Netherlands Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: April 2024

Report Pages: 274

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Netherlands delays 3.5GHz 5G auction to at least late 2023

Telecom infrastructure in the Netherlands continues to be upgraded as modernisation schemes undertaken by telcos make steady progress. KPN is replacing its copper access network with fibre, either through its own investment program or in conjunction with the wholesale fibre access provider Glaspoort, in which it has a half-share alongside the pension company APG. KPN expected that about 80% of all premises in the country would be covered by its FttP service by 2026. Other fibre providers have been supported by regulatory measures which have encouraged municipal governments to intervene with telcos’ fibre builds, facilitating open access networks in a bid to make rollouts cheaper, and completed sooner.

While the MNOs are also closing down their GSM and 3G networks and repurposing their spectrum and physical assets for LTE and 5G, the regulator has also encouraged GSM/3G roaming in the interim, thus safeguarding services such as M2M and other low data-use applications while individual MNOs disable their own GSM/3G networks. T-Mobile Netherlands has delayed switching off GSM until June 2023, given that the network is still used for M2M connections and other applications.

The country has one of the highest fixed broadband penetration rates in the world, with effective cross-platform competition between DSL, HFC, and fibre networks. In the third quarter of 2020 the number of cable broadband connections fell for the first time, while the DSL segment has long been eclipsed by fibre. By the end of 2021, over a quarter of fixed broadband connections were on fibre infrastructure, while DSL accounted for only about 29%. Almost 49% of fixed connections provided data above 100Mb/s, while an additional 43.7% provided data of at least 30Mb/s. Under regulatory measures, the telcos KPN and Vodafone Ziggo are obliged to offer wholesale access to competitors.

This report details the key aspects of the Dutch telecom market, providing data on fixed network services, profiles of the major operators, and a review of the key regulatory issues including interconnection, local loop unbundling, number portability, carrier preselection, and the provisions for competitor access to cable and fibre infrastructure. In addition, the report covers the fixed and wireless broadband markets, including statistics and analyses on technology deployments. The report also assesses the mobile voice and data segments, detailing the strategies of the MNOs, the deployment of emerging technologies, and a range of regulatory issues. A range of subscriber forecasts are also provided.

Key developments:

Advisory body recommends that 300MHz of spectrum in the 3.6GHz band be auctioned in December 2023;
KPN closes its 3G network, with most subscribers switched to LTE or 5G;
Deutsche Telekom and Tele2 sell their stakes T-Mobile Netherlands to an investment consortium for about €5.1 billion;
Regulator reports on proposed reductions in wholesale fees for access to KPN and Glaspoort fibre networks;
T-Mobile Netherlands names Ericsson as its sole RAN vendor for its 5G network;
Deutsche Telekom and Cellnex Telecom agree to combine their tower businesses in the Netherlands;
Report update includes the regulator's market data to December 2021, telcos' operating and financial data to Q1 2022, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

KPN, UPC Netherlands, Tele2 Netherlands, Stipte (Scarlet Telecom), Ziggo, VodafoneZiggo, Orange Netherlands, Versatel, T-Mobile Netherlands, Reggefiber

Key statistics
Regional Europe Market Comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI versus GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

Historical overview
Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Telecom sector liberalisation
Interconnect
Access
Number Portability (NP)
Carrier PreSelection (CPS)
Wholesale Line Rental (WLR)
European Electronic Communications Code

Mobile network developments

Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs)
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
Roaming
Network sharing

Mobile market

Market analysis
Mobile statistics
Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM

Internet of Things (IoT)

Machine-to-Machine (M2M)

Mobile voice
Mobile data

Mobile broadband
Major mobile operators

KPN
VodafoneZiggo
T-Mobile Netherlands
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Mobile content and applications

M-payments
Satellite mobile

Fixed-line broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Market analysis
Government support
Broadband statistics

