French lift association demands postponement of 2G and 3G termination

In France, 2G and 3G are scheduled to end at the end of 2026 and 2029 at the latest respectively. The Fédération des Ascenseurs (FAS) is pleading for the shutdowns to be postponed for at least two years.

The French mobile communications providers Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR will be switching off their 2G and 3G networks in the next few years. The end of 2G should be in 2025 or 2026. 3G is to follow by 2028 or 2029 (see LIFTjournal 3/24).

These plans clearly surprised the providers and maintenance companies of remote transmission systems, which also include the emergency call systems of lifts. In the words of the French lift association FAS, the shutdown of both mobile communications technologies had been decided "without consultation".

Postpone the deadlines

According to the Fédération des Ascenseurs, approximately 232,000 2G communication systems would have to be updated or replaced and by the end of 2029 at the latest about 58,000 3G communication systems. "The planned end of 2G and 3G networks at short notice will make it very difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade or if necessary replace all of the transmission devices of lifts based on 2G/3G within the deadlines demanded," according to the press release of the FAS.

To ease the transition for the owners of the devices affected and for maintenance companies, the Fédération des Ascenseurs and other associations want to get the telephone companies and French regulatory authority for telecommunications (ARCEP) to postpone the deadlines announced for the shutdown of 2G and 3G by at least two years.

More information: ascenseurs.fr