Old phones to become obsolete as T-Mobile is shutting down 2G network

It appears that T-Mobile is finally shutting down its older 2G network. The telco was expected to pull the plug on the 2G services in April this year. However, the company delayed the shutdown for unknown reasons. But now, T-Mobile users clinging to older 2G phones will have no choice but to upgrade. The telco is planning to start retiring the 2G network beginning next month.

T-Mobile is gearing up to shut down support for 2G phones beginning September

T-Mobile was initially going to phase out the older network on April 2, but chose to delay the shutdown. However, T-Mobile is finally all set to withdraw support for 2G phones starting from September.

Thanks to some eagle-eyed Redditors, T-Mobile has updated the information on its Network Evolution page. The page is now informing the users that the capacity and coverage of T-Mobile’s 2G network “is expected to change starting as early as September 1, 2024”. Previously, the page indicated that some of the 2G sites would be closed before the full network is retired.

T-Mobile’s 2G coverage has already shrunk massively during the July and August period. Now, the telco is all set to slowly phase out the older network across all regions where it operates. It’s worth mentioning that T-Mobile’s Network Evolution page doesn’t explicitly mention the shutdown word. It suggests that the brand could continue to support 2G devices for some time before the full network support is dismantled.

AT&T and Verizon already pulled the plug on the 2G network ages ago

Major US telecom operators including AT&T and Verizon already ended support for the 2G networks. AT&T shut it down in 2017, while Verizon pulled the plug on the sale in 2020. Now, T-Mobile will be joining the other telcos soon. The brand has already retired its older 3G network on July 1st, 2022.

That said, T-Mobile users still having 2G phones will now have to get a new device that supports 4G or 5G networks. To make the transition easier, T-Mobile is expected to forgo SIM fees and associated charges for moving to the newer networks. The telco might even give a 4G or 5G network-supported phone for free to its users once it fully pulls the plug on 2G services. We will know more in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for regular updates.