Orange ends 2G in parts of France

Orange has turned off its 2G network in 43 departments across France, ending 2G service for its and Free's subscribers in most of the country, with a few exceptions remaining. Some 2G sites will stay active until December, mainly in remote areas like mountains and sparsely populated rural regions.

Previous 2G shutdowns occurred earlier

This latest action follows earlier 2G network shutdowns, including in nine departments in the Southwest between March and June, and in Nice on September 22. As of the end of June 2026, 1.7 million devices still relied solely on 2G technology, according to the French communications regulator Arcep.

Most users are unaffected

For most subscribers, the change has no impact because their smartphones already use 4G or 5G. However, older devices like some keypad phones, alarms, and remote assistance tools that only operate on 2G lose access to Orange's network in these areas.

List of affected departments

The 43 departments affected include Ain, Aisne, Allier, Ardennes, Aube, Calvados, Cantal, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Cher, Corrèze, Creuse, Deux-Sèvres, Dordogne, Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Gironde, Haute-Loire, Haute-Marne, Haute-Savoie, Haute-Vienne, Hauts-de-Seine, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Isère, Loir-et-Cher, Loire, Loiret, Manche, Marne, Nord, Oise, Orne, Paris, Pas-de-Calais, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Savoie, Seine-Maritime, Somme, and Val-d’Oise.

Overseas territories see earlier shutdowns

In overseas territories, the 2G shutdown happened earlier than in mainland France. In the Antilles, French Guiana, Saint-Martin, and Saint-Barthélemy, Orange turned off its 2G network in late September. In Reunion, the shutdown was completed in October 2025, while Mayotte will finish its 2G shutdown by December 31, 2026.

Other providers still using 2G

Although Orange has moved away from 2G, it is not yet fully gone in mainland France. SFR and Bouygues Telecom still operate 2G networks, but both plan to shut them down soon. SFR will turn off its 2G network nationwide on November 15, while Bouygues Telecom will begin the process in several cities on November 15 and complete it by December 15.