Tele2 Netherlands has said it will block services for new customers without a 4G device. In a statement, the operator declared that new customers who use 2G/3G handsets cost more money than customers on the 4G network.
Customers with a 3G phone will still be able to receive calls and text messages, but they will no longer be able to place calls or send any messages. The 4G-capable Sim will meanwhile remain active.
Once the Sim card is put in a 4G phone, customers will immediately be able to make use of 4G data and place calls over 4G (VoLTE). The block on the network will be lifted within one work day. It will not matter where the phone was bought.
Tele2 NL says it has the right to limit the functionality of its service or end subscriptions, and to then send a final bill with the remaining subscription fees. "When you sign up for your Sim Only subscription, you agree to the 4G-only conditions," reads the service page with questions and answers.
Tele2: no effect for existing customers
Tele2 NL has, since launching as an MNO, emphatically promoted its network for intensive mobile internet users. The operator and its retail partners have also only been providing 4G suitable smartphones with combined contracts.
The change will take effect on 1 February for new customers as well as for those who extend their contracts, Tele2 NL noted. Existing customers will be able to serve out their contracts, even in those cases where there is a tacit renewal.
Consumers who have recently become clients were probably given a choice between data bundles, but the operator cannot check conditions with a Sim-only deal.
Tele2 NL did not give figures but says the change will affect only a small group of users. Customers who do not want to replace their handset had better let go of their deal, Tele2 said. This could take place quickly with deals where clients can cancel at the end of each month. For two-year agreements, Tele2 will ask for a lump sum payment equal to the remaining term of the subscription.
The Netherlands as a smartphone nation
The sale and use of smartphones has soared in the country. This is proven by data from the Telecompaper Consumer Panel: smartphone penetration is currently at 88 percent.
About 70 percent of Dutch people say their most used phone is 4G-ready. Another 13 percent say they do not know. Around 17 percent say they do not have either a 3G phone or a smartphone in general. The latter two groups together make up 30 percent.
