2G and 3G Phase-Out: Ensuring Future-Proof Metering

What is more, the change has already begun. The network will not go from 100% to 0% on a single date. Operators are gradually winding down older networks: non-critical devices are already being blocked, and frequency bands are being reallocated to 4G and 5G. Since March 2026, KPN has been switching off 2G for customers who no longer need it, and on 1 December 2027 its 2G network will shut down for good.

There are also differences between operators. Odido switched off 2G for M2M applications on 1 June 2023, and Vodafone expects to switch off 2G in the Netherlands in 2028 or 2029. The figures show how quickly coverage is shrinking: the Netherlands has 5,035 KPN 2G masts and 5,233 Vodafone 2G masts, so when KPN stops, 2G coverage will already be roughly halved. Belgium is phasing out gradually too. Telenet/BASE will keep 2G available until the end of 2027, Orange Belgium until 31 December 2028, and Proximus expects limited support for certain 2G applications until mid-2029.
This matters for housing associations. A meter may keep working for years, but when the communication technology it relies on disappears, the data flow stops. Meter data can no longer be read, monitoring is interrupted and systems that depend on up-to-date data lose their function. In the Netherlands alone, an estimated 450,000 or more energy meters communicate via 2G.

How mobile networks evolved and why 2G and 3G are disappearing

The 2G network, also known as GSM, was introduced in the 1990s. GPRS then made data communication over 2G possible. GPRS was not a fast network as we know it today, but it was well suited to sending small amounts of data efficiently.That made GPRS ideal for smart meters, telemetry and other machine-to-machine applications that needed to transmit data without a fixed internet connection. For energy companies, grid operators and other organisations, this was an important step towards automated meter reading.

Thanks to its wide coverage and the long service life of 2G-based systems, many devices installed since the 2000s are still in the field today.
3G brought higher data speeds, and 4G, also known as LTE, delivered a major leap in capacity, speed and efficiency. 5G is now being rolled out further, offering even higher performance and new possibilities for industrial and IoT applications.
The transition to 4G and 5G is therefore more than a technological upgrade. Operators want to use their spectrum and network capacity more efficiently, and older networks take up capacity that could be used to expand 4G and 5G. That is why 3G is disappearing relatively quickly. In Belgium, Proximus and Orange have now switched off 3G, and Telenet/BASE did so even earlier. According to Proximus, 2G remains available for longer because many M2M and telemetry applications, including utility infrastructure, still rely exclusively on it.

2G is therefore disappearing later than 3G, but its end is approaching fast. For organisations with M2M equipment, the official end date is not the only date that matters: the phase-out is already under way.

Why meter replacement can no longer be postponed

Many housing associations underestimate the impact of the network phase-out because their current meters still work. As long as a meter is measuring and the data is coming in, there seems little reason to take action.
However, the problem lies not in the meter itself, but in the communication layer. A GPRS module may still work perfectly, but that is of no use once the 2G network disappears.

In addition, replacing large numbers of meters takes time. Identifying which meters depend on GPRS, choosing the right solution for each location and scheduling the work all take time. In practice, hardware replacement is also slow: appointments with residents are difficult to schedule and installers are in short supply. Anyone who waits until an operator actually switches off the network leaves little room for delays.
The consequences can be considerable. When data can no longer be read, monitoring, reporting, billing and other processes are affected. Many organisations that collect 2G data also have SLAs covering uptime and data delivery. If these are not met, penalties quickly add up, especially when data is missing for days, weeks or even months. So what will it cost you if your meter data can no longer be read?
The 2G phase-out is therefore not force majeure or an unexpected failure, but an announced and therefore preventable change. That is exactly why housing associations can prepare for it and plan the replacement in a structured way.

How Xemex evolved towards 4G and 5G

Since 2004, Xemex has been closely following technical developments in the energy market. The original NTA communication module communicated via GPRS and had a modular design, so the module could be replaced without reinstalling the entire meter.
That modular design was ahead of its time. Xemex continued to develop it: the NTA module was made suitable for LTE-M communication on modern 4G networks and was recently modified to better withstand voltage spikes on the grid, extending the service life and reliability of existing infrastructure.

Even so, every product eventually reaches the end of its life cycle. Following Landis+Gyr’s announcement of the end of life of the E350 meter in 2022, the Xemex NTA communication module is now reaching end of sale. The question is therefore shifting from replacing a communication module to choosing a modern metering solution.

For housing associations, this is a good moment to look beyond immediate replacement. When a meter is already at the end of its life cycle, full replacement with a modern smart meter is often the more sustainable solution.