In Denmark, the plan is to turn off the 2G network by 2030. But this will mean that the mandatory SOS call eCall will die out in many cars.
The plan is for Denmark to completely switch off the 2G network by 2030. In Norway, they are even further along and say 'by 2025'.
This now presents Norwegian car owners with a very special challenge. The SOS call eCall, which has been mandatory in new cars since 2018, runs on the 2G network. At least the earliest versions.
The same issue has led Sweden to postpone a similar decision to turn off the 2G network. Boosted has previously reported on how GPS equipment also stops working without a 2G signal.
But in Norway, the plan is moving forward. Partly because the plan to phase out the network has been in place for several years.
This is what Motor.no writes.
– Mobile operators can no longer maintain a network based on outdated technology.
– The 2G frequency space is now necessary for the future-proof 4G and 5G networks to increase capacity in line with the needs of customers and society, says Anders Krokan, press manager at Telenor Norway to the media.
There are no exact figures for how many cars will be affected by the shutdown, but it is estimated that in Norway alone it is several hundred thousand.
In the Norwegian government, Minister for Digitalization and Administration Karianne Tung is aware of the problem. But she points out that the EU – of which Norway is not a member – has not yet made any decisions in the area.
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