# French telecommunications infrastructure transition > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/french-telecommunications-infrastructure-transition > Updated: 2026-09-15T04:31:19.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. France is undergoing a significant transition of its telecommunications infrastructure, involving the decommissioning of legacy mobile and fixed-line networks. Telecommunications operators are phasing out 2G and 3G networks to reduce the high costs and energy consumption associated with aging infrastructure. Decommissioning these services is intended to free up radio frequencies for advanced 4G and 5G services. While regulatory data suggests the impact on consumers is minimal, some older hardware and machine-to-machine equipment may be affected. In addition to mobile transitions, the copper telephone network is being phased out. In the Ariège department, the extinction of copper services is scheduled to begin in 29 communes by January 2027, with a goal of total departmental disconnection by the end of 2029. Regarding mobile services, the 2G network is expected to disappear across France by the end of 2026, with specific operators such as Orange, Free, SFR, and Bouygues Telecom setting various shutdown dates throughout the final months of that year. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-15: France telecommunications transition: copper and 2G networks to be phased out France is phasing out legacy telecommunications networks, with copper phone lines in Ariège facing extinction by 2027 and the national 2G mobile network scheduled to disappear by the end of 2026. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-telecommunications-transition-copper-and-2g-networks-to-be-phased-out ### 2026-08-29: Telecommunications operators phase out 2G and 3G networks Telecommunications operators are phasing out 2G and 3G networks to reduce energy costs, free up radio frequencies, and improve security, affecting a small minority of legacy devices and M2M equipment. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/telecommunications-operators-phase-out-2g-and-3g-networks --- Cite as: French telecommunications infrastructure transition. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/french-telecommunications-infrastructure-transition