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks

Introduction
VodafoneZiggo

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks

VDSL

Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks

Regulating fibre
KPN
Government, councils, and telcos involved

Other fixed broadband services

Wireless Local Loop (WLL)
Wireless LANS/Wi-Fi
WiMAX
Internet via satellite

Fixed network operators

Royal Koninklijke PTT Nederland (KPN)
Scarlet Telecom (Stipte)
Tele2 Netherlands

Versatel Telecom International

VodafoneZiggo

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network
International infrastructure

Satellite

Smart infrastructure

Amsterdam

Wholesale

Wholesale broadband access

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Netherlands – 2022 (e)
Table 2 – Change in telecom infrastructure investment by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 3 – Change in the number of wholesale unbundled connections – 2014 – 2021
Table 4 – Wholesale fibre active unbundled connections – 2014 – 2021
Table 5 – Decline in the number of WLR lines – 2012 – 2021
Table 6 – Decline in wholesale termination revenue – 2012 – 2019
Table 7 – Increase in wholesale terminated traffic (million minutes) – 2012 – 2021
Table 8 – Decline in mobile retail and wholesale revenue (€ million) – 2013 – 2021
Table 9 – Change in mobile services revenue by sector (€ million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 10 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2012 – 2027
Table 11 – Change in mobile subscriber market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2020
Table 12 – Change in prepaid and contract subscribers by market share (MNOs) – 2012 – 2021
Table 13 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers (retail, MNOs) (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 14 – Growth in the number of mobile antennae in service by technology – 2014 – 2021
Table 15 – Investment in mobile infrastructure – 2012 – 2021
Table 16 – Increase in the number of M2M connections – 2012 – 2021
Table 17 – Growth in mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 18 – Growth in mobile data traffic (PB) – 2012 – 2021
Table 19 – Growth in mobile data traffic, quarterly change – 2016 – 2021
Table 20 – Decline in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2021
Table 21 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 22 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by type – 2012 – 2021
Table 23 – Change in the number of KPN Mobile’s consumer retail and wholesale subscribers (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 24 – Development of KPN Mobile’s revenue by type (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 25 – KPN Mobile revenue by quarter (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 26 – KPN mobile ARPU (€/month) – 2012 – 2022
Table 27 – Development of VodafoneZiggo’s mobile revenue (€ million) – 2016 – 2022
Table 28 – Change in the number of VodafoneZiggo mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 29 – VodafoneZiggo ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Table 30 – Change in the number of T-Mobile Netherlands’ subscribers by type (thousand) – 2012 – 2022
Table 31 – Development of T-Mobile Netherlands’ financial data (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 32 – T-Mobile Netherlands' mobile ARPU (€/month/Q4) – 2012 – 2022
Table 33 – Growth in the number of MVNO subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2021
Table 34 – Change in the proportion of retail broadband service connections with bundle types – 2015 – 2021
