United Kingdom (GB)#

• GSM gateway: A gateway used for a single organisation's own calls is licence-exempt (Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations, amended by SI 2016/486 in force 28 Apr 2016), while commercial multi-user gateways (COMUGs) need an Ofcom licence. From 29 Oct 2026 the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (Royal Assent 29 Apr 2026) makes possessing a 5+ SIM device without 'good reason' an offence, so a 1–4 SIM gateway is the safe choice for a venue. O2 and EE terms forbid using SIMs in gateways to serve third parties.
• SIM: The UK has no mandatory SIM registration: prepaid SIMs are sold without ID, and business contracts are opened in the company's name after the operator's own checks. The regulator publishes no primary source stating the absence of registration; this reflects market practice.
• Landline: Openreach stopped selling new PSTN/ISDN lines in September 2023 and switches the whole network off on 31 Jan 2027 with no extension (press release 31 Jul 2026: ≈1.5M lines left, ≈350k at business premises). The replacement is the operator's digital voice over broadband.
• ISDN: ISDN2 (BRI) and ISDN30 (PRI) end together with the PSTN on 31 Jan 2027, with no new connections since September 2023 (secondary: Giacom, TalkTalk Business). ISDN30 PBXs are still found at businesses and are moved to SIP trunks via gateways.
• Mobile networks: 3G is off at all operators: EE and Vodafone in early 2024, Three by end-2024, VMO2 (O2) during 2025. Operators agreed with government to keep 2G no later than 2033 (EE/O2 start switching off from 2029), so a 2G gateway still works, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Radio equipment falls under the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017 (SI 2017/1206): UKCA or CE marking is accepted (CE recognition in Great Britain extended indefinitely); there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: Nimans (official distributor Yeastar), VoIPon, VoIP Supplies
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Ireland (IE)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific ban or licence for a gateway used for own calls, and ComReg publishes no guidance on GSM gateways; the end-user right to use terminal equipment of choice comes from EU Regulation 2015/2120 (Art. 3(1)). Terminating third-party traffic and SIM contract clauses are a separate risk, so check the operator's terms.
• SIM: Ireland has no mandatory prepaid SIM registration (secondary source); Cullen International (Oct 2025) reports 19 EU countries mandate registration but does not list them publicly.
• Landline: open eir retires copper (PSTN/ISDN) exchange by exchange under ComReg Decision D09/23 (1 Nov 2023), giving businesses 12–18 months' notice; there is no single national date. The replacement is operator voice over fibre.
• ISDN: ISDN is retired together with copper at the same exchanges; open eir publishes no separate BRI/PRI dates (secondary source).
• Mobile networks: Vodafone switched 3G off in October 2024 and eir starts a phased 3G switch-off on 1 Oct 2026; we could not confirm Three's 3G completion. No operator has notified ComReg of a 2G withdrawal, so a 2G gateway works, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Ireland is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: Multinet Systems (official distributor Yeastar), VoIPon (UK, ships to Ireland)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

France (FR)#

• GSM gateway: The technology itself is legal: Bouygues Telecom Pro (article 23 Dec 2022, updated 1 Jun 2026) says gateways are 'not illegal' but are forbidden by most operators' contracts, up to termination. A gateway needs a SIM whose plan allows such use; terminating third-party traffic is prohibited.
• SIM: A prepaid SIM is activated only after an ID document is provided: without it the line is suspended after 15 days and closed after 30 (Orange community, secondary source).
• Landline: Orange stopped selling new analogue lines on 15 Nov 2018 (overseas departments 15 Nov 2020); copper is commercially closed in lots on 31 Jan 2024/2026/2027 and technically closed in lots from 31 Jan 2025 to end-2030 (ARCEP). The replacement is VoIP via a box with an FXS port or a SIP trunk.
• ISDN: Numéris (T0 = BRI, T2 = PRI) closes together with copper in the same lots; per Orange Business, lot 3 closes technically on 31 Jan 2027 and postponed communes in 2028.
• Mobile networks: 2G at Orange, SFR and Bouygues ends at end-2026, 3G at end-2028 (Orange, SFR) and 2029 (Bouygues); Free roams on Orange 2G/3G until 31 Dec 2028 (ARCEP). A 2G gateway stops working in 2026, so buy only an LTE model with VoLTE.
• Certification: The Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU applies (transposed by Decree 2017-599): CE is sufficient, there is no national type approval, and ANFR only performs market surveillance.
• Where to buy: DSI France (official distributor Yeastar), IP&Go, Onedirect, Price-Telecom
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Germany (DE)#

• GSM gateway: A gateway for the company's own staff and PBX calls is legal, while terminating third-party traffic through GSM gateways is prohibited per BNetzA (secondary source). Operators may ban SIMs in gateways by contract — Federal Court of Justice KZR 31/08 of 29 Jun 2010 (E-Plus case); o2's terms contain such a ban.
• SIM: Section 172 TKG requires operators to verify prepaid subscriber data against a passport or ID card, or a commercial register extract for companies.
• Landline: Deutsche Telekom moved all lines to IP by end-2020 (all-IP); an analogue phone connects to the router's FXS port. We did not verify the timeline of the later copper-to-fibre switch-off.
• ISDN: Telekom ISDN has ended: residential lines at end-2019, business lines in 2020 (teltarif, easybell). We did not check PRI (S2M) offers from other operators.
• Mobile networks: All operators switched 3G off in 2021. 2G ends at Telekom at end-June 2028 (critical IoT until end-2030), Vodafone at end-September 2028 and Telefónica at end-2028 (BNetzA); a 2G gateway works until then, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Germany is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: ALLNET (official distributor Yeastar), Tiptel, voipango, Michael Telecom (official distributor Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Austria (AT)#

• GSM gateway: We found no ban or licence for a gateway used for own calls; EU Regulation 2015/2120 (Art. 3(1)) grants the right to terminal equipment of choice. According to LTE-Forum, A1, Magenta and Drei terms forbid SIMs in GSM gateways but tolerate it in practice, so check the contract.
• SIM: Since 1 Jan 2019 prepaid SIMs are issued only after identification (TKG and the registration ordinance); existing anonymous cards had to be registered by 1 Sep 2019.
• Landline: A1's termination wave covers ISDN only — analogue, DSL and fibre lines are not included (pnc.at, secondary source); we found no A1 date for retiring the analogue network.
• ISDN: A1 announced switching off all ISDN basic lines (BRI) by 31 Dec 2025 and multi-lines (PRI) by end-March 2026, with migration starting January 2023; new customers get only SIP or ISDN-over-IP. The dates come from secondary sources; we found no confirmation on A1's own site.
• Mobile networks: 3G is off: Magenta in June 2024, Drei in April 2025, A1 in June 2025. 2G: A1 switches off on 31 May 2028, Magenta not before 2030, Drei has no date, and RTR expects 2G fully gone by 2030; a new gateway should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Austria is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: ALLNET Österreich (official distributor Yeastar), VAD voice and data (official distributor Yeastar), Tiptel Österreich, blue2
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Switzerland (CH)#

• GSM gateway: We found no OFCOM (BAKOM) guidance on GSM gateways for own calls, and EU Regulation 2015/2120 does not apply in Switzerland. Gateways are openly sold by Swiss shops (digitec, aesag), but the operator's SIM terms must be checked separately.
• SIM: Prepaid SIM registration has been mandatory since 1 Aug 2004 (VÜPF Art. 20): name, address, date of birth and passport/ID details are recorded.
• Landline: Swisscom retired its classic analogue and ISDN network: residential customers were moved to All IP by end-2018 and businesses by end-2019 (a few stragglers later); voice is now IP only.
• ISDN: ISDN was retired together with Swisscom's classic network in 2017–2019; we did not confirm the exact final switch-off date from a Swisscom primary source.
• Mobile networks: 2G is off everywhere: Swisscom in April 2021, Sunrise from 3 Jan 2023, Salt earlier. 3G: Sunrise off by August 2025, Swisscom on 31 Dec 2025, Salt by end-2026; OFCOM explicitly says VoLTE is needed, so only an LTE gateway with VoLTE works, and 2G models such as the TG200 GSM still sold in shops are useless.
• Certification: Radio equipment (GSM/LTE gateways) falls under the FAV ordinance of 25 Nov 2015: CE marking and a declaration of conformity, no separate type approval; wired equipment (FXO) has been covered by the EMC ordinance (VEMV) since 13 Jun 2016.
• Where to buy: digitec, Galaxus, Artmar Electronic & Security (aesag.ch)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Netherlands (NL)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific ban or licence for a gateway used for own calls, and neither ACM nor RDI publishes gateway guidance; EU Regulation 2015/2120 (Art. 3(1)) grants the right to terminal equipment of choice. Terminating third-party traffic and SIM contract clauses are a separate risk.
• SIM: There is no mandatory prepaid SIM registration: the government decided not to ban anonymous cards (Emerce, secondary source).
• Landline: KPN ended ISDN and multi-line analogue (PSTN) service on 1 Sep 2019 with disconnections through Q1 2020; we did not confirm the fate of single analogue lines from a primary source.
• ISDN: KPN closed ISDN1/2 (BRI) on 1 Sep 2019 and ISDN15/20/30 (PRI) on 1 Apr 2022.
• Mobile networks: KPN: 3G off on 31 Mar 2022, 2G phased out from March 2026 and fully off on 1 Dec 2027; VodafoneZiggo: 3G off, 2G not before end-2026; Odido: 2G already off, 3G not before August 2026 (ACM). By end-2027 VoLTE will be needed on all networks, so buy only an LTE gateway with VoLTE.
• Certification: The Netherlands is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: VOIPQ (official distributor Yeastar), DectDirect, Tiptel Nederland
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Belgium (BE)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific ban or licence for a gateway used for own calls, and BIPT publishes no gateway guidance; EU Regulation 2015/2120 (Art. 3(1)) grants the right to terminal equipment of choice. Terminating third-party traffic and SIM contract clauses are a separate risk.
• SIM: BIPT: identification of prepaid card users is mandatory — at the point of sale or later online (Royal Decree of 27 Nov 2016).
• Landline: Proximus retires copper per fibre zone on a five-year cycle: copper starts closing in year 3, copper services stop being sold in year 4 and copper ends in year 5, with PSTN lines moved to VoIP (Proximus guide, Feb 2020). There is no single national date.
• ISDN: We found no official Proximus dates for ending sales or switching off ISDN (BRI and PRI).
• Mobile networks: Proximus switched 3G off by end-2024 and keeps 2G at least until end-2027; Orange Belgium has been phasing 3G out since 2024 with 2G/3G fully off in 2028–2030; Telenet/BASE started switching 3G off in September 2024 (Orange and Telenet from secondary sources). A 2G gateway works, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Belgium is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: Intellinet (official distributor Yeastar), VoipSolutions (official distributor Yeastar), OfficeEasy
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Luxembourg (LU)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific ban or licence for a gateway used for own calls, and ILR publishes no gateway guidance; EU Regulation 2015/2120 (Art. 3(1)) grants the right to terminal equipment of choice. Terminating third-party traffic and SIM contract clauses are a separate risk.
• SIM: The law of 7 Jun 2017 ended anonymous prepaid SIMs: operators must identify holders and deactivate unidentified cards (anonymous sales stopped in 2015).
• Landline: POST permanently decommissioned its EWSD-based fixed network on 3 Jul 2026, completing its '100% All-IP' migration (L'essentiel). Voice is now IP only.
• ISDN: POST switched off the EWSD network that carried ISDN on 3 Jul 2026; per its FAQ, POST SIP Trunk Business still connects customer PBXs with IP, PRI or BRI interfaces via a rented SBC, so ISDN PBXs survive as an interface rather than a network line.
• Mobile networks: 3G is off: POST in October 2022, Proximus in January 2024, Orange by end-2025. 2G stays at POST at least until end-2027 and at Proximus and Orange until 2030 (Luxtoday, 6 Mar 2025); a 2G gateway works, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Luxembourg is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: —
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Spain (ES)#

• GSM gateway: There is no specific ban: in 2020 the telecom Secretariat of State required two operators to limit contract bans to devices for reselling traffic, citing net neutrality (bandaancha.eu, secondary source). Movistar forbids SIMs in SIM boxes and devices for mass calling or traffic rerouting.
• SIM: Law 25/2007 requires operators to keep an ID register of prepaid SIM buyers: in force since 9 Nov 2007, with existing cards identified by 8 Nov 2009.
• Landline: Telefónica shut its last 661 copper exchanges on 27 May 2025 (CNMC blog); voice now runs over fibre or VoIP.
• ISDN: Telefónica ISDN (RDSI) ended with the copper exchanges (Xataka Móvil); we did not verify the fate of primary-rate RDSI (PRI) from a primary source.
• Mobile networks: Movistar and Vodafone switched 3G off in 2025, MasOrange between 2025 and 31 Dec 2027 depending on the source. 2G remains (MasOrange until 2030, Movistar and Vodafone estimates 2026–2030), and the government consulted on a roadmap from 17 Dec 2025 to 20 Jan 2026; a new gateway should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Spain is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: OfficeEasy, Amazon.es
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Portugal (PT)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific ban or licence for a gateway used for own calls, and ANACOM publishes no gateway guidance; EU Regulation 2015/2120 (Art. 3(1)) grants the right to terminal equipment of choice. Terminating third-party traffic and SIM contract clauses are a separate risk.
• SIM: Prepaid SIMs can still be anonymous; on 29 May 2026 the Council of Ministers approved a proposal for mandatory prepaid user identification and spoofing blocking, but it is not yet law.
• Landline: MEO no longer sells copper voice to new customers and is moving the remaining ≈100k copper subscribers to fibre (secondary sources); we found no switch-off dates. Alternative operator IP Telecom still offers analogue and primary-rate ISDN accesses.
• ISDN: IP Telecom (Infraestruturas de Portugal group) offers primary-rate ISDN (PRI) accesses in its 'Serviço Fixo Telefónico' service; we did not check the fate of basic-rate access (BRI) at MEO.
• Mobile networks: MEO switched 3G off nationwide on 31 Jan 2024, NOS began phasing 3G out in May 2024 and Vodafone in July 2024 (completion not verified); ANACOM imposes no conditions. We found no 2G decisions, so a 2G gateway still works, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Portugal is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: voip.pt, Voxsys (official distributor Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Italy (IT)#

