ACM: Mobile data usage increased by 5.6 percent, bundles extra popular
Mobile data consumption in the Netherlands increased by approximately 5.6 percent in the first quarter of 2022 to just under 350 million gigabytes. In addition, the number of bundled telecom services increased by more than two percent and eight percent more fiber optic connections were taken into use.
In addition, calls have not been so low for a long time, according to the Telecom monitor of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets. Calls were made for 11.4 billion minutes in the first quarter of 2022, more than eight percent less than last quarter. The number of text messages sent also fell by more than eight percent to 609 million messages sent.
The number of mobile subscriptions concluded rose to more than 17.2 million in that period, roughly two percent more than in the previous quarter. On average, a customer nowadays pays 16.80 euros. Mobile subscriptions were taken out slightly more often in combination with other telecom services.
In Q1 of 2022, the Dutch had approximately 3.2 million mobile subscriptions in combination with at least one other telecom service. More than two thirds of this consists of total packages with mobile telephony, broadband internet, television and fixed telephony. According to ACM consumers indicate that package discounts are an important motivation. Customers often receive a discount on the total amount with bundles. ACM emphasizes that 40 percent of consumers do not want to switch to another provider for the same reason: then the combination benefit within their bundle will lapse.
When it comes to the distribution of market share within the telecom sector, nothing has changed for the three providers with their own network compared to last quarter. KPN and T-Mobile each hold 25 to 30 percent of the market and VodafoneZiggo retains between 20 and 25 percent. The big riser is the collection of virtual providers, which grew in prominence from between 10 and 15 percent to between 20 and 25 percent.
Broadband internet and fiber optic
In the field of fixed broadband internet, there was also a small shift in the first quarter of 2022. ACM does qualify the findings, however, because new smaller providers have been added to the Telecom Monitor since this quarter.
The number of Dutch households with an internet connection rose to just under 7.8 million, almost 2.7 percent more than in the previous quarter. The share of coax connections fell slightly, offset by a small increase in dsl connections and almost eight percent more fiber optic connections.
In the meantime, more than 4.7 million fiber optic connections are ready for use in the Netherlands, while 2.17 million are actually used. KPN is still by far the largest operator of the fiber optic network in the Netherlands. The company holds between 70 and 75 percent of the fiber optic market share.