A planned retirement, not a blackout
"Mobile internet shutdown" usually means a government ordering networks dark. Eir's 3G switch-off is the opposite: a commercial decision to retire a 2000s-era technology under a regulator's supervision. The distinction matters for policy. Treating a network upgrade like a censorship event would be wrong. Treating it as a non-event would also be wrong, because some people and devices will lose connectivity without anyone having decided that they should.
Per the Irish Examiner (5 October 2026), Eir began switching off 3G with Donegal, followed by parts of the north, west and east on 14 October and the southern counties on 28 October. The service was due to end within weeks. The shutdown also covers GoMo and Lyca Mobile customers, who use Eir's network. Eir has 2 million customers, and the Examiner reports the company said only a small number of them use 3G for data, calls and texts. I did not independently confirm that the final phase finished on schedule.
The strongest case for switching off
The argument for retiring 3G is strong. Spectrum held by an ageing network carries less traffic per megahertz than 4G or 5G. Keeping three radio generations running costs power, maintenance and engineering attention. ComReg's 2G/3G switch-off guidance (Information Notice ComReg 24/61, 30 July 2024) says operators in Ireland and elsewhere are retiring 2G or 3G as they roll out LTE and NR, and that the change "will bring many efficiencies and benefits." Vodafone completed its own 3G switch-off in October 2024, and the Irish Times reports Three began around the same time. Eir is following the market rather than leading it.
A pro-innovation publication should not defend a regulator forcing operators to keep legacy networks alive indefinitely. That would tax every subscriber to protect a shrinking minority.
What the regulatory framework actually requires
ComReg's approach is a light-touch duty, not a veto. According to the guidance, the licence conditions in Regulation 6(1)(k) of S.I. 264/2021 require operators to:
- notify ComReg at least six months before ceasing any terrestrial system; and
- use "all reasonable endeavours" to minimise adverse effects on users.
The guidance also defines "users" to include MVNO customers hosted on the operator's network. That is why GoMo and Lyca customers are inside Eir's notification obligations. ComReg adds that the six-month period is a minimum and notice should come sooner where possible. The guidance says it "does not amount to legal advice" and that ComReg may depart from it where justified. It sets expectations, not penalties.
The design is proportionate. It places the duty on the party best able to identify affected customers, the operator that holds the SIM records, and it avoids a prescriptive timetable that would freeze Irish networks in place.
Where the model is under strain
The weak point is the long tail of devices that nobody counts. ComReg's list of at-risk equipment, as reported by the Examiner, includes vehicles, care alarms, security and fire alarms, point-of-sale card terminals, inventory and GPS trackers, automated gates and heating systems. These are often installed by third parties and then forgotten. A care alarm on a 3G-only SIM does not show a notification. It fails when someone needs it.
The fallback also softens the blow, which is why this is not a crisis. The Irish Times reports that Ireland has not yet switched off 2G, so 3G-only phones keep voice and text and drop to much slower data. A device that relies on a data connection, such as a payment terminal or a tracker, may still degrade badly even when the SIM keeps working. Eir says it is contacting 3G-only customers directly and offering settings updates, free replacement SIMs or new devices. For customers aged 65 and over, it points to its Age Friendly Care line.
The harder test is 2G. The Irish Times says its retirement is "coming eventually, but further down the line." Once 2G goes, a device that cannot use VoLTE loses voice calling, and ComReg's guidance flags the risk to emergency calls specifically. That is where the light-touch approach will be stressed.
What the UK experience suggests
The UK has finished its 3G switch-off. Ofcom's advice for IoT and third-party device suppliers names telecare alarms, security alarms, fire alarms and payment terminals as exposed device types. It also puts the burden on the supplier: "If you provide a service (like telecare) that relies on 2G networks, then you are responsible for ensuring the continuity of service after 2G networks are switched off." EE has announced 2G switch-off from May 2029, with O2 and VodafoneThree to follow in 2029 and 2030.
That is a sensible division of labour. Operators notify and help, device suppliers and service providers own the continuity of the services they sell, and the regulator monitors for undue disruption to vulnerable customers.
What proportionate policy looks like
Ireland does not need a new law. It needs ComReg to use the powers it has, in three ways:
- Publish outcomes. After Eir's switch-off, report how many 3G-only SIMs were identified, contacted and migrated. A "small number" is an assertion until it is measured.
- Set the 2G timetable early. Vodafone's and Three's 3G exits gave device owners about two years of public signalling. A published 2G roadmap would give alarm and terminal vendors the same runway.
- Hold suppliers to account. Following the UK model, make clear that telecare and payment providers, not just mobile operators, are responsible for keeping their products working.
The switch-off itself is the right call. The measure of whether Ireland's light-touch model works is whether the last care alarm still connects afterwards.