Originally posted in Dutch at Computable
Various reports praise the Netherlands for the quality of its mobile networks. All three mobile providers—KPN, Odido, and Vodafone—score highly, and together they cover virtually the entire country. However, no single provider can guarantee full coverage on its own. This is a point of concern for critical IoT applications, where continuity and availability are essential.
Roaming is a familiar concept for mobile use abroad, often associated with additional costs. Interestingly, users can usually switch easily between networks while abroad, whereas domestic use is typically limited to a single provider.
This limitation is primarily the result of regulations and market structure. Governments have allocated frequencies in blocks to individual operators with the aim of stimulating competition. Operators use these frequencies exclusively for their own customers.
International roaming, on the other hand, is facilitated through bilateral agreements between operators. As a result, users abroad may connect to multiple networks. However, this selection is not always optimal: in many cases, operators use “least cost routing,” where cost may take precedence over maximum quality or coverage.
The need for robust connectivity is growing, especially for IoT applications where outages can have immediate consequences. Examples include patient monitoring in home care and detection systems for droughts and wildfires. In these types of scenarios, continuous connectivity is crucial. Any interruption can impact safety or decision-making.
Alternatives
In theory, maximum coverage can be achieved by selecting the best-performing operator for each location. In practice, however, this is not feasible for large-scale IoT deployments. Alternatives such as multi-SIM solutions increase availability but entail additional costs and technical complexity.
Another approach is “in-country roaming,” in which devices use multiple networks within a single country. This concept has long been technically feasible and is already being used in specific applications.
For example, mobile connectivity solutions are used in practice that provide access to different networks through contractual arrangements with multiple operators. Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) often play a role here, as they purchase services from multiple network providers.
For business-critical IoT applications, partnering with an operator or MVNO that offers multi-network access can be a way to increase availability. Contractual agreements regarding quality of service and roaming play an important role in this regard. However, this can lead to additional complexity, for example, when voice or SMS functionality is also required. In such cases, additional numbering structures or international IoT profiles may be necessary.
Conclusion
Although the Netherlands has a high-quality mobile infrastructure, full coverage by a single operator remains a theoretical limit.
For critical IoT scenarios, “in-country roaming” or multi-network access can therefore be a relevant supplement. The choice of a solution depends heavily on the application: where maximum reliability is required, network-independent connectivity can offer a strategic advantage, despite the added complexity it entails.
Translated with the support of AI-tools (DeepL / OpenAI)