[2026=-02-08 image ©Emnify] 2G is due to be switched of by the end of 2033, but the mobile networks are working more towards 2030. As I wrote in a previous post, 2G data is so slow it is unusable for most webs sites. Remember 2G web sites used WAP rather than HTML just to get the network to have a web presence. With the increased speed of 2G Edge HTML was OK as long as the site was not too big nor complex. In today’s world 2G for web sites is unrealistic.

2G was introduced in 1990’s, now 30+ years after, moden networks have become more complex and more importantly more security savvy. And the scammers are become more complex in their actions. One way to keep your smartphone safer is to switch off 2G data. 2G has many security risks and just switching it off makes your smartphone just a little safer. The main issue is that 4G / 5G use two way authentication whereas 2G only used one way authentication; meaning your phone does not authenticate the network. I have seen demos where hackers have mirrored features of a network and got phones to connect, and thus collect your data.

2G data is really not useful for smartphones, and it is insecure so switching it off will not be inconvenient but will be safer. 2G will still be used for many years to come for IoT applications and the faster the providers move to 4G the better. This does not of-cause affect 2G calling nor SMS - these still work and do not use data.

[2026-01-25 image ©VMO2] It is unusual for commentators to feel sorry for a mobile company but may (including the author) feel sorry for O2. They seem to be getting criticism for the switch off of 3G in the press and on the TV. This is despite the other two companies switching off 3G at the end of 2025, without much comment.

There is a lot of nonsense written about the consequences of the 3G switch off. The only service that will disappear is the data on the 3G network. The 3G data service is (or was) so slow and not really capable of delivering web site which have grown massively within the time since 3G was initiated (2000).

3G did not have it’s own phone system, users were connected to the 2G phone system. SMS was also not a 3G service. Anyone with a 3G phone can keep it and it will work for calls and SMS; which is all most 3G users are using it for.

Many confuse the 3G switch off with the 2G switch off, due for 2030. This will cause many more problems and many IoT systems are still on 2G including alarm systems and health management monitors. The operators of these systems have been slow to move these away from 2G onto 4G. VodafoneThree , O2 and EE are starting to plan the move away from 2G - initially identifying the issues, including the move of anyone who uses the 2G phone network onto 4G as well as the IoT systems on 2G.

Come 2030 VodafoneThree and EE should be in position to switch off their 2G network. But poor O2 will not! The O2 network is used in the southern half of England for smart meters. These will all have to be changed to 4G. The energy companies have not got a good reputation for installing or updating their smart meters. But the good news for the author is that after my energy meter not working for 8 of the 10 years it was installed a new 4GLTE meter is installed and working.

Coop Ticker ft. Mulilo Fire & 2G - Indoors

Coop Ticker is out with a brand new jam titled “Indoors”. Featuring Mulilo Fire & 2G. 
The song “Indoors” is a perfect addition to any music lover’s Playlist. However, the song serves as Coop Ticker’s latest offering for the year 2025.
Audio Coop Ticker ft. Mulilo Fire & 2G – Indoors Mp3 Download

Coop Ticker ft. Mulilo Fire & 2G - Indoors

🐈‍⬛

Pineapple Burst Cold cure rosin from drip extracts // one of the better jars I picked up on my trip. Always hard finding good rosin in different states

you aint foreign thats okay i like all broads

#thatsnotokay

(2025-03-23 image ©ofcom) Currently EE, Vodafone and Three have switched off their 3G networks, (with the odd pocket of 3G left) and currently O2 is doing the same. One surprise is that some of the press are highlighting the O2 switch off as a problem but as the switch off from the other networks did not cause major issues, I am not sure why they are focussing on O2 causing problems. Unless there is something special about the O2 3G network that I am not aware of.

But also EE and O2 have begun investigations about switching off 2G. When they do, there is no fall back for 2G Phones nor 3G phones that are now using 2G. Anyone with such a phone will have to upgrade to a basic 4G phone, which are not expensive, Tesco sell the Nokia 110 4G phone for £30. The 2G switch off in 5 years will be a lesser issue than the 3G switch. It will affect a few people but the solution is not significant.

