For the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, we have assessed the extent to which Dutch households currently or by 2023 can have access to a fixed internet connection of at least 100 Mbit/s.
Approach
Based on data from network owners, our market knowledge, and public deployment plans, we inventoried the current 100 Mbit/s coverage and estimated the areas where we do (or do not) expect further deployment.
Outcomes
Our analysis revealed that already
97.4% of households can access 100 Mbit/s or more (as of mid-2019).
Various parties are currently deploying high-quality fixed connection networks in urban areas, rural areas, and industrial estates. Therefore, we expect a further increase in the number of households that can have a connection of at least 100 Mbit/s in the coming years.
According to our estimate, there will still be a group of around
50,000 households (or 0.5%) in the near future that still cannot access a high-quality fixed connection. This includes 20,000 households in urban areas and 30,000 households in rural areas.
Courses of Action
At present, we do not see the need for large-scale stimulating or financing interventions from the relevant authorities (national, provincial, and municipal governments). Most areas would primarily benefit from standardizing the installation conditions (fees, degeneration costs), coordinating deployment (supervision), and signing covenants in which further (work) agreements regarding the installation are documented.
For the truly challenging, isolated addresses, solutions, in addition to simply accepting the situation, could include end-user subsidies or the establishment of a state aid program. Acceptance also involves focusing on (future) quality and price improvements in mobile and hybrid networks. This includes 4G/5G, a fixed-wireless network, and individual beam connections.
Curious about the results for your own province, municipality, or residence? Check out the outcomes at:
overview map of fixed internet connections in the Netherlands
