More Dutch households using fiber optic for internet than cable for first time

The number of Dutch households with a fiber-optic subscription has surpassed the number with fixed internet via cable for the first time, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) stated in their most recent Telecommonitor.

In the first three months of this year, 3.3 million households had fiber-optic internet compared to 3.2 million that had a fixed internet via cable. In addition, the rollout of fiber-optic networks is continuing to grow, according to the market regulator, including in areas where it was previously less available, such as Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and the Northern part of Drenthe.

Over the past few years, large parts of the Netherlands have seen the installation of fiber-optic infrastructure, with some regions even gaining access to two competing networks. This transition from copper to fiber has led to a rise in average internet speeds. At this point, 87 percent of Dutch households enjoy connections of at least 100 Mbps.

Other trends also continued throughout the first quarter of the year. The usage of mobile data increased during the first three months. While people in the Netherlands are making fewer calls and texting less with their mobile phones, the landline phone service also continues to lose ground. Around 3.9 million households and companies still have a landline.

The ACM also noticed that the combination of telephone, internet, and television with the same provider is becoming increasingly less popular. There were 780,000 all-in-one subscriptions in the first quarter. According to the regulator, most households opt for a bundle with two fixed services, primarily internet and television.

KPN and VodafoneZiggo are the most popular internet providers in the country, followed by Odido and Delta.