• GSM gateway: Using a GSM gateway is 'not illegal but generally contrary to operators' contracts' (Italian Wikipedia); we found no AGCOM or Court of Cassation ruling on business gateways specifically. The antitrust authority AGCM handled the fixed-to-mobile termination access dispute (case A357, decision no. 17131 of 3 Aug 2007).
• SIM: The Pisanu decree (DL 144/2005 and the Ministerial Decree of 16 Aug 2005) requires identifying the subscriber and keeping a copy of the ID before SIM activation; it remains in force.
• Landline: FiberCop is decommissioning copper exchanges: the first 62 from 25 May 2024, and AGCOM decision 123/25/CONS (23 May 2025) approved 2,055 more; the plan is ≈6,700 of ≈10,500 by 2028 and 100% by 2030–2031 (secondary sources).
• ISDN: New activations are IP only, and existing BRI and PRI lines survive until their exchange closes (integrators, secondary source); we found no official TIM ISDN stop-sell date.
• Mobile networks: Vodafone switched 3G off on 28 Feb 2021 and TIM on 15 Oct 2022; WindTre and Iliad planned to finish by 31 Dec 2025, but WindTre's timeline slipped (new date not confirmed). There is no official 2G date, so a 2G gateway works, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Italy is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient; there is no national type approval.
• Where to buy: Ezdirect (official distributor Yeastar), Allnet.Italia (official distributor Yeastar), Econnet (official distributor Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Sweden (SE)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment sold openly by Swedish shops. Terminating third-party traffic is an electronic communications service requiring notification to PTS under LEK (2022:482).
• SIM: Since 1 August 2022 anonymous prepaid SIMs are gone: the operator must register the subscriber and verify identity (photo ID or eID) before use; M2M-only prepaid is exempt. A company contracts under its organisationsnummer.
• Landline: Telia is closing its copper network exchange by exchange and states it will be fully decommissioned «senast 2026», copper fixed telephony included; replacements are fibre or mobile telephony. A new analogue line in Sweden should not be expected.
• ISDN: Telia began phasing out ISDN Duo/Duocom back in 2008 and moves PBXs to SIP trunks; BRI survives only on copper, which closes by 2026. No separate PRI switch-off date was found; SIP operators (QuickNet) offer ISDN gateways for legacy PBXs.
• Mobile networks: All major operators switched off 3G in December 2025, and Tele2, Telenor and Tre switched off 2G at the same time; Telia keeps 2G until end-2027. PTS required Tre, Telenor and Tele2 to block devices unable to call 112 over their networks by 2 February 2026, so a VoLTE gateway is needed.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is placed on the market under RED 2014/53/EU — CE marking plus the manufacturer's declaration of conformity. PTS carries out market surveillance of radio equipment.
• Where to buy: FirewallForce, IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Norway (NO)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; Norway is in the EEA, the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment sold by Norwegian B2B shops. The SIM itself requires full identification (ekomforskriften § 1-8).
• SIM: KYC is set by ekomforskriften § 1-8 and ekomloven § 2-8: for a company — name, legal form, organisasjonsnummer, address, daglig leder and board; for a person — passport/ID or eID at «betydelig»/«høyt» level. The operator must document the check.
• Landline: Telenor moved its last telephony customers off copper on 15 December 2022 and has not offered telephony over copper since 1 January 2023; Nkom required wholesale copper access until autumn 2025. Replacement is mobile or fibre telephony.
• ISDN: Telenor has been retiring ISDN (BRI, PRI, 2 Mbit) together with the copper network since 2016; no new ISDN contracts since 2021, and copper telephony ended at the end of 2022. The replacement is a SIP trunk.
• Mobile networks: 3G is off (Telia in 2020, Telenor as well). Telia closed 2G between August and December 2025, Telenor will switch 2G off on 31 December 2027, after which voice is 4G Tale (VoLTE) only; buy a VoLTE gateway.
• Certification: Norway applies RED 2014/53/EU via the EEA Agreement: CE marking and a declaration of conformity are needed, no separate type approval. Market surveillance is by Nkom.
• Where to buy: Dustin (Gateways IP-telefoni), IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Denmark (DK)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment. Terminating third-party traffic is a separate communications service and against operator terms.
• SIM: The 2024 bill on mandatory registration of prepaid (taletidskort) SIMs was rejected in 2025, so anonymous prepaid SIMs remain legal in Denmark. A business subscription is taken out by the company under its CVR number.
• Landline: TDC NET is closing its copper network area by area since 2024 and plans to cut the last copper connections in 2029; PSTN telephony and xDSL go with it. Replacement is VoIP over fibre, coax or 5G.
• ISDN: TDC Net began retiring ISDN2, ISDN30 and ISDNFlex in 2021 (about 100,000 business lines), replacing them with «simulated PSTN» and SIP; ISDN finally goes with copper by 2029. SIP operators (Norlys) port ISDN number ranges.
• Mobile networks: 3G is off: TDC at the end of 2022, Telia and Telenor in spring 2023, and 3 last by 1 December 2025. 2G runs with no announced date (Norlys aims to close it by 2030), so a 2G gateway still works, but LTE/VoLTE is the safer buy.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: conformity with RED 2014/53/EU is enough — CE marking and the manufacturer's declaration.
• Where to buy: IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions (Dinstar), VoIPon Solutions (Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Finland (FI)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment, and IP-telephony gateways are sold by Finnish B2B shops.
• SIM: There is no mandatory registration of prepaid subscriptions: police asked for it in 2016–2017, but KRP and the transport and communications ministry were lukewarm and no decision was taken. A business subscription is taken out under the company's Y-tunnus.
• Landline: Telia closed its landline network in 2019, DNA at the end of 2025, and Elisa made the last national copper landline call on 30 June 2026. A few thousand lines may remain with small local operators; replacement is a mobile number or Elisa Kotipuhelin.
• ISDN: Elisa is moving businesses off copper and names the replacement for ISDN subscriptions — Puheratkaisu Vakio or Elisa Ring; no separate BRI/PRI switch-off dates were found. SIP trunks (VoIP-vaihdeliittymä) are sold by Elisa and DNA.
• Mobile networks: Elisa, DNA and Telia switched 3G off in stages by 31 December 2024. Operators must keep 2G until the end of 2029, so a 2G gateway still works, but LTE/VoLTE is the future-proof choice.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is sold under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity; market surveillance is by Traficom.
• Where to buy: Dustin (Gateway IP-puhelut), IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Iceland (IS)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; Iceland is in the EEA and the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment. 2G/3G networks are being switched off, so only an LTE gateway with VoLTE is usable.
• SIM: No separate SIM-registration law was found — number and SIM come with a service contract with the operator (Síminn, Nova, Sýn/Vodafone). Document requirements for a company are set by the operator.
• Landline: Síminn announced PSTN decommissioning in January 2019 and stopped connecting new customers on 1 October 2020, closing exchanges in phases; home phones have moved to VoIP via the router. The date of the last exchange closure was not found.
• ISDN: Icelandic PBXs were historically connected over ISDN and Síminn has long offered businesses IP telephony; no ISDN BRI/PRI switch-off dates were found in available sources. Icelandic operator and regulator sites did not load from our network.
• Mobile networks: Under Fjarskiptastofa's coordinated plan 2G and 3G were to close by end-2025: Nova switched 2G off in January 2025, Sýn/Vodafone 2G and 3G by end-2025. In December 2025 the regulator let Síminn extend 2G/3G until roughly mid-2026 — completion is not confirmed, so a VoLTE gateway is required.
• Certification: Iceland applies RED 2014/53/EU via the EEA Agreement: CE marking and a declaration of conformity are needed; no separate type approval was found.
• Where to buy: IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Estonia (EE)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment. Terminating third-party traffic is a communications service requiring notification to the regulator (TTJA).
• SIM: An anonymous prepaid kõnekaart can still be bought at a kiosk in Estonia and activated without identification; a service contract under ESS § 93 requires identifying the customer. A company contracts under its registry code.
• Landline: Telia Eesti's «Lauatelefon» product is governed by internet-telephony terms (document tt_internetitelefon), so the home number is effectively VoIP already. No public date for a full analogue-line shutdown was found.
• ISDN: Telia Eesti had an Office-ISDN, basic-rate and primary-rate ISDN line-up (terms updated in 2016); no current sales or BRI/PRI switch-off dates were found.
• Mobile networks: Telia was first to close 3G in 2023 (Tallinn on 4–7 September 2023) and Tele2 last in November 2025. Telia does not plan to close 2G before 2029, so 2G voice is still available.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is sold under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity.
• Where to buy: eVolpe Shop (EU), IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Latvia (LV)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment. From 1 October 2026 the government plans to allow activating new SIMs only after identification, ending anonymous gateway SIMs.
• SIM: Prepaid SIMs are currently sold without registration; in March 2026 the government approved Electronic Communications Law amendments so that new SIMs from 1 October 2026 are activated only after user identification. Adoption by the Saeima was not verified.
• Landline: On 2 January 2025 Tet's fixed voice telephony services were transferred to LMT; some rural Lattelecom copper lines were cut as early as 2018. No overall analogue-line shutdown date was found — LMT and Tet sell IP telephony to businesses.
• ISDN: Operator Telegroup Networks explicitly lists «ISDN2, SIP trunk» among its operator services (09.09.2026). No sources were found on ISDN30/PRI or ISDN switch-off dates at Tet/LMT.
• Mobile networks: LMT closed 3G by 2025, and Bite switched off the last 3G in Riga on the night of 18 March 2026, ending the 3G era in Latvia. No 2G switch-off dates were found; 2G voice still works.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is sold under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity.
• Where to buy: Salidzini.lv (local shops), IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Lithuania (LT)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment. Since 2025 its SIM can only be obtained with identification.
• SIM: Since 1 January 2025 new prepaid SIMs are activated only after identity confirmation: a person gives name, personal code, address and ID document; a company gives its name and company code. Previously bought cards are not affected.
• Landline: Telia Lietuva still sells businesses its «Telefono linija» (fixed telephone line, ISDN included) — the product page is live. No announced copper switch-off date was found.
• ISDN: Telia Lietuva maintains ISDN duo, ISDN duo plus and ISDN office with supplementary services for business — the pages are live. No sources were found on PRI or ISDN switch-off dates.
• Mobile networks: Telia switched off 3G by end-2022, Tele2 and Bitė by end-2025. According to the regulator RRT, 2G devices will work until at least 2030.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is sold under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity; market surveillance is by RRT.
• Where to buy: Varle.lt (IP telefonija), IP&Go (EU), VoIPon Solutions
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Poland (PL)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway («bramka VoIP GSM») with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found: Polish distributors sell them openly. The device is RED (CE) radio equipment; since 2016 SIMs must be registered.
• SIM: Since 25 July 2016 (anti-terrorism act, art. 60b of the Telecommunications Law) every prepaid SIM must be registered before service starts; a company provides its name and REGON, NIP or KRS number. The law sets no limit on the number of SIMs.
• Landline: Orange Polska is shrinking PSTN: about half of its 382 exchanges from 2012 are closed, subscribers are migrated to all-IP (VoIP), and its wholesale arm announced a Copper Switch Off programme (October 2025). No overall final switch-off date was found.
• ISDN: When closing exchanges Orange keeps equipment serving existing ISDN and WLR lines on remote modules; no sources were found on new ISDN connections or a switch-off date. Polish SIP operators sell trunks for PBXs.
• Mobile networks: T-Mobile switched off 3G in 2023, Orange in November 2025, Play phases 3G out through end-2027, Plus not before end-2026. 2G remains at all operators as the basic voice layer.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is sold under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity; market surveillance is by UKE.
• Where to buy: WISP.PL, VoIP24sklep.pl, Sklep24IP.pl, eVolpe Shop
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Czechia (CZ)#

• GSM gateway: According to manufacturer TFE, GSM gateways are not subject to ČTÚ approval (homologace), but the operator must not route calls from the public fixed network through them — own calls only, no transit. Only GSM jammers are banned (ČTÚ position).
• SIM: Czechia is the only Central European country where anonymous prepaid SIMs are still legal; in December 2025 ČTÚ, security services and operators discussed mandatory registration without a decision. A business contract uses IČO/DIČ.
• Landline: O2 still serves analogue fixed lines while actively offering migration to «digitální telefon» (VoIP); its VoIP Connect product provides POTS/ISDN2/ISDN30 interfaces on request. No announced PSTN switch-off date was found.
• ISDN: O2 maintains ISDN2A and ISDN30 support pages, and VoIP Connect offers ISDN2/ISDN30 interfaces on request; Quantcom accepts ISDN alongside SIP. We found no confirmation that O2 has switched ISDN off.
• Mobile networks: 3G was switched off in 2021: Vodafone by 31 March, O2 in three waves to 30 November, T-Mobile at the end of November. ČTÚ requires 2G until at least 30 June 2028 (or until user share falls below 5%); T-Mobile guarantees 2G until 31 December 2027.
• Certification: There is no national type approval — GSM gateways do not go through ČTÚ homologation; they are placed on the market under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity.
• Where to buy: FWG communication, Businesscom, Comfor, Digital Telecommunications (DTO)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Slovakia (SK)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; the gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment. Its SIM must be registered to the owner (Act 452/2021).
• SIM: Anonymous SIMs cannot be bought in Slovakia: Act 452/2021 on electronic communications requires subscriber data (name, address, ID number) when selling any SIM, prepaid included; a company registers SIMs to itself. Telekom also accepts prepaid registration via face biometrics.
• Landline: Since 2021 Slovak Telekom has been ending services on its metallic network locality by locality, moving customers to fibre or the nearest technical alternative; telephone-line and ISDN tariffs are still in the current price list (01.01.2026). No overall end date is announced.
• ISDN: Slovak Telekom's «voice services TP ISDN» price list dated 01.01.2026 sits under the current offer; Orange (Voice Connect) and SWAN (IP Trunk) connect legacy PBXs via ISDN BRA/PRA gateways. Slovak VoIP operators sell SIP trunks as the ISDN2/ISDN30 replacement.
• Mobile networks: Telekom switched off 3G in November 2023, Orange by end-February 2024, O2 phases 3G out over two years from January 2024 (4ka has no own 3G). 2G is live: O2 will close it at end-2028, Telekom in January 2029, Orange in 2028–2030.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is sold under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity.
• Where to buy: ASBIS (distributor Grandstream), FWG communication (CZ), VoIPon Solutions (Dinstar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Hungary (HU)#

• GSM gateway: No specific ban or licence for a GSM/LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls was found; Hungarian integrators sell GSM adapters for PBXs. The gateway is RED (CE) radio equipment; the SIM requires subscriber data verification.
• SIM: Prepaid SIMs in Hungary require subscriber data, and under the electronic communications act since 2017 prepaid (feltöltőkártya) holders must reconcile their data with the operator every year — unreconciled cards are disabled. A company registers SIMs to itself.
• Landline: Magyar Telekom moved its network to IP technology by 31 December 2016, but the analogue subscriber line remains; under universal-service obligations it stays, and Telekom said it will not switch it off in the medium term. Business operators (Invitech) still sell analogue PSTN.
• ISDN: Invitech keeps ISDN in its voice portfolio and state-owned Pro-M offers ISDN30 as an alternative to its SIP trunk; Magyar Telekom retired individual ISDN products (ISDN-NET, Voice Classic2) in 2024. No national ISDN switch-off date was found.
• Mobile networks: 3G is off: Magyar Telekom on 30 June 2022, Vodafone (now One) by mid-April 2023, Yettel on 13 November 2023. Since 1 April 2026 Telekom's 2G customers are served by Yettel's network; the two remaining 2G networks are expected to close in 2028–2030.
• Certification: There is no national type approval: the gateway is sold under RED 2014/53/EU with CE marking and a declaration of conformity; market surveillance is by NMHH.
• Where to buy: Assono (GSM adapterek), N-System Távközlési Kft., ASBIS (distributor Grandstream), VoIPon Solutions (Dinstar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Greece (GR)#

• GSM gateway: EETT's consultation results of 23 Jan 2004 describe GSM gateways as terminal equipment that circulates lawfully under Directive 1999/5/EC. A private gateway for a person's or company's own calls is distinguished from a public gateway used as an interconnection route (terminating third-party traffic), which respondents said needs a licence under Art. 6(1) of Law 2876/2000. No later EETT decision banning or requiring registration of private gateways was found.
• SIM: A 2009 law on identifying mobile users made prepaid SIM registration mandatory, and anonymous SIMs were blocked after July 2010. ID is required at purchase and false details carry criminal liability.
• Landline: EETT Regulation 1146/02 of 10 Mar 2025 sets how copper is decommissioned exchange area by exchange area; the first copper switch-off decisions covered the Rostan (Thessaloniki) and Alysida (Athens) exchanges. Since August 2026 OTE has been running a major copper-withdrawal phase, moving subscribers to fibre, with no single national date.
• ISDN: Cosmote business application forms and terms still list ISDN-BRA (including with DDI) and ISDN-PRA lines. No separate ISDN switch-off date was found; in exchange areas where copper is withdrawn, ISDN goes with it.
• Mobile networks: Cosmote began closing 3G in September 2021, Nova by end-March 2023 and Vodafone by mid-2023; by 28 Aug 2023 3G was off at all Greek operators. 2G still carries voice, so a 2G/4G gateway works without mandatory VoLTE.
• Certification: Greece is in the EU: a gateway is placed on the market with CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU. No separate national device registration with EETT was found.
• Where to buy: NSYS Telecommunications, Epsilon Teledata (ETD.gr), Legatron, Intertech S.A. (distributor Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Cyprus (CY)#

• GSM gateway: No OCECPR position on GSM gateways for a business's own calls was found, nor any Cyta, Epic or PrimeTel terms on using SIMs in gateways. As elsewhere in the EU, terminating third-party traffic is a telecom service that requires operator status.
• SIM: Parliament passed a prepaid-user identification law in April 2024; all unidentified SIMs, including eSIMs and SIMs in alarms and trackers, were deactivated after 10 Nov 2025. Registration is free and keeps the number.
• Landline: Cyta offers PSTN, ISDN, DSL and FTTH (Cyta Fiber), but no announced PSTN switch-off or all-IP migration plan or date was found.
• ISDN: No current Cyta product page for ISDN BRI/PRI and no switch-off dates were found; ISDN PRI appears in PrimeTel's line-up.
• Mobile networks: Epic has been phasing out 3G across Cyprus since February 2026, with completion expected in early summer 2026; calls and SMS stay on 2G. No operator-confirmed 3G dates were found for Cyta or PrimeTel.
• Certification: Cyprus is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient. No separate national registration of GSM gateways was found.
• Where to buy: ART2SOFT Ltd. (distributor Yeastar), Cablenet Communication Systems (distributor Yeastar), Foppex (Nicosia)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Malta (MT)#

• GSM gateway: No MCA position on GSM gateways for a business's own calls was found, nor any GO, Epic or Melita terms on using SIMs in gateways. Terminating third-party traffic is a telecom service that requires operator status.
• SIM: MCA consulted on draft mandatory SIM-registration rules from 5 Sep to 11 Oct 2018 at the police's request. Operators such as Melita now require every SIM to be registered with a valid ID.
• Landline: On 8 May 2025 GO declared Malta a 'true fibre island': 94% of its fixed-line customers were on fibre and it was 'moving full speed toward copper switch-off'. No specific copper or PSTN switch-off date was given.
• ISDN: No data was found on GO selling ISDN BRI/PRI or on switch-off dates; ISDN on copper lines will go with the copper withdrawal.
• Mobile networks: GO says its 3G is 'switching off soon' while 2G stays and VoLTE is enabled free; in May 2025 Epic said it was ready for the 2G/3G sunsets. No exact per-operator dates were found.
• Certification: Malta is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient. No separate national registration of GSM gateways was found.
• Where to buy: VoIPon Solutions (UK, ships to Malta)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Romania (RO)#

• GSM gateway: No explicit ban or device licence for a business GSM/LTE gateway used for its own calls was found, and Yeastar TG gateways are sold openly by specialist shops and eMAG. Carrying third-party traffic through SIM banks is a telecom service that needs provider status; no specific ANCOM statement on SIM boxes was found.
• SIM: There is no mandatory prepaid SIM registration: the 2014 law was struck down by Constitutional Court Decision 461/2014 (16 Sep 2014), and OUG 62/2019 was ruled unconstitutional in February 2020. In practice a business takes a subscription contract in the company's name; some operators sell prepaid only against ID as their own policy.
• Landline: The former incumbent Telekom Romania Communications was renamed Orange Romania Communications, and from 21 Aug 2025 its customers are being moved to Orange Romania's systems. ORC's tariff list still references PSTN access; no announced PSTN switch-off or all-IP date was found.
• ISDN: The Orange Romania Communications (ex-Telekom) tariff list contains ISDN Basic Access and Primary Access items, but whether they are still sold to new customers, and any switch-off date, could not be established.
• Mobile networks: Telekom Romania closed 3G in 2023, Vodafone switched 3G off from 20 May 2025 and finished by 1 Jul 2025, Orange started in June 2024 planning to finish by end-2025 (completion unconfirmed), and sources disagree on Digi. 2G still carries voice and SMS, so VoLTE is not required for a gateway.
• Certification: Romania is in the EU: a gateway is placed on the market with CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU. No separate national device registration with ANCOM was found.
• Where to buy: Partner Telecom, eMAG, SDZ Telecom (distributor Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Bulgaria (BG)#

• GSM gateway: Using your own SIM in a GSM gateway is accepted practice: provider BGTel hosts a customer's Bulgarian SIM in its gateway for 20 BGN/month, and Fastcoms openly sells Yeastar TG100–TG800 gateways. No explicit CRC rule on GSM gateways or SIM boxes was found; terminating third-party traffic is a telecom service that needs provider status.
• SIM: Since 1 Jan 2010 operators must identify prepaid users: cards are sold only against an identity document, and name, personal number (EGN), address and document number are collected.
• Landline: Vivacom's fixed-network general terms (in force since 1 Dec 2016) and package terms cover POTS, ISDN and fixed voice delivered over GSM wireless technology. No PSTN switch-off or all-IP migration announcement was found.
• ISDN: Vivacom documents mention ISDN among its business solutions and ISDN subscribers as a separate group, but current BRI/PRI sales and any switch-off dates could not be confirmed.
• Mobile networks: Yettel Bulgaria's 3G switch-off is planned for 31 Mar 2027 (December 2025 was cited earlier); A1 Bulgaria has announced no date and nothing was found for Vivacom. No 2G shutdown plans were found, so VoLTE is not required for a gateway.
• Certification: Bulgaria is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient. No separate national gateway registration with CRC was found.
• Where to buy: Fastcoms EOOD, BITTEL (distributor Yeastar), VIPTELECOM (distributor Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Croatia (HR)#

• GSM gateway: No explicit HAKOM ban or licence for a business GSM/LTE gateway used for its own calls was found, and Croatian shops (Evol, VoIP-Shop.hr) openly sell Yeastar TG gateways. Carrying third-party traffic is a telecom service that needs provider status; no specific HAKOM statement on SIM boxes was found.
• SIM: Prepaid users must register and operators (HT, bonbon) publish registration terms; a legal entity registers a number with company data and its OIB. The exact law and year of introduction were not confirmed from a primary source.
• Landline: Hrvatski Telekom finished moving all fixed lines to all-IP in late November 2015 (the third operator in the EU), replacing 72 legacy exchanges with two, in Zagreb and Rijeka. HT's fixed voice runs over IP; an analogue phone plugs into a port on the operator's equipment.
• ISDN: HT's fixed-network interface specification describes ISDN BRI and PRI but dates from the R&TTE era (it cites NN 5/2005); per our dossiers A1 and Telemach sell ISDN BRA/PRA as an interface of their business trunking. Whether HT still sells classic ISDN lines after the 2015 all-IP migration was not established.
• Mobile networks: HT switched 3G off from July 2024 (Zagreb first) and finished in early 2025, and A1 Hrvatska from February 2025 to 6 Jul 2026; no Telemach 3G plan was found. HT and A1 keep 2G for voice and SMS, so VoLTE is not required for a gateway.
• Certification: Croatia is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient. No separate national registration with HAKOM was found.
• Where to buy: Evol (distributor Yeastar), VoIP-Shop.hr
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Slovenia (SI)#

• GSM gateway: No AKOS rule or ZEKom-2 provision (law adopted 28 Sep 2022) was found that explicitly permits, licenses or bans a business GSM/LTE gateway with its own SIM for its own calls, and no specific SIM-box ban either. The general EU electronic-communications regime applies.
• SIM: According to the Information Commissioner, the law does not require identifying a prepaid SIM buyer, so anonymous prepaid remains the norm; mandatory registration is being discussed but no law exists. Business-contract requirements were not checked.
• Landline: Telekom Slovenije help pages still describe PSTN and ISDN telephony alongside IP telephony (business packages via voip.telekom.si). No announced PSTN switch-off date was found.
• ISDN: ISDN telephony is still described in Telekom Slovenije help content, and A1 and Telemach SIP-trunk services target customers with ISDN or IP PBXs. BRI/PRI sales status and switch-off dates were not found.
• Mobile networks: Telekom Slovenije switched off 3G by 30 Sep 2022 and A1 Slovenija on 30 Jun 2023, both keeping 2G for voice. In January 2022 Telemach had no short-term 3G switch-off plan; its current status was not found.
• Certification: Slovenia is in the EU: CE marking under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU is sufficient and there is no national type register.
• Where to buy: PSE (Grandstream)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Serbia (RS)#

• GSM gateway: No explicit RATEL rule or provision of the 2023 Electronic Communications Law (in force 7 May 2023) on GSM gateways for own calls was found. Illegal termination via SIM devices is prosecuted as a crime (joint North Macedonian and Serbian police operation, 2013), while Serbian firms openly sell GSM gateways to cut fixed-to-mobile call costs.
• SIM: The 2023 Electronic Communications Law made prepaid registration mandatory with a deadline of 10 Feb 2025: name plus JMBG, ID card, passport or residence-permit number. Unregistered numbers keep only emergency calls.
• Landline: Telekom Srbija (mts) is migrating customers to its optical IP network (2019 annual report), but no announced analogue PSTN switch-off date was found.
• ISDN: ISDN has been offered in Serbia since 1997 and is now secondary; BRI/PRI sales status and switch-off dates were not found.
• Mobile networks: A1 Srbija phased out 3G from autumn 2024 and finished by end-June 2025, with 2G remaining for now. mts published a 2G/3G switch-off FAQ on 5 Dec 2024 without dates; for Yettel only the move of 3G from 2100 to 900 MHz was found.
• Certification: Under the Rulebook on radio equipment (Official Gazette 24/2024), radio equipment must carry the Serbian conformity mark '3A' with the notified-body number before sale. RATEL keeps the register of issued RiTT conformity certificates.
• Where to buy: Impuls Telekomunikacije, KONTROL (Kruševac)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA)#

• GSM gateway: No RAK rule on GSM gateways or SIM boxes was found. RAK Rule 97/2024 on service conditions and end-user relations has applied since 25 Jan 2026, but no gateway provisions were found in the material reviewed.
• SIM: Historically prepaid SIMs were sold without buyer data (2020). In February 2026 the Council of Ministers adopted amendments to the Law on Communications making prepaid registration mandatory (6 months for RAK bylaws, 18 months for operators to register existing users); final parliamentary adoption was not confirmed.
• Landline: No analogue PSTN switch-off dates were found for BH Telecom, m:tel or HT Eronet.
• ISDN: A local integrator reports that HT Eronet, Telemach, m:tel and BH Telecom are phasing out ISDN across BiH and moving businesses to SIP trunks. No specific dates are given and no official operator announcements were found.
• Mobile networks: No 2G or 3G switch-off announcements were found for BH Telecom, m:tel or HT Eronet; HT Eronet runs 2G on 900 MHz and 3G on 2100 MHz, with LTE since May 2019.
• Certification: The regulator is RAK (Communications Regulatory Agency). The national mark, conformity procedure for radio and terminal equipment and register holder were not established in this sweep.
• Where to buy: Ruteri.ba, AXA-Tel (Mostar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Montenegro (ME)#

• GSM gateway: No EKIP rule or Electronic Communications Law provision on GSM gateways for own calls, or on SIM boxes, was found.
• SIM: The Electronic Communications Law requires operators to register all mobile users, prepaid and postpaid; the procedure is set by a Rulebook (Official Gazette 100/25) in force since 15 Jan 2026. There is no limit on prepaid numbers per person.
• Landline: Crnogorski Telekom offers businesses SIP trunks exclusively via its IMS network; the status of analogue lines and a PSTN switch-off date were not found.
• ISDN: ISDN BRI/PRI sales status and switch-off dates for Montenegrin operators were not found.
• Mobile networks: Crnogorski Telekom fully retired 3G in January 2024 (announced for 22 Jan 2024), moving resources to 4G/5G. The 3G status of One (ex-Telenor) and m:tel, and the 2G status of all operators, were not found.
• Certification: The regulator is EKIP. The national conformity mark for radio and terminal equipment and the register holder were not established in this sweep.
• Where to buy: Tehnonet d.o.o. (distributor Yeastar), Telemont d.o.o. (distributor Yeastar)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

North Macedonia (MK)#

• GSM gateway: Illegal termination of international traffic via SIM boxes is prosecuted: the Interior Ministry's cybercrime unit filed a criminal complaint for 'computer fraud' after seizing active SIMBOX equipment. No AEK rule requiring a licence or registration for a business gateway used for its own calls was found.
• SIM: Registering prepaid subscribers is a legal obligation under the Law on Electronic Communications, and a photo ID (ID card or passport) is required at purchase. The year the rule was introduced could not be confirmed.
• Landline: Since November 2011 Makedonski Telekom has been migrating its fixed network from PSTN to an IP platform (over 290,000 lines migrated). A PSTN line is still in the price list (250 MKD/month for business per our dossier) and no switch-off date has been announced.
• ISDN: Makedonski Telekom's fixed business price list includes ISDN BRI (450 MKD/month for 2 channels, per our dossier). No separate ISDN PRI offer and no ISDN switch-off date were found.
• Mobile networks: On 28 Mar 2024 Makedonski Telekom announced switching off 3G by end-April 2024, region by region, the first in the country; A1 Makedonija announced a gradual 3G shutdown without a published date. No 2G switch-off was found.
• Certification: A Rulebook on radio and telecom terminal equipment aligned with EU law applies; separate AEK consent is needed only for radio equipment in bands not harmonised in the EU (Art. 76(3) of the Law on Electronic Communications). A GSM/LTE gateway uses harmonised bands.
• Where to buy: Grand SD Solutions (Skopje)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Kosovo (XK)#

• GSM gateway: No ARKEP rules on GSM gateways, no SIM-box or illegal-termination enforcement and no operator terms on SIMs in gateways were found. The ARKEP enforcement found concerns only shutting down illegal Serbian operators under the Brussels agreement.
• SIM: Prepaid SIMs are sold with registration against a passport or ID (age 16+). The law and the year registration was introduced were not found.
• Landline: Telekomi i Kosovës (Vala) is the main fixed-network operator, but no information was found on analogue line sales, IP migration or a PSTN switch-off date.
• ISDN: Vala sells ISDN BRA (2B+D) at €10.44/month and PRA (30B+D) at €174/month, with installation at €696 for PRA and €42.92 for a new BRA. The page says nothing about discontinuing ISDN; it is the incumbent's main business voice product.
• Mobile networks: IPKO completed its 3G shutdown (SeeNews, January 2026) and offers VoLTE, falling back to 3G/2G outside 4G coverage. Nothing was found on Vala's 3G or on any 2G shutdown.
• Certification: Most products need no separate national approval: standards aligned with EU directives apply and CE test reports from recognised labs are accepted. No ARKEP terminal-equipment register was found.
• Where to buy: Gjirafa50
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Albania (AL)#

• GSM gateway: No AKEP rules on GSM gateways, no SIM-box or illegal-termination enforcement and no fines were found; the only related item is an AKEP warning about fraudulent calls with spoofed numbers and prefixes.
• SIM: Prepaid numbers are registered to the user with a passport or ID card under AKEP subscriber-registration rules. The legal act and the year it was introduced were not found.
• Landline: ALBtelecom (part of One Albania since 2023) moved its fixed telephony from TDM to NGN and delivers it over fibre. Whether copper analogue lines are still sold, and any PSTN switch-off date, were not found.
• ISDN: No current ISDN BRI/PRI offers from One Albania and no switch-off dates were found.
• Mobile networks: Vodafone Albania did not renew its 2100 MHz (3G) rights: talks on 21 and 27 Jan 2026 ended without agreement and it was ordered to release the band (Monitor, 22 May 2026). Vodafone's 2G plans (a third-party IoT list gives 31 Dec 2025, unconfirmed by the operator) and One Albania's 2G/3G plans were not found.
• Certification: Council of Ministers Decision No. 378/2019 (amended by No. 721/2023) on radio-equipment technical regulations is largely aligned with RED 2014/53/EU. AKEP recognises conformity and registers radio equipment, and importers keep certificates for 10 years.
• Where to buy: —
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Russia (RU)#

• GSM gateway: Since 01.09.2025 Federal Law No. 41-FZ bans using 'subscriber traffic-passing terminals' in breach of requirements, and MTS terms already require an addendum for a SIM in a gateway. A government resolution (August 2026, in force 01.03.2027) allows terminals with more than 4 SIMs only for companies and sole traders, with device IDs and purpose in the contract and fines up to RUB 500,000.
• SIM: A corporate SIM is contracted to a company or sole trader and the number's end user is entered in the ESIA state portal (533-FZ); since 01.01.2025 (303-FZ) a company may hand SIMs only to its staff and contractors, capped at 20 numbers per Russian citizen and 10 per foreigner. A gateway SIM has to be assigned to an employee.
• Landline: Rostelecom still sells copper home phone lines. In February 2026 the Ministry of Digital Development drafted a copper decommissioning procedure letting operators move subscribers to fibre with 90 days' notice (about 5.8 million subscribers are on copper); there is no national switch-off date.
• ISDN: E1/PRI trunks for PBXs are sold by regional operators (e.g. Tattelecom), but business is broadly moving to SIP; we found no ISDN BRI offers or switch-off dates.
• Mobile networks: Operators are refarming 3G to LTE: MTS is converting over 90% of 3G sites by end-2026, Beeline is switching 3G off nationwide by 2028 and MegaFon within 3–5 years; 2G stays on. A 2G gateway works, but an LTE model with 2G fallback is safer.
• Certification: As communications equipment a gateway needs a declaration of conformity registered with the Ministry of Digital Development, plus an EAEU declaration under CU TR 020/2011 (EAC mark) for EMC. The ministry declaration details come from certification bodies.
• Where to buy: Yeastar Russia, Telecom-Sales, eltexcm.ru
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Belarus (BY)#

• GSM gateway: The Operational Analysis Centre states that a company running a software PBX with GSM gateways must register the IP telephony system with the National Traffic Exchange Centre if it touches the public network, and numbers caught terminating traffic illegally are blocked (Decree No. 98). Our PBX is not available in Belarus.
• SIM: Companies and sole traders are served by A1 via an account under their UNP tax number, with the application signed by the director or an authorised person. We found no per-company SIM limit.
• Landline: Beltelecom connects new fixed-line subscribers via IMS or WLL wireless lines over 2G/3G; copper analogue lines are not offered for new connections. We found nothing on switching off existing lines.
• ISDN: According to an integrator, Beltelecom is moving PBXs from E1 (30B+D) trunks to SIP with no dates given; Beltelecom's SIP connection procedure has applied since 09.04.2025. We found nothing on ISDN BRI.
• Mobile networks: MTS Belarus called a 3G switch-off premature in March 2025 and is still building 3G sites; Beltelecom itself uses 2G/3G for WLL phones. A regular GSM/3G gateway works.
• Certification: Besides CU TR 020/2011 (EMC, EAC), the national TR 2018/024/BY 'Telecom equipment. Safety' (since 01.01.2019) requires mandatory certification of switching and radio equipment; certification is run by BelGISS.
• Where to buy: Bicar, ProfTelecom, IPmatika BY
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Ukraine (UA)#

• GSM gateway: We found no NCEC rule or provision of the Law on Electronic Communications on a GSM gateway for own calls; the market calls it a 'grey zone', while terminating third-party traffic is a telecom service requiring NCEC general authorisation.
• SIM: Business contract SIMs are issued against the company's EDRPOU code. Anonymous prepaid SIMs were still legal as of May 2026; passport-only sales are being discussed but no law has passed.
• Landline: Ukrtelecom is ending copper home phone service for some numbers from 07.06.2026, keeping the number and offering SIM-based 'alternative telephony' or SIP instead; there is no national date.
• ISDN: ISDN digital telephony (including PRI) is sold to businesses by Ukrtelecom, Kyivstar and Datagroup.
• Mobile networks: Kyivstar is leaving 3G by end-2026, Vodafone began switching off on 11.11.2025 and lifecell has been shutting 3G in 17 regions since 03.09.2026; 2G stays on for the war at the NCEC's recommendation. A 3G-only gateway must be replaced by an LTE model or rely on 2G fallback.
• Certification: The Technical Regulation on Radio Equipment (Cabinet Resolution No. 355 of 24.05.2017) mirrors RED 2014/53/EU; the national conformity mark is mandatory on the equipment.
• Where to buy: SHOP-GSM.UA, IP-ATS, Digus
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Moldova (MD)#

