Mobile data use hits record high as fewer than half now use a landline

The second quarter of the year saw the highest mobile data usage ever measured in the Netherlands. Dutch people used a total of 597 million gigabytes of mobile data in that period, according to the most recent Telecommonitor of The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

Dutch people used 48 million gigabytes more in April, May, and June than in the previous quarter. The ACM does not know why there has been such an increase. There was a decrease in the number of phone calls and texts using mobile phones, the market watchdog reported.

According to telecom company KPN, mobile data usage is increasing significantly every year. Dutch people especially watch a lot more sports matches and events on their phones, said a spokesperson.

KPN said that consumer behavior is also changing because the possibilities and the network are equipped for this. For example, the company has been offering phone subscriptions with unlimited internet for years. “Then there is no reason to hold back in this.”

The ACM also noticed that the number of people who picked the once very popular combination of phone, internet, and television at the same provider is decreasing. The number of fixed telephone connections also fell further, by more than 1.8 percent to 4.15 million. This means that less than half of Dutch households now use a fixed telephone.

Fiber optics has continued to grow. Almost 7.7 million homes have a fiber optic network in front of their door, and almost three million of those have subscriptions for it. There is still less fiber available in some parts of Groningen, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, and Limburg than elsewhere in the country. But a lot of fiber connections have also been added in these areas, the market watchdog sees.