Telia Finland has confirmed it will begin switching off of its 3G network from today.
The telco's 3G network shutdown will start in Satakunta before it will be switched off in Riihimaki in mid-October.
Telia noted that the deactivation of its 3G network in the rest of Finland will begin early next year, as the operator plans to focus on its 4G and 5G networks instead.
According to Telia, its 4G network covers 99.9 percent of the population, while its 5G network reaches almost 90 percent of the country's population.
The frequencies released from the 3G network will be reallocated to Telia's 4G and 5G networks.
"Only about one percent of mobile data traffic is used in 3G, and voice traffic has also moved quickly to 4G voice after customers have updated their phones to newer models," said Timo Hietalahti, Telia’s director of mobile networks.
"With these prospects, the 2G network will remain for some time to support the oldest phones, where only traditional mobile calls work."
Earlier this year, Telia's Danish business also switched off its 3G network, calling time on the technology around the same time as domestic rival Telenor.
Mobile network operators across the world have been phasing out the legacy 2G and 3G networks, with all three big US providers doing so last year.
Just last week Virgin Media announced plans to switch off its 3G service by 2025, Vodafone and EE expect to shut down services next year, while in Poland Orange has already started its retirement of 3G services.
