Dutch internet pricier than other countries: Pricewise

Dutch consumers pay, on average, a lot more for their internet subscription than people in other European countries, price comparison site Pricewise reported. A home subscription is cheaper in Romania, Spain, and France, and the quality in some of those countries is better than in the Netherlands.

"The most requested internet connection in our country is still 100 Mb and we pay a lot for that. Especially in comparison with other countries, we see that the Netherlands is one of the most expensive," said Pricewise director Hans de Kok.

A Dutch home subscription for 100 Mb internet costs an average of 43 euros per month or 516 euros per year. In Italy, this is cheaper, with subscription costs of an average of 29 euros per month. In Spain and France it costs around 30 euros per month and in Luxembourg 35 euros. German consumers pay slightly over 39 euros, while Belgians spend over 41 euros.

Poland and Romania are the cheapest at 11.35 euros and 11.99 euros per month respectively. According to Pricewise, the internet is so cheap in Romania because the fiber optic cables are not in the ground but often hang above the road. An internet subscription is more expensive in Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, and Ireland than in the Netherlands.

Despite the high price, the quality of the internet in the Netherlands is certainly not the best in Europe. According to a study by hosting company VPS Server, the Netherlands is in sixth place in the European top ten. The top five consists of Iceland, Spain, Romania, France and Luxembourg, with a subscription only costing more in Iceland than in the Netherlands out of these countries.

According to Pricewise, the internet connection speed in the Netherlands is improving due to the rise of fiber optics. However, the costs of laying fiber optic cables in the ground are high and are passed on to consumers. "That is why we will undoubtedly see more increases in the price of internet in the future," says De Kok.