The UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) said that the 2G (GSM) shutdown process is on track in the networks of service providers (Etisalat and du) and is scheduled for the end of 2022.

The sale of devices supporting 2G only will be stopped in June 2022 in the UAE markets.

TDRA said that the aim of this process is to re-direct the resources allocated to 2G to support new generations of mobile networks. TDRA is currently working, in cooperation with service providers, to provide the best services by building modern and advanced networks that meet the users’ current and future requirements.

TDRA has advised customers to stop using 2G only supported devices by that date, and to use devices that support the newer generations of telecom networks, which enables access to the best telecom services.

TDRA indicated that this step comes in light of the increasing importance of the ICT sector, the rapid development of telecom technologies, and the need to direct all capabilities towards adopting and using the latest and best technologies, which contributes to achieving a comprehensive digital transformation that ensures the provision of best smart services.

TDRA emphasized that the UAE was a pioneer in implementing 2G, and today it is a leader in shifting to new generations of telecom technologies, in a new era characterized by comprehensive digital transformation, IoT and smart cities, where there is a need for a modern and more capable network to communicate between huge numbers of devices.

This step reflects the rapid development of the ICT sector, in which mobile networks play a major role, as the technology lifecycle includes the disappearance of an old technology when a new technology emerges, driving telecom companies to shut down the least effective networks to allow the operation and activation of the most effective ones.

The activation of 2G mobile network (GSM) in the UAE dates back to 1994 and it is still active to date, despite the succession of generations until 5G. - TradeArabia News Service