Ukraine's NCEC Retains 2G Networks and Accelerates Transition to 4G and VoLTE

Between July 17 and 22, 2026, the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) decided not to shut down 2G networks in Ukraine. At the same time, the regulator officially recommended that mobile operators accelerate the phase-out of the outdated 3G standard to free up frequencies for the development of 4G (LTE) and VoLTE voice transmission technology.

The decision to maintain 2G networks is driven by ongoing military actions, as this standard provides the most resilient coverage in the event of telecommunications infrastructure damage. Alongside these regulatory changes, on July 22, mobile operators launched an open pilot test of the 5G network in Kyiv, covering all districts of the capital.

For companies, this means a guarantee of uninterrupted operation for M2M and IoT devices, such as ATMs, trackers, and sensors, which rely on the basic 2G channel. However, businesses using corporate mobile communications need to ensure that their employees' smartphones support 4G and VoLTE, as devices without VoLTE may be left without high-quality voice connections, including in roaming, once 3G is disabled.