NOS News•today, 12:00
Not once did we open the sidewalk for the installation of fiber optic cables, but twice, sometimes within a few weeks. The construction of fiber optic networks is going fast and more than 100,000 homes now have two fiber optic cables in their streets, according to figures from research agency Telecompaper. Especially in recent months, many houses have been added that have two cables in front of the door.
Fiber optic has been installed in many areas in recent years to make fast internet possible. KPN in particular continues to install its own fiber optic cables, regardless of whether a competitor is already active.
That is a conscious choice, says KPN. The telecom company wants to switch customers who currently purchase services via the outdated copper network to KPN’s fiber optic network. In theory, it could also offer services via competitors’ fiber optic networks, but the telecom company opts for its own network.
“We are in the process of replacing our copper network with fiber optic. We are also doing this in places where a network is already in the ground,” says Wouter Stammeijer, board member at KPN. “In the past you had copper and coax and soon you will have fiber optic networks. That gives the consumer a lot of choice.”
The company wants to replace 80 percent of its copper network with fiber optic in the next three years. This also means that more households will receive a second fiber optic connection. Sometimes providers agree when the street will be dug for this purpose, but in practice this often means that the street will be opened twice in a short period of time.
‘Complete madness’
Competitor Delta thinks building a second network is a bad idea. “Double rollout of fiber optic is complete madness,” says director Michiel Admiraal. “Streets open twice, it is expensive and the consumer pays for it. And environmentally speaking, it leads to extra CO2 emissions.”
Supervisory Authority for Consumers and Markets is pleased with several cables in the ground and calls it a good development for competition and the freedom of choice of consumers and companies.
KPN’s strategy means that it becomes more difficult for companies to recoup their investments in fiber optic.
“Constructing is a very expensive business and you will only earn it back if the lines are actually used,” says Erik Compter of Telecompaper. “Ultimately, people only use one line at home. You have Ziggo’s coax line and you have two fiber optic lines, so there are parties that earn nothing on their line.”
He calls it a luxury that the Netherlands has so many good connections. “We have very good networks in the telecom field, both mobile and fixed. This means that consumers can receive very good services.”
More than 7 million connections
Several companies are busy installing fiber optic networks that make fast internet possible. KPN has connected the most homes by far, followed by Delta and Dutch Open Fiber.
Municipalities must allow the installation of fiber optic cables if conditions under the Telecom Act are met.
7.1 million homes are now connected to fiber optic. In one year, approximately 1.5 million connections were added. According to the plan, almost all of the Netherlands will be connected to fiber optic by the end of 2026, except for tens of thousands of houses that, according to the telecom companies, are not profitable enough to install.
