Dutch consumers seem to pay only slightly more for a free handset. However, mandatory inclusion of data bundles causes a strong increase of the average monthly subscription consumers actually pay in order to receive their ‘free’ mobile phone. This report is an update of earlier research briefs published in 2006 and 2007. In October 2006 we published ‘Dutch consumer still gets his mobile handset for free’ in response to the decision by KPN and T-Mobile to cut handset subsidies, and found that consumers only had to pay a marginal increase in subscription fees for a free handset. In May 2007 we published an update on this subject in the research brief ‘Dutch consumer pays less for a free handset’.
