Telia says that it will start shutting down its 3G network in Satakunta this year. The fate of the older 2G network is still open.
According to Telia, Finland is ready for the end of the 3G era. Tiina Somerpuro
Telia says that it will start shutting down its 3G network on September 11. The first plan is to close the network in Satakunta in the areas of Ulvila, Nakkila, Harjavalla and Kokemäki.
After Satakunta, the network is to be closed in Riihimäki in mid-October. In other parts of the country, the network will be shut down during the next year. Finally, it will be closed in the capital region, Turku and Tampere.
The shutdown of the network frees up frequencies for the use of 4G and 5G networks. In addition to speed and greater data transfer capacity, the newer networks also have clearly better security and energy efficiency than in 2G and 3G networks, Telia’s press release states.
Population coverage of the 4G network in Finland is already 99.9%. The newer 5G network also already reaches almost 90% of Finns.
– About one percent of mobile data traffic is only carried on 3G, and voice traffic has also moved quickly to 4G voice after customers have updated their phones to newer models, Telia’s manager responsible for mobile networks Timo Hietalahti tells.
The fate of 2G is still open
According to Hietalahti, the 2G network will probably continue to support the oldest phone models for some time.
In Sweden and Norway, the 2G network is about to be closed in 2025, as the updates required by the networks are prohibitively expensive, according to Telia.
According to Telia, like Norway and Sweden, Finland should also decide on the schedule for closing the 2G network, because the uncertainty about its continuation slows down Finland’s digitization and transition to new technology.