The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) announced that the 2G (GSM) shutdown process in the UAE is proceeding according to plans, and networks of service providers Etisalat and du will completely shut it by the end of 2022.
The sale of devices that work only on 2G will be stopped in June 2022 in the UAE markets, the TDRA press release added.
TDRA confirmed that the aim of this process is to redirect the resources allocated to 2G to support new generations of mobile networks. The Authority 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.
TRA indicated that UAE service providers will provide all means of support to groups that may be affected by the 2G shutdown.
This decision comes as part of TRA’s continuous efforts in deployment of 5G in the UAE as the main engine of the digital transformation process, the fourth industrial revolution and artificial intelligence. Moreover, this step reflects the accelerating development of the telecommunications sector, in which mobile networks are constantly evolving and changing.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General, said: “The ICT sector is one of the most developed sectors in recent decades. We have witnessed the level of development in mobile networks where generations have progressed from the first to the fifth generation with the UAE in the forefront, as the first in the Arab region and the fourth in the world in the launch and use of 5G, according to the Global Communication Index.
“Thus, it is highly important for telecom service providers to stop operating less effective networks to allow the operation and activation of the latest and most effective networks.
“Mobile technology is one of the main drivers of innovation in the business world, and telecom companies must constantly develop their networks to keep pace with the rapid and continuous developments in the telecom sector. Today, we are on the threshold of a new era characterised by comprehensive digital transformation, Internet of Things and smart city, where a faster, stronger and more capable network is needed to withstand the communication between vast numbers of devices.”
TDRA drew the customers’ attention to the shutdown date of 2G networks, 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.
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.