• GSM gateway: Electronic Communications Law No. 72/2025 bans unauthorised traffic termination and altering call origin; a 2026 bill sets fines up to MDL 75,000 for SIM boxes and GSM gateways used to spoof caller ID. A gateway for own calls is not explicitly banned, and Orange's contract allows use only for the subscriber's own needs.
• SIM: Businesses contract with operators under their IDNO. On 17.06.2026 the government approved amendments requiring ID for activating prepaid SIMs and eSIMs (12-month transition); the law is not yet in force.
• Landline: On 08.10.2025 Moldtelecom announced a gradual copper-to-fibre transition: where copper exchanges fail, subscribers are offered mobile, a bundled fixed number or SIP; other lines keep working for now, with no overall date.
• ISDN: Moldtelecom sells businesses ISDN BRI (up to 2 simultaneous calls) and PRI (up to 30).
• Mobile networks: We found no 2G or 3G switch-off announcements from Orange or Moldcell; 2G runs on 900 MHz, and per OpenSignal (March 2025) Moldova leads in time spent on 2G/3G. A regular GSM/3G gateway works.
• Certification: The technical regulation on making radio equipment available on the market (HG 34/2019) follows RED 2014/53/EU. We did not verify which conformity mark is required or whether CE is accepted directly.
• Where to buy: Wildmart (E1/FXS)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Georgia (GE)#

• GSM gateway: We found no ComCom act on GSM gateways or SIM boxes. In Georgia authorisation is required to provide electronic communications services; a venue's gateway for its own calls does not formally fall under it, while carrying third-party traffic is a telecom service.
• SIM: The procedure and limits for company SIM cards were not found in operators' public sources. For fixed-line contracts operators ask for the company ID or personal number.
• Landline: Silknet sells fixed telephony as VoIP over GPON (Silk Phone), and its tariffs include moving a number from PSTN to Silk Phone. We found no copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: We found neither ISDN BRI/PRI offers from Silknet or Magticom in public sources nor switch-off announcements.
• Mobile networks: Magti lists 2G/3G/4G/4.5G/5G networks; we found no 2G or 3G switch-off announcements from Magti, Silknet or Cellfie. A regular GSM/3G gateway works.
• Certification: Georgia aligns requirements for radio and telecom equipment with EU directives: according to certification consultants, valid CE documentation gives market access without separate ComCom approval or local tests. We did not find the ComCom primary source.
• Where to buy: Netis (Tbilisi)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Armenia (AM)#

• GSM gateway: We found no PSRC decisions or provisions of the electronic communications law specifically on a GSM gateway for own calls or on SIM boxes. Carrying third-party traffic is an operator activity and is not allowed without that status.
• SIM: Ucom business services are contracted to a company with its name and tax ID (ՀՎՀՀ). We found no specific rules or limits for SIM cards in gateways.
• Landline: Team Telecom Armenia (formerly Armentel/Beeline) sells fixed-line service, including a 'Basic' plan for subscribers on analogue exchanges. We found no analogue switch-off announcement.
• ISDN: Team's fixed and corporate pages do not mention ISDN or E1; we found no switch-off announcements.
• Mobile networks: Team Telecom Armenia switched off its 2G network on 15.11.2025 (2G handset swaps ran until 15.04.2026); we found no announcements on 2G at Viva and Ucom or on 3G. A gateway with a Team SIM needs 3G or LTE.
• Certification: Armenia is an EAEU member and CU TR 020/2011 'Electromagnetic compatibility' applies (certificate or declaration, EAC mark). We did not find a national procedure for radio equipment.
• Where to buy: —
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Azerbaijan (AZ)#

• GSM gateway: We found no explicit ban on a GSM gateway for own calls; IP telephony is licensed. All mobile devices brought into the country must have their IMEI registered, and an unregistered device gets an SMS demanding registration within 30 days; the rules are silent on gateways and M2M.
• SIM: An individual's number is registered only to its holder by ID card; a corporate customer submits its charter, registration certificate, VÖEN (tax ID) notice and director's appointment order. We found no per-company SIM limit.
• Landline: Under the digital development programme Aztelekom is replacing copper with fibre, GPON and an IMS platform, moving subscribers to ONTs free of charge. We found no copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: We found neither ISDN BRI/PRI offers from Aztelekom or Baktelecom in public sources nor switch-off announcements.
• Mobile networks: We found no announced 2G or 3G switch-off dates at Azercell, Bakcell or Nar. A regular GSM/3G gateway works.
• Certification: Radio and telecom equipment requires mandatory certification (safety, EMC, radio) with an AZS certificate of conformity; radio type approval is handled by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport. This comes from certification consultants; we did not open the ministry's primary source.
• Where to buy: ZETRON TELEKOM (Baku)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Kazakhstan (KZ)#

• GSM gateway: The rules on importing, registering, selling and using GSM gateways (MDAI order No. 541/NK of 28.10.2025, in force 11.11.2025) allow import only by licensed telecom operators and sale only between them; carrying traffic through an unregistered gateway is prohibited. A venue without an operator licence cannot legally acquire one, and the Prosecutor General's Office warned in September 2026 of up to 5 years in prison.
• SIM: Corporate numbers and devices are registered by the company's BIN, with the device IMEI tied to the number. A SIM for a gateway is moot: a non-operator cannot acquire the gateway itself.
• Landline: Kazakhtelecom's Tazartu programme is moving city subscribers from copper to fibre (in 2023 a 2–3-year horizon was named; 140,000 were moved by mid-2023). We found no official PSTN switch-off date.
• ISDN: The alternative operator SmartNet advertises E1 trunks for PBXs and E1 gateways are on sale; we found no ISDN BRI/PRI offers or switch-off dates at Kazakhtelecom.
• Mobile networks: Beeline Kazakhstan has been phasing out 3G since February 2026, refarming spectrum to LTE; we found no 2G switch-off at Beeline, Kcell/Activ or Tele2/Altel.
• Certification: As an EAEU member Kazakhstan applies CU TR 020/2011 (EMC, EAC mark); on top of that GSM gateways are admitted only via licensed operators with code registration under order No. 541/NK. For a venue the safe route is an FXO gateway on a landline.
• Where to buy: wifi.kz (FXO), Grandstream Shop KZ (FXO), ctech.kz
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Kyrgyzstan (KG)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific GSM gateway ban, but since 25.06.2024 all mobile and data devices must have their IMEI registered in the State Identification System (imei.kg, run by the State Committee for National Security). Carrying third-party traffic requires an operator licence.
• SIM: New mobile service rules (since 26.03.2024) require SIM registration to the subscriber; a company number is issued against its incorporation documents. We found no per-company SIM limit.
• Landline: Kyrgyztelecom sells fixed telephony, including IP telephony; we found no copper PSTN switch-off announcement.
• ISDN: We found no ISDN or E1 offers on Kyrgyztelecom's website.
• Mobile networks: We found no 2G or 3G switch-off announcements from MegaCom, Beeline (Sky Mobile) or O!, but did not collect confirmation of network coverage by region.
• Certification: Kyrgyzstan is an EAEU member, so CU TR 020/2011 (EMC, EAC mark) applies; an imported device with an IMEI is registered in the State Identification System. We did not find a separate national telecom certificate.
• Where to buy: max.kg
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Uzbekistan (UZ)#

• GSM gateway: The Law on Telecommunications (ZRU-1015) prohibits carrying traffic that bypasses network protection systems; criminal cases under Criminal Code art. 278-7 'illegal use of telecom networks' are brought over GSM gateways, including for domestic long-distance calls (Tashkent, 2019). We found no act permitting a gateway for own calls.
• SIM: A SIM is registered to its holder by ID, and a device with a local SIM must be registered in UZIMEI within 30 days (Cabinet Resolution No. 778 of 17.09.2019 as amended in 2024). We found no procedure or limits for companies; a SIM is moot for a gateway because of the ban.
• Landline: Uztelecom sells 'Home phone' service and is upgrading the network to NGN; we found no analogue line switch-off announcement.
• ISDN: We found no ISDN BRI/PRI offers from Uztelecom in public sources.
• Mobile networks: We found no 2G or 3G switch-off announcements from Beeline, Ucell, Mobiuz or Uzmobile; a mobile guide lists 2G/3G in all cities.
• Certification: Equipment for telecom networks requires mandatory certification in the 'Telecommunications' system (certification body at UNICON.UZ, Ministry of Digital Technologies); the national body is O'zstandart.
• Where to buy: Datix (FXO)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Turkey (TR)#

• GSM gateway: GSM gateways are sold openly (Yeastar Türkiye and retail), but any device with an IMEI, modems and M2M included, must be in BTK's MCKS registry — the importer registers legally imported units, otherwise they get disconnected. Law No. 7571 (25.12.2025) lets BTK cap the number of lines per device against SIM boxes; our PBX is not available in Turkey.
• SIM: Law No. 7571 capped lines at 6 per citizen and 3 per foreigner, with biometric or e-Devlet verification; a corporate line needs the tax certificate (vergi levhası) and signature circular. We found no cap for companies.
• Landline: Türk Telekom still sells PSTN lines; since 09.06.2024 cancelling PSTN automatically moves the internet to a line-free (yalın) plan. We found no PSTN switch-off date.
• ISDN: 'Dijital İkili Hat (ISDN BRI)' and 'Dijital Çoklu Hat (ISDN PRI)' are in Türk Telekom's business catalogue; the PRI connection fee was revised on 30.12.2024 and the DID fee on 29.06.2025.
• Mobile networks: The 2G/3G licences of Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom have been extended to 30.04.2029, after which the networks are to close; per BTK, 3G still has 4.5 million and 2G 2.3 million subscribers.
• Certification: Turkey transposed RED 2014/53/EU as its Radio Equipment Regulation (Official Gazette 05.11.2020): CE marking and a declaration of conformity are required. A device with an IMEI must also be registered by the importer in BTK's MCKS.
• Where to buy: Yeastar Türkiye, Nolto, Aykom
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

United States (US)#

• GSM gateway: There is no federal licence for a business running a cellular gateway for its own calls: the device needs FCC equipment authorization (an FCC ID) and the carrier holds the spectrum. Carriers sell cellular voice gateways themselves (AT&T Wireless Internet, formerly Wireless Home Phone, runs on 'mobile wireless gateway equipment'), and with copper retirement cellular POTS replacements have become a standard business option.
• SIM: The US has no mandatory SIM registration: prepaid SIMs are sold without ID, and business contracts are opened in the company's name after the carrier's own checks. This comes from surveys of SIM registration laws; there is no primary source stating that registration is absent.
• Landline: AT&T stopped taking copper orders on 15 Oct 2025, won automatic FCC approval on 12 Jan 2026 to discontinue service in wire centres covering over 30% of its copper footprint in 18 states (customers cut on 15 Nov 2026), and targets retiring most copper by end-2029 (excluding California). The FCC's March 2026 network modernization order streamlined such discontinuances; replacements are voice over broadband or a cellular line.
• ISDN: AT&T's discontinued legacy service log (4 Sep 2026 edition) lists ISDN PRI as grandfathered — no new orders or changes — in discontinued wire centres since 31 Dec 2023; BRI goes with business lines under AT&T's FCC discontinuance filings (secondary analysis). PRI PBXs are still found at businesses and are moved to SIP trunks via gateways.
• Mobile networks: 3G is off everywhere: AT&T from 22 Feb 2022, Sprint CDMA 31 Mar 2022, T-Mobile UMTS 1 Jul 2022, Verizon by 31 Dec 2022; the last 2G network (T-Mobile GSM) was shut on 3 Aug 2026, AT&T dropped 2G back in 2017. A gateway in the US works only with LTE and VoLTE, and the model must be approved for the carrier's network.
• Certification: The gateway's radio needs FCC equipment authorization (certification with an FCC ID); an FXO port attached to the telephone network needs Part 68 registration in the ACTA database (TCB certification or supplier's declaration). Major vendors' US-market gateways carry these.
• Where to buy: The Telecom Spot (authorised reseller Yeastar), VoIP Supply, CMC Communications (distributor Yeastar, Texas), IP Phone Warehouse
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Canada (CA)#

• GSM gateway: We found no ban or licence for a cellular gateway used for own calls: subscriber equipment operates under the carrier's spectrum licence and must be ISED-certified. The CRTC regulates carriers and resellers, not customers; reselling telecom to third parties requires CRTC registration.
• SIM: Canada has no mandatory SIM registration and no federal law on prepaid registration; business contracts are opened in the company's name after the carrier's own checks. This comes from surveys of SIM registration laws.
• Landline: Since 2022 Bell has been moving customers from copper to fibre neighbourhood by neighbourhood with at least two months' notice (Swansea in Toronto is cut on 4 Nov 2026); there is no national date. A CRTC commissioner has noted that copper decommissioning proceeds without active regulatory oversight; the replacement is fibre phone on a powered modem.
• ISDN: Megalink, Bell's ISDN PRI, has been destandardized and put on a withdrawal path (Telecom Order CRTC 2026-194); the CRTC site is behind Cloudflare from our network, so the order was read via search results. We found no public information on BRI at Bell or Telus.
• Mobile networks: Rogers switched 3G off on 31 Jul 2025 and keeps its 2G until 30 Nov 2027; Bell and Telus have had no 2G (CDMA) for years, and their 3G goes region by region (Manitoba 31 Dec 2025 and 31 Mar 2026) and nationally on 1 Mar 2027. A non-VoLTE gateway now works only on Rogers 2G, so a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Radio equipment is certified by ISED (RSS standards and the certified device list), the digital part under ICES-003; terminal equipment attached to the telephone network (an FXO port) follows CS-03. North American gateways usually carry both FCC and ISED marks.
• Where to buy: Gentek (wholesale distributor, Ontario), Newegg.ca, PC-Canada
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Mexico (MX)#

• GSM gateway: We found no rule expressly allowing or banning a business gateway for own calls; providing telecom services to third parties requires a concession under the Ley en Materia de Telecomunicaciones y Radiodifusión (DOF 16 Jul 2025). Since 1 Jul 2026 every SIM must be linked to a CURP or RFC or the line is suspended, so gateway SIMs are registered to the company.
• SIM: Linking every mobile line (prepaid, postpaid, eSIM) was mandatory by 30 Jun 2026; unlinked lines are suspended to emergency numbers from 1 Jul 2026. A company registers lines with its RFC, legal name and the legal representative's ID with no line limit (individuals up to 10 per CURP); operators, not the state, hold the data.
• Landline: Telmex is rapidly moving customers from copper to fibre: by end-2025 fibre was available to 91% of its customers versus 67% two years earlier. No copper switch-off date has been announced; the fixed line is now sold over fibre.
• ISDN: Since 2023 Telmex and other operators have been inviting E1 digital trunk customers to move to Troncal IP (SIP); a secondary source says E1 support is being wound down. We found no public information on ISDN BRI.
• Mobile networks: AT&T and Telefónica began switching off 2G in 2019, while Telcel keeps 2G (29.2% of territory) and 3G (96.2%); as of 6 Jul 2026 neither the regulator nor operators had named shutdown dates. A 2G/3G gateway still works on Telcel, but a new one should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Equipment connected to telecom networks must hold a current homologation certificate in the regulator's list (Lineamientos, DOF 29 Dec 2021, amended 2 Oct 2024; mobile terminals under Disposición Técnica IFT-011-2022); IFT's functions passed to the Comisión Reguladora de Telecomunicaciones, whose site is still ift.org.mx. Operators may not demand the certificate from end users; the check sits with operators and sellers.
• Where to buy: SYSCOM (wholesale distributor), Tienda de Sistemas (CompuGenios, Monterrey), Mercado Libre México (Yeastar TG200)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Guatemala (GT)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific rule on GSM gateways. The Ley de Equipos Terminales Móviles (Decreto 8-2013) requires every mobile user, individual or company, to register with the operator (Arts. 3–4), imported terminals to be registered with the operator by IMEI (Art. 5), and bans hidden caller ID on national calls (Art. 9), so the gateway must present the SIM's number.
• SIM: Under Decreto 8-2013 every new activation, prepaid or postpaid, requires user registration with the operator, and a company registers as the user itself. Claro and Tigo do not publish the exact document list (DPI for individuals, patente and RTU for companies).
• Landline: Fixed telephony is almost entirely Telgua's (Claro, over 82% of lines), with Tigo second (12.5%); Claro sells landlines and we found no copper switch-off announcement. An FXO gateway on a landline remains a working option.
• ISDN: We found no public information on ISDN BRI/PRI sales or withdrawal at Claro or Tigo Guatemala. Operators in the region sell business digital trunks as E1 or SIP; terms come from the operator's account manager.
• Mobile networks: According to the aggregator Eseye (updated 17 Jul 2026), Telgua (Claro) switches 2G off on 31 Dec 2026 with no 3G date; we found no public operator announcement. 3G still covers rural areas at both operators, but a new gateway should be LTE.
• Certification: Guatemala's telecom law does not require prior approval of imported equipment: SIT issues approval on request and a 'no homologation' letter for customs, accepting FCC and RED reports (secondary sources from certification agencies). Sellers of mobile terminals must register with SIT under Decreto 8-2013.
• Where to buy: Teléfono SIP Guatemala, Orade, Pacifiko.com
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Costa Rica (CR)#

