The ultimate guide to good preparation for the phasing out of 2G/3G

The phasing out of 2G and 3G may still seem like a distant memory. But the harsh reality is that the 3G signal will be permanently switched off in the Netherlands and Belgium this year. And from 2025, the 2G signal will also disappear.

In this blog, MCS'er Frank Olsthoorn tells you what you need to do to prevent you from no longer having a connection. What are the best replacements for your 2G/3G routers? Which check questions should you ask when replacing? And how does a good replacement plan help you with a smooth transition?

The big 2G/3G phase-out: the doomsday scenario

Help! I'm no longer connected! No, this is not a dramatic call from a yoga teacher who is missing the connection with his group. But maybe from a service engineer soon. If he notices remotely that his installation suddenly no longer sends information or data about performance or possible malfunctions.

What now? The service engineer can no longer access it remotely. Road monitoring. Away with the normally excellent proactive service. Oh dear, soon the (end) customer will be calling angry because his people are being bothered by it. He might even get a fine for it.

The risk of 'no connection' after the 2G/3G phase-out

The 2G network is nearing its end and will be phased out in the Netherlands and Belgium this year, next year at the latest. 3G had already stopped before. We recently discussed this in our 2024 trend blog written about before.

Does the above situation with the service engineer not occur in your case? Then you have probably arranged everything correctly and have now replaced the necessary communication components. You can demonstrate to your customers that your (and therefore also his) services are robust and 'future-proof'. Nice!

But you will be surprised at how many locations, installations, companies and end users are affected by this risk of 'no connection'. We have seen this before at the start of the phasing out of 3G (UMTS) a few years ago.

Many customers then thought that replacing the modem or router from 3G to 4G was not necessary. The device (for example a PLC control or building, pump or pumping station controller) could easily fall back on 2G to maintain the connection.

Available bandwidth 2G not sufficient

In many cases this indeed went well. But in many cases not. The available bandwidth on 2G (GPRS or EDGE) turned out to be insufficient for the device in question. The smart service engineer once set the modem to 3G, because that provided a more stable connection. Very often a good attitude.

We at MCS sometimes even recommended setting a 2G/3G modem to fixed 2G in the years when 2G and 3G were the common networks. But times change. Now that's not such a smart attitude anymore.

Time for action

A question of conscience: How many of your locations and equipment are still running on 2G today? Or maybe on 3G you think? A few? Much more? Maybe?

Do not you know? Oops, time for action!

In practice, the device has probably long since reverted to 2G. And 2G may still perform well at your location. But we often hear (and also measure this with test equipment) that 2G is already lousy in places.

Making room for faster and more advanced 4G/5G

It is also logical that the 2G signal is sometimes poor. This is because mobile operators would like to use that 2G space to make the faster and more advanced 4G and 5G connections work properly. In short, the available space on the different frequencies is regularly adjusted.

Replace old communications equipment

It is now really time to replace your old 2G/3G modems and routers. But which router/modem is best to switch to? You don't want to have to set up and configure everything again. And ideally you want to make the transition smartly in one go instead of visiting each location yourself.

Good question! Our advice is simple: replace your old communication equipment with 4G routers or modems.

4G in different flavors for every data need

4G has been around for years and is a proven and reliable technology. It has different forms for more or less necessary data applications. In particular, equipment such as PLCs and controllers do not need to have a fast 'thick' 4G (or 5G) connection. This is also very expensive.

But fortunately, 4G also has a version that can be compared to the 'old' 2G or GRPS. This 4G (LTE) version is called cat. M. The 'standard' 4G that we as consumers have known for years on our mobile phones is known as cat. 3 or 4. Cat. 1 is between cat. M and cat.3/4 in.

At least 10 years ahead with 4G hardware

For most applications this is the safest option. Most available IoT modems or routers also have this 4G (LTE) version on board. The future for your routers will be 4G (LTE) for years to come. After that, 5G will take over. We expect that 4G and 5G will continue to exist side by side for at least another 10 years.

The replacement plan: a good start is half the battle

Convinced there is work to be done? Nice! Start by making a replacement plan. Take inventory of your current fleet of equipment and setups.

For example, consider:

• Where have I not replaced 4G yet?
• What kind of 2G/3G equipment do I have in the field now?
• What is the most suitable replacement that will last me years to come? Because you don't feel like having to replace it again in a few years.

Don't forget the antennas and SIM cards

For the 2G/3G phase-out, also consider the antennas and SIM cards. The 4G and 5G technology works on more frequencies than 2G and 3G. So you may also need different antennas and SIM cards.

Do you know the quality and strength of 4G at your customer locations? If the answer to this question is no, don't worry. You can easily test this with useful measuring equipment.

Suitable successors for common 2G/3G hardware

We are happy to help you get started with suitable successors to the most common 2G/3G modems and routers that we often encounter in the field. Of course, we would be happy to discuss your specific situation with you if you prefer.

Next step: the rollout planning

There are of course many other brands that you may still have in the field with your customers. Have you mapped everything out and do you want to know what to do next? Then make a rollout plan in consultation with your end customers. Don't wait too long before it's too late and your equipment is inaccessible.

More information about 2G/3G phase-out

With this blog and our information page about the transition from 2G/3G to 4G you have come a long way.

Are you still encountering challenges or uncertainties about the 2G/3G phase-out? We are happy to think along with you. make an appointment with Frank and then you will discuss together what the best route is for your successful transition to 4G.