BUT, the 2G switch off will affect many many devices and services. Currently there are many devices that use 2G to send data to a cloud data store be that trackers, health monitors, data loggers, traffic management, etc. An obvious solution would be to switch to 4G. They use 2G because they do not need the complexity of 4G. A switch to 4G would involve the wholesale swapping of devices which would be expensive. It is this area that EE / O2 are currently looking into. The providers of some of these 2G devices have known about the switch off for 5+ years and have not done anything about a swap, now the deadline is looming and they do need to move at a significant cost. A less obvious solution, which is cheaper, is to move to NB_IoT or LTE-M protocols designed for IoT devices. I suspect that this would need a bigger re-write of the software and again a large expense.

2G - Nanga Why

Talented Zambian artist 2G is making his debut on Zedwap with a new single called “Nanga Why” 🎭.
This is another great love song that we really enjoy, and we’re sure you will too. The track is produced by DJ Mono and mixed and mastered by Mr. Open It.
Audio 2G – Nanga Why Mp3 Download

2G - Nanga Why

“So when are we going shopping?” Des raised an eyebrow as he popped a piece of candy into his mouth. “I got my dad and Mack covered. Everyone else I still need help with, so I figured I could use your brain again this year. We might want to get on it soon though.” @schmidt-stifler

Gemma was more than a little stoned coming out of the sauna at the aquatic center- which meant the temperature shock of hot to warm to freezing once she got outside was really going to fuck her up. If she squinted she could make out her favorite buzzcut just ahead of her and called out to him. “Oh my god, wait,” she stopped just a few feet from Walt, then lowered her voice, “Are you cruising?” @t-andwood

“We’ve officially hit the age where my dad asked me what side I wanted to bring to Thanksgiving this year. Me. I know I said I wanted to move on from the kid table but I might actually need a time machine now. I got away with bringing one of the giant pies from Costco this time around, but there’s no way that’s going to fly in December, and I’m not prepared to do anything other than show up and let my nana pinch my cheeks for a few hours.” @jess-suvari

Lou knew better than to sit directly on the water’s edge and kept to the outskirts of the action, as she usually did. A bottle of tequila sat in her lap, pawned off on her by one of her cousins, and after struggling to stomach a few sips she turned to the person beside her. “Do you want this? I sort of got stuck with it and honestly.. don’t even like tequila so. It’s your’s. If you want.”

(2024-08-04 image ©phonearena) Now that 3G has been switched off, or very nearly, focus is now on the switch off of 2G. This is likely to be much more problematic. For the phone consumer there are very few on 2G and by expanding the 4G network to cover the 2G only areas, this can be solved. A 4G phone of the same quality as a 2g phone is not expensive at all (<£30).

But is is all the other things that are on 2G that will cause the issue. There are many home care IoT devices , many monitoring stations, traffic management, etc that now use 2G that would need to be moved off to LTE-M or NB-IoT technologies on the 4G network. Then there is the issue that a lot of smart meters that use 2G in the south of England and these will all have to be moved to 4G by 2033. Vodafone are tasked with this change over.

Recently O2 have become the first network to publish plans of how they intend to move everyone away from 2G, starting in 2025 and before 2033. The outline plans initially focus on the 2G switch off for phone customers. Interestingly O2 will be the last network to switch off 3G. Vodafone and Three have effectively switched off their 3g network and EE wil follow by the end of 2024.

“Hey-” Eve nodded at Des, his phone lighting up with a venmo request from her. It read ‘straight guy tax’ for the amount of one dollar, followed by a string of emojis. “It’s pride bitch, pay up.” @jakelevenstein

In hindsight, Afra should’ve known better than to get high right before Cory’s performance. She was way more open when she smoked, which wasn’t ideal for whatever she and Cory kept playing at. Because now she was excited to see him get off that stage, so excited he would be able to notice just by looking at the dumb smile on her face as she waited for him backstage, one of her connections being able to give her staff passes for her and some of her friends. “Wow, you do all that. And then insist on telling em that you’re not a big deal? Either you’re in denial or you’re gaslighting me. So which one is it?” @presleymorales