Elevator alarm 2G/3G → 4G migration: why a coverage audit is essential

A decree published in France’s Official Journal mandates, effective April 1, 2026, new obligations to ensure elevator alarm system continuity during the 2G and 3G network shutdown. Of the 650,000 elevators in France, approximately 290,000 still rely on these networks for their EN 81-28 compliant emergency call systems.

The technical question nobody is asking: does the 4G signal actually work inside an elevator shaft, basement, or machine room?

The regulatory context

The decree establishes three main obligations:

• Verification every 6 weeks by the elevator maintenance company of the alert and communication system
• Registered letter notification to property owners whose systems are incompatible with current networks
• Alert renewal every 6 months until migration is completed

Property owners must fund the replacement — between €800 and €1,500 per elevator according to industry estimates.

Operator shutdown timeline

The 2G shutdown in France follows a progressive schedule:

Operator	2G Shutdown	3G Shutdown
Orange	March 31, 2026 (South-West), then nationwide late Sept. 2026	Late 2028
SFR	November 15, 2026	Late 2028
Bouygues Telecom	Late 2026	Late 2029
Free Mobile	Not announced	Not announced

Orange starts with the Bayonne-Biarritz-Anglet area on March 31, 2026, then progressively extends to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes, and other South-West departments before nationwide rollout in late September 2026.

Why 4G doesn’t automatically replace 2G in elevators

The radio penetration problem

2G primarily used the 900 MHz band (GSM) with excellent indoor penetration. The signal traversed reinforced concrete, basements, and elevator shafts with acceptable attenuation.

4G in France primarily uses:

• Band 3 (1800 MHz) — 10-20 dB higher indoor attenuation than 900 MHz
• Band 7 (2600 MHz) — 15-30 dB higher indoor attenuation
• Band 20 (800 MHz) — better penetration, but not always deployed or prioritized for VoLTE

A building where 2G was comfortably at -95 dBm in the basement may show 4G RSRP at -120 dBm on the 1800 MHz band — below the operating threshold for an alarm module.

The Faraday cage effect

Reinforced concrete elevator shafts (with metal rebar) constitute a particularly hostile RF environment:

• Reinforced concrete attenuation: 15-25 dB at 1800 MHz, 25-40 dB at 2600 MHz
• Metal shielding effect: guide rails and cabin structure add 10-20 dB of loss
• Basement / pit: propagation to underground levels adds 10-15 dB attenuation per level

Cumulatively, a 4G module installed in an elevator shaft at a modern building’s basement can face 50-80 dB of attenuation compared to the outdoor signal — well beyond what most 4G M2M modules can compensate for.

VoLTE vs 2G requirements

Legacy 2G alarm systems used a simple circuit-switched (CS) call — robust technology that worked with very weak signals. The move to 4G mandates VoLTE (Voice over LTE) for emergency calls, with stricter requirements:

Parameter	2G (CS call)	4G (VoLTE)
Minimum RSRP	-110 dBm	-105 dBm
Technology	Circuit-switched	Packet-switched (IMS/SIP)
Codec	FR/HR (8/5.6 kbps)	AMR-WB (12.65-23.85 kbps)
SINR sensitivity	Low	High (> 0 dB required)
Latency tolerance	High	Moderate (< 150 ms)

A VoLTE call that connects with a MOS below 3.0 is not considered reliable for an emergency call from an elevator cabin.

The 4G coverage audit: the missing link

What elevator companies measure (and what they don’t)

Major maintenance providers (KONE, Schindler, Otis) and specialists (AVIRE, Sydéral) install 4G modules and verify the module connects to the network. But this basic check doesn’t answer the critical questions:

• What is the actual RSRP in the elevator shaft? A module that “locks on” at -115 dBm may lose connection at any time
• Does VoLTE actually work? A successful IMS registration doesn’t guarantee an emergency call will complete with sufficient voice quality
• Which operator provides the best coverage? The M2M SIM card choice should be based on measurements, not an existing contract
• Is coverage stable over time? Radio conditions vary by time of day, network load, and antenna modifications

What a HiCellTek audit measures

A complete audit with the HiCellTek measurement suite on an instrumented Android smartphone provides:

Multi-operator measurement: RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, and available bands for all operators, measured in the elevator shaft (cabin, hoistway, pit), machine room, and basement.

VoLTE test: test call with automated voice MOS measurement (VisQOL algorithm), AMR-WB codec verification, RTT latency measurement, and call setup success rate. The Layer 3 Decoder captures SIP/IMS messages to diagnose call failures.