• GSM gateway: We found no SUTEL rule expressly allowing or banning a gateway for own calls; only an operator holding a título habilitante may sell voice to third parties. Connected terminals must be SUTEL-homologated, and since 2024 a prepaid SIM is activated only after owner registration.
• SIM: By SUTEL order, since 2024 every prepaid activation or port-in requires registration at registroprepago.sutel.go.cr with the owner's ID (cédula, DIMEX, passport). A postpaid line with a local operator is opened on the company's cédula jurídica.
• Landline: In 2018 ICE announced moving all copper customers to fibre within 10 years (800k copper lines at the time); copper is removed as fibre arrives, with no single switch-off date. Per SUTEL's numbering register of 23 Jul 2026, almost twenty operators already hold IP telephony numbering.
• ISDN: We found no public information on ISDN BRI/PRI sales or withdrawal at ICE or other operators. RACSA has a SUTEL-homologated standard contract for SIP trunks (Acuerdo 008-071-2014).
• Mobile networks: 2G is off: Liberty by 2024, Claro phased its network out from 30 Jun 2025 to 30 Jun 2026, and SUTEL's 2025 quality evaluation omits 2G as decommissioned. SUTEL still evaluates 3G while it operates, so a 3G/LTE gateway is needed, preferably with VoLTE.
• Certification: Mobile terminals go through SUTEL homologation (procedure RCS-358-2018, upheld by the Constitutional Chamber); revoking the certificate bans the device from operating in the country. Certification agencies report that a local importer is required, FCC reports are accepted and the SUTEL code goes on the label.
• Where to buy: CQNet, EMTEC CR
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Panama (PA)#

• GSM gateway: We found no ASEP rule expressly allowing or banning a gateway for own calls; basic telecom services (101–103) are reserved to concessionaires and explicitly barred to call centres (service 223). Since 2023 every prepaid SIM is registered with a photo of the owner's ID and face.
• SIM: ASEP Resolution 18397-Telco (26 Apr 2023) requires operators selling a prepaid SIM to capture a photo of the buyer's ID and face, with existing users given six months to register. ASEP publishes no separate rules for lines held by companies.
• Landline: The incumbent Cable & Wireless Panamá (+Móvil) announced in 2021 that it would replace copper with fibre and keeps extending its fibre network; we found no copper switch-off date. Five concessionaires hold fixed service 101 in Panama (ASEP register).
• ISDN: We found no public information on ISDN BRI/PRI sales or withdrawal at Panamanian operators. Business digital trunks are sold as E1 or SIP; terms come from the operator's account manager.
• Mobile networks: Two operators remain on the market, Más Móvil and Tigo. The aggregator Eseye (17 Jul 2026) lists Claro Panamá switching 2G off on 31 Dec 2024 and 3G on 31 Dec 2026, but we found no operator announcements, so network status is unconfirmed; a gateway should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Radio equipment imported and sold in Panama needs ASEP type approval; certification agencies report no local testing or representative, acceptance of foreign test reports and no labelling requirements.
• Where to buy: Telser Panamá, La Casa del Teléfono, Dacom Panamá
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Dominican Republic (DO)#

• GSM gateway: The High-Tech Crimes Law 53-07 (Art. 26) punishes with 3 months to 10 years in prison 'desvío de tráfico' — routing traffic over unauthorised routes to avoid payments — and redirecting long-distance calls. A gateway for a venue's own calls is not expressly banned, but terminating third-party traffic via SIMs is a criminal matter.
• SIM: INDOTEL's Norma de contratación y activación de servicios (Res. 070-19, amended 102-2020, 036-2022, 054-2023) requires identity checks: the cédula is validated against the Junta Central Electoral, foreigners use a passport or residence card, companies give their RNC and legal name. Subscribers can check with INDOTEL which lines are registered to their cédula.
• Landline: Claro Dominicana is moving internet and fixed telephony from copper to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) nationwide: after notice the customer has 90 days to switch, with free installation. The operator names no single copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: We found no public information on ISDN BRI/PRI sales or withdrawal at Claro, Altice or other operators in the INDOTEL register. Business digital trunks are sold as E1 or SIP; terms come from the operator's account manager.
• Mobile networks: The 2022 reports of a '2G/3G shutdown' concerned only Claro customers roaming in the US, not domestic networks. The aggregator Eseye (17 Jul 2026) lists Claro switching 2G off on 30 Apr 2024 and 3G on 31 Dec 2025, but we found no operator confirmation; a gateway should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Equipment connected to the public network needs an INDOTEL homologation certificate; since 2017 INDOTEL and Customs (DGA) release imported phones only with a no-objection letter. Certification agencies report that ETSI and FCC reports are accepted and no local testing is needed.
• Where to buy: VoIPDO.com (GSM gateways OpenVox, Portech, GoIP), Solutekla, Zetta Electronics
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Colombia (CO)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific ban on a GSM gateway for a business's own calls, but a SIM device is a mobile terminal: operators must not activate terminals without CRC homologation, and a self-imported device is registered by IMEI with proof of lawful purchase (CRC opinion, 2012). Providing or using telecom services without authorisation, including reselling traffic, is a crime under Art. 257 of the Penal Code (4–10 years).
• SIM: A line is registered to an ID: cédula de ciudadanía or extranjería for individuals, NIT for corporate lines signed by an authorised person. There is no legal cap on lines per ID, but Claro may ask for justification beyond 5–10 lines per person (secondary source Selectra, 2026).
• Landline: No PSTN switch-off has been announced: at the end of Q1 2025 the country had 6.11M fixed lines (about −1M year on year; Claro 3.1M, Movistar 1.1M, UNE-EPM 1.03M, ETB 0.5M). Operators are moving subscribers from copper to fibre, and ETB is selling copper assets after migration.
• ISDN: We found no public information on Colombian operators selling or retiring BRI or PRI.
• Mobile networks: There is no single schedule: under technology neutrality (Law 1341/2009) each operator decides, and CRC only requires 6 months' notice to subscribers (CRC reply of 10 Feb 2026). Tigo (1 Nov 2022, Postdata shows no Tigo 2G sites) and Claro (28 Feb 2023) have switched 2G off; no 3G shutdown dates are announced, so on Tigo a gateway needs 3G or 4G.
• Certification: Mobile terminals, including SIM devices, are homologated by CRC online (tramitescrcom.gov.co); operators must not activate non-homologated terminals.
• Where to buy: Yeastar Colombia, IP Suministros, Colombia Systems (Dinstar Colombia)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Ecuador (EC)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific rule on GSM gateways for own calls; the key constraint is Resolución 03-03-ARCOTEL-2017 (Official Register No. 15, 15 Jun 2017): terminals whose make and model are not homologated by ARCOTEL are prohibited on mobile networks and must be blocked. A gateway model can be checked by IMEI in the 'Tu celular legal' service.
• SIM: A prepaid line is registered to a cédula number (passport for foreigners) and address, or a company name and address for legal entities; the handset must be homologated and not reported stolen (secondary source). We did not find the ARCOTEL primary text for these rules.
• Landline: CNT is migrating fixed voice and internet from copper to GPON (over 475k homes on fibre by 2023), but copper 'Conectados Cobre' bundles are still sold and no copper switch-off date is announced. A number change on migration requires the subscriber's consent.
• ISDN: We found no public BRI or PRI offer: Claro Ecuador sells corporate 'troncales digitales' as SIP over GPON, Metro Ethernet and radio links.
• Mobile networks: Claro and Movistar (becoming Tigo) run 2G/3G on 850 MHz; the November 2025 concession renewals to 2038 cover the 2G, 3G and 4G bands with no shutdown conditions. State operator CNT switched 2G off on 1 Oct 2014 (per emnify).
• Certification: Terminal homologation is run by ARCOTEL (free and online since 6 Apr 2021); a non-homologated model is blocked on mobile networks.
• Where to buy: Telalca Store, Cineto Telecomunicaciones (Quito), Extremis Telefonía IP Ecuador
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Peru (PE)#

• GSM gateway: Every mobile terminal, including a SIM gateway, must be on the RENTESEG whitelist: importers enter IMEIs in RETMIEF before sale (phase 3 from 22 Apr 2024), personal imports are registered via the operator, and unregistered devices are blocked from 22 Jul 2024. We found no specific rule on gateways for own calls, so buy from a local importer.
• SIM: OSIPTEL Resolution 000116-2025-CD (26 Nov 2025) limits individuals to one new mobile line per month per operator during the state of emergency, foreigners must buy in person with biometrics, and prepaid lines with no traffic for 3 days after activation are deactivated. Companies with a RUC are exempt, so a corporate contract is the safer choice for a gateway.
• Landline: No PSTN switch-off has been announced: fixed numbers are ported between operators (13,606 ports in September 2025, the most since July 2023). Integratel (Movistar) is removing disused copper and moving customers to fibre, which already carries 82% of fixed internet.
• ISDN: We found no information on Peruvian operators selling or retiring BRI or PRI.
• Mobile networks: The regulator has published no 2G/3G shutdown schedule; Claro's 2G is live (an outage of 177 2G sites on 31 Jan 2024 was fixed by 17 Feb 2024 per OSIPTEL), and Movistar is partly retiring legacy networks to save energy. Per-operator 3G status is not confirmed by a primary source.
• Certification: An MTC homologation certificate (DS 001-2006-MTC as amended by DS 019-2019-MTC) is mandatory to import terminals and radio equipment; applications go through VUCE per make and model.
• Where to buy: GlobalIP, Omnimedia Perú, Deltron
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Bolivia (BO)#

• GSM gateway: We found no rule specific to GSM gateways; DS 0353 of 4 Nov 2009 and ATT RAR TL 0115/2009 set up registries of mobile terminal owners and subscribers: terminals are registered by IMEI to an owner and blacklisted devices get no service. Selling voice requires a Licencia Única, and call centres must buy service from lawfully established operators (DS 1391, Arts. 89 and 91).
• SIM: A mobile line is registered to its holder's cédula de identidad (account-holder registry under DS 0353/2009); secondary sources say foreign passports are not accepted. We found no primary source on corporate lines under a NIT.
• Landline: Landlines are provided by cooperatives (COTEL in La Paz, COTAS in Santa Cruz, COMTECO in Cochabamba and about a dozen more) and ENTEL. COTEL sells new 'Socio' main lines (share purchase, ID copy, address sketch); no PSTN switch-off has been announced.
• ISDN: COTEL historically sold corporate ISDN (2×64 kbit/s channels), but it is not on the current site; we found no active BRI or PRI offers or retirement dates.
• Mobile networks: Entel, Tigo and Viva run 2G/3G on 850/1900 MHz, and outside departmental capitals coverage is often 2G/3G only; no shutdown has been announced (secondary source, May 2026).
• Certification: Telecom equipment is homologated by ATT (5-year certificate); the list of covered categories was updated by RAR ATT-DJ-RAR-TL LP 539/2024 of 6 Nov 2024.
• Where to buy: Crearideas Bolivia, Inova Networks
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Brazil (BR)#

• GSM gateway: The 'interface celular' (GSM/LTE gateway for a PBX) is a mainstream lawful product: ANATEL-homologated models (Intelbras ITC 4100, Khomp) are sold at ordinary retailers. The condition is homologation: using non-homologated equipment is prohibited by ANATEL Res. 715/2019, and since May 2018 the SIGA system blocks devices with irregular IMEIs.
• SIM: Since Law 10.703/2003 no line is activated without a CPF (individual) or CNPJ (company) and address; prepaid lines for companies are activated only in operator stores with the CNPJ.
• Landline: STFC concessions ended with migration to the authorisation regime (Vivo signed the Termo Único on 11 Apr 2025, concession ended 31 Dec 2025), but lines keep working. Where the operator is the sole provider, it must keep STFC and payphones until December 2028.
• ISDN: E1 digital trunks with 15 or 30 channels and DDI are still sold (Vivo Empresas; signalling mostly R2, sometimes ISDN), with E1 gateways offered for moving to SIP. We found no information on BRI.
• Mobile networks: Since 6 Apr 2025 (ANATEL Act 14430/2024) phones and access terminals (ETA) without 4G are no longer certified; operators retire 2G/3G city by city, with full shutdown expected by 2028 and no single public schedule. A new gateway should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: ANATEL homologation (Res. 715/2019, amended by Res. 780/2025) is required for sale and use: a certificate from an accredited OCD and a Mosaico record; since 6 Apr 2025 SIM models without 4G are not certified.
• Where to buy: Loja Mundi, uTech Tecnologia, Intelbras (manufacturer, ITC 4100)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Paraguay (PY)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific rule on GSM gateways for own calls; Art. 76 of Law 642/95 prohibits selling or operating non-homologated equipment. Basic telephony (local, long-distance, international) is provided only by concessionaire COPACO per the RNST registry, so carrying third-party traffic through a gateway would be unlicensed service (our reading of the law).
• SIM: We found no current rule on mandatory mobile SIM registration, only a 2011 bill for a line registry with cédula number and fingerprint. How operators issue corporate SIMs under a RUC is not confirmed by a primary source.
• Landline: Basic fixed telephony is provided only by COPACO per the RNST registry (updated 8 Sep 2026; 20-year concession, renewal from 15 May 2022). The company is building its 'Fiber Hogar' GPON network; we found no announcement of analogue line retirement.
• ISDN: We found no information on COPACO selling or retiring BRI or PRI.
• Mobile networks: PCS licences are held by Claro, COPACO, Personal, Tigo and VOX (RNST registry, 8 Sep 2026); Personal says 2G and 3G will go with 5G but gives no dates. We found no announced shutdowns.
• Certification: CONATEL homologation is mandatory (Art. 76 of Law 642/95, regulation Res. 588/2009) for equipment connected to public networks or emitting radio; the regulation is under review in 2026 with ITU support.
• Where to buy: Servipar (AlabamaStore)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Uruguay (UY)#

• GSM gateway: Decree 260/010 (Art. 2) exempts companies' internal VoIP from ANTEL's monopoly 'as long as it is not provided to third parties': a gateway with a SIM or ANTEL line feeding the business's own PBX fits, while reselling or transiting others' voice does not. 'Centrales celulares' are explicitly listed among radio devices requiring URSEC homologation.
• SIM: Under Art. 75 of Law 19.149 (24 Oct 2013) and Decree 274/014 all mobile lines, prepaid and postpaid, are registered to the holder with a CI, passport or RUT number; new subscribers register before activation.
• Landline: ANTEL (fixed-telephony monopoly) moves landlines onto fibre at no cost: the phone plugs into the TEL1/PHONE1 port of the optical modem, the analogue interface stays, and new lines are sold. An FXO gateway plugs into the same modem port.
• ISDN: We found no information on ANTEL selling or retiring BRI or PRI.
• Mobile networks: In May 2021 ANTEL announced a plan to switch 2G off in 2023, with no date for 3G (used by POS terminals); we found no confirmation that 2G is off and no data for Claro or Movistar. A new gateway should be LTE.
• Certification: Radio equipment, including 'centrales celulares' and mobile phones, needs URSEC homologation; importing a batch of an already homologated model requires a separate VUCE authorisation.
• Where to buy: Net Solutions, Ensamble VoIP
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Argentina (AR)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific rule on GSM gateways for own calls. Equipment that connects to the public network or emits radio may be sold only after ENACOM homologation, all mobile lines are registered to a named holder, and a SIM in a terminal with an altered IMEI is blocked automatically.
• SIM: Since 17 Mar 2025 (ENACOM Res. 1391/2024) operators ask for the DNI number, document issue number and sex and check them against RENAPER; all lines, new and existing, must be registered to the holder's DNI. For legal entities the registry holds company name, CUIT and address.
• Landline: No PSTN switch-off has been announced, and fixed number portability has applied nationwide since 21 Oct 2022. Telecom (which bought Telefónica Argentina in 2025) is accelerating copper and HFC to FTTH migration to turn copper off, from 25k to over 330k migrations a year.
• ISDN: We found no information on Argentine operators selling or retiring BRI or PRI.
• Mobile networks: Movistar switched 2G off on 31 Dec 2023 (SMS to subscribers) and Personal (Telecom) retired 3G by 31 Dec 2023; we found no public Claro dates. Without 2G, calls fall back to 3G or VoLTE, so a new gateway should have 4G and VoLTE.
• Certification: ENACOM homologation and registration of the model in the materials register are required for manufacture and sale; in 2024 the procedure was simplified: no re-registration every 3 years, product families, and acceptance of accredited agencies' reviews.
• Where to buy: VOIP Experts, Yeastar Argentina, ZonaTechArg
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Chile (CL)#

