The government has outlined a process to eliminate traditional landline telephone lines, pushing all existing telephones to use the new digital system (connected at the back of a router) by 2028. They have also set in motion the 2G switch-off with a hard end date of 2033.
What is the Digital Switchover?
The digital switchover replaces the exchange at the end of the line with a virtual exchange built into the router you use to connect to the Internet. This means the telephone provider needs less equipment and can get rid of exchange buildings. The government have made a hard end date for traditional exchanges at 2028.
What is the 2G switch-off and how will it affect me?
Recently the government switched off the 3G network and is in the process of switching off 2G to provide more frequencies for 4G and 5G.
This will affect everyone who has an older mobile phone, such as a feature phone. For example, an older Doro phone.
This will also affect smart meters that don’t use the 4G system to communicate.
Some medical alarm systems will need to be updated to use 4G instead of 2G connectivity, check with your medical alarm installer.
Some GPS vehicle trackers use the 2G network because its cheaper than paying the high patent licensing costs of 4G.
Some older smartphones will need to enable VoLTE so that calls and texts are sent over the 4G network, it is worth enabling WiFi calling, so that calls are sent over home WiFi when connected.
Each provider has a different date in which they will switch off 2G, but the government have set their hard limit to 2033.
