Broadband Internet access cost (BIAC) Autumn 2015 : prices as of September-October 2015 : final report.
Date: 2016-09-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology
Subjects: Internet, Internet access provider, comparative study, data collection, equipment cost, information network, information technology, telecommunications industry

BROADBAND INTERNET 
ACCESS COST 
(BIAC) Autumn 2015 

Prices as of September-October 2015 

FINAL REPORT  

A study prepared for the European Commission 
DG Communications Networks, Content & Technology by: 

Digital 
Single 
Market 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This study was carried out for the European Commission by 

Internal identification 
Contract number:  30-CE-0598139/00-32 
SMART number: 2013/0055 

DISCLAIMER 

By the European Commission, Directorate-General of Communications Networks, Content & Technology.  

The information and views set out in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official 
opinion of  the  Commission. The Commission does not guarantee  the accuracy  of  the  data  included  in this study.  Neither 
the  Commission  nor  any  person  acting  on  the  Commission’s  behalf  may  be  held  responsible  for  the  use  which  may  be 
made of the information contained therein. 

ISBN 978-92-79-57598-3 
doi: 10.2759/755548 

Copyright © 2016 – European Union. All rights reserved. Certain parts are licensed under conditions to the EU.  
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ABSTRACT 

This study monitors broadband prices in the  EU28 and some non-EU countries (European:  Norway, Iceland, 
Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and non-European: Japan, 
Korea, Canada and three states of the USA: California, Colorado and New York). Pricing information of about 
196 ISPs and 4,860 residential broadband offers (both Standalone Internet and bundled with fixed telephony 
and/or television) is collected and compared.  

The  report  presents  broadband  prices  in  autumn  2015  in  several  manners:  1.  Overall  horizontal  analysis  of 
trends on the broadband market; 2. Country fiches presenting an analysis per EU Member State. 

Key findings:  •  Prices for broadband below 30 Mbps have decreased  since 2012, but in a more limited  way 
than those of broadband above 30Mbps and, since 2014, above 100 Mbps • Large price differences between 
countries persist , despite some positive evolution in the most expensive countries • 12-30 Mbps offers are 
gradually being accompanied by 30-100 Mbps offers as providing good value for money, offers with speeds 
over 100 Mbps remain in general very expensive • The actual monthly price paid on average is 17.6% higher 
than  the  monthly  subscription  fee  •  The  EU28  on  average  is  cheaper  than  Canada  and  the  USA,  but  has 
considerably higher broadband prices than South Korea and Japan. 

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RÉSUMÉ 

Cette étude  vise à surveiller le coût de l’internet  à large bande pour les pays de  l’UE28, ainsi que quelques 
autres pays (européens : Norvège, Islande, Suisse, Liechtenstein, Turquie et Ancienne République yougoslave 
de Macédoine, et non européens : Japon, Corée, Canada et trois Etats des USA : Californie, Colorado et New 
York).  Des  informations  sur  les  prix  de  196  Fournisseurs  d’Accès  Internet  (FAI)  et  4860  offres  résidentielles 
(Standalone et packages incluant téléphonie fixe et/ou télévision) y sont collectées et comparées.   

Le  rapport  présente  les  coûts  d’accès  de  l’internet  à  large  bande  en  automne  2015  de  plusieurs  manières 
différentes :  1.    Analyse  horizontale  générale  des  grandes  tendances  sur  le  marché  de  l’internet  fixe ;  2. 
Fiches-pays présentant une analyse par Etat Membre de l’UE. 

Principales conclusions : • les prix des offres d’internet fixe avec une vitesse inférieure à 30 Mbps ont diminué 
depuis 2012, mais de manière plus limitée que ceux des offres de plus de 30 Mbps et, depuis 2014, que ceux 
des  offres  de  plus  de  100  Mbps  •  Malgré  une  évolution  positive  dans  les  pays  les  plus  chers,  une  grande 
disparité  de  prix  existe  toujours  entre  les  Etats  Membres  •  progressivement,  les  offres  30-100  Mbps 
rejoignent  les  offres  12-30  Mbps  comme  étant  celles  qui  offrent  le  meilleur  rapport  qualité/prix,  les  offres 
supérieures  à  100  Mbps  restent  généralement  très  chères  •  Le  coût  mensuel  total  finalement  payé  par  le 
consommateur  est  en  moyenne  17.6%  supérieur  à  l’abonnement  mensuel  •  L’UE28  est  en  moyenne  moins 
chère que le Canada et les USA, mais a des prix de l’internet fixe considérablement plus élevés que ceux de la 
Corée du Sud et du Japon. 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PREFACE ........................................................................................................................................ 8 
MAIN LIMITATIONS OF THE BIAC STUDY ............................................................................................... 9 

