Iceland has become the first country in Europe to completely shut down its 2G and 3G mobile networks, marking a major milestone in the transition to newer mobile technologies.
While countries including France, Spain and Italy still rely heavily on 3G infrastructure, and others such as Germany and Sweden are still phasing it out, Iceland has completed the process.
According to the Icelandic Telecommunications Authority, the move has attracted interest from telecommunications regulators across Europe seeking advice on managing similar transitions.
The network shutdown has exposed an unexpected issue affecting some mobile phones that support VoLTE and 5G.
According to Ólafur Aðalsteinsson, head of infrastructure at the Icelandic Telecommunications Authority, certain older or foreign-purchased devices enter emergency mode when attempting to dial 112 but fail to connect.
Those same phones may still be able to make ordinary seven-digit calls, creating a potentially serious problem in an emergency.
Officials say international visitors are among those most likely to be affected. Travellers may either find their phones have no mobile connection in Iceland or discover that, despite appearing to work normally, they cannot reach emergency services.
To raise awareness, the authority has distributed English-language guidance to tourism organisations, the Icelandic Tourist Board and Safe Travel, while Icelandair emails information to its passengers about a week before departure. Information leaflets have also been prepared for distribution at Keflavík Airport and popular tourist sites.
Despite those efforts, some tourism companies told RÚV they have not introduced specific measures to brief customers. With around half of all visitors travelling independently, tourism industry representatives say reaching everyone remains a significant challenge.
