'Opta's annual report shows growing use of triple-play plans'

Triple-play plans were the most sold product on the Dutch communications market last year for the first time, according to market regulator Opta's annual market monitor. Twenty-two percent of Dutch households take a triple-play pack of TV, broadband and fixed telephony, while 20 percent have a broadband and fixed-line bundle and 13 percent a broadband and TV bundle. Cable operators are responsible for the vast majority of the triple-play subscriptions. The regulator's annual report further shows that Opta issued ten fines last year, worth a total EUR 2.124 million, as well as seven sanctions with a threat of a fine. The regulator completed eleven communications market analyses. Looking ahead, the regulator is focused on the price of SMS, which is above the European average, and is also aiming to bring down voice prices. The market monitor, in part based on Telecompaper research, further shows increased digitisation. The percentage of digital telephony lines rose to 37.9 percent last year from 29.7 in 2007, while traditional fixed lines dropped to 56.7 percent from 65.9. The percentage of homes with digital TV also increased, to 48 percent from 38 percent. The growth was due in part to households taking a digital cable subscription in addition to their analogue service. As a result, analogue subscriptions dropped to 78 percent from 81 percent. The mobile market was characterized by the consolidation to just three network operators. Vodafone and T-Mobile have started to win market share form incumbent KPN, based on the third-quarter 2008 data. The number of subscribers continues to grow, to 19.9 million mobile lines. This is equal to one in five Dutch people having two mobiles. On the broadband market, growth slowed to around 21,000 new connections per month at end-2008 from 50,000 a year earlier. The Netherlands remains a world leader in broadband penetration, at around 35.5 lines per 100 inhabitants.

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