Orange to Shut Down 2G in 2026: Southwest Region First to Be Affected

The end is near for the 2G network. Starting in early 2026, Orange plans to shut down its 2G service in a pilot area consisting of nine departments in the southwest of France. The company aims to completely disconnect the network by the end of that year. While a full schedule has yet to be released, the operator has shared some details on its website.

Orange’s 2G network will cease operations in several phases. The shutdown will begin on March 31, 2026, in the cities of Biarritz, Anglet, and Bayonne. This is a slight delay from initially planned, as Orange had previously mentioned March 9. Following this, the areas of Landes and the rest of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques will see the service discontinued on May 12, and it will be the turn of Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées, and Tarn-et-Garonne on June 9.

Orange has not provided information about the other departments, but it has confirmed that 2G will be permanently stopped in the rest of mainland France from the end of September onwards. The technology is expected to be completely phased out from the territory by the end of the year. Following this, the 3G network is slated to be phased out by the end of 2028. Concurrently, Orange is also working on shutting down its copper wire telephone network.

As scheduled, ADSL has been discontinued today in the downtown area of Rennes

The discontinuation of the 2G network poses challenges for some individuals who still use older mobile phones that are incompatible with newer technologies. Certain professionals are also facing difficulties, such as elevator technicians: many elevators have a 2G-based alarm system, and condominiums are required to undertake retrofitting works. According to the general delegate of the Elevator Federation (via Le Parisien), there are currently about 230,000 2G devices and 60,000 3G devices still in use among the 654,000 elevators in operation today. The shut down of the 2G network could also create issues for those with older alarm systems, as well as some connected intercoms and video doorphones.