2G Network Era Officially Ends in Hong Kong

A new era in mobile communication technology has begun in Hong Kong: the operation of second-generation (2G) networks in the territory has been completely terminated. China Mobile Hong Kong announced this with the approval of the Hong Kong Communications Authority. With this decision, the old technology that served the region for decades has entered the history books. This is reported by Ixbt.com news reports.

The process was implemented gradually over several years. First, on September 30, 2021, Hutchison Telephone abandoned the 2G network. Then SmarTone stopped the service on October 14, 2022, and the HKT operator on November 8, 2024. For the last two years, China Mobile Hong Kong remained the sole 2G provider in the territory.

According to ixbt.com, with this step by China Mobile Hong Kong, 2G communication has completely disappeared in Hong Kong. It is worth noting that three major Chinese operators operate in Hong Kong, but only China Mobile Hong Kong has its own base stations. China Unicom and China Telecom operate as mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), leasing local networks.

3G networks are next

The abandonment of old technologies is not limited to 2G. China Mobile Hong Kong is moving faster than anyone else in shutting down 3G services, planning to complete this process by June 30, 2025. Network tenants China Unicom and China Telecom will also stop providing 3G services accordingly.

Currently, major companies such as Hutchison, SmarTone, and HKT are also reducing the 3G spectrum. Third-generation communication is almost non-existent in the central and densely populated parts of the city. Only a few base stations are temporarily operating in remote areas and some islands, but their operation is also expected to stop soon.

These changes serve to free up frequencies for modern 4G and 5G technologies and increase network efficiency. For a technological hub like Hong Kong, this is a natural process, as the vast majority of users have already switched to high-speed internet and quality voice communication services. The few subscribers using old devices will now have to upgrade their gadgets.