BPN1303 Glassfiber in The Netherlands comes slowly (2)

Glassfiber has been proclaimed as the knowledge promoter in The Netherlands and should be implemented with the assistance of the government and municipalities. In the meantime a mosaic of projects can be seen on the map of The Netherlands. Yet the uptake is meagre in the main cities Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Rotterdam
Also in Rotterdam, the second city of The Netherlands, a glassfiber network for consumers is being laid and the companies are encountering the same problems as in Amsterdam. But the Rotterdam project is smaller in scale. The neighbourhoods Lloydsquarter and Nesselande aim at 7.000 connections by 2012. Presently some 4.500 connections have been realised. However also in Rotterdam the subscriptions lag: some 500 to 600 subscriptions have been registered. In Rotterdam as well as in Amsterdam BBNed, a subsidiary of Telecom Italia, is the operator of the network.

Rest of the Netherlands
Amsterdam started the discussion on glassfiber years ago and was advised to take the lead in laying a glassfiber network. The argument was that glassfiber was still too expensive for commercial parties and that the municipality had to be the leading party. Cable operator UPC disagreed with this discussion and fought the decision up to the European Commission. It did not see a level playing field for network operators. However the European Commission gave the municipality permission to take an equal share as the commercial partners in the glassfiber network project.

In the meantime the glassfiber scene is changing. The projects have become commercial projects as the costs have gone down dramatically. A connection to the household has come down to 800 euro. Did the project managers formerly put down the condition, that 40 percent of the household should participate, now in the new Amsterdam agreement of 100.000 connections Reggefiber/KPN does not request such a clause in the agreement. Now the glassfiber networks are offered with packages offering internet speeds of 60, 80 and 100 Mbps. In the meantime the cable operator UPC is offering speeds up to 120 Mbps over its own cable network.

However the subscriptions to the packages are not cheap. Triple play subscriptions are more expensive when the speed of internet is higher. Telephone, television and internet with speeds of respectively 50Mbps, 60Mbps, 100Mbps will costs 50, 60 and 80 euro. UPC offers only internet speeds at 60Mbps, 80Mbps and 120Mbps at 60, 80 and 100 euro no telephone and television are included in the subscription.

The commercialisation of glassfiber has seriously started now. In towns like Nuenen and Hillegom, initiatives came from the communities and glassfiber networks are operational already. Then municipalities started projects. Now commercial parties like Reggefiber/KPN offer neighbourhoods glassfiber networks, usually with a guarantee of a minimum of subscribers. In roughly 21 municipalities one or more projects are planned.

In my hometown Almere, the glassfiber project of 70.000 households started in serious last year. By July this year I will have a choice of 60Mbps, 80Mbps and 100Mps. The prices for the subscriptions are officially not known. However it is clear that it will be a big fight between two networks: the glassfiber network of Reggefiber/KPN and the cable network of UPC. So far the two companies keep their cards close to the chest as to the costs of the subscriptions. In the run-up to the fight UPC is already offering personalised subscriptions with internet speeds which are not in the official packages. KPN was only willing to give indications of the packages as they leave an offer to potential subscribers as soon as their glassfiber connection has become available.

Dutch towns and cities, preparing for or having realised fibre net:
Aarle-Rixtel - OnsBrabantNet
Almere - KPN Glasvezel and UNET
Amersfoort - XMS
Amersfoort Hooglanderveen - Community initiative and XMS
Amersfoort Kattenbroek - Community initiative and XMS
Amersfoort Nieuwland - Community initiative and XMS
Amsterdam - Fibre Amsterdam, Citynet, gna, Alice, Concepts ICT, InterNLnet and TweakFiber Amsterdam (Westerdokseiland) - KPN Glasnet
Arnhem - XMS
Bathmen - Glashart and Concepts ICT
Beek and Donk - OnsBrabantNet
Berkel and Rodenrijs - Glashart
Berkelland - B3n-CoopNet
Best - OnsBrabantNet
Biddinghuizen - Solcon
Bronckhorst - B3n-CoopNet
Denekamp - Concepts ICT
Deventer - Concepts ICT and Y-3Net
Diepenveen - Y-3Net
Dijkerhoek - Concepts ICT
Dordrecht - Glashart
Dronten – Community initiative, Glashart and Solcon
Eindhoven - Ons Net
Elburg - KPN Glasvezel and Glashart
Enschede - Glashart, KPN Glasnet, casaNet, Concepts ICT, UNET and Solcon
Etten-leur (Schoenmakershoek) - KPN Glasnet
Geldrop-Mierlo - OnsBrabantNet
Haaksbergen - KPN Glasvezel and Glashart
Helmond - OnsBrabantNet
Hillegom - Lijbrandt telecom Kadaka
Hilversum - XMS, Glashart and KPN
Holten - Glashart, Concepts ICT and Solcon
Hoofddorp - KPN Glasnet
Houten – Community initiative
Laarbeek - OnsBrabantNet
Laren - Solcon
Leiden - XMS
Lieshout - OnsBrabantNet
Lochem - Glashart
Maarheeze – Community initiative
Mariahout - OnsBrabantNet
Nijmegen - Glashart and XMS
Nijmegen Biezen and Hees - Community initiative and XMS
Nijmegen Groenewoud and Galgenveld – Community initiatief
Nijmegen Hazenkamp - Foundation Glazenkamp and XMS
Nijmegen St Anna, Hatertse Hei and de Emanciepatiebuurt – Community initiative
Nijkerk - Glashart
Nuenen - Ons Net
Rijssen - Glashart, Concepts ICT and Solcon
Rotterdam – Foundation Fibre Community Nesselande, Concepts ICT and Luna
Schijndel - Glashart & KPN
Sint Anthonis – Community initiative
Sint Oedenrode - Glashart & KPN
Soest / Soesterberg - XMS
Son and Breugel - Glashart, KPN Glasvezel and Ons Net
Swifterbant - Solcon
Twente - TwenNet
Uden - KPN Glasvezel and Glashart
Utrecht - XMS
Utrecht Lunetten - Community initiative and XMS
Valkenswaard - OnsBrabantNet
Veenendaal - Bewonersinitiatief and XMS
Veghel - KPN Glasvezel and Glashart
Veldhoven - OnsBrabantNet
Vleuterweide - Community initiative and XMS and KPN Glasnet
Wijchen - Foundation Fibre Wijchen ism XMS
Wijk and Aalburg Altena – Community initiative
Zeewolde – Community initiative, Glashart, Solcon and XMS

Blog Posting Number: 1303

Tags: glassfiber