Despite growing costs and operational challenges, legacy networks such as copper, 2G, and 3G will remain active for years to come
Chepstow, 18th March 2025: New research from TXO, a global leader in sustainable technology solutions, reveals that the high cost of maintaining legacy networks is putting significant financial and operational pressure on service providers. Despite this, most operators predict that ageing infrastructure – including copper, 2G, and 3G – will remain in service for the foreseeable future.
Despite positive modernisation efforts from across the industry, 79% of operators surveyed say their copper networks will be operational until at least 2028, while more than a quarter (28%) expect them to last until 2030 or beyond. Similarly, 43% of service providers report that 2G networks will not be fully phased out until 2030, with nearly a fifth (19%) predicting decommissioning efforts will continue beyond that date.
81% of respondents said that these legacy networks are hindering their ability to roll out new services, limiting their competitiveness against greenfield operators.
“Operators are caught in a challenging cycle where legacy networks are becoming increasingly costly to maintain, yet full decommissioning is still years away,” said John Teasdale, Group Chief Network Officer at TXO. “The continued reliance on copper and legacy mobile networks is a major hurdle to new network innovations in 5G and fibre, hindering competitiveness and sustainability.”
The legacy challenge and its environmental, financial and opportunity costs
With 98% of network decision-makers reporting that maintaining ageing infrastructure has increased overall operational costs, the financial burden of managing legacy infrastructure is a growing concern. Operational resilience is also at risk. The study found that major outages caused by legacy networks, resulting in downtime, cost businesses an average of £1,073,684 per year.
“Outages on legacy infrastructure are more frequent and disruptive than ever,” said Teasdale. “Older networks were not built to handle today’s demands, making them prone to failure, and for many large service providers, the maintenance costs will have surged by 30-40% over the past year alone. The combination of escalating costs, downtime, and energy inefficiency makes the case for decommissioning legacy network technology stronger than ever.”
Navigating the path to decommissioning
Despite mounting challenges, telcos remain cautious about large-scale decommissioning with three-quarters of respondents saying they have delayed phasing out older networks. 53% of respondents say that they have delayed decommissioning due to labour shortages.
Encouragingly, many operators are embracing circular economy initiatives as a solution. 85% have plans to resell copper infrastructure as part of a circular economy strategy, with 80% having similar plans for 2G and 3G equipment. Earlier research from TXO also revealed that 80% of operators are recycling old equipment, and 63% purchase refurbished components to support ongoing operations.
Simon Wort, CEO at TXO said: “Decommissioning legacy networks is a complex challenge for telcos, often constrained by labour shortages and operational risks. With the right expertise and infrastructure, operators can recover value from retired equipment while accelerating their sustainability goals. By reselling, recycling, and reusing network assets, the industry is taking a crucial step toward a more circular economy – one that reduces waste, lowers costs, and builds a greener, more resilient technology sector.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR
The research, conducted by Censuswide between the 3rd-10th December, surveyed 231 network decision-makers at telecom operator businesses (MNO, ISP, Fixed-Line) based in the UK, the USA and Canada.
About TXO
Founded in 2005, TXO is the global full-circle technology lifecycle partner, helping industries manage, deploy, and resell technology.
Our vision is to make technology more sustainable—reducing costs, minimising waste, and maximising impact. We support organisations worldwide that rely on complex infrastructures, helping them improve efficiency, control costs, and meet environmental targets.
By applying circular economy principles, EOSL support, and responsible asset recovery, we extend infrastructure lifecycles while lowering both commercial and environmental impact.
True sustainability must be commercially viable, seamless to implement, and environmentally sound—because if an initiative isn’t cost-effective or disrupts operations, it won’t succeed.
Through urban mining and asset recovery, we help customers reduce reliance on raw material extraction while driving performance, profit, and purpose. In partnership with TowerBrook Delta, we are accelerating the shift toward a more sustainable and efficient network ecosystem—one that balances financial returns with environmental responsibility.
Our goal: transforming technology for a smarter, more sustainable future.
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