barthelemy | Digicel Antilles Française | Completed | - |
| Saint Barthelemy | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Saint Lucia | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Saint Martin (French part) | Digicel Antilles Française | Completed | - |
| Saint Martin (French part) | Orange Caraibe | Completed | 31.12.2028 |
| Saint Vincent and Grenadines | Digicel (Jamaica) Limited | Completed | - |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Telecom Company (STC) | - | Completed |
| Serbia | A1 Serbia | - | Completed |
| Singapore | SIMBA | Completed | - |
| Singapore | SingTel Mobile | Completed | Completed |
| Singapore | StarHub Mobile Pte Ltd | Completed | Completed |
| Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) | Telcell N.V. | Completed | - |
| Slovak Republic | O2 Slovakia, s.r.o. | - | Completed |
| Slovak Republic | Orange Slovensko A.S | 31.12.2030 | Completed |
| Slovak Republic | Slovak Telekom, a.s. | - | Completed |
| Slovenia | A1 Slovenija d.d. | 31.12.2030 | Completed |
| Slovenia | Telekom Slovenije d.d. | - | Completed |
| South Africa | MTN South Africa | 31.12.2027 | 31.12.2027 |
| South Africa | Telkom South Africa | 31.12.2027 | 31.12.2027 |
| South Africa | Vodacom South Africa | 31.12.2027 | 31.12.2027 |
| Spain | Orange Espagne S.A.U. | 31.12.2030 | 31.12.2027 |
| Sri Lanka | Dialog Axiata PLC | - | Completed |
| Sri Lanka | Mobitel (Pvt) Limited | - | Completed |
| Suriname | Digicel Suriname N.V. | Completed | 31.03.2029 |
| Sweden | Hi3G Access AB | - | Completed |
| Sweden | Tele2 AB Sweden | Completed | Completed |
| Sweden | Telenor Sverige AB | Completed | Completed |
| Sweden | Telia Sverige AB | 31.12.2027 | Completed |
| Switzerland | Salt Mobile SA (formerly Orange) | Completed | - |
| Switzerland | Sunrise, Switzerland | Completed | Completed |
| Switzerland | Swisscom Mobile Ltd. | Completed | Completed |
| Taiwan | Chungwa Telecom LDM Taiwan | Completed | Completed |
| Taiwan | Far Eastone Taiwan | Completed | Completed |
| Taiwan | Taiwan Mobile Co., Ltd. | Completed | Completed |
| Taiwan | Taiwan Star Telecom Corporation Limited | Completed | Completed |
| Tanzania | Viettel Tanzania Limited | 30.09.2026 | Completed |
| Thailand | Advanced Wireless Network Company (AIS) | 30.09.2026 | 30.09.2026 |
| Thailand | True Move Company Ltd. | Completed | - |
| Thailand | True Move H Universal Communication | Completed | - |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Digicel Trinidad and Tobago Ltd | Completed | 31.03.2029 |
| Tunisia | Ooredoo Tunisie SA | - | 30.06.2026 |
| Tunisia | Orange Tunisie, SA | - | 30.06.2026 |
| Tunisia | Tunisie Telecom | - | 30.06.2026 |
| US Virgin Islands | AT&T USA | Completed | - |
| US Virgin Islands | T-Mobile USA | - | Completed |
| USA | AT&T USA | Completed | - |
| USA | Cellular One (Smith Bagley, Inc.) | Completed | Completed |
| USA | NE Colorado Cellular, Inc | Completed | - |
| USA | T-Mobile USA | - | Completed |
| USA | Union Telephone Company | - | Completed |
| Ukraine | Kyivstar JSC | - | 31.12.2030 |
| Ukraine | Lifecell LLC | - | 31.12.2030 |
| Ukraine | Vodafone | - | 31.12.2030 |
| United Arab Emirates | DU | Completed | - |
| Venezuela | Corporacion Digitel C.A. | Completed | - |
| Venezuela | Digitel Venezuela | Completed | - |
| Vietnam | MobiFone Corporation | 30.09.2026 | 30.09.2028 |
| Vietnam | VNPT International | 30.09.2026 | 30.09.2028 |
| Vietnam | Viettel Group | 30.09.2026 | Completed |
Table Version 01.07.2026
Please review the 1NCE Coverage Map to get an up-to-date view of the available country and access technology coverage.