Expats – Internet in the Netherlands

So you started to work or study in the Netherlands and you are looking for an internetprovider? Good, we might be of assistance. The Netherlands is ranked very highly in term of broadband penetration. Almost all of our houses and buildings are connected and together with the Swiss we have the most broadband connections per 100 inhabitants. The average download speed lies above the 50Mb/s.

Internet in the NetherlandsIn general all Dutch internetproviders offer steady and high speed internet. And all combine internet with television and a (landline) telephone. There are differences however. The question is more what are looking for? What is important for you? Speed, monthly costs, contract period or a English speaking customer service?

We have several providers. The largest ones are summed up on this site. Let’s have a quick view:

KPN. The oldest ISP (internet service provider) we have. Formerly a state operated business, nowadays private. KPN offers steady internet for a decent price. Not cheap, not expensive. The provider offers all services via DSL or fiber. Most homes do not have access yet to its fibernetwork. KPN offers innovative services as TV on tablet of smartphone and television on demand. Like most providers actually. The internet of KPN is between the 20 and 500 Mb/s.

Ziggo. This is largest one. The provider is relatively new and comes from a marger between several cable companies. Ziggo offers internet via cable. This makes the internet very fast and the advertised speed is the same as you receive. Unlike the DSL-providers – such as KPN – where the speed the promise you is almost never the speed you really get. Ziggo is not one of the cheapest players, but it probably is one of the most complete ones.

Vodafone. A trustworthy provider which is lesser known for its (fixed) internet. However, this is changing. Vodafone offers cheap internet via DSL. The provider combines it with TV and telephone to get to a well priced all-in-one package which is very popular.

Then there are other players like Tele2 and Telfort which offer cheap internet and providers such as XS4ALL that claim to be innovative and ahead of the game. In the end you need to compare some of the packages with each other to see what suits you.

Our advice

All-in-one or Internet Only. Choose the type of package wisely!

Most expats do not watch Dutch television. So unless you really enjoy our channels or some expensive channel upgrades, you probably watch tv via internet. Either Netflix or directly via the website of the different channels. If you do so, choose for an Internet Only subscription. These are cheaper than the All-in-one packages and Internet Only should be sufficient.

Prices range from a promotional price of 10 euro’s a month till 50 euro a month. All provide you with a wireless modem with a pre-installed secured network.

Downloadspeed. Starting at 20Mb/s, end at 500Mb/s

Do you download a lot or use the connection with multiple people? Start looking at 50Mb/s + connections. Especially when you watch television of play games, a faster connection comes in handy. For normal usage a 20Mb/s connection would be sufficient and is cheaper of course. Cable and fiber internetproviders offer faster internet compared to DSL. But DSL is cheaper.

Most providers use a one year contract. After that year you can stop the subscription monthly. This also means you easily switch between providers.

All providers with all their subscription are listed on pakketkiezer.nl. Use the check below to see what available on your address. Questions? Contact us! And yes, we speak English.

1. Selecteer jouw ideale pakket:
2. Vul je postcode en huisnummer in: