After more than twenty years of use, 3G mobile technology is coming to an end in Switzerland. The 3G network will remain available until the end of 2025, before being switched off at the beginning of 2026, over the course of a few weeks, in order to free up resources for more modern technologies such as 4G and 5G.

Below is a clear overview to help you understand this change and determine whether you may be affected.

Why and when is 3G being phased out in Switzerland?

3G played a key role in the development of mobile internet in the 2000s. Today, most communications rely on 4G and 5G networks, which are faster, more stable and more efficient.

Ending 3G makes it possible to:

• modernise network infrastructure,
• improve call quality via 4G (VoLTE),
• optimise technical and energy resources,
• reallocate frequencies to strengthen 4G and 5G networks.

From 1 January 2026, 3G will be switched off in Switzerland. After a few weeks, the network will no longer be accessible.

What will be the impact for users?

When 3G is switched off:

• devices relying solely on 3G will no longer function;
• 4G phones that are not VoLTE-compatible will no longer be able to make calls (mobile data will remain available);
• 4G/5G devices compatible with VoLTE will continue to work normally.

The services affected will include:

• voice calls,
• SMS.

Mobile data via 4G/5G will remain available, but without VoLTE, voice calls will no longer be possible.

VoLTE: the technology replacing 3G for calls

With the end of 3G, voice calls will be carried exclusively over 4G using VoLTE (Voice over LTE).

VoLTE provides:

• better audio quality,
• faster call setup,
• the ability to use mobile data during a call,
• improved network stability.

Most recent smartphones are compatible, sometimes with VoLTE enabled by default.

A transition towards more efficient communications