Netherlands mobile operators drop regional roaming agreement
The mobile operators in the Netherlands are ending an agreement for emergency roaming during network incidents, the justice minister announced in a briefing to parliament. Netherlands regional roaming
KPN, T-Mobile and Vodafone will no longer take over each other’s call and text traffic if one of the networks is no longer available due to a major malfunction. This arrangement would become too expensive and complex. Moreover, the appointment would no longer be necessary.
At the end of 2014, the three Dutch providers announced that they would take over each other’s network traffic in the event of large-scale and long-term outages. Together with the government, they had this regional roaming agreement drawn up. That covenant has now been terminated, says Minister Micky Adriaansens.
According to the agreement, providers would offer limited access to each other’s 2G and 3G networks. Those networks are now being phased out and replaced by 4G and 5G. However, regional roaming with those networks would be “unnecessarily costly and too complex,” the providers say. That is why they say that the covenant is no longer tenable.
Customers have more alternatives with 4G and 5G networks Netherlands regional roaming
Moreover, the agreements would no longer be necessary, because the 4G and 5G networks have become more robust and customers have more alternatives. Compared to ten years ago, the Dutch communicate more and more with services such as WhatsApp, which can also be used via WiFi. In addition, dual SIM devices have become more popular, as a result of which people are said to be less independent of one network.
The providers therefore consulted with the ministry, which had the providers’ conclusions tested by TNO. The research institute concluded that the regional roaming agreements are no longer relevant. The three providers have therefore terminated the contract.
The regional roaming agreement was set up in response to a fire in the Rotterdam region in April 2012, which prevented Vodafone customers from accessing the provider’s network for several days. The covenant has never been used in practice. The accessibility of 112 and NL-Alert falls outside the covenant. Netherlands regional roaming
