Israel to Phase Out Old Phone Networks by February 2026

Jerusalem, 15 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Communications is updating the outline for closing 2nd and 3rd generation networks and transitioning to 5th generation, providing operational flexibility to operators while ensuring a solution for emergency calls to the general public, based on current data presented to the ministry by cellular companies and in order to prevent harm to subscribers who have not yet upgraded their equipment.

Tests conducted by the ministry in recent months reveal a lack of readiness for the move among some companies. Hundreds of thousands of devices that support only the old technologies are still operating in Israel. Sticking to the original closure date without an appropriate solution could have left many citizens unable to call emergency services phone lines.

In light of this, the ministry is leading an outline that separates the clearance of frequencies from the closure of the service: operators will be required to vacate the essential frequency bands for 5G on February 1, 2026, but will be able to continue operating the old networks on other frequencies.

The meaning of the move is that the quality of the network will depend on the cellular companies themselves: a company that manages the transition correctly and allocates resources to advanced technologies will provide its customers with a better service experience, while reliance on outdated technologies could lead to a deterioration in the quality of reception.