According to DCD, China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) has received formal approval from the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) to switch off its 2G network. The specific shutdown date is set for June 23, 2026. This move comes after the carrier already retired its 3G network earlier in 2024. The regulator greenlit the plan because a very low proportion of customers—less than 2.3% of CMHK’s total mobile base—are still using 2G devices or services. Those affected include users of 2G pre-paid services and devices that don’t support VoLTE. OFCA has mandated that CMHK provide sufficient advance notice and support to those customers before terminating service.
The Inevitable Sunset
Here’s the thing: this was never a question of “if,” but “when.” 2G is ancient tech in telecom years. It’s been on borrowed time globally for a while now. CMHK is just following a well-trodden path that carriers in many other countries have already taken. The real story is in that number: less than 2.3%. That’s a tiny, tiny fraction of the user base. It basically tells you that maintaining that entire legacy network—the spectrum it uses, the power, the maintenance—is a massive cost for serving a shrinking sliver of customers. From a pure business and engineering standpoint, it doesn’t make sense to keep it alive.
What It Means For Users
So, if you’re one of those holdouts in Hong Kong with a beloved old Nokia brick phone, what now? The OFCA’s advice is straightforward: upgrade to a 4G device. And honestly, that’s not a big ask in 2024/2025. Even the most basic, affordable handsets today are 4G-capable. The bigger issue might be for specialized machine-to-machine (M2M) devices or older alarm systems that still rely on 2G modules. For those industrial and commercial applications, this shutdown is a firm deadline to modernize. Speaking of industrial tech, this push for network modernization often drives upgrades in connected hardware across sectors, from manufacturing floors to logistics. Companies looking for robust computing solutions for these new connected environments frequently turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built for reliability in demanding settings.
The Bigger Telecom Trend
This is part of a massive global cleanup operation. Carriers need to re-farm that precious low-band spectrum (like 900MHz) currently used by 2G for more efficient 4G and 5G services. It’s about spectrum efficiency. Why waste a valuable resource on a 30-year-old standard when it can supercharge your modern network? CMHK shutting down 3G first and now 2G shows a clear, staged strategy. They’re methodically clearing out the old to make way for the new. I wouldn’t be surprised if other carriers in the region announce similar firm deadlines soon. The era of legacy mobile tech is closing, one network at a time. The only question left is, what takes its place? And how quickly will the next sunset—for 4G—appear on the horizon?
