Short answer: Alarm systems, diallers and alarm transmitters that only report via 2G or 3G stop sending alerts as soon as their network is switched off. In the Netherlands, VodafoneZiggo and KPN have already switched off 3G, and Odido will stop from August 2026. KPN will switch off 2G on 1 December 2027. So check whether your system can report via 4G.
Our solution
Modernise an old alarm system
ShieldLink® Pro and Elite report with a SIM card via 4G, even without Wi-Fi. With the ShieldBridge® you can reuse existing wired sensors in a wireless system.
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Mobile networks in the Netherlands are making room for 4G and 5G. As a result, the old 2G and 3G networks are disappearing. You usually won't notice much on your smartphone, but many older alarm systems, telephone diallers and alarm transmitters send their alerts precisely via those old networks. If the network disappears, no alert goes out during a burglary, and you can't tell that from the device. Below you can read what stops when in the Netherlands, which systems are affected and how to check.
Timeline: when will 2G and 3G stop in the Netherlands?
The Netherlands has three mobile networks. Each provider decides for itself when to switch off a network. This is the current situation according to the ACM (the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets), the Dutch government's letter to parliament of May 2026 and the providers themselves (accessed September 2026):
| Network | 3G | 2G |
|---|---|---|
| KPN | Off since March 2022 | Switches off on 1 December 2027 |
| VodafoneZiggo | Off since February 2020 | No date announced yet; will stay active until at least December 2026 |
| Odido | Switch-off planned from August 2026; Odido announces the exact date at least six months in advance | Off since June 2023 |
Many other Dutch providers, such as prepaid and SIM-only brands, use the network of one of these three. So your SIM card follows the timeline of the network your provider uses. Always check the latest situation on your provider's website, because schedules can shift: KPN originally planned to end 2G at the end of 2025 and postponed that to December 2027.
Which alarm systems are affected?
In its analysis of the switch-off, the ACM explicitly mentions older security systems that only work on 2G or 3G, and personal alarm equipment. For alarm systems, it mainly concerns:
- Alarm panels with a built-in GSM module that send a text or call via 2G or 3G when an alarm goes off.
- Separate telephone diallers and alarm transmitters that let an existing (wired) alarm system report via the mobile network, for example to your phone or a professional monitoring centre.
- Personal alarms, such as pendant alarms and alarm buttons that call a contact person or centre via a mobile network.
- Systems with a foreign SIM card. The ACM mentions these too: such a card may roam in the Netherlands on a network that is disappearing.
The tricky part: a system that has lost its network often keeps looking completely normal. The siren still works and the panel responds, but the alert to the outside world no longer arrives.
How to check whether your system is affected
- Look up the model. Check on the panel, the dialler or in the manual which brand and model it is and which networks are supported.
- Read the network designation. If it only says GSM, GPRS or 900/1800 MHz, it is 2G. UMTS, WCDMA or HSPA means 3G. LTE, 4G, LTE-M or Cat-1 indicates 4G.
- Check your SIM card's network. Is your SIM card on a network where your technology has already been switched off or will soon disappear? Then there is no time to lose.
- Ask. If you have an installer, monitoring centre or care provider, ask whether your device will keep working after the switch-off.
- Pay attention to calling via 4G. Some devices use 4G for data but fall back to 2G or 3G for normal calls. After the switch-off, a device must support calling via 4G (VoLTE), Odido writes. If your alarm makes voice calls, check this with the supplier.
- Test regularly. After every network change, do a test alarm and check that the text message and the call really arrive.
What can you do if your system only has 2G or 3G?
If your system only works on a network that is disappearing, you roughly have three options: replace the communication module, switch to a system that reports via 4G, or temporarily move to a network where your technology remains available a little longer.
- Replace the module or dialler. With some wired systems, an installer can replace just the GSM module or dialler with a 4G version. Ask whether that is possible for your control panel and what it costs.
- Switch to a system that reports via 4G. That solves the problem in one go. If you still have good wired sensors, you don't always have to throw them away: with a converter you can let wired zones report to a wireless system. Also read the trade-off between wireless and wired.
- Temporarily move. A 2G device keeps working on a network that still offers 2G, with KPN until December 2027. That is a postponement, not a solution: eventually 2G will disappear at all providers.
Neroo alarm systems and 4G
The Neroo panels with a SIM card slot work on 4G: ShieldLink® Pro, ShieldLink® Elite, CamperGuard Pro and ShieldLink® Marine. With a SIM card you get a text message and a phone call when the alarm goes off, even if Wi-Fi or power fails; the panels have a backup battery and keep working for up to 24 hours. The ShieldLink® Plus and Lite have no SIM card slot and report via the app.
If you want to modernise an old wired system, the ShieldBridge® converts up to 16 wired zones into wireless signals, so existing door/window contacts and motion detectors can be reused. Which SIM card to put in a 4G panel is explained in which SIM card is best for an alarm system.
So: what does the 2G and 3G switch-off mean for your alarm system?
If your alarm system only reports via 2G or 3G, alerts stop as soon as your network switches off that technology (in the Netherlands: 3G at Odido from August 2026, 2G at KPN on 1 December 2027), so check now whether your system can report via 4G.
Our solution
Modernise an old alarm system
ShieldLink® Pro and Elite report with a SIM card via 4G, even without Wi-Fi. With the ShieldBridge® you can reuse existing wired sensors in a wireless system.
View the options
Frequently asked questions
When will 2G stop in the Netherlands?
KPN will switch off 2G on 1 December 2027. Odido already switched off 2G in June 2023. VodafoneZiggo has not yet announced a date and will keep 2G active until at least December 2026 (as of September 2026).
When will 3G stop in the Netherlands?
VodafoneZiggo stopped 3G in February 2020 and KPN in March 2022. According to the Dutch government's letter to parliament of May 2026, Odido plans to stop 3G from August 2026; after that there will be no 3G network left in the Netherlands.
How do I know whether my alarm system reports via 2G or 3G?
Check the manual or the type plate. GSM, GPRS or 900/1800 MHz means 2G, UMTS or HSPA means 3G, and LTE or 4G means 4G. If in doubt, ask your supplier or installer.
Will an alarm system with 4G keep working when 2G and 3G stop?
A system that reports via 4G is not affected by the 2G and 3G switch-off, as long as calling via 4G also works. If your system makes voice calls, check whether calling via 4G (VoLTE) is supported.
Will Neroo alarm systems work after 2G and 3G stop?
The Neroo panels with a SIM card slot, ShieldLink Pro and Elite, CamperGuard Pro and ShieldLink Marine, work on 4G. The ShieldLink Plus and Lite have no SIM card slot and report via the app.
Sources and references
- ACM (Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets), Gevolgen van de afschakeling van 2G en 3G (17 December 2024) — accessed September 2026
- Dutch Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management and State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Kamerbrief over de gevolgen van de afschakeling van mobiele netwerken, 18 May 2026 (Kamerstuk 24095, nr. 593) — accessed September 2026
- KPN, 2G uit (KPN Zakelijk, Internet of Things) — accessed September 2026
- Odido, We gaan afscheid nemen van 3G — accessed September 2026
- Odido Newsroom, Odido optimizes mobile network: 3G to be phased out for more capacity on 4G and 5G (1 August 2024) — accessed September 2026
- Neroo, Product information ShieldLink® Pro, Elite, Plus, Lite, CamperGuard Pro, ShieldLink® Marine and ShieldBridge® (current web shop) — accessed September 2026