Table 35 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 36 – Change in fixed-line broadband market share by technology – 2012 – 2021
Table 37 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Table 38 – Change in the proportion of broadband connections by speed – 2012 – 2021
Table 39 – Development of broadband penetration by technology – 2012 – 2021
Table 40 – Increase in the number of retail cable broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 41 – Change in the number of cable broadband connections by speed (thousand) – 2012 – 2021
Table 42 – Development of VodafoneZiggo’s cable broadband financial data (€ million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 43 – Growth in the number of VodafoneZiggo’s broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 44 – Change in the number of KPN’s consumer retail broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Table 45 – Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 46 – Development of DSL broadband connections by speed (thousand) – 2012 – 2021
Table 47 – Increase in the number of premises connected and passed with upgraded copper – 2014 – 2021
Table 48 – Increase in the number of FttP premises connected and passed – 2012 – 2021
Table 49 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Table 50 – Change in the number of FttP retail and wholesale business connections – 2015 – 2021
Table 51 – Change in the number of unbundled fibre broadband connections from KPN, by platform – 2015 – 2021
Table 52 – Change in the number of fibre broadband connections by speed (thousand) – 2013 – 2021
Table 53 – Development of KPN’s annual net line loss (consumer) – 2012 – 2020
Table 54 – Decline in the number of KPN’s connected PSTN households (consumer) – 2012 – 2022
Table 55 – Change in the number of KPN’s RGUs by platform (consumer) (million) – 2015 – 2022
Table 56 – Development of KPN Group’s financial data (€ billion) – 2012 – 2022
Table 57 – KPN financial data by sector (Netherlands) (€ billion) – 2012 – 2022
Table 58 – Development of VodafoneZiggo’s financial data (€ billion) – 2012 – 2022
Table 59 – Change in VodafoneZiggo’s subscriber base by platform (million) – 2012 – 2022
Table 60 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Table 61 – Decline in fixed-line revenue (PSTN, VoB) – 2012 – 2021
Table 62 – Decline in VoIP and PSTN traffic (billion minutes) – 2016 – 2021
Table 63 – Decline in fixed-line traffic revenue – 2012 – 2021
Table 64 – Change in fixed-line service revenue by retail, wholesale (€ million) – 2013 – 2021
Table 65 – Fixed lines in services by type (retail) (million) – 2012 – 2021
Table 66 – Proportion of fixed-lines churned and disconnected – 2015 – 2021
Table 67 – Growth in international internet bandwidth – 2011 – 2017
Table 68 – Development of KPN’s wholesale connections by type (thousand) – 2015 – 2022
Table 69 – Historic - Mobile (SIM) subscribers and penetration rate (regulator data) – 1999 – 2011
Table 70 – Historic - Vodafone Netherlands financial data (£ million) – 2007 – 2017
Table 71 – Historic - VodafoneZiggo mobile subscribers – 2004 – 2011
Table 72 – Historic - T-Mobile Netherlands mobile service revenue – 2007 – 2016
Table 73 – Historic - T-Mobile Netherlands blended ARPU – 2006 – 2016
Table 74 – Historic - Mobile services market revenue (MNOs) – 2006 – 2015
Table 75 – Historic - KPN LTE subscribers – 2013 – 2015
Table 76 – Historic - Cumulative mobile numbers ported – 2003 – 2009
Table 77 – Historic - Vodafone Netherlands ARPU – 2004 – 2011
Table 78 – Historic - Vodafone Netherlands voice traffic – 2004 – 2016
Table 79 – Historic - Tele2 mobile subscribers – 2007 – 2018
Table 80 – Historic - KPN/Reggefiber FttP activated premises – 2009 – 2015