• GSM gateway: Under the Multibanda/SAE rule every device on a mobile network (phones, IoT, alarms) must be IMEI-registered: a device bought abroad and used with a Chilean SIM is blocked after 30 days (since 11 Feb 2019). GSM gateways ('celulink') are sold by local distributors with the IMEI already registered; we found no ban on using them for own calls.
• SIM: Since 20 Aug 2026 all prepaid lines must be tied to an identity (name, address, ID or passport number; verified by fingerprint, face, 2FA or e-signature). A line not validated within 10 days cannot be topped up.
• Landline: Movistar Chile (the incumbent) announced in March 2023 that it will remove its entire copper network and move customers to fibre: planned for 2024 and no later than 2027. Other fixed operators have announced no dates.
• ISDN: We found no information on Chilean operators selling or retiring BRI or PRI.
• Mobile networks: 2G is being switched off region by region: Movistar on 31 Dec 2023, Entel from mid-2024 (completed 30 Nov 2024 per emnify), and SUBTEL bars shutdowns where no other network exists. 3G is alive: in H1 2026 Entel refarms 1900 MHz to 4G/5G while keeping 3G on 900 MHz.
• Certification: Radio equipment is certified by SUBTEL; SIM devices go through Multibanda/SAE homologation with IMEI registration, while short-range devices (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) follow Res. 737 since 22 Feb 2026 without prior certification.
• Where to buy: Compratecno, Smarthold, TTSS
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Israel (IL)#

• GSM gateway: The 1982 Communications Law requires a licence or 'authorised supplier' status only from those providing telecom services to others; we found no specific rule on a GSM gateway for a company's own calls from the Ministry of Communications or in operator terms. A gateway is radio equipment, so its import follows the Ministry's conformity-certificate rules.
• SIM: Sources conflict: surveys of SIM-registration laws list Israel among countries without mandatory registration, while traveller guides say a passport is recorded at purchase. A business contract is signed by an Israeli entity, but we found no published operator requirements for SIMs used in gateways.
• Landline: According to Ynet (21 Apr 2025), the Ministry of Communications is phasing out Bezeq's and HOT's copper and cable networks, aiming for full fibre by the end of 2030; the first step exempts them from laying copper in new developments. There is no exact schedule yet because it needs legislative changes; telephony moves to fibre with a small customer box.
• ISDN: Bezeq sells businesses PRI and IP PRI — a digital link from its exchange to a private PBX with direct extension dialling. Bezeq's business pages say nothing about BRI, and we found no ISDN switch-off date.
• Mobile networks: On 2 Jul 2025 the Ministry of Communications announced 2G and 3G would be retired by 31 Dec 2025; from 1 Jan 2026 only 4G/5G devices with VoLTE, including M2M, get service. In Israel only an LTE gateway with VoLTE support will work.
• Certification: Wireless equipment may be imported only under the Wireless Telegraph (Certificates of Compliance) Regulations; the 4 Jul 2022 amendment allows import with an EU-compliant DoC or CoC. Certificates are issued only to an Israeli-registered representative.
• Where to buy: Lonestar Systems (Grandstream Israel), ZBM
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

United Arab Emirates (AE)#

• GSM gateway: TDRA allows VoIP hardware in a private network without a licence as long as the company does not provide VoIP services, but only licensees (e& and du) may carry voice traffic into the country; we found no specific rule on a GSM gateway for own calls. Our PBX is not available in the UAE (only licensed operators), so a gateway cannot be connected to it.
• SIM: SIMs are registered only with an original Emirates ID (visitors use a passport), and residents may hold up to five SIMs per operator. More SIMs come with corporate plans, which are opened for a company holding a trade licence.
• Landline: e& still sells business fixed lines (DEL, PABX lines) and migrates customers from copper to fibre with a technician visit. We found no announced copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: e& lists ISDN PRI among business services that can be added to a bundle and a shared invoice alongside SIP Trunk. Current e& material says nothing about BRI.
• Mobile networks: e& phased out 2G and pledged to finish by the end of 2023; in 2025 the UAE is listed among countries that have already discontinued 2G. There is no 3G switch-off date for e& or du, so a 3G/4G gateway works but a 2G-only one does not.
• Certification: TDRA's Type Approval Policy (v3.0, 9 May 2022): radio and telecom terminal equipment must be registered with TDRA before sale or use, and the seller must be a registered dealer with a trade licence. Equipment for personal use is outside the regime.
• Where to buy: DSR Tech (Terrabyt), Magtel Systems, GS-IT, Ultra Stream Technologies
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Qatar (QA)#

• GSM gateway: CRA's VoIP policy lets any person or business use VoIP for their own calls and forbids selling calls without a licence; we found no specific rule on GSM gateways. Our PBX is not available in Qatar (only licensed operators).
• SIM: An Ooredoo business account requires the Company Registration (CR), Establishment ID and the signatory's QID or passport. A company without Qatari registration cannot get a number.
• Landline: Since November 2020 Ooredoo has been moving business customers from copper to fibre, aiming at a 100% fibre network, with fixed telephony moving too. There is no final copper switch-off date; the operator called it a long-running project.
• ISDN: Ooredoo Business sells ISDN PRI for larger companies' PBXs and two-line BRI for small offices, with DID. The service page has no discontinuation notice; Ooredoo offers SIP-T over fibre alongside it.
• Mobile networks: Under a CRA decision (August 2024) Ooredoo and Vodafone had to stop 3G by 31 Dec 2025, and import of 2G/3G-only phones is banned. Vodafone Qatar says devices without VoLTE can only call via 2G, so an LTE gateway with VoLTE is the safer choice.
• Certification: Radio and telecom terminal equipment needs CRA type approval before import or use; there is a simplified route for devices already approved by recognised regulators. A company importing equipment for its own use may also apply.
• Where to buy: Yeastar Qatar, ALFA Telecom, DSR Tech (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Saudi Arabia (SA)#

• GSM gateway: Virtual voice services in Saudi Arabia need a CST permit (VVSP, 2022 regulations), and in 2021 fines of up to SAR 25 million were announced for unapproved telecom devices. We found no specific rule on a GSM gateway for a company's own calls.
• SIM: Since January 2016 SIMs are issued only with a fingerprint. For corporate services Mobily requires a Saudi CR, the 700 number, VAT and the company's national address, and the fingerprint is given by an authorised Saudi citizen.
• Landline: stc sells fibre connections, but we found no public plan to retire copper or stop selling analogue lines. The POTS status is unconfirmed.
• ISDN: We found no public stc, Mobily or Zain pages on selling or retiring ISDN BRI/PRI. Operators now sell corporate voice as SIP trunks.
• Mobile networks: stc switched off 3G in Q4 2022, and the table on its business page schedules 2G shutdown for Q4 2025, although the same page says 2G will be kept for voice. We found no confirmation that stc's 2G is off, nor Mobily's or Zain's 3G status, so choose an LTE gateway with VoLTE.
• Certification: Equipment that uses radio spectrum or connects to public networks must be approved by CST before import and sale; the certificate is valid for two years. Testing follows RED requirements.
• Where to buy: Syscom, AL-VoIP (official distributor Dinstar), Digital Myth Solutions (DMS)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Jordan (JO)#

• GSM gateway: Telecommunications Law No. 13 of 1995 requires a TRC licence to provide telecom services to the public; we found no specific rule on a GSM gateway for own calls on the TRC site or in the news. As radio terminal equipment, a gateway can only be imported under TRC type approval.
• SIM: SIMs are registered to the owner's ID; in 2018 TRC announced it would require fingerprints for new SIM purchases. We found no operator requirements for SIMs used in gateways.
• Landline: Orange Jordan sells businesses a landline, and on fibre it activates digital voice: the handset plugs straight into the fibre box without internal copper wiring. We found no announced copper switch-off.
• ISDN: Orange Jordan offers businesses BRI (two simultaneous calls for a small office) and PRI with up to 30 channels over copper, microwave or TDM over fibre. SIP Trunk is sold alongside.
• Mobile networks: Umniah switched off 2G in March 2021, while Zain and Orange kept it as of 5 Sep 2021; the TRC chairman then warned most 2G and 3G would end before 2025. We could not confirm Zain's and Orange's current 2G/3G status, so an LTE gateway with VoLTE is safer.
• Certification: Terminal and radio equipment is imported under TRC type approval; Instructions No. 2 of 2025 replaced the 2024 rules, and approvals last two years. Test reports from an accredited lab and a declaration of conformity are required.
• Where to buy: —
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Egypt (EG)#

• GSM gateway: Law No. 10 of 2003 exempts only a private network without radio systems from licensing (Art. 21), and allows importing any telecom equipment only under an NTRA licence with the consent of the armed forces, national security and the interior ministry (Art. 44). Bypassing international calls carries 6 months to 5 years and fines up to EGP 500,000, and SIM-box operators are regularly arrested. Our PBX is not available in Egypt (a local licence is required).
• SIM: Since 2014 operators must collect a copy and number of the subscriber's ID. Since 1 Jan 2025 imported phones are registered by IMEI in the Telephony app, and since 1 Feb 2025 NTRA blocks activation of devices not meeting GSMA standards; we found nothing on whether this covers gateway modules.
• Landline: Telecom Egypt still sells fixed telephony and, per TelecomLead (11 Jun 2026), has replaced more than 95% of legacy copper lines in its network with fibre. We found no switch-off date for analogue subscriber lines.
• ISDN: We found no public Telecom Egypt pages on selling or retiring ISDN BRI/PRI. TE now promotes business connectivity through Fiber Egypt dedicated fibre lines.
• Mobile networks: Vodafone's 2025 annual report says Vodafone Egypt's plan to shut 3G by end-2026 has been delayed and NTRA will set an industry roadmap. No 2G shutdown has been announced, so a 2G/3G gateway still works for now.
• Certification: Under Arts. 44 and 48 of Law No. 10 of 2003, importing, manufacturing, selling and using telecom equipment requires an NTRA permit under its approved standards. Equipment on the defence ministry's list also needs consent from the armed forces and security bodies.
• Where to buy: EgyptVoipSupply (Arkan), VoIP Egypt
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Morocco (MA)#

• GSM gateway: ANRT Decision DG/N°04-04 of 6 Apr 2004 allows IP telephony in internal and private networks, while commercial carriage of traffic is reserved for licensed operators (Art. 83 of Law 24-96). The Moroccan integrator CLICSIPx says mobile and digital gateways are allowed only for domestic calls and with prior ANRT validation; ANRT's approved-equipment list includes GSM gateways.
• SIM: Since 2014 ANRT has banned anonymous SIMs and requires operators to identify subscribers, including prepaid users. We found no specific rules for SIMs used in gateways.
• Landline: According to ANRT, Morocco had 3.22 million fixed-telephony subscriptions at end-2025, 564,000 of them business, and the market is growing. The figure also covers non-copper fixed access; we found no announced copper switch-off.
• ISDN: Maroc Telecom's large-business site publishes a page on the monthly fee for the Marnis digital line (EURO-ISDN), but it returned 403 to us, so the tariff details are unverified. Local shops sell BRI gateways for MARNIS/T0 lines.
• Mobile networks: As of 15 Nov 2025 ANRT had published no 2G/3G shutdown schedule; industry estimates point to around 2030 in line with the Maroc Digital 2030 strategy. A 2G/3G gateway currently works on all three operators.
• Certification: Telecom and radio equipment needs ANRT approval (agrément) before sale; ANRT maintains the register of approved devices. The procedure has been updated, with details from ANRT.
• Where to buy: VD Store, JM Technologie, Euro Marits, Maroc Technologie
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Tunisia (TN)#

• GSM gateway: Under the Telecom Code as amended in 2008, an internal private network needs no authorisation, but terminal equipment connected to a public network must be type-approved (Art. 83, up to 6 months in prison). We found no specific rule on a GSM gateway for own calls; the National Guard dismantled a network diverting international calls to local ones on 14 Feb 2024.
• SIM: Since August 2024 a line is activated only after checking a national ID card or passport, anonymous SIMs are suspended and street SIM sales are banned. We found no specific rules for SIMs used in gateways.
• Landline: According to INT's monthly dashboard, Tunisia had about 1.79 million fixed-telephony subscriptions across three operators in January 2025. We found no announced switch-off of Tunisie Telecom analogue lines.
• ISDN: We found no public Tunisie Telecom pages on selling or retiring ISDN (BRI/PRI). Corporate voice in Tunisia is increasingly sold as SIP trunks.
• Mobile networks: In January 2025 Ooredoo Tunisie's CTO wrote that without VoLTE a handset falls back to 3G or 2G to call, so both networks are live. We found no shutdown schedule; 5G licences were awarded on 23 Jan 2025.
• Certification: Government Decree No. 2020-48 of 23 Jan 2020 requires type approval of telecom terminal and radio equipment before import and sale, handled by CERT. Selling non-approved equipment is punishable under Art. 83 of the Telecom Code.
• Where to buy: MAG Security, MBM
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

South Africa (ZA)#

• GSM gateway: We found no ICASA ban on a GSM gateway for a business's own calls; such gateways ('premicells', least-cost routers) are openly sold to businesses as a replacement for Telkom copper lines and connected to a PBX (United Telecoms, Faranani, 10 Sep 2026). The condition is ICASA type approval under s.35(1) of the Electronic Communications Act, without which equipment may not be sold or used.
• SIM: Every SIM is registered under RICA (Act 70 of 2002, s.40): the operator collects and verifies the subscriber's identity and address; a company registers SIMs to the legal entity with its registration documents. We found no per-company SIM limits or operator bans on SIMs in gateways.
• Landline: Since 2015 Telkom has been moving customers from copper to fibre and wireless; it closed its prepaid copper line platform on 1 Aug 2019, and copper is now being switched off area by area without repairs. Telkom has not announced a single final switch-off date; the replacement is a VoIP line (087 or ported geographic numbers).
• ISDN: According to Switch Telecom, Telkom stopped offering and supporting Primary Rate ISDN from 31 Dec 2020, and numbers are ported to SIP trunks. BRI is going away together with Telkom's copper network, which is being switched off area by area.
• Mobile networks: ICASA's 2024 plan is to complete the 2G and 3G switch-off by the end of 2027 (Hypertext, 7 Aug 2026); in July 2025 the minister said there is no hard deadline and operators set the pace. MTN is removing 3G area by area aiming to close it in 2026 while 2G stays longer, so a 2G/3G gateway still works for now, but a new purchase should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Section 35(1) of the Electronic Communications Act prohibits using, selling or leasing communications equipment without ICASA type approval; ICASA keeps the register of approved models.
• Where to buy: MiRO Distribution, FirstShop, Faranani
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Kenya (KE)#

• GSM gateway: A company's own GSM gateway on a PBX is allowed: the incumbent Telkom Kenya itself sells Biashara Talk (a fixed number over GSM) and connects it to a switchboard via a GSM router for multiple lines. Terminating third-party traffic through a SIM box is an offence under KICA (fine up to KSh 1m or 5 years), and the CA requires operators to detect and deactivate such SIMs.
• SIM: Since 30 May 2025 the Registration of Telecommunications Service Subscribers Regulations 2025 (LN 90) apply: registration with original ID checked against government databases, with SIM-box fraud named as a target. A company registers numbers with its corporate documents (certificate of registration, KRA PIN, CR12); we found no per-company SIM limit.
• Landline: CA statistics for June 2025 show only a few thousand wired and fixed-wireless lines and 47.6k fixed VoIP subscriptions against tens of millions of mobile ones. Telkom Kenya offers businesses with unreliable wired lines a move to Biashara Talk over GSM; we found no announced copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: As of 10 Sep 2026 Telkom Kenya sells business ISDN with direct dialling and up to 1,000 extensions over fibre or radio (ISDN-15c and ISDN-150c plans), a multi-channel PRI-class product. No separate BRI product is listed, and we found no ISDN switch-off information.
• Mobile networks: Kenya has not declared a 3G shutdown deadline, leaving the migration to operators and subscribers' ability to pay (Business Daily, 30 Dec 2025). 3G users fell to 5.68m by September 2025 from 11.78m in 2023; a 2G/3G gateway still works for now.
• Certification: The CA type-approves all telecom terminal equipment sold or used in Kenya; the list of approved models is published in the Licensee Register on ca.go.ke.
• Where to buy: Redstar Africa (Nairobi), Yeastar Shop Kenya, Digital Store
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Nigeria (NG)#

