Ahead of the 2G/3G switch-off, the Swedish regulator is warning that some 4G phones will no longer be able to reach 112 once the old networks disappear
Sweden’s 2G and 3G networks will be shut down in December 2025, and the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) has now realised, the country is heading for an Australian-size meltdown as it states that some 4G phones will no longer be able to reach 112 once the old networks disappear. Why Australian? That country just shut down its 3G networks and a spate of recent serious failures of its triple-zero system, have raised concerns about whether telecom providers and regulators had done enough to safeguard emergency call access.
In September, a routine firewall upgrade at Australian telco Optus did not go as planned, triggering a an outage that prevented around 600 calls from reaching the country’s triple zero system. At least four deaths have been linked to the failure. And a recent TPG Telecom customer in Sydney died after their mobile phone, a Samsung device using the Lebara (on the Vodafone-network), failed to connect to triple zero because the phone’s software was outdated and incompatible with emergency-call protocols.
That problem stemmed from older devices that couldn’t “camp on” to an alternate mobile network when the primary network is unavailable. The federal government and regulator acted swiftly. Inquiries have been launched, fines promised and the communications minister, Anika Wells, called Optus’s failure “completely unacceptable,” describing the operator’s handling as a failure of duty to the Australian people.
More recently, Telstra testing uncovered that over 70 Samsung phone models may also fail to connect to triple zero in an emergency. The failures revealed a systemic risk and now, thousands of users have been notified that they must update or replace incompatible phones, and any devices not updated will soon be blocked.
Fragmented VoLTE
The problem, which can almost be described as a decade-long time bomb, was the way 4G made mobile networks spectrally efficient allowing operators to offload 3G data – with voice as an afterthought. In essence, it was optional to include support for voice calls in the LTE network (Voice over LTE) when you launched LTE services.
The issue in all its technical glory is described in detail in this blog by Omnitouch founder Nick Jones. In summary, he points out these failures are not limited to any one country or operator. He explains that while 4G networks were rolled out quickly to deliver better data performance, many operators relied on older 2G and 3G networks to carry voice calls using circuit-switched fallback.
When those legacy networks disappear, devices that have not been properly configured for VoLTE, or that lack the correct carrier settings, simply cannot make voice calls at all, including emergency calls. Because VoLTE implementation is fragmented and often optional, many handsets that appear to support 4G data cannot reliably support essential voice services.
He also notes that VoLTE compatibility is affected by handset software, firmware, chipset support and operator-specific configuration, with no universal standard guaranteeing emergency-call functionality. This fragmented landscape means consumers often have no clear indication of whether their device will work when they most need it.
As regulators push ahead with 2G and 3G shutdowns, countries are now discovering that the industry’s years of reliance on legacy fallback has left them exposed. The Swedish warning reflects this structural problem: without proactive checks, certification and clear consumer communication, more nations risk facing the same emergency-calling crises now playing out in Australia.
Sweden’s hits panic button
Tre, Telenor and Tele2 have been relying on affected phones switching to Telia’s remaining 2G network for emergency calls, but PTS says this emergency-roaming solution is not enough and that operators must ensure 112 calls can be placed through their own networks. After an urgent review, PTS has now ordered the operators to identify all affected models, inform customers immediately, and block these phones from their networks in early 2026, with an earlier deadline for certain devices.
To its credit, the European Emergency Number Association (EENA) has been sounding the alarm on this for some time. It pointed out that users with incompatible phones will need to replace their handset or move to an operator that can still route emergency calls via 2G or 3G. These are phones that have 4G, including the technology that enables voice calls over 4G (VoLTE, Voice over LTE), but do not support emergency calls over 4G/VoLTE.
The risk is that users of these phones can make regular calls but not emergency calls. PTS says the inconvenience is necessary to avoid the risk of people discovering too late that they cannot reach 112.
PTS now requires Tre, Telenor, and Tele2 to immediately identify phones that cannot be used on the operator’s network to make emergency calls after 2G and 3G shutdown. Users of these phones must also be informed of the issue immediately. Starting 2 February 2026, operators must block these phones.
For phones that require a specific action, such as removing the SIM card, to switch over to Telia’s network, this requirement applies as of 1 December 2025. PTS’s directive means that users of these phones must either switch to a phone that can handle emergency calls over 4G/VoLTE or switch to an operator that can also route emergency calls over 2G and 3G via its own network.
“We understand that it may be burdensome for users who now need to change phones or operators. At the same time, the alternative is worse. We cannot risk people believing they have a functioning telephony service, only to find out later that they cannot reach 112. We also expect operators to handle this situation properly with their customers,” says PTS director general Dan Sjöblom.
