Europe was optimistic about switching off 2G and 3G, but it overlooked 64 million cars

The EU and operators like Spain’s Movistar are moving to shut down 2G and 3G to free spectrum for better 4G and 5G service.

But many cars sold since 2018 use eCall over 2G/3G to automatically contact emergency services, including 112.

The main alternative is NG-eCall, which works over 4G/5G and IMS, but rollout in older vehicles is still limited.

That could force hardware upgrades, module replacements, and regulatory changes to avoid leaving millions of cars without emergency calling.