Fibre continued to grow faster than the market average, reaching a market share of 10.5 percent at the end of the quarter. Cable accounted for almost half the connections and grew by 0.9 percent in Q3 to almost 3.2 million broadband subscribers. The number of DSL lines decreased over the same period by 1.0 percent to 2.95 million.
KPN, including its XS4ALL and Telfort brands, is still the largest broadband provider in the Netherlands with a 39.8 percent share of subscribers at the end of September 2014, down slightly compared with the previous quarter. This is set to change as its two largest rivals, Ziggo and UPC, complete their merger. According to Telecompaper data, Ziggo had 28.1 percent of broadband connections at the end of Q3, and UPC held 16.1 percent of the market, giving them a combined share of over 44 percent.
For the full year 2014, Telecompaper expects 2.3 percent growth in broadband connections, despite the increasingly saturated market. The growth is driven by cable and fibre, which will offset the steady decrease in DSL users. For 2015, Telecompaper expects a slightly lower growth as the number of non-broadband households is diminishing.
The researcher also estimates the Dutch consumer broadband market was worth over EUR 500 million in retail revenue in the third quarter. Market revenues are expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.5 percent over the five-year period 2014 to 2018.
