France’s 2G internet network is now beginning to go offline, with municipalities in the south-west the first to see mobile sites shut down.
Telecoms group Orange shut down 61 2G mobile sites in the south-west, ending services to 28 communes including Biarritz, Anglet, and Bayonne on Tuesday (March 31).
The network is set to be fully dismantled across the country by the end of 2026.
Why is 2G service shutting down and what impact?
2G is a mobile internet network that was rapidly rolled out across France in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The network was primarily used for telecommunications, allowing mobile phones with a 2G compatible SIM inside to make calls, send texts, and in some cases connect to the internet.
However, it is also used by an array of devices for connectivity purposes such as burglar alarms.
Major technological advancements mean that 4G and 5G networks are now widespread, covering essentially all of France, which provide better connectivity, internet speeds, and several other benefits.
Telecoms watchdog Arcep says that 99.8% of areas in France with a 2G connection now have 4G or 5G network in place.
The 2G network is being dismantled to prevent it from taking up frequency space that can be used more efficiently by the newer systems.
Following the closures on March 31, here are the next major dates for Orange’s 2G network to be closed:
May 12: remaining areas of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Landes;
June 9: Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées, and Tarn-et-Garonne
Other departments will see the service closed between June 10 and the end of 2026.
Note that rival telecoms groups Bouygues and SFR will turn off their own 2G networks by the end of 2026, and that all three will close their 3G networks by 2028.
Free, which relies on Orange for its 2G links and therefore sees its 2G network shut down on the same days, has its own 3G network but is yet to announce when it will turn these services offline.
In the 28 communes where Orange first closed its service, around 2,300 SIM cards were still compatible solely with the 2G network.
Note however, only 800 of these were commercial SIMs used for private mobile phone contracts, with the rest being linked to other services such as online address books, computers, cameras, etc.
These older SIMs, produced before the rollout of 4G and 5G, are stuck using the older network.
Nationwide, Orange estimates 830,000 mobile phone SIMs used in France are only compatible with the 2G network, but more than 500,000 of these are linked to foreign operators and not French companies.
Telecoms watchdog Arcep believes that around 1.42 million SIMs of all types in France are solely compatible with the 2G network.
How to check your mobile phone SIM card
Orange believes that most mobile phones with a 2G-only SIM are spares, emergency back-ups, and old models left in drawers or cupboards (did you know, you can donate these in France?) that owners may have completely forgotten.
In most cases, they will be in older, non-smartphone style mobile phones from the late 1990s and early 2000s.
You can check if your mobile is connected to the 2G network by looking at the network bars on the top of the home screen, which show the strength of the phone’s connection. If you see "2G," "E," "EDGE," or "GSM," next to the bars, it means your phone is connected to the 2G network.
If it shows anything else, such as “3G”, “4G”, etc, it is not.
People impacted should go to the phone’s settings to check if they can connect to another network (3G or above), and if so, they should. Otherwise, people will need to buy a new sim, or in some cases for very old phones, a new mobile.
If you are struggling to check, go to a local phone store (ideally with your contract provider, but most shops should be happy to help) to ask for assistance.
What about other devices?
There have been concerns in the French media about the impact of closing the 2G network, as many devices without SIM cards run via the network.
This includes lifts – around half of all lifts in France run on either 2G or 3G connections – medical devices, remote assistance systems, and even sections of the mains water network.
On March 4, 2026, the government published a decree requiring all companies to update devices from the 2G network to a more modern version, however several professionals say this is unfeasible.
A January 8 letter from several groups sent to Arcep warned of the difficulties and potentially dangerous consequences of shutting off the network, however as of April 2 the rollout is continuing without incident.
