Tesco mobile shutting down 2g

WOTSWOT

I first found this when searching on the internet for 2g shutdown.
I tried to link this but apparently I am not yet qualified !!
It comes from a MSE post under 

Networks supporting 2G only phones

2 October 2024  5.57 pm

My mum doesn't use the internet at all on her phone; just calls and texts, and very very low use at that, so she has a 2G only phone which suits her just fine.

Tesco Mobile have texted to say that with their upcoming 3G switchoff she will need to get a new 4G capable handset.

Their site is clear as mud but suggests that although 2G is staying she won't be able to actually use it for calls and texts.

Does anyone know if any other PAYG providers with light use friendly tariffs will still support calls and texts on 2G only?

PHK

Three never had 2G to start with and Vodafone and EE have re-allocated some of their 2G spectrum to 4G. They had so few 2G customers they didn't need a formal migration programme. You might be able to get voice service depending where you are. 

My advice would be to plan to update your phone (which according to your other threads is over the expected shelf life of the components) sometime in the next year unless you get contact from O2/Three about the 2G migration earlier. 

WOTSWOT

I have just completed another AI assisted search and found this information on 

.... soloprotect.com/uk/blog/2g-uk-network-switch-off-what-lone-workers-need-to-know
sorry this is really a link but I can't enter it as such !

Summary: What the 2G and 3G Switch-Off Means for Lone Worker Devices

• 2G networks will be retired by 2033, but some operators may act sooner:
  
  • EE is contacting business users about future network plans but hasn’t announced a formal 2G end date.
  • O2/Virgin Media will phase out 2G from 2025, aiming for complete closure by 2028.  
  • Vodaphone will keep 2G available until 2033.  
• 3G networks will be shut down in 2025:
  
• Vodaphone completed its 3G switch-off in early 2024.
• EE began its 3G shutdown in January 2024, completing in Spring 2025.
• O2/ Virgin Media is phasing out 3G in 2025.

This puts an end date for the O2 shutdown, but of course this may be much sooner as it is just a target.

Timalay

If you don't want a smartphone, you can get feature phones with 4G.  Which are just like basic phones.

Beachcomber_252

This is not the road I would go down, but...

If the OP is looking for a network that supports 2G, then choose an MVNO which doesn't support 4G calling (VoLTE).

By default, 2G has to be used for voice calls on those networks.

There are still a few around, but I don't know of any that run on O2's network.

Of course, a far more sensible solution would be to upgrade to a phone with VoLTE, as others have said.

Acer321

A little more info' regarding O2 switching off the 2G service.

"Unlike our 3G network, we won’t be turning 2G off completely. In fact, we expect to continue operating it for several years and it will play an important role in carrying emergency calls in more remote areas without 4G coverage. We’ll also use it to support data traffic for smart energy meters, contributing to the UK’s transition to a lower-carbon economy".

https://news.virginmediao2.co.uk/mobilenetworkevolution/

WOTSWOT

Beachcomber_252 said:

This is not the road I would go down, but...

If the OP is looking for a network that supports 2G, then choose an MVNO which doesn't support 4G calling (VoLTE).

By default, 2G has to be used for voice calls on those networks.

There are still a few around, but I don't know of any that run on O2's network.

Of course, a far more sensible solution would be to upgrade to a phone with VoLTE, as others have said.

I purchased an IMO Dash 4G mini from the Tesco Shop when I visited them with my problematic 2g Samsung. I was expecting Tesco to be moving away from 2g this year and they are now effectively doing that with the move to PAYG Essential Tariff next month (for me). They originally said they could just move my SIM and number across but when they opened my Samsung they found it would not fit due to it's age. They would need to fit a new SIM and then do a SWAP which would need 24 hours. I decided to leave things as they were as my Samsung was working again and Tesco said they could do the SWAP at some future date.

So I now have to go ahead with this. I found there is no power supply provided with the new phone, just a lead which goes from the phone to a USB A connector. The user manual states that the phone connector must be inserted correctly and not forced the wrong way around. But when I try this I find it fits around either way and there seems to be no orientation key. On further investigation it seems that this is a USB C connector which is reversible according to my internet search. It also seems I can plug the other end of the lead into a laptop UBB  A port and charge my phone directly from there. There are some warnings that this may take some time and that the battery may not always be fully charged and may suffer some long term loss in capacity. Does anyone have any comment on that ?

When I get my phone swapped, hopefully in the near future I might need some advice on the right settings and connection. I will come back to this if Tesco are not able to help. Has anyone else got this Dash 4G mini?