The Dutch broadband market grew by almost 48,500 connections or 0.8 percent during the first quarter of 2012, to a total 6.43 million lines, according to the latest research from Telecompaper. A 2.1 percent quarterly decrease in DSL connections to 3.21 million was offset by 2.8 percent growth in cable broadband connections during the quarter, to 2.86 million. The number of FTTH/B connections also grew by almost 13 percent during Q1, giving the technology a 5.5 percent market share.
KPN, including its XS4ALL and Telfort brands, was still the largest broadband provider in the Netherlands with a 39.1 percent market share at the end of March 2012, after losing 0.8 percentage points over the previous 12 months. Ziggo was number two with a market share of 26.4 percent, and UPC came third with 15.3 percent.
Telecompaper forecasts growth of 2.9 percent in the broadband market over the full year 2012, led by continued growth in cable and fibre. Fibre is expected to grow more than 35 percent, and cable growth should reach more than 6 percent.
Growth in 2012 will be driven by more operators offering triple-play packages via multiple networks, the market researcher expects. Tele2 and T-Mobile Online are expected to follow KPN and its brands and Vodafone and introduce services over FTTH networks. The market will also see an increased focus on broadband plus video packages, including broadcast TV as well as OTT video services.