Table 81 – Historic - Tele2 mobile revenue – 2012 – 2018
Table 82 – Historic - Broadband retail subscribers (cable modem, DSL, fibre) (thousand) – 1999 – 2011
Table 83 – Historic - KPN’s consumer retail broadband subscribers – 2007 – 2011
Table 84 – Historic - UPC Nederland subscribers (thousand) – 2005 – 2014
Table 85 – Historic - UPC Netherlands revenue – 2007 – 2014
Table 86 – Historic - VodafoneZiggo’s cable broadband financial data (€ million) – 2006 – 2011
Table 87 – Historic - UPC Netherlands revenue by segment (€ million) – 2012 – 2014
Table 88 – Historic - VodafoneZiggo broadband subscriber – 2007 – 2011
Table 89 – Historic - Tele2 Netherlands’ DSL subscribers – 2006 – 2018
Table 90 – Historic - FttP premises connected and passed – 2006 – 2011
Table 91 – Historic - FttP subscribers – 2006 – 2011
Table 92 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity – 1999 – 2011
Table 93 – Historic - KPN Group financial data (€ billion) – 2004 – 2011
Table 94 – Historic - UPC Nederland subscribers (thousand) – 2005 – 2014
Table 95 – Historic - KPN consumer market share by sector – 2007 – 2017
Table 96 – Historic - International internet bandwidth – 1998 – 2011
Table 97 – Historic - CPS connections – 2008 – 2014
Table 98 – Historic - Fixed-line traffic by type (million minutes) – 2008 – 2015
Table 99 – Historic - Tele2 Netherlands residential subscribers by type (thousand) – 2007 – 2018
Table 100 – Historic - Tele2 Netherlands revenue by sector (SEK million) – 2007 – 2018
Table 101 – Historic - Unbundled MDF connections by type (thousand) – 2008 – 2015
Table 102 – Historic - Change in mobile subscriber market share of subscribers by operator – 2006 – 2011
Table 103 – Historic - Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers (retail, MNOs) (million) – 2007 – 2011
Table 104 – Historic - Growth in mobile voice traffic – 2007 – 2011
Table 105 – Historic - Decline in wholesale termination revenue – 2007 – 2011
Table 106 – Historic - Change in the number of KPN Mobile’s consumer retail and wholesale subscribers (million) – 2006 – 2011
Table 107 – Historic - KPN mobile monthly ARPU – 2006 – 2011
Table 108 – Historic - Change in the number of T-Mobile Netherlands’ subscribers by type (thousand) – 2006 – 2011
Table 109 – Historic - Development of T-Mobile Netherlands’ financial data (€ million) – 2006 – 2011
Table 110 – Historic - Growth in the number of MVNO subscribers and market share – 2005 – 2011
Table 111 – Historic - Development of broadband penetration by technology – 2007 – 2011
Table 112 – Historic - Decline in fixed-line revenue (PSTN, VoB) – 2006 – 2011
Table 113 – Historic - Decline in fixed-line traffic revenue – 2006 – 2011
Table 114 – Historic - Development of KPN’s annual net line loss (consumer) – 2005 – 2011
Table 115 – Historic - Decline in the number of KPN’s connected PSTN households (consumer) – 2005 – 2011
Table 116 – Historic - KPN financial data by sector (Netherlands) (€ billion) – 2005 – 2011
Table 117 – Historic - Change in VodafoneZiggo’s subscriber base by platform (thousand) – 2007 – 2011
Table 118 – Historic - Decline in the number of WLR lines – 2008 – 2011
Table 119 – Historic - Change in mobile services revenue by sector (€ million) – 2008 – 2011
Table 120 – Historic - Change in prepaid and contract subscribers by market share (MNOs) – 2008 – 2011
Table 121 – Historic - Growth in mobile data traffic – 2008 – 2011
Table 122 – Historic - Mobile SMS traffic – 2008 – 2011
Table 123 – Historic - Fixed lines in services by type (retail) (million) – 2008 – 2011
Table 124 – Historic - Change in fixed-line broadband market share by technology – 2008 – 2011

