Consumers’ Association: Dutch people pay too much for their internet subscription

This article was last updated on July 5, 2024

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Consumers’ Association: Dutch people pay too much for their internet subscription

The Consumers’ Association believes that people in the Netherlands pay too much for internet due to the dominant position of KPN and Ziggo. The association says it sees all kinds of indications of a lack of market forces and too high prices. The union calls on regulator ACM to intervene.

In a large part of the Netherlands, only Ziggo and KPN have their own cable network for internet at home. Other providers can offer services via KPN’s network.

In 2022, the Consumer and Markets Authority ruled that the rates charged by KPN are not too high and ‘encourage healthy competition‘. But according to research by the Consumers’ Association, this is not the case.

“The prices of the two largest providers have been close to each other for years and are among the highest in Europe. We therefore urgently call on the ACM to intervene so that internet becomes affordable again. We are happy to share our findings with the regulator. to share.”

Only Belgium and Portugal are more expensive

KPN and Ziggo together control about 75 percent of the market. “Competitors on the KPN fiber optic network are unable to be cheaper than KPN. Only challenger Odido is usually about 6.50 to 8.50 euros below the prices of KPN and Ziggo,” the association said.

The European Commission set prices in the EU in 2022 in a row. Of the 27 countries, only Belgium and Portugal were more expensive than the Netherlands. In the Netherlands you paid 30 euros for a subscription with a speed of 100 Megabits per second. In Sweden and Denmark, for example, this is around 17-18 euros.

KPN and Ziggo: ‘sufficient competition’

In a response, KPN says that there is indeed strong competition. “The ACM keeps a close eye on this and finds time and time again that it is a competitive market. One of the characteristics of this is that prices do not differ too much.”

According to KPN, the comparison with other countries is flawed. “Many markets in Europe do not even have fiber optic or high-speed cable on a large scale. In the Netherlands we install underground. That is wonderful, but it comes at a price.”

Ziggo also says that there is stiff competition. “Partly due to the rapid emergence of new fiber optic providers and significant price and product promotions. The ACM also concluded that the fixed internet market is sufficiently competitive and that no additional measures are necessary.”