Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has announced that from 30 June 2025 it will ban imports and certification of telecom equipment that supports only 2G and 3G networks. Mobile phones, IoT devices and other communication terminals sold in Thailand must therefore support at least 4G or 5G, or they cannot obtain NBTC certification.

Key points

1. Scope of the ban

- devices supporting only 2G or 3G, such as feature phones and older IoT terminals, cannot be certified by NBTC and may not be imported;

- multimode devices are unaffected: equipment that also supports 4G and 5G alongside 2G and 3G, as most smartphones do, can still be certified and sold.

2. Effective date

The rules take effect on 30 June 2025, after which NBTC no longer tests or certifies 2G and 3G devices.

3. Policy background

- Thailand is accelerating 4G and 5G rollout and retiring outdated 2G and 3G technology to optimise spectrum use and improve national communications efficiency;

- NBTC says the measure supports upgrading telecom infrastructure and ensures users get faster, more stable networks.

Who is affected

- Manufacturers and importers need to adjust product strategy so that new devices meet 4G and 5G standards.

- Operators: Thailand's main telecom companies have been closing 2G and 3G services progressively, and the new rules accelerate that process.

- Consumers still using 2G or 3G feature phones should upgrade soon to avoid disruption.

Industry trend: many countries have begun switching off 2G and 3G, including Singapore, Australia and the United States. Thailand's policy confirms that 4G and 5G are now the global mainstream and that low-speed networks will eventually disappear.