Bharti Airtel, India: 2G and 3G shutdown dates
Updated
Bharti Airtel has announced no date to switch off 2G and switched off 3G in 2020, according to the sources we checked on 26 October 2026. The table gives each source and how far we trust it; the rest of the page says what this means for IoT devices in India.
2G and 3G status at Bharti Airtel
| Network | Status | Date | Confidence | Sources and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2G | No plan announced | none | low | tele.net.in Airtel said it would keep 2G for feature-phone users while closing 3G. No 2G end date found; source is from 2019, no newer statement found. |
| 3G | Switched off | 2020 | low | tele.net.in, korewireless.com Circle-by-circle shutdown: 11 of 22 circles done by Feb 2020, all targeted by Mar 2020 with 2100 MHz refarmed to 4G. Kore (May 2026) marks the shutdown finished and lists 30 Sep 2020; no Airtel completion release found. |
Confidence is high when the operator or the regulator states the date, medium when several independent sources agree, low otherwise. We recheck every month.
What it means for IoT devices on Bharti Airtel
- 2G keeps running for now. Bharti Airtel has announced no closing date, so 2G fallback still helps devices that roam in India, but new designs should not depend on it.
- 3G fallback no longer works on Bharti Airtel. Devices built for 3G (UMTS) or that fall back to it lose service; 4G devices with 2G fallback are not affected by this closure.
- For new devices, choose 4G-based technologies: LTE Cat-1 bis, LTE-M or NB-IoT where the network offers them.
- Foreign SIMs in India: permanent roaming of foreign IoT SIMs is not allowed. Details on the India page.
An M2M.global IoT SIM is not tied to a single network in a country, and its data can reach your cloud without the internet through private delivery.
Other operators in India
| Operator | 2G | 3G |
|---|---|---|
| BSNL | No plan announced | Planned |
| Vodafone Idea (Vi) | No plan announced | Planned, 2025 |
All operators and both rules for India: IoT connectivity in India. Every country: 2G and 3G shutdown dates by country and operator.
Frequently asked questions
When does Bharti Airtel switch off 2G in India?
Bharti Airtel has announced no date to switch off 2G, as of 26 October 2026. Airtel said it would keep 2G for feature-phone users while closing 3G. No 2G end date found; source is from 2019, no newer statement found.
When did Bharti Airtel switch off 3G in India?
Bharti Airtel switched off its 3G network in 2020. Circle-by-circle shutdown: 11 of 22 circles done by Feb 2020, all targeted by Mar 2020 with 2100 MHz refarmed to 4G. Kore (May 2026) marks the shutdown finished and lists 30 Sep 2020; no Airtel completion release found.