Telia appeals for phone model lists ahead of its 2G shutdown

Telia has appealed Sweden’s Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) decision to withhold lists of mobile phone models that may not support emergency calls to 112. Telia wants the information ahead of its planned 2G shutdown at the end of 2027.

On September 9, Telia requested records from PTS’s oversight cases involving Tele2, Telenor and Tre. PTS rejected the request, saying disclosure could reveal the operators’ or manufacturers’ business and operating conditions and cause them harm.

The issue arose during the retirement of older mobile networks. Some phones supported ordinary voice calls over 4G using VoLTE but could not make emergency calls over the same technology. PTS said the operators had relied on affected phones switching to Telia’s 2G network for emergency calls, a feature known as emergency roaming. It required operators to identify affected phones, inform users and block those phones from their networks.

PTS argues that the lists could reveal network equipment and configuration because a model may have problems on one operator’s network but work on another’s. It also says the affected models can change as phone software and networks are updated. PTS cited a Stockholm Administrative Court of Appeal ruling dated April 9, 2026.

Telia disputes the claimed risk and says PTS has not explained how disclosure would harm competitors. It seeks the records, at least the model names without sensitive technical details, or access under restrictions limiting their use to identifying affected phones and preventing risks. PTS said on July 1, 2026, that Telia met emergency-call requirements and closed its review without action.