A classic home emergency call system only helps inside the home – tied to a base station. NOA is the mobile alternative: an emergency button with its own SIM card and GPS that works at home and out and about. No landline, no long-term contract.
A personal alarm alternative is a mobile emergency system that is not tied to a base station in the home. Mobile emergency buttons like NOA have their own SIM card, GPS, speaker and microphone – in an emergency they alert relatives by call and message with the exact location, in every EU country plus Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. If no one in the family responds, a 24/7 emergency call centre automatically takes over as a backstop.
Both systems help in an emergency – but they work in fundamentally different ways. The table shows the key differences at a glance.
| Feature | Classic home emergency button | NOA |
|---|---|---|
| Where does it work? | Only inside the home, tied to a base station | Everywhere in Europe — garden, shopping, vacation, hiking |
| Who answers in an emergency? | Professional call centre – unfamiliar voice | Family or trusted contacts — a familiar voice |
| Contract lock-in | Provider-dependent, sometimes with minimum terms | Cancellable monthly |
| GPS location in emergencies | Usually not included | Precise via message |
| Wearer needs a smartphone | No — calls via the base station | No — its own SIM card in the device |
| Talk directly through the device | Only near the base station | Speaker and mic in the device — anywhere |
| Monthly cost | €23–48/month + often €10–60 activation fee, sometimes with minimum terms | From €24.99/month + device one-time €69.99 – you choose your plan when ordering, cancel monthly · no activation fee |
Classic home emergency providers typically charge €23–48 per month, often plus a one-off connection fee of €10–60 – depending on the provider, sometimes with a minimum contract term. In some countries statutory care insurance subsidises classic systems (in Germany, for example, currently €25.50 per month for a recognised care level). NOA is not subsidised – but it needs no application and no approval, and is available to everyone straight away.
A modern alternative is a mobile emergency system with GPS and its own SIM card. It works without a base station – at home just as well as in the garden, while shopping or travelling. At the press of a button NOA calls up to three trusted contacts and simultaneously sends the exact GPS location to up to ten contacts. If nobody responds, the 24/7 emergency call centre automatically takes over as a backstop.
Classic home emergency systems need a base station in the home – originally on the landline, today sometimes with a mobile module, but always fixed to one place. NOA needs neither a landline nor Wi-Fi nor a smartphone: the device has its own SIM card with multi-network access and works in every EU country plus Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
The device costs a one-off €69.99 (NOA Mini or NOA Watch). The plan costs €24.99/month (cancellable monthly) or €274.89/year. SIM, mobile network, GPS, roaming and accessories are included. The 24/7 emergency call centre is always included. The first time each month that the 24/7 call centre takes over is free of charge; every further response costs a flat €15, regardless of the outcome. This keeps the centre free for real emergencies. There is no connection fee and no minimum term. For comparison: classic home emergency systems cost €23–48 per month plus, in many cases, a €10–60 connection fee, sometimes with a minimum term.
This depends entirely on the country. In Germany, for example, classic systems are frequently subsidised by statutory long-term care insurance when a care level is recognised (currently €25.50 per month, § 40 SGB XI); other countries have their own rules or none at all. NOA is not currently covered by any such scheme – deliberately so: NOA is open to everyone, without a care level and without an application, does not depend on approval and remains cancellable monthly.
For everyone who still leaves the house regularly: active seniors, people living alone, anyone with a garden or daily errands. A classic home emergency system stops at the front door – falls and emergencies outside the home are left uncovered. A mobile alarm with GPS protects both at home and out and about.
NOA is ready to use right away: order it, add your contacts, done. No technician appointment, no connection fee, cancellable monthly.