IoT connectivity in the United States
Updated
In the United States, no law we found restricts permanent roaming; mobile operators set the terms. Of the 4 mobile operators we track there, 4 have switched off 2G and 4 3G, as of 26 October 2026. Sources are listed below each table.
Permanent roaming
No law found; set by operators. No federal rule on permanent roaming of foreign IoT SIMs was found; FCC rules let providers negotiate roaming terms individually, and US operators have restricted permanent roaming by roaming partners.
Sources: law.cornell.edu, iot-now.com, counterpointresearch.com. Confidence: medium.
2G and 3G shutdowns by operator
| Operator | Network | Status | Date | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | 2G | Switched off | 1 January 2017 | phonescoop.com, wirelesslogic.com AT&T confirmed in a blog post (reported by PhoneScoop) that its GSM 2G network was fully retired on 1 January 2017; spectrum refarmed to LTE. |
| AT&T | 3G | Switched off | 22 February 2022 | spectrum.ieee.org, rcrwireless.com UMTS/HSPA network switched off on 22 February 2022 (IEEE Spectrum); RCR also reports the 3G phase-out completed in February 2022. |
| T-Mobile | 2G | Switched off | 3 August 2026 | macrumors.com, lightreading.com GSM network retired on 3 August 2026 (MacRumors). Gradual dismantling had begun in early 2025 without a date (Light Reading); the date slipped several times. Last 2G network of the big three US carriers. |
| T-Mobile | 3G | Switched off | July 2022 | rcrwireless.com, wirelesslogic.com T-Mobile's own UMTS 3G network was retired in July 2022 (planned date 1 July 2022). The former Sprint CDMA 3G network was shut down in March 2022. |
| UScellular | 2G | Switched off | January 2024 | sdxcentral.com, sec.gov UScellular never ran GSM; its 2G layer was CDMA 1X, switched off with its CDMA networks (announced date 14 Jan 2024). The FY2024 10-K confirms the CDMA network was decommissioned in Q1 2024 but calls it the 3G CDMA network. Wireless business sold to T-Mobile (10-K expected closing mid-2025). |
| UScellular | 3G | Switched off | January 2024 | sec.gov, sdxcentral.com 3G CDMA network decommissioned in Q1 2024 per the FY2024 Form 10-K; the operator had announced switch-off on 14 Jan 2024. Wireless operations then sold to T-Mobile (sale pending at filing, expected mid-2025). |
| Verizon | 2G | Switched off | 31 December 2022 | verizon.com, wirelesslogic.com Verizon never ran GSM; its 2G layer was CDMA 1xRTT, retired together with the CDMA network (Verizon: completion by 31 Dec 2022, decommissioned as of 3 Jan 2023). Conflict: Wireless Logic tracker says 2G CDMA ended at end-2020, but Verizon's own page lists 1X devices as affected by the 2022 retirement. |
| Verizon | 3G | Switched off | 31 December 2022 | verizon.com, rcrwireless.com CDMA EV-DO 3G network retired 31 Dec 2022; Verizon's support page says the CDMA network was decommissioned as of 3 Jan 2023. |
What it means for IoT devices in the United States
- Do not deploy 2G-only devices: every operator with a known status has switched 2G off.
- 3G is already gone on 4 networks: devices that fall back to 3G will lose service there.
- Private delivery works the same from the United States: device data reaches your cloud over private links. See private delivery.
Other countries in North America
Full tables: permanent roaming rules by country and 2G and 3G shutdown dates.
Frequently asked questions
Is permanent roaming allowed for IoT SIMs in the United States?
No federal rule on permanent roaming of foreign IoT SIMs was found; FCC rules let providers negotiate roaming terms individually, and US operators have restricted permanent roaming by roaming partners.
When is 2G switched off in the United States?
Status by operator, as of 26 October 2026. AT&T: switched off (2017-01-01); T-Mobile: switched off (2026-08-03); UScellular: switched off (2024-01); Verizon: switched off (2022-12-31).
When is 3G switched off in the United States?
Status by operator, as of 26 October 2026. AT&T: switched off (2022-02-22); T-Mobile: switched off (2022-07); UScellular: switched off (2024-01); Verizon: switched off (2022-12-31).