• GSM gateway: The NCC pursues SIM boxing and call masking as fraud and states that SIM boxes have never been type-approved by it. From September 2026 the NCC is rolling out an IMEI register (DMS/CEIR): every SIM-enabled device, gateways included, must be type-approved and registered or it will not work on Nigerian networks; we found no specific rule on a gateway for a company's own calls.
• SIM: Every SIM is linked to a NIN (the NIN-SIM campaign's final deadline was 14 Sep 2024). Under the 2025 Business Rules corporate SIMs go through an executive 'Telecom Master' with a NIN, a CAC incorporation certificate and a tax ID; a company may hold any number of SIMs, but each is linked to the NINs of the representative and the user.
• Landline: According to the NCC's 2024 report, fixed telephony is 0.1% of the voice market: 96,257 active subscriptions at end-2024 (MTN, Glo, ipNX, 21st Century and others), down 5.4% year on year. We found no mass-market analogue line offer; fixed operators sell businesses SIP lines and E1 trunks.
• ISDN: ipNX Nigeria sells Enterprise Telephony as a SIP trunk or xE1 PRI trunks with DIDs; in the NCC's 2024 report fixed operators (21st Century, ipNX, Swift) report E1 trunks in use. We found no BRI product.
• Mobile networks: Nigeria has no official 2G/3G switch-off dates; MTN Group speaks of gradually shutting some 3G networks in Africa before 2030. NCC data for April 2026 show 2G at 35.93% of connections, 3G at 5.32% and 4G at 54.41%, so a 2G/3G gateway still works for now.
• Certification: Section 132(2) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 requires NCC type approval before communications equipment is sold or used. Under the Type Approval Business Rules (August 2024) SIM-enabled devices are also registered by IMEI in a central register, and unregistered ones are kept off the networks.
• Where to buy: Prestensys, RapidBTS, DataVox (PABX System Nigeria)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Ghana (GH)#

• GSM gateway: Illegal termination of international calls through SIM boxes is an offence in Ghana: the NCA and the GRA regularly raid such sites (Tema, 19 Feb 2020), and the NCA's platform detects numbers passing international traffic off as local. We found no specific ban on a GSM gateway for own calls, but a gateway with many SIMs risks tripping anti-fraud filters.
• SIM: SIM registration uses the Ghana Card: up to 10 SIMs per person, more for companies, but company SIMs are linked to a director or shareholder who is liable for fraud. The draft Number Registration Regulations 2025 require a corporate subscriber's incorporation certificate, signatory details and ID, and regulate M2M numbers separately.
• Landline: Fixed telephony is held by Telecel Ghana (formerly Vodafone/Ghana Telecom), with about 99% of roughly 306k lines according to NCA data for end-2024. We found no announced copper switch-off; the NCA Fixed Licence category still covers voice over copper and fibre.
• ISDN: We found no public ISDN BRI/PRI pages from Telecel Ghana or other operators, and no switch-off announcements either. ISDN availability has to be checked with the operator.
• Mobile networks: On 4 Sep 2025 MTN Ghana said it would phase out 2G and 3G gradually and without dates until affordable 4G phones are available. There is no regulatory switch-off deadline, so a 2G/3G gateway still works for now.
• Certification: Radio and telecom equipment needs NCA type approval before import, sale and commercial use (Type Approval Guidelines 2015), with a sample and test reports to European standards. Approved equipment is searchable via 'Search for Equipment' on the NCA site.
• Where to buy: PABX System Ghana (VDS chain, Dubai)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Tanzania (TZ)#

• GSM gateway: We found no direct TCRA rule on a GSM gateway for a company's own calls. The SIM Card Registration Regulations 2020 (reg. 18) also cover 'SIM-enabled' equipment: a company may hold no more than 30 voice SIMs per operator, more only with TCRA's written approval, with fines from TSh 50m for breaches.
• SIM: Registration is biometric and checked against NIDA; a company presents its TIN, business licence and registration certificate. The limit is 30 voice and 50 M2M SIMs per company per operator; more requires an application to TCRA.
• Landline: State operator TTCL sells a 'Basic Fixed telephone (PSTN)' landline, now delivered over fibre. TCRA data for December 2025 show 111,600 fixed subscriptions versus 106.8m mobile; no switch-off has been announced.
• ISDN: As of 10 Sep 2026 TTCL sells ISDN as a postpaid service for corporate customers in major cities, alongside its SIP trunk. We found no ISDN switch-off date.
• Mobile networks: TCRA data for Q4 2025 show population coverage of 98.6% for 2G, 93.9% for 3G and 94.2% for 4G. We found no announced 2G/3G switch-off dates; a 2G/3G gateway works.
• Certification: Equipment connecting to public networks and radio equipment need TCRA type approval (Electronic Communications Equipment Standards Regulations 2018); the applicant must be a local supplier, importer or distributor, and cellular devices need a sample. TCRA blocks stolen and suspect devices by IMEI.
• Where to buy: Cloud One Tanzania, PABX System Tanzania (VDS chain, Dubai)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Uganda (UG)#

• GSM gateway: SIM boxes in Uganda are investigated by the UCC and police and prosecuted as electronic fraud under the Computer Misuse Act 2011 (arrests in January 2020). We found no specific rule on a GSM gateway for own calls; UCC type approval is required for all equipment connected to a network.
• SIM: Under the UCC SIM registration guidelines a company files its incorporation certificate, director details, TIN and an undertaking by directors to be jointly and severally liable for misuse. The cap is 100 corporate SIMs per applicant, with exceptions subject to approval and quarterly reporting.
• Landline: State operator UTel sells 'Classic Landlines' and the Telesaver Prepaid Land Line as of 10 Sep 2026. We found no announced switch-off.
• ISDN: UTel sells corporate customers 'E1 Landline (PRI)', a multi-channel digital line with a single number for call centres and offices. We found no BRI product.
• Mobile networks: We found no announced 2G/3G switch-off dates in Uganda. The UCC's 2024 annual report counts more feature phones (26.7m) than smartphones (18.2m), so 2G will be needed for a long time; a 2G/3G gateway works.
• Certification: The Uganda Communications (Equipment Type Approval) Regulations 2019 require UCC approval for any equipment connected to a communications network before installation, sale or use. Applications go through the eservices.ucc.co.ug portal.
• Where to buy: Cloud One Uganda, PABX System Uganda (VDS chain, Dubai)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Rwanda (RW)#

• GSM gateway: RURA's International Gateway Traffic Verification regulation (4-ICT, 2012) bans bypassing the international gateway and selling termination below the minimum rate; operators may block calls with altered CLI. We found no specific rule on a GSM gateway for own calls; SIMs beyond the limits require RURA approval.
• SIM: Under RURA Regulation No 18/2024 (art. 10) a company registers SIMs with its founding document, a representative's authorisation and a TIN checked by the operator with the RRA, plus the representative's biometrics. Art. 24 caps citizens at 3 SIMs per operator, more with RURA approval.
• Landline: RURA statistics for March 2026 show 10,575 fixed telephone subscriptions (Airtel 9,650, plus MTN, Liquid and VoIP-only BSC). The report does not say what technology these lines use or whether new analogue lines are sold.
• ISDN: We found no ISDN BRI/PRI product pages from Rwandan operators; the integrator Unitech lists ISDN among its telephony services. Availability must be confirmed with the operator.
• Mobile networks: On 28 Jul 2026 the government approved the plan: 3G is switched off nationwide on 30 Jun 2027 and 2G tentatively in December 2028 after a readiness review, with VoLTE availability a precondition. By 2027–2028 an LTE gateway with VoLTE will be needed; active VoLTE subscriptions stood at 1.94m in March 2026.
• Certification: Regulation No 012/R/STDICT/RURA/2021 (published 16 Feb 2022) requires RURA type approval for importing and supplying terminal and radio communications equipment. A local representative and a device sample are required.
• Where to buy: PBX System Rwanda (VDS chain, Dubai)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Ethiopia (ET)#

• GSM gateway: Article 3(2) of Telecom Fraud Offence Proclamation No. 761/2012 makes using or holding telecom equipment without a permit a crime (1–4 years), and importing or selling it 10–15 years; permits are now issued by the ECA. Only licensees may provide IP telephony; we found no lawful scenario for a private company's GSM gateway, and it must not be installed without ECA permission.
• SIM: SIM Card Registration Directive No. 799/2021, art. 8(4): a business submits a stamped letter signed by its manager, a copy of its business licence and TIN, and the recipient's ID. Since 2017 ethio telecom has linked handset IMEIs to SIMs and blocks unregistered imported devices.
• Landline: Ethio telecom sells businesses fixed lines, both wired (PSTN) and wireless (CDMA), with minute bundles. At end-2024 it had 765.6k fixed voice subscribers; no switch-off has been announced.
• ISDN: Ethio telecom mentions customers' ISDN numbers in its cloud IP telephony description ('existing number resource (fixed line, ISDN)'), but we found no separate BRI/PRI product page. We found no switch-off date either.
• Mobile networks: In its H1 2024/25 report ethio telecom is expanding 5G, 4G, 3G and 2G at the same time, with no legacy switch-off dates. The second operator is Safaricom Ethiopia (launched 6 Oct 2022); a 2G/3G gateway works technically.
• Certification: The ECA decides which equipment may be connected to networks and issues import and use permits; manufacturing, importing, using or holding such equipment without a permit is prohibited.
• Where to buy: PBX System Ethiopia (VDS chain, Dubai)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

India (IN)#

• GSM gateway: We found no explicit ban on a GSM gateway for a company's own calls, and gateways are sold openly. But the Telecom Cyber Security amendment rules of 22 Oct 2025 prohibit masking call origin and illegal VoIP routing (up to 3 years and ₹50 lakh), police regularly bust SIM boxes that pass international calls off as local, and only a DoT licensee may mix IP and PSTN traffic (OSP guidelines of 23 Jun 2021).
• SIM: DoT instructions of 31 Aug 2023 (in force from 1 Dec 2023) abolished bulk connections in favour of business connections: the company files a list of end users, and each SIM is activated only after its own end user passes KYC. A gateway SIM is taken out by the company but tied to a named employee.
• Landline: BSNL is moving copper lines to Bharat Fibre with number retention and a free optical modem; in Tamil Nadu it announced a mission to convert about 1.2 lakh copper connections within six months. We found no nationwide copper switch-off schedule.
• ISDN: Tata Tele Business Services sells PRI (E1, 30 voice channels) and offers SIP trunks as the replacement; we found no ISDN switch-off date and no data on BRI.
• Mobile networks: Airtel shut 3G by April 2020, Vi planned to close 3G completely in FY2024/25, BSNL is switching 3G off circle by circle (Bihar on 15 Jan 2025), and Jio has been LTE-only from the start. 2G still runs at Airtel, Vi and BSNL, but a Jio SIM needs a VoLTE gateway.
• Certification: Under the 2025 rules on standards and certification, equipment notified under MTCTE may not be sold or used in India without a TEC certificate (valid 5 years, applied for through the MTCTE portal). The list includes, for example, ISDN gateways; we did not verify whether GSM gateways are a separate notified category.
• Where to buy: GRY FONE (Ahmedabad), Cloud Infotech, Aria Solutions (Ghaziabad)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Pakistan (PK)#

• GSM gateway: PTA with FIA/NCCIA regularly raids 'illegal gateway exchanges': in January 2024 in Lahore 796 SIMs and 13 gateways were seized, in November 2025 682 SIMs and 256- and 128-port gateways. Any IMEI device must have PTA type approval and DIRBS registration or the network blocks it; we found no specific permit regime for a gateway used for own calls.
• SIM: Since 2014 every SIM is activated only after a live fingerprint check against the NADRA database. According to the PTA chairman, no more than five SIMs may be registered to one CNIC; we found no separate rules for corporate SIMs.
• Landline: PTCL runs a Copper Sunset project replacing copper with Flash Fiber. According to Dawn (7 Apr 2026), in Karachi areas already moved to fibre a phone line is no longer sold without an internet package; there is no overall copper switch-off schedule.
• ISDN: Nayatel and Vision Telecom (Lahore) still list ISDN PRI in their business portfolios next to SIP trunks and UAN numbers. We found nothing on BRI or an ISDN switch-off date.
• Mobile networks: Jazz switched 3G off completely in November 2024 and refarmed the spectrum to 4G; Zong still runs 3G. 2G works at all operators, and Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone all advertise VoLTE.
• Certification: Wireless and telecom equipment cannot be legally imported or sold without PTA type approval; the procedure and FAQ were updated on 23 Jul 2025. IMEI devices must also be registered in DIRBS.
• Where to buy: Dreams Network & Technology, Microtech, MB Communication
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Bangladesh (BD)#

• GSM gateway: In 2026 BTRC fined four mobile operators Tk 8.68 crore — Tk 10,000 for each of 8,682 SIMs detected in illegal VoIP termination — and raids seize SIM boxes by the dozen. We found no rule on a gateway for a company's own calls, but a high-traffic gateway SIM risks tripping the same filters.
• SIM: SIMs are registered to a national ID with biometrics; since November 2025 operators deactivate SIMs above 10 per NID. BTRC postponed its plan to cut the limit to five from 1 Jan 2026 until after the elections.
• Landline: Since 2018 the state-owned BTCL has effectively been the only PSTN operator, and on 23 Jan 2025 BTRC revoked seven more PSTN licences; BTCL had 4.66 lakh subscribers in January 2023. No analogue switch-off has been announced, but the network is shrinking.
• ISDN: We found no data on ISDN BRI/PRI sales or switch-off; IPTSP operators such as Agni connect customer PBXs over E1 or SIP.
• Mobile networks: The government decided to wind down 3G while keeping 2G for voice for several more years; Banglalink was the first to switch 3G off, by May 2024. A 2G gateway still works for now.
• Certification: BTRC has no formal type approval, but importing any electronic or telecom equipment needs a BTRC No Objection Certificate; radio-equipment importers must also hold a 2-year vendor enlistment certificate.
• Where to buy: Asa Technology, IP Phone Bangladesh, Dinstar IP Phone BD
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Sri Lanka (LK)#

• GSM gateway: Since 29 Jan 2025 any SIM-enabled device not registered with TRCSL is refused service on the country's networks, so a GSM gateway must be imported legally and registered. Telecom equipment may only be traded with a TRCSL vendor licence and type approval; we found no specific rule on a gateway for own calls.
• SIM: Citizens' SIMs are registered to the holder's NIC number, and the registered holder is liable for misuse. There is no overall SIM limit per NIC, though some operators cap it at five; corporate numbers are contracted to the company.
• Landline: SLT sells copper Megaline and voice over fibre in FTTx bundles; we found no copper switch-off date. Fixed subscribers fell from 2.58 to 1.71 million during 2023.
• ISDN: We found no data on ISDN sales or switch-off; SLT connects business PBXs over SIP, and integrators bring SLT lines and E1 into IP PBXs through FXO/E1 gateways.
• Mobile networks: Dialog switched 3G off on 15 Nov 2023, as TRCSL confirmed; we found no dates for the other operators. No 2G shutdown has been announced.
• Certification: TRCSL type approval is mandatory for all radio and telecom terminal equipment imported, sold or used; the importer first needs an annual vendor licence. The certificate is valid for four years.
• Where to buy: Networkstore.lk, Fennix (Grandstream Sri Lanka), Techgates
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Nepal (NP)#

• GSM gateway: In 2022 the Supreme Court ruled call bypass via VoIP/GoIP a crime, and operators block SIMs detected in VoIP termination en masse. We found no rule on a gateway for own calls; the IMEI registry (MDMS) NTA launched in 2023 is effectively not operating, according to NepaliTelecom (5 Apr 2026).
• SIM: NTA requires a SIM to be registered to the person who uses it and restricts using SIMs registered to someone else; a citizenship document is needed at purchase. We found no per-person SIM limit or corporate SIM rules.
• Landline: Nepal Telecom is moving copper lines to FTTH and switching copper off wherever fibre is complete; PSTN subscribers have fallen several-fold. There is no overall switch-off date.
• ISDN: We found no data on Nepal Telecom selling or switching off ISDN.
• Mobile networks: Ncell is closing 3G district by district with full closure by Q1 2027 and plans to end 2G by 2027; Nepal Telecom is switching off 2G on 1800 MHz. 2G still works for now, but a new gateway should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Radio and non-radio telecom equipment imported and used in Nepal needs NTA type approval (procedures TAP-01 and TAP-04 for customer premises equipment). The certificate does not replace an import licence.
• Where to buy: Grandstream Official Store (Daraz), Grandstream Nepal
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Singapore (SG)#

• GSM gateway: Since 1 Feb 2025 IMDA classes GSM gateways with 5 or more SIM slots as prohibited telecom equipment: import only with IMDA's prior approval. Gateways with 4 or fewer slots may still be imported, registered and sold by licensed dealers, but only to companies incorporated in Singapore.
• SIM: A gateway may be sold only to a Singapore company (UEN). Since 1 Apr 2014 each subscriber may hold at most three prepaid SIMs across all operators, and since 15 Jul 2024 passport registration is valid for 30 days, so postpaid lines on the company are the practical choice for a gateway.
• Landline: StarHub states its PSTN and ISDN services are being turned off in 2025 and offers the SmartSIP trunk instead. As of 10 Sep 2026 Singtel still sells Business Fixed Line alongside the fibre-based Business Digital Line; we found no Singtel switch-off date.
• ISDN: StarHub is turning ISDN off together with PSTN from 2025. As of 10 Sep 2026 Singtel's ISDN page still sells the service for PBXs and video conferencing with no announced end date.
• Mobile networks: All three operators shut 2G by 18 Apr 2017; 3G was retired by M1 from 1 Aug 2024 and by Singtel and StarHub from November 2024. Only an LTE gateway with VoLTE will work.
• Certification: Telecom equipment sold in Singapore is registered with IMDA under the Equipment Registration framework and sold by a Telecommunication Dealer's Licence holder. GSM gateways with 5 or more SIM slots cannot be imported without IMDA approval.
• Where to buy: Hypercom, JCMEX
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Malaysia (MY)#

