Optus to switch off 2G network in 2017
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Optus to switch off 2G network in 2017

Australian operator Optus has announced plans to shut down its 2G network as it seeks to gain more spectrum for mobile services.

The company will stop its 2G services on April 1 2017 in a move that follows others in the region such as Telstra and Singtel.

"Greater smartphone usage and advances in 4G technology are driving customer preferences for more mobile data and faster speeds," said Dennis Wong, acting managing director of Optus' networks arm.

"2G now constitutes a fraction of our total mobile network traffic and is declining significantly year on year. Mobile service providers globally, including in Australia and our parent company Singtel in Singapore, are closing down 2G networks to support newer technologies," he said.

Singapore’s three mobile operators Singtel, StarHub and M1 said in June that they plan to switch off their 2G networks on April 1 2017.

In 2014, Australia’s Telstra announced that its 2G GSM network was going to be shut down at the end of 2016.

 

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