Vodafone - Netherlands
Vodafone (Netherlands) uses 2 GSM bands, 2 UMTS bands, 3 LTE bands, and 4 5G NR bands. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work with Vodafone (Netherlands). See the tables below for details.
Check device compatibilityCarrier website: https://www.vodafone.nl
Last updated: 2024/08/05 - See latest updates
Vodafone Netherlands offers a comprehensive mobile network with a wide range of services and features. Here are some key points about their mobile network:
Coverage and Speed:
- 4G Coverage: Vodafone Netherlands provides extensive 4G coverage, with over 3,500 4G masts and hundreds of small transmitter masts at busy locations like holiday parks, shopping centers, and office locations. They also offer 4G+ coverage in more than 250 municipalities across the Netherlands.
Global Coverage:
- Vodafone has the largest 4G coverage worldwide among Dutch providers, thanks to their own cell towers and strong agreements with roaming partners. This ensures fast and reliable internet access both domestically and internationally.
Prepaid Options:
- Vodafone offers prepaid SIM cards with flexible top-up options starting from €5. Users can top up their credit online, via the Vodafone & Ziggo app, by SMS, or with a top-up voucher. Prepaid plans include standard rates for calls, texts, and data, as well as optional bundles for extra data and calling minutes.
Network Performance:
- While KPN is noted to have the best network in the Netherlands, Vodafone's network is still highly regarded and works well across the country, with minimal differences unless you live in a specific rural region.
Customer Service and Support:
- Vodafone has a robust customer service system, with various options to check balance, activate bundles, and top up, including online services, SMS, and phone calls. They also have a dedicated app for managing your account and services.
History and Expansion:
- Vodafone entered the Dutch market in 1995 under the name Libertel and quickly expanded to become one of the leading mobile service providers in the country. They introduced prepaid services in 1997 and later became a majority shareholder in Libertel, changing the name to Vodafone.
Overall, Vodafone Netherlands provides a reliable and feature-rich mobile network with extensive coverage, flexible prepaid options, and robust customer support.
Frequency Bands
GSM
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 900 MHz (E-GSM) | GSM | Vodafone Netherlands uses the Extended GSM (E-GSM) frequency band, which operates in the 880 MHz to 960 MHz range. This band is used for both uplink and downlink communications. The E-GSM band is an extension of the original GSM 900 MHz band, adding an additional 10 MHz to the uplink and downlink frequencies. This allows for more channels and better coverage in the GSM 900 MHz range. |
| 1800 MHz (DCS) | GSM | Vodafone Netherlands uses the GSM 1800 MHz (DCS) band. This frequency band is designated for mobile communication services and is widely used in most parts of the world, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia (excluding Japan and South Korea), and Oceania. |
Supported GSM Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| GPRS | 2.5G |
| EDGE | 2.5G |
UMTS
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B1 (2100 MHz) | UMTS | Vodafone Netherlands uses the frequency band UMTS B1 (2100 MHz) for its 3G services. This band is widely used for 3G services and is supported by various networks and devices. The band has a duplex spacing of 190 MHz and channel bandwidths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. |
| B8 (900 MHz GSM) | UMTS | Vodafone Netherlands uses the UMTS B8 (900 MHz GSM) frequency band. This band was previously used for GSM services and was later adapted for UMTS services. The deployment of UMTS B8 (900 MHz GSM) was part of the transition from GSM to UMTS technology, which was initiated in the early 2000s. |
Supported UMTS Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| UMTS | 3G |
| HSDPA | 3.5G |
| HSUPA | 3.5G |
| HSPA+ | 3.5G (4G speed) |
LTE
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B3 (1800 MHz +) | LTE | Vodafone Netherlands uses LTE Band 3 (1800 MHz +) for its LTE deployments. This band supports both FDD and TDD configurations, offering a balance between network coverage and data capacity, making it suitable for dense urban areas. |
| B7 (2600 MHz) | LTE | Vodafone Netherlands uses LTE band B7 (2600 MHz) for its mobile network. This band is utilized to provide high-speed data services and support the development of next-generation wireless data services, such as LTE technology. |
| B20 (800 MHz DD) | LTE | Vodafone Netherlands uses LTE B20 (800 MHz DD) for its LTE network deployments. This frequency band is particularly known for its wide area coverage and deep penetration, making it suitable for regional and rural environments, as well as in-building coverage. It also supports IoT applications like eMTC (LTE Cat M1) and NB-IoT (LTE Cat NB1) due to its wide coverage characteristics. The 800 MHz band does not easily support Massive MIMO and beamforming technologies due to its large wavelength. It can be used as a single band or as part of a multi-band network, and it supports carrier aggregation with other bands to enhance bandwidth and performance. |
Supported LTE Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| LTE | 4G |
| LTE-A | 4G |
5G NR
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| N1 (2100 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Netherlands uses the 5G NR frequency band n1, which covers the 2100 MHz frequency range. This band is used for both uplink and downlink operations, with the uplink ranging from 1920 to 1980 MHz and the downlink ranging from 2110 to 2170 MHz. The duplex spacing is 190 MHz, and the supported channel bandwidths include 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. |
| N3 (1800 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Netherlands uses the 5G NR N3 frequency band, which covers the range of 1710 to 1880 MHz. This band is designated as n3 and supports channel bandwidths of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 MHz. The n3 band is known for its excellent range and building penetration due to its propagation characteristics, making it suitable for high-capacity throughput. |
| N28 (700 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Netherlands uses the 5G NR frequency band n28, which covers the 700 MHz range. The uplink frequency spans from 703 to 733 MHz, and the downlink frequency spans from 758 to 788 MHz. This band is used for FDD (Frequency Division Duplication) mode. |
| N78 (3500 MHz) | 5G NR | Vodafone Netherlands uses the 5G NR frequency band n78, which operates in the 3500 MHz range. This band is designated for Time Division Duplexing (TDD) and is widely used for 5G deployments due to its relatively common availability and potential for high capacity throughput. The n78 band spans from 3300 MHz to 3800 MHz, supporting channel bandwidths ranging from 10 MHz to 100 MHz. Advanced technologies like massive MIMO, beam-forming, and beam-tracking help mitigate the limited range and building penetration issues associated with higher frequencies. This band is particularly popular for its ability to support large channel widths, making it suitable for delivering high-capacity 5G services. |
Latest updates
- 2024/08/05 - Frequency UMTS B8 (900 MHz GSM) added to Vodafone Netherlands.
- 2024/08/05 - Frequency 5G NR N1 (2100 MHz) added to Vodafone Netherlands.
- 2024/08/05 - Frequency 5G NR N3 (1800 MHz) added to Vodafone Netherlands.
- 2024/08/05 - Frequency 5G NR N28 (700 MHz) added to Vodafone Netherlands.
- 2024/08/05 - Frequency 5G NR N78 (3500 MHz) added to Vodafone Netherlands.