• GSM gateway: We found no MCMC ban on a GSM gateway for a company's own calls, and gateways are sold openly with installation. Communications equipment must carry SIRIM/MCMC certification (otherwise up to RM300,000 or 3 years), and providing voice services to third parties requires an ASP licence.
• SIM: Under MCMC's mandatory standard in force since 26 Feb 2026 a citizen may hold at most five prepaid SIMs per operator and a foreigner two. Companies have no limit but must register SIMs directly with the operator, not through a dealer.
• Landline: Following an MCMC directive, TM fully discontinued copper DSL on 28 Feb 2025 and is moving customers to Unifi fibre. We found no separate date for copper voice lines.
• ISDN: TM stopped selling ISDN BRI to new customers in 2017 while keeping existing lines. TM promotes Multi Line SIP instead of PRI, and providers say new PRIs are no longer available.
• Mobile networks: All operators shut 3G by 31 Dec 2021 under JENDELA. 2G remains for voice and M2M: in December 2025 CelcomDigi held spectrum for 2G and 4G, and we found no 2G shutdown date.
• Certification: MCMC is the regulator, and SIRIM QAS International issues the certificates of conformity. In August 2025 MCMC introduced a New Communications Equipment Framework (NCEF).
• Where to buy: Brwood Technology, JCMEX
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Thailand (TH)#

• GSM gateway: The NBTC notification on measures against technology crime (24 Aug 2025, amendment No. 2 in force from 16 May 2026) requires operators to keep SIM boxes and gateways with 4 or more SIM slots off their networks unless licensed under the Radio Communications Act. A 1–3 SIM gateway goes through normal NBTC approval; in October 2025 police seized 130 home-made SIM boxes from a call-centre gang.
• SIM: A SIM is registered with an ID card or passport and must be activated within 60 days, otherwise identity must be re-verified in person. Foreigners may hold at most three SIMs per operator.
• Landline: NT (formerly TOT and CAT) still sells fixed telephone lines and caller ID. We found no copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: We found no data on ISDN sales or switch-off; Thai SIP providers sell trunks as a replacement for E1/ISDN PRI.
• Mobile networks: NBTC told AIS and True to wind down 2G and then 3G, targeting Q3 2026, and from 30 Jun 2025 stopped approving and admitting imports of 2G/3G-only devices. A new gateway must be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Telecom equipment goes through NBTC registration (Class A), certification (Class B) or a supplier declaration (SDoC) depending on the category; approval is valid for 3 years. 2G/3G-only devices have not been approved since 30 Jun 2025.
• Where to buy: Bangkok Telecommunication, Poise Technology, VoIP Thailand
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Vietnam (VN)#

• GSM gateway: We found no rule on a GSM gateway for a company's own calls. But under Circular 08/2026/TT-BKHCN (in force from 15 Apr 2026) moving a SIM into another device triggers a new facial-biometric check by the operator, which also applies to a SIM in a gateway; unauthorised radio devices (signal boosters) are fined up to VND 30 million.
• SIM: Under Decree 163/2024 a number is registered to an ID checked against the national database, and online only for the first three numbers per document. From 2026 face matching is mandatory and repeated on device change, so a gateway SIM must be held by a person ready to pass that check.
• Landline: VNPT moves subscribers from copper lines to IMS telephony over fibre free of charge while still offering PSTN lines. We found no copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: We found no data on VNPT, Viettel or FPT selling or switching off ISDN.
• Mobile networks: Since 26 Oct 2024 GSM-only devices get service only for M2M, 3G closes by September 2028, and Viettel has already retired 3G. From 1 Jul 2024 all 4G devices made or imported in Vietnam must support VoLTE, so the gateway must be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Telecom and radio equipment must be certified to Vietnamese QCVN regulations; since 1 Mar 2025 the Ministry of Science and Technology, which absorbed the MIC, runs the process. Foreign test reports are accepted only to a limited extent.
• Where to buy: Siêu Thị Viễn Thông, GTC Telecom, Ngọc Thiên Supply
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Philippines (PH)#

• GSM gateway: The SIM Registration Act (RA 11934, 2022) requires every SIM to be registered and punishes selling or transferring SIMs outside registration with 6 months to 6 years or a ₱100–300k fine. We found no NTC rule on GSM gateways for own calls; the device itself needs NTC type approval.
• SIM: Under the RA 11934 implementing rules (NTC MC 001-12-2022) a juridical entity registers SIMs through an authorised representative with business registration documents. The sources we found set no SIM limit for companies.
• Landline: Since 2020 PLDT has been moving customers from copper to fibre at no charge and in 2022 targeted completion by 2023. We found no confirmation that copper has been fully switched off.
• ISDN: We found no current data on ISDN sales or switch-off; older 2011–2014 threads say PLDT delivered DDI numbers only on analogue and ISDN, and today it sells SIP Business Lines for PBXs.
• Mobile networks: An NTC memorandum circular requires a phased 2G and 3G switch-off, nationwide by 31 Dec 2026. Globe and DITO have already shut 3G, Smart committed to do so by end-September 2025, and DITO has no 2G at all, so the gateway must be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Telecom equipment needs NTC type approval and radio equipment type acceptance; a local representative is required and dealers hold an NTC permit. The NTC circular on the 2G/3G sunset also restricts certification of non-LTE devices.
• Where to buy: Kital Philippines, Open Source PH
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Indonesia (ID)#

• GSM gateway: We found no Komdigi rule on a GSM gateway for a company's own calls. Police prosecute modem pools with SIMs registered to stolen NIKs under the ITE law (up to 12 years), and every telecom device must carry an SDPPI certificate.
• SIM: Permenkomdigi No. 7/2026: facial-biometric SIM registration is mandatory from 1 Jul 2026, with at most three prepaid numbers per identity per operator. Numbers for M2M, IoT and corporate customer service are registered to the organisation's responsible officer and are exempt from the limit.
• Landline: Telkom moved its exchanges to an IMS softswitch; home phones run as VoIP over IndiHome fibre and are cut off together with the internet, and per Telkom (2016) there is often no copper left to return to. We found no final copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: We found no data on Telkom selling or switching off ISDN; integrators still connect customer PBXs over PSTN, E1 and ISDN.
• Mobile networks: Indosat, Telkomsel and XL had closed 3G by 2023. The government plans a phased 2G shutdown through 2026, but Telkomsel and Indosat keep it for voice users without VoLTE, so a new gateway should be LTE with VoLTE.
• Certification: Every telecom device on the market must hold an SDPPI (Komdigi) certificate; since 18 Apr 2020 an IMEI whitelist applies to phones, handhelds and tablets. We found nothing on whether the whitelist covers gateways.
• Where to buy: Infrateq (PT Divatel Pratama), Sophos Technology
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Japan (JP)#

• GSM gateway: We found no explicit ban or licence for an LTE gateway with the business's own SIM for its own calls; the main barrier is that the radio must carry 技適 approval, otherwise operating it breaches the Radio Act (up to 1 year in prison or a fine up to JPY 1 million). As of 10 Sep 2026 Japanese Yeastar and Grandstream distributors (J-TS) list only FXO, ISDN and E1 gateways, no cellular ones.
• SIM: Under the Mobile Phone Improper Use Prevention Act (fully in force from 1 Apr 2006) the operator verifies a company's registry extract or seal certificate (name and head-office address) and the identity of the employee signing. Renting SIMs to third parties is a separately regulated business with the same checks.
• Landline: NTT East/West moved fixed-line switching onto their IP network (from January 2024, completed by January 2025), but the subscriber keeps the number and the analogue 加入電話 line. We found no date for retiring the copper access line.
• ISDN: NTT stopped selling INS Net 64, 64 Lite and 1500 on 31 Aug 2024 and ends the service on 31 Dec 2028; the INS digital data mode ended with the IP migration. BRI gateways approved for INS Net 64 in Japan (Yeastar TB200/TB400) are still sold.
• Mobile networks: Japan never had GSM; docomo's mova 2G network closed on 31 Mar 2012. 3G was shut by au on 31 Mar 2022, by SoftBank on 15 Apr 2024 (Ishikawa 31 Jul 2024) and by docomo (FOMA) on 31 Mar 2026, after which a device without VoLTE cannot call — an LTE gateway with VoLTE is required.
• Certification: The radio part needs technical conformity certification under the Radio Act and equipment attached to a carrier network needs terminal approval under the Telecommunications Business Act; both are shown by the 技適 mark. An imported gateway without them may not be operated in Japan.
• Where to buy: J-TS (株式会社ジェイ・ティ・エス), 石渡電気 (Ishiwata Denki), CCアーキテクト, Core Computance
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

South Korea (KR)#

• GSM gateway: Art. 30 of the Telecommunications Business Act bars intermediating others' communications over an operator's service or providing it for others' use — up to 1 year in prison or a KRW 50 million fine (Art. 97); courts treat a VoIP gateway bridging the internet to the mobile network for other people's calls as unregistered telecom business. A gateway for the company's own calls is not expressly banned, but it needs KC approval and SIMs in the company's name.
• SIM: From July 2026 face verification is being phased in for every mobile activation, with fallback ID methods. For corporate lines document checks are tightened, and real-user registration for some corporate numbers plus a cap on new lines (in principle 4 per 180 days) have been announced.
• Landline: KT, the universal service provider, had about 10.8 million fixed lines in March 2024 (14.3 million in 2018); removing PSTN from the universal service is under discussion, with no switch-off date. Since 2020 KT has been replacing copper TDX exchanges with fibre nodes and moving voice to VoIP.
• ISDN: KT's ISDN terms restrict new ISDN subscriptions since 1 Jan 2004. KT still sells ISDN PRI as a trunk for enterprise PBXs.
• Mobile networks: 2G (CDMA; Korea never had GSM) is gone, LG U+ being last from 11 Jun 2021. Since 20 Aug 2026 SKT refuses new 3G devices and LTE devices without HD Voice and will close 3G by end-2027, KT has announced its own closure and LG U+ never had 3G — a new installation needs an LTE gateway with VoLTE.
• Certification: Radio and wired telecom equipment must pass conformity assessment under Art. 58-2 of the Radio Waves Act before import or sale — certification, registration or self-declaration, with the register kept by the National Radio Research Agency (RRA); the mark is KC.
• Where to buy: —
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Taiwan (TW)#

• GSM gateway: We found no specific rule on a GSM/LTE gateway used for own calls. Numbers are issued to a named user who may not pass them to third parties, and the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act (promulgated 31 Jul 2024) requires operators to verify identity and restrict or terminate service on signs of fraud.
• SIM: Under the subscriber number rules (amended 26 Apr 2024) a company submits registration documents and its representative's ID plus the intended use, business address, a list of users and an undertaking not to pass the number on. Verification is in store or on site; online only with an electronic signature.
• Landline: Chunghwa Telecom sells business local lines island-wide, including for small PBXs; urban installation takes about two working days. We found no announced copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: Chunghwa Telecom closed ISDN BRA from 15 Oct 2021. ISDN PRA (23B+D and 30B+D) is still on the price list at NT$9,500 and NT$12,000 a month.
• Mobile networks: 2G closed in 2017, and all three operators (Chunghwa, Taiwan Mobile, FarEasTone) shut 3G by 30 Jun 2024 with NCC approval. Voice runs only over VoLTE, so an LTE gateway with VoLTE is required.
• Certification: Telecom terminal equipment (including PSTN01 for the telephone network) and mobile terminals must pass NCC approval before sale; since 1 Jan 2017 online marketplaces must show the NCC approval number for listed products.
• Where to buy: VOICity 豐音城, GX-Phone (潮流網路台灣代理)
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Hong Kong (HK)#

• GSM gateway: We found no licence requirement or ban for a cellular gateway used for own calls; Yeastar's official Hong Kong distributor sells TG-series gateways openly. Providing telecom services to third parties requires a UCL or SBO licence.
• SIM: Since 1 Mar 2022 all SIMs are registered to a real name (Registration of SIM Cards Regulation, in force 1 Sep 2021). A company holding a Business Registration certificate may register up to 25 prepaid SIMs per operator; SIM service plans have no cap.
• Landline: HKT still provides business fixed lines; it is migrating customers to fibre and not upgrading copper. We found no announced copper switch-off date.
• ISDN: HKT still publishes a tariff for its Integrated Digital Access ISDN service (issue of 18 Jul 2025). We could not confirm whether primary rate (PRI) is sold to new customers.
• Mobile networks: 2G was shut by HTCL on 30 Sep 2021, SmarTone on 14 Oct 2022, HKT on 8 Nov 2024 and CMHK on 23 Jun 2026. 3G was closed by CMHK on 30 Jun 2025 and SmarTone on 9 Oct 2026, with the others phasing it out on their own schedules — choose an LTE gateway with VoLTE.
• Certification: Telecom equipment certification under the HKTEC scheme is voluntary and the OFCA label optional. Radio equipment used licence-free under the Exemption from Licensing Order must meet the HKCA specifications.
• Where to buy: Red Apple Solutions (Yeastar HK), Eware
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

Mongolia (MN)#

• GSM gateway: We found no published CRC rules on GSM/LTE gateways. Telecom activity requires a CRC special permit, so reselling traffic through a gateway needs a licence, while using one for own calls is not addressed.
• SIM: Operators (Mobicom, Unitel, Skytel, G-Mobile) register SIMs against a passport or ID card at the point of sale, per buyer guides. Mobinet issues Mobile Office IP numbers only to companies registered in Mongolia.
• Landline: Telecom Mongolia still provides fixed-line telephony, with line numbers slowly declining. We found no switch-off announcement.
• ISDN: We found no information on ISDN BRI or PRI offerings by Mongolian operators or on their withdrawal.
• Mobile networks: Per spectrum trackers Mobicom and Unitel run GSM 900 and WCDMA 2100; we found no 2G or 3G shutdown announcement. Mobicom supports VoLTE, while Unitel had no VoLTE as of March 2024.
• Certification: Telecom and radio equipment needs CRC type approval for import and sale: foreign EN test reports are accepted, a local representative is required and the certificate lasts up to 3 years. The ICT equipment certification rules were updated by CRC Resolution No. 24 of 2026.
• Where to buy: —
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: low

Australia (AU)#

• GSM gateway: A cellular gateway with the business's own SIM operates under ACMA's class licence for devices talking to a carrier's base stations (no application or fee), provided it meets ACMA standards. Telstra's terms forbid reselling or commercially exploiting mobile services and SIMs and re-routing traffic for resale or to disguise the caller.
• SIM: A prepaid SIM is activated only after an identity check under the 2017 Prepaid Determination; since December 2025 ACMA allows Digital ID verification. We found no separate SIM cap for businesses.
• Landline: In the fixed-line NBN footprint Telstra landlines and other providers' lines over Telstra copper are permanently disconnected; copper phones remain only at NBN Fixed Wireless and satellite addresses. The replacement is voice over NBN, and Telstra exits CAN Radio and ADSL in remote areas by 16 Nov 2027.
• ISDN: Telstra stopped selling ISDN in 2018, began disconnections on 30 Sep 2019 and closed ISDN (ISDN2 and ISDN10/20/30) nationwide by 31 May 2022.
• Mobile networks: 3G was closed by TPG/Vodafone (December 2023 to January 2024) and by Telstra and Optus on 28 Oct 2024; 2G had been switched off earlier. Since 28 Oct 2024 carriers block devices that cannot call 000 over VoLTE, so an LTE gateway must support VoLTE with emergency calling.
• Certification: Customer telecom equipment carries the RCM under ACMA's 2015 Labelling Notice (AS/CA standards, S042 for mobile devices), and the radio part must meet ACMA radio standards.
• Where to buy: EMTEC, Telephones Online
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium

New Zealand (NZ)#

• GSM gateway: We found no ban or licence for a cellular gateway used for own calls: radio equipment is sold on a supplier's declaration under RSM rules, and New Zealand distributors sell Yeastar LTE gateways openly. Operators themselves supplied SIM-based landline devices (One NZ Homephone Wireless).
• SIM: New Zealand has no mandatory SIM registration: prepaid SIMs are sold without ID, though some retailers ask for a passport. This comes from surveys of SIM registration laws; we found no regulator primary source.
• Landline: Spark is retiring the PSTN area by area (Devonport and Miramar first, in 2020), and Chorus is removing copper in fibre areas by end-2026, targeting nationwide retirement in 2028. Replacements are voice over fibre, fixed wireless or satellite.
• ISDN: Spark announced grandfathering and withdrawal of ISDN and Centrex (secondary source, 2019–2021); we found no exact end date. ISDN on Chorus copper goes with the copper by 2028.
• Mobile networks: 2degrees shut 3G from 14 Dec 2025 (done by February 2026), One NZ switched off 2G and 3G by 23 Mar 2026 and Spark closed 3G on 31 Mar 2026. Only LTE devices with VoLTE work; 3G devices cannot even call 111.
• Certification: Radio and electrical equipment is supplied on a supplier's declaration of conformity under RSM rules (Radio Standards Notice 2025), marked with the RCM shared with Australia. The former Telepermit network-connection approval closed on 31 Aug 2026.
• Where to buy: Ascent, SnapperNet, iTops
• Verified: 2026-09-10, confidence: medium