Dutch broadband market to pass 4 mln mark in 2005

In the first nine months of 2005, the Dutch Broadband market grew by 21 percent, or 677.000 connections to 3.84 million broadband connections of which 59.4 percent were ADSL and 40.6 percent were cable. Quarterly growth picked up slightly to 5.6 percent, up from 5.4 percent during the second quarter. During the first nine months in 2004 the market added 945.000 new connection. Broadband penetration per Dutch household increased to 54.2 percent at the end of September 2005, up 13.4 percent compared to the penetration rate at the end of 2004 (44.8 percent). Penetration per 100 inhabitants increased to 23.5 percent at the end of Q3, 33.3 percent up from 17.6 percent last year, and 1.2 percent more than in Q2.

According to telecom analist Kamiel Albrecht the number of connections is set to pass the four million mile-stone before the end of this year. "Based on the current developments we estimate that the Dutch broadband market will grow its customer base by at least 5 percent to more than 4 million broadband connections at the end of 2005, representing a penetration rate of 57 percent".

Planet Internet is first ISP with more than 500,000 broadband customers

Planet Internet has become the first broadband ISP with more than 500,000 customers, ending Q3 with a total of 505,000. @home has passed Wanadoo to become the second largest broadband ISP with 496,000. KPN's hold on the Dutch ADSL market has increased to a market share of almost 60 percent due to acquisitions of Cistron, Freeler, and 60,000 Tiscali subscribers and the growth of Het Net and Direct ADSL. The total number of ADSL customers using a KPN ISP amounted to 1.305 million at the end of Q3 2005.

Casema, Direct ADSL, Het Net outperform against market growth

Three broadband ISPs continue to grow much faster than the market since they were introduced on the market. Two of them are KPN ISPs: Het Net and Direct ADSL and the third one is cable network operator Casema. Het Net is growing with at least 15 percent per quarter since Q4 2004 and has become the fifth largest broadband ISP in the Netherlands with 364,000. Direct ADSL reports a total of 162,000 on 30 September 2005. The no frills ISP's customer base grew with an average quarterly growth of more than 50 percent since its launch in Q2 2004. Casema reported 148,000 customers at the end