Indoor mapping: walk test with pin-drop markers on the building floor plan, generating an RSRP/SINR heatmap by zone. Precise identification of areas without usable coverage.

PCI stability: verification that the terminal doesn’t constantly switch between cells (handover ping-pong), which would degrade VoLTE reliability.

Audit methodology for a typical building

Preparation (15 minutes)

1. Identify elevators to audit and their location (floors served, basement, parking)
2. Obtain a simplified floor plan (even a sketch works)
3. Check the current alarm system operator (installed SIM card)

Field measurements (30-60 minutes per elevator)

1. Cabin: 60-second stationary measurement at ground floor, lowest basement, and top floor. Smartphone positioned at cabin center, doors closed
2. Hoistway / pit: if accessible, measurement in the elevator pit (worst-case point)
3. Machine room: measurement in the technical room where the alarm module will be installed
4. Common areas and basement: complementary measurements in lobbies and parking areas

For each point, HiCellTek simultaneously records KPIs from all available operators.

Analysis and deliverable (24-48 hours)

The audit report contains:

• Executive summary: verdict per operator (Green / Amber / Red) with clear recommendation
• Coverage heatmap: RSRP thermal map overlaid on the floor plan
• KPI table per measurement point: RSRP, RSRQ, SINR, serving band, PCI
• VoLTE test result: MOS, codec, latency, success rate
• Recommendation: direct migration (if coverage OK) or improvement solution (repeater, femtocell, DAS) with cost estimate

Real-world examples

Case 1: Residential building, Paris 15th — 4 elevators

• Finding: 2 of 4 elevators with RSRP < -115 dBm on all operators at basement level
• Diagnosis: underground parking at -2, thick reinforced concrete, no 800 MHz band available
• Recommendation: single-operator Orange repeater (B20 800 MHz) with external donor antenna
• Savings: the €600 audit (4 elevators) prevented installation of 2 useless 4G modules (€2,400 saved)

Case 2: Social housing operator, Île-de-France — 150 elevators

• Finding: sampling audit across 30 buildings (150 elevators)
• Result: 68% of elevators with sufficient 4G coverage, 32% requiring indoor solution
• Recommended operator: Orange (best 800 MHz coverage in basements)
• Optimized budget: direct migration for 102 elevators, DAS/repeater for 48 — prioritized by urgency

Case 3: Office building, Lyon 3rd — panoramic elevator

• Finding: good RSRP (-85 dBm) but frequent handovers (PCI changes > 8 times/minute) due to glass cabin exposed to multiple cells
• Diagnosis: Layer 3 shows RRC Reconfiguration loops between 3 different PCIs — unstable VoLTE
• Recommendation: serving cell lock in M2M module configuration, or dedicated femtocell

Who should order the audit?

Property managers: the report serves as a technical basis for board meetings. It justifies the operator choice and required budget.

Elevator companies: pre-installation audit prevents callbacks and rework. It’s a commercial differentiator versus competitors who install “blind.”

Social housing operators: for a portfolio of thousands of elevators, sampling audits enable site prioritization and budget optimization.

Alarm system integrators (AVIRE, Sydéral, SafeLine): systematic pre-installation audit strengthens the offering. Co-branded report option available.

Inspection bodies (Apave, Bureau Veritas, Socotec): reference tool for telecom verification during regulatory elevator inspections.

Pricing

Plan	Indicative Price	Included
Single audit	€150–300 / elevator	Multi-operator + VoLTE + report
Building package (5-20)	Volume pricing	Audit + mapping + recommendation
Portfolio (50+)	Custom quote	Sampling + prioritization + dashboard
Recurring monitoring	Quarterly subscription	Periodic verification per decree

Conclusion

The 2G shutdown in France creates a migration obligation for 290,000 elevators, but also a real technical risk: 4G doesn’t penetrate buildings like 2G did. A 4G module installed without coverage verification is an investment at risk.

The HiCellTek 4G coverage audit is the missing link between the decision to migrate and the guarantee that the alarm system will actually work. It protects property owners from overspending, elevator companies from callbacks, and occupants from safety risks.

Further reading

• Indoor walk test: practical guide for building coverage mapping
• DAS indoor dead zone detection
• RSRP, RSRQ, SINR: field guide
• Mobile network coverage audit methodology
• Request a 4G elevator audit