Hrvatski Telekom (HT) has announced the completion of its 3G retirement plans this week in Croatia.

The telco said its network shutdown project took two years to complete throughout several phases, including its planning process.

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HT, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, began its 3G shutdown in March in the Osijek and surrounding areas. After this HT retired the service in Zagreb in July, before Dubrovnik, Makarska, Pula, Rijeka, Split, Šibenik, and Zadar later in the year.

The carrier completed the final segment of its 3G switch-off in the remaining parts of the country last month.

“We have officially retired 3G technology and it is another milestone in the evolution of Hrvatski Telekom,” said Boris Drilo, member of the management board and chief technical and information technology officer (CTIO) of Hrvatski Telekom.

Drilo noted the switch off was challenging, but paves the way for the carrier to push its 4G and 5G networks.

“This demanding project means better connectivity, improved user experiences, and energy-efficient solutions, in line with our commitment to innovation and sustainability.”

HT noted that its move away from the legacy 3G network will enable it to reduce its carbon footprint. The carrier claims that its 4G technology is five times more energy efficient than 3G, while its 5G technology is 15 times more energy efficient than 3G.

Telcos across the world are phasing out their 3G networks. Earlier this month, Latvia’s Tele2 said it would retire the service next month, weeks after its Estonian subsidiary also outlined its 3G retirement plans.

South African telco MTN noted last week that it’s on course to retire the service by the end of the year.

In the UK, Virgin Media O2 has outlined plans to start decommissioning its 3G network in April 2025.