KPN vs Ziggo vs Odido: Best 4G/5G for IRL Streaming 2026

Quick answer: The Netherlands has three mobile networks: KPN, Odido (the new name of T-Mobile) and VodafoneZiggo. For SRTLA bonding, put SIM cards from different networks in your modems: two of the three with two modems, or all three with three modems. A Vodafone and a Ziggo SIM are on the same network, and so are an Odido and an old T-Mobile SIM, so those pairs give you no extra coverage. Which network works best on your route depends on the street and the time of day, so test it yourself, and check bundle prices on the providers' own sites.

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Why Multiple Providers Are Essential

The One Connection Problem

Scenario: You stream IRL on Twitch with a single KPN 4G connection. An example:

Your position: 🚶 → 🏢 → 🚇 → 🌳 → 🏙️
KPN signal: ████ ██░░ ░░░░ ███░ ████
Stream quality: 😊 😐 ❌ 😐 😊

Result: Every time the KPN signal drops, your stream goes offline. Viewers leave.

The Solution: Bonding

With KPN + Odido bonding (example):

Your position: 🚶 → 🏢 → 🚇 → 🌳 → 🏙️
KPN signal: ████ ██░░ ░░░░ ███░ ████
Odido signal: ███░ ████ ██░░ ██░░ ████
──────────────────────── ────────────────────────
Combined (SRTLA): ████ ████ ██░░ ███░ ████
Stream quality: 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊

Result: If one network drops, your stream stays live through the other. SRTLA spreads the stream over every connection that works at that moment. How much that helps depends on coverage along your route. Where both networks have no signal at the same spot, bonding cannot help either.

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The Dutch Network Landscape 2026

The three networks

The Netherlands has three mobile networks: KPN, VodafoneZiggo and Odido (ACM, the Dutch telecom regulator).

Important: A Vodafone and a Ziggo SIM are on the same network, and so are an Odido SIM and an old T-Mobile SIM. For bonding, those combinations give you no extra coverage.

MVNOs (Virtual Providers)

Every other provider rents capacity on one of these three networks:

Tip: A second SIM on the same network (KPN plus Simyo, for example) adds capacity but no extra coverage. Where KPN has no signal, neither SIM has. Add a different network first.

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Coverage by Network

Which network works best varies by region, by street and by time of day. An earlier version of this guide listed upload speeds per city and coverage percentages per provider. We could not back those up, so they are gone. What is on record:

How to find out which network is strongest on your route is covered below under "Tools for Coverage Testing".

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Optimal Combinations for IRL Streaming

Which two networks you pick for the basic setup depends on your route: take the two that do best there in your own test.

Bundles and prices

We deliberately do not list bundle prices. They change often, and an earlier version of this guide named bundles and prices we could not find on the providers' own sites. Check the providers directly, for example KPN prepaid, Odido prepaid and Vodafone prepaid. With an "unlimited" bundle, read the terms: how you get your data and whether there is a speed cap differs per provider, and that decides whether you can push a stream through it.

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Provider-Specific Tips

APN settings

Most modems fill in the APN automatically from the SIM card. If a modem will not connect, look up the correct APN on your provider's site and check that the SIM PIN is switched off.

Band locking (advanced)

Lower frequencies such as 800 MHz (band 20) reach further and get through walls better. Higher frequencies such as 1800 MHz (band 3) are often faster but reach less far. For bonding, leave your modems on automatic and let them choose.

4G or 5G

Whether 5G is faster or more stable than 4G on your route, only a test will tell you. A 5G modem falls back to 4G where there is no 5G.

Switching off a weak connection

A modem that keeps reconnecting can make your stream restless. In belaUI, BELABOX's web interface, you can switch a connection off with a checkbox for a while and turn it back on later.

Which network are you on?

If you are unsure which network a SIM uses, check the network name your phone or modem shows. An old T-Mobile SIM belongs to Odido: it is the same network under a new name.

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Data Usage and Costs

How Much Data Does Streaming Consume?

With 3 modems (bonding):

Data is distributed across modems, not duplicated. The fastest connection carries the most traffic.

