12 December 2025
Licences for several key spectrum bands in the Netherlands are due to expire in 2030. This report reviews the current state of the Dutch mobile market and provides recommendations for the upcoming spectrum award which is expected to comprise both existing and new spectrum bands.
We find that the market is performing well across a variety of metrics and that Dutch mobile users enjoy high-quality services at competitive prices. We discuss how European mobile operators face many challenges including:
- Stagnating revenues with high levels of capital expenditure as a result of intense competition and traffic growth.
- The need for investments beyond the usual ‘G’ upgrade cycle including in advanced network security, Artificial Intelligence, edge computing nodes and quantum communications infrastructure.
It is therefore vital to ensure that the upcoming spectrum award does not unduly risk damaging the health of the mobile market or the financial capability of operators to meet these investment requirements. Based on our analysis and drawing upon international best practices, we provide recommendations for the upcoming spectrum award to ensure the mobile market continues to operate well and that the Netherlands is best placed to maximise mobile infrastructure investment and capitalise upon the wider economic growth opportunities arising from this.
The report was submitted to KPN in July 2025, presented to the Ministry of Economic Affairs in September 2025, and can be downloaded below.