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Europe Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Europe - Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Europe – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – Scandinavia/Baltics fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – Northern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Eastern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 9 – Southern Europe fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 10 – Change in telecom infrastructure investment by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 11 – Change in the number of wholesale unbundled connections – 2014 – 2021
Chart 12 – Wholesale fibre active unbundled connections – 2014 – 2021
Chart 13 – Decline in the number of WLR lines – 2012 – 2021
Chart 14 – Decline in wholesale termination revenue – 2012 – 2019
Chart 15 – Increase in wholesale terminated traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 16 – Decline in mobile retail and wholesale revenue – 2013 – 2021
Chart 17 – Change in mobile services revenue by sector – 2012 – 2021
Chart 18 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration rate – 2012 – 2027
Chart 19 – Change in mobile subscriber market share of subscribers by operator – 2012 – 2020
Chart 20 – Change in prepaid and contract subscribers by market share (MNOs) – 2012 – 2021
Chart 21 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 22 – Growth in the number of mobile antennae in service by technology – 2014 – 2021
Chart 23 – Investment in mobile infrastructure – 2012 – 2021
Chart 24 – Increase in the number of M2M connections – 2012 – 2021
Chart 25 – Growth in mobile voice traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 26 – Growth in mobile data traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 27 – Growth in mobile data traffic, quarterly change – 2016 – 2021
Chart 28 – Decline in SMS traffic – 2012 – 2021
Chart 29 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 30 – Change in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by type – 2012 – 2021
Chart 31 – Change in the number of KPN Mobile’s consumer retail and wholesale subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 32 – Development of KPN Mobile’s revenue by type – 2012 – 2022
Chart 33 – KPN Mobile revenue by quarter (Q4) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 34 – KPN mobile ARPU (Q4) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 35 – Development of VodafoneZiggo’s mobile revenue – 2016 – 2022
Chart 36 – Change in the number of VodafoneZiggo mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 37 – VodafoneZiggo ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Chart 38 – Change in the number of T-Mobile Netherlands’ subscribers by type – 2012 – 2022
Chart 39 – Development of T-Mobile Netherlands’ financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 40 – T-Mobile Netherlands' mobile ARPU – 2012 – 2022
Chart 41 – Growth in the number of MVNO subscribers and market share – 2012 – 2021
Chart 42 – Change in the proportion of retail broadband service connections with bundle types – 2015 – 2021
Chart 43 – Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by platform – 2012 – 2021
Chart 44 – Change in fixed-line broadband market share by technology – 2012 – 2021
Chart 45 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2027
Chart 46 – Change in the proportion of broadband connections by speed – 2012 – 2021
Chart 47 – Development of broadband penetration by technology – 2012 – 2021
Chart 48 – Increase in the number of retail cable broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 49 – Change in the number of cable broadband connections by speed – 2012 – 2021
Chart 50 – Development of VodafoneZiggo’s cable broadband financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 51 – Growth in the number of VodafoneZiggo’s broadband subscribers – 2012 – 2022
Chart 52 – Change in KPN’s consumer retail broadband subscriber base – 2012 – 2022
Chart 53 – Decline in the number of DSL subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 54 – Development of DSL broadband connections by speed – 2012 – 2021
Chart 55 – Increase in the number of premises connected and passed with upgraded copper – 2014 – 2021
Chart 56 – Increase in the number of FttP premises connected and passed – 2012 – 2021
Chart 57 – Growth in the number of FttP subscribers – 2012 – 2021
Chart 58 – Change in the number of FttP retail and wholesale business connections – 2015 – 2021
Chart 59 – Change in the number of unbundled fibre broadband connections from KPN, by platform – 2015 – 2021
Chart 60 – Change in the number of fibre broadband connections by speed – 2013 – 2021
Chart 61 – Decline in the number of KPN’s connected PSTN households (consumer) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 62 – Change in the number of KPN’s RGUs by platform (consumer) – 2015 – 2022
Chart 63 – Development of KPN Group’s financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 64 – KPN consumer and business financial data (Netherlands) – 2012 – 2022
Chart 65 – Development of VodafoneZiggo’s financial data – 2012 – 2022
Chart 66 – Change in VodafoneZiggo’s subscriber base by platform – 2012 – 2022
Chart 67 – Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity – 2012 – 2027
Chart 68 – Decline in fixed-line revenue (PSTN, VoB) – 2012 – 2021
Chart 69 – Decline in VoIP and PSTN traffic – 2016 – 2021
Chart 70 – Decline in fixed-line traffic revenue – 2012 – 2021
Chart 71 – Change in fixed-line service revenue by retail, wholesale – 2013 – 2021
Chart 72 – Fixed lines in services by type – 2012 – 2021
Chart 73 – Development of KPN’s wholesale connections by type – 2015 – 2022

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Europe
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Europe – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Europe – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Europe – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – Access and the local loop
Exhibit 7 – 3G licence awards (spectrum, spectrum fees and admin fees) – July 2000
Exhibit 8 – 2.6GHz spectrum auction – April 2010
Exhibit 9 – Spectrum auction – October 2012
Exhibit 10 – Historic - Fixed-to-mobile interconnections tariffs – 2007 – 2009

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Netherlands Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

Netherlands delays 3.5GHz 5G auction to at least late 2023

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Europe Market Comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views