A study conducted by Dutch and Belgian consumer associations found that internet prices in the Netherlands continue to rise, and that the country has some of the highest rates in Europe.
Researchers at Belgium’s Test Aankoop compared the prices of internet-only two-year contracts for at least 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) in eight European countries. The study found that, between the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the UK, and Belgium, the Netherlands, had the second-highest prices for internet-only packages.
In the Netherlands, the average price for an internet-only package is 42 euros per month, compared to only 27 euros in France and 37 euros in the UK. Portugal had the lowest prices (26 euros per month), while Belgium took the number one spot, with internet costing an average of 48 euros per month.
The Dutch Consumers’ Association also looked into the cost of internet in the Netherlands, comparing prices at 20 providers. Researchers found that XS4ALL and Solcon boast the highest prices, charging more than 46 euros per month for their internet-only packages. Meanwhile, All-in-1 was found to have the lowest prices; only 29 euros per month.
Consumers’ Association director, Sandra Molenaar, fears that consumers will continue to fork out more and more money each month in order to cover their internet costs: “KPN and Ziggo largely control the network, so they pretty much control the market. There is far too little competition. And that's bad for consumers,” she explains.