Qatar's Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has announced a plan to phase out 3G networks across the country by 31 December 2025. This decision is part of the CRA’s broader strategy to improve the efficiency and performance of Qatar’s telecommunications infrastructure, with a focus on enhancing 4G and 5G services. This move supports the Qatar National Vision 2030, which seeks to position Qatar as a leader in 5G deployment, promoting digital transformation and advancing network infrastructure and will impact the sites to be taken over by TASC Towers.
Impact in Qatar
Under this directive the peninsula’s two operators Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar, will be required to terminate their 3G services by the set deadline. The CRA has emphasised that this decision aims to better allocate radio spectrum resources, thereby strengthening the focus on developing 4G and 5G technologies. The removal of 3G equipment from cell towers and rooftops will reduce loading on sites and reduce the capex required to strengthen sites to hold heavy 5G equipment.
In addition to phasing out 3G, the CRA has also imposed an immediate ban on the import of mobile devices that only support 2G and 3G technologies. Going forward, only devices compatible with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) and meeting CRA’s standards will be permitted for use in Qatar.
This initiative aligns with Qatar’s National Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy and enhance the quality of life for residents by offering world-class telecommunications services. For example, Ooredoo has recently introduced its first private LTE enterprise network for offshore oil and gas operations in collaboration with Nokia, replacing the previous Wi-Fi network.
By retiring outdated 3G networks, Qatar is joining a growing number of countries—including the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom—that have already phased out legacy mobile technologies in favour of more advanced network infrastructures.
In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the country is following its Vision 2030 plan to modernise and diversify its economy, with digitisation as a central focus. This strategy is proving effective, as 5G investments are projected to contribute US$18bn to GDP by 2030. With 60% 5G coverage, particularly in urban areas, and the development of several major smart city projects, network design is evolving from traditional macro solutions to innovative coverage strategies. Zain is investing US$47mn to expand its 5G network, aiming to increase its presence to over 7,000 locations and cover 66% of the Kingdom’s population.
Qatar’s future
This transition is expected to accelerate the evolution of modern networks, delivering faster data speeds, reduced latency, and increased capacity to meet the rising demand for mobile data services. Without 3G equipment taking up space on the ground and in the air on towers it will become operationally easier to manage cell sites in Qatar.
According to GSMA Intelligence, Ooredoo Qatar currently supports approximately 81,000 3G connections, while Vodafone Qatar has nearly 10,800. These few connections are having a disproportionate impact on tower loading in Qatar. Ooredoo Qatar is in the process of merging its towers with TASC Towers, meaning that the towers inherited by TASC will end up carrying less equipment from the carrier, reducing loading and the need to strengthen sites to take additional tenancies.
TASC Towers will own and operate macro towers and rooftops following the closing of its acquisition of Ooredoo’s sites, with potential opportunities to expand into non-macro infrastructure, depending on regulatory conditions and Ooredoo’s interests. Total completion of the creation of TASC Towers is not expected until Q2 2025.
