Singapore's mobile operators on Monday announced they will stop offering 2G services from 1 April 2017.

In a joint statement, Singtel, StarHub and M1 said the spectrum will be refarmed for 3G and 4G services in order to cater to increasing demand for mobile broadband.

"Today, the majority of mobile customers are on 3G and 4G networks; only an extremely small percentage of customers remain on 2G-only mobile devices," the operators said.

At the end of March, Singapore had 8.1 million mobile connections, according to the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. Of that total, some 287,000 – or 2.5% – were 2G subscriptions. The majority of mobile users – 4.3 million – are on a 3G price plan, but 4G is catching up fast, with 3.1 million connections.

Singapore mobile operators to switch off 2G service in 2017

In the run-up to the closure, Singtel, StarHub and M1 will contact affected customers via SMS and calls, and will also advertise the shutdown at their retail outlets.

"A wide range of 3G and 4G handsets is also available at different price points to enable customers to migrate to newer networks more conveniently," the operators said. "Customers on 2G-only handsets will need only to place their SIM cards into a 3G or 4G device to enjoy 3G/4G service immediately."

Total Telecom