Example: 1080p30 stream with 3 modems:

• Modem 1 gets: ~50% = 0.9 GB/hour
• Modem 2 gets: ~35% = 0.6 GB/hour
• Modem 3 gets: ~15% = 0.3 GB/hour

Total: About 1.8 GB/hour (not 3x 1.8 = 5.4 GB). Packets lost on the way are sent again, so expect a little more.

What does that cost per month?

Scenario: 10x 4-hour streams per month (1080p30) = 72 GB data.

Work out your own usage with the table above and compare it with the providers' bundles. Bonding splits the traffic, but every modem still needs its own SIM and bundle, so add up the cost of all your SIM cards.

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Regional Exceptions

How good a network is varies by region. If you often stream outside the cities, for example on the Wadden Islands, in forests or in the countryside, test those places first with SIM cards from all three networks. No network covers everywhere. For places where none of the three works, you need another connection, such as satellite internet.

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Tools for Coverage Testing

Before You Buy: Check Coverage

1. OpenSignal App (iOS/Android)

• Download for free
• Shows speeds measured by users, per provider
• Community coverage maps

2. nPerf Coverage Maps

• Website: nperf.com
• Filter per provider (KPN/Odido/Vodafone)
• Zoom in on your stream routes

3. The providers' own coverage maps

• KPN, Odido and Vodafone each publish a coverage map on their own site

Please note: The providers' maps show where they expect coverage. How fast it is in practice shows better in user measurements, and best in your own test.

After Purchase: Live Testing

Test your SIMs before you sign a contract:

Buy a prepaid SIM for each network you are considering and test your usual route over a weekend:

Route: Amsterdam → Haarlem → Beach → Back
Test: 2 hours live stream

Tracking results:
- Which modem stayed connected longest?
- Where did modems fail?
- Where did the stream itself drop?

If your stream still drops too often with two modems, add a modem on the third network.

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Legal Considerations (Dutch Law)

GDPR and IRL Streaming

Important: If you stream IRL in the Netherlands and capture faces/license plates: ✅ Allowed:

• Public space (street, park, station)
• Occasional persons in the picture ("by-catch")
• Events where consent is implied

❌ Prohibited without permission:

• Filming in private space (shops, restaurants) without owner's permission
• Intentional close-ups of people (portrait right)
• Children recognizable in the image without parental permission

Best practice:

• Overlay with "Live IRL Stream in Progress" sign
• Description with "By being in this room, you consent to recording"
• Face blur overlay for chat-requested privacy

Network Neutrality

Dutch providers are not allowed to throttle streaming. If you notice that one provider is consistently slower during stream (but speed test is normal), report to ACM (Consumer & Markets Authority).

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Future: 5G Standalone and Network Slicing

5G standalone and network slicing may make streaming more stable in the future. With network slicing, a provider could set aside part of the network for traffic that needs a fixed bitrate. Whether and when Dutch providers will sell that to consumers, and at what price, is not known yet. Until then, bonding across different networks with ordinary bundles is what works.

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Conclusion: The Winning Combinations

General advice:

• Pick SIM cards on different networks.
• Do not pair Vodafone with Ziggo, or Odido with an old T-Mobile SIM: each pair is one network.
• Test your route before you sign a contract, and pick the networks that do best there.

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Ready to build your IRL streaming setup? Check out our DIY IRL stream bag guide for hardware selection and the relay. You can run that relay on a Space-Node VPS: VPS-S is €5.50 a month (2 vCores, 4GB RAM) in the Netherlands, but the VPS plans are out of stock until about the end of October. The OBS side of the chain can run on our streaming VPS, also in the Netherlands, so your scenes do not depend on a PC at home. Also note that BELABOX calls its own receiver srtla_rec unsuitable for production, and offers BELABOX cloud relays itself from $10 a month (belabox.net).

Related guides:

• RTMP vs SRT vs SRTLA: Which One Your Stream Needs
• IRL Streaming Backpack Setup Guide
• KPN vs Ziggo vs Odido (Dutch version)

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