0. Executive summary ............................................................................................................... 10 

1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 15 

1.1. Context of the study ................................................................................................................. 15 

1.2. Objective and methodology ...................................................................................................... 15 

1.3. Focus of the analysis ................................................................................................................. 16 

2. Residential broadband prices: key findings .......................................................................... 17 

2.1. Recent evolutions ..................................................................................................................... 17 

2.1.1. Are broadband prices still decreasing? ........................................................................................................ 17 
2.1.2. How did prices evolve in the Member States? ............................................................................................. 18 

2.2. Autumn 2015 prices at a glance ................................................................................................ 19 

2.2.1. Who is best in class? .................................................................................................................................... 21 
2.2.2. Are faster connections more expensive? ..................................................................................................... 21 
2.2.3. Are bundles good value for money? ............................................................................................................ 26 

2.3. Price across technologies and operators ................................................................................... 29 

2.3.1. Who offers the best deal: incumbents or new entrants? ............................................................................. 29 
2.3.2. Are some technologies cheaper than others? ............................................................................................. 30 

2.4. Monthly broadband subscription fee versus actual total monthly price .................................... 31 

2.4.1. How much do consumers actually pay as opposed to the monthly broadband subscription fee? .............. 31 

2.5. Broadband offers and their prices in perspective ...................................................................... 33 

2.5.1. Does the number of offers per category match take-up? ............................................................................ 33 
2.5.2. How much of the income is spent on (bundles with) fixed broadband? ...................................................... 36 

2.6. The bigger picture: Europe in the world .................................................................................... 37 

2.6.1. How does the EU compare to the rest of the world? ................................................................................... 37 

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3. Country profiles .................................................................................................................... 39 

3.1. Austria ...................................................................................................................................... 39 

3.2. Belgium .................................................................................................................................... 46 

3.3. Bulgaria .................................................................................................................................... 52 

3.4. Croatia ...................................................................................................................................... 58 

3.5. Cyprus ....................................................................................................................................... 64 

3.6. The Czech Republic ................................................................................................................... 70 

3.7. Denmark ................................................................................................................................... 76 

3.8. Estonia ...................................................................................................................................... 82 

3.9. Finland ...................................................................................................................................... 88 

3.10. France ..................................................................................................................................... 94 

3.11. Germany ............................................................................................................................... 100 

3.12. Greece .................................................................................................................................. 106 

3.13. Hungary ................................................................................................................................ 112 

3.14. Ireland .................................................................................................................................. 119 

3.15. Italy ...................................................................................................................................... 125 

3.16. Latvia .................................................................................................................................... 131 

3.17. Lithuania ............................................................................................................................... 137 

3.18. Luxembourg .......................................................................................................................... 144 

3.19. Malta .................................................................................................................................... 150 

3.20. The Netherlands ................................................................................................................... 156 

3.21. Poland .................................................................................................................................. 162 

3.22. Portugal ................................................................................................................................ 168 

3.23. Romania ............................................................................................................................... 175 

3.24. Slovakia ................................................................................................................................ 181 

3.25. Slovenia ................................................................................................................................ 188 

3.26. Spain ..................................................................................................................................... 194 

3.27. Sweden ................................................................................................................................. 201 

3.28. The United Kingdom ............................................................................................................. 207 

3.29. Iceland .................................................................................................................................. 213 

3.30. Norway ................................................................................................................................. 219 

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Annexes ................................................................................................................................... 226 

Annex 1: Methodology .................................................................................................................. 226 

0.1.1. Scope of the BIAC study ............................................................................................................................. 226 
0.1.2. Definition of the Broadband Internet Access Cost (BIAC) .......................................................................... 228 
0.1.3. Analysis of the Broadband Internet Access Cost ........................................................................................ 229 

Annex 2: List of ISPs included in the study sample ......................................................................... 231 

Annex 3: Financial parameters ....................................................................................................... 237 

Annex 4: Additional technical parameters ..................................................................................... 238 

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PREFACE 
This report presents the outcome of the 12th ‘Broadband Internet Access Cost’ (BIAC) study1 on the residential 
broadband prices in Europe. 

It is based on the monitoring of about 6,700 residential broadband offers for which data was collected during 
the period 21 September – 10 October 2015, and provides as such the most complete and up-to-date available 
public overview of what is offered in this market. 

The  structure  of  the  BIAC  report  was  entirely  revised  during  the  previous  data  collection  round  (February 
2015),  making  a  clearer  distinction  between  (1)  horizontal  analyses  (i.e.  key  findings)  and  (2)  the  detailed 
analyses  per  country  (i.e.  country  profiles).  The  present  report  follows  the  same  structure,  allowing  for  easy 
comparison. The detailed methodology is presented in Annex 1. 

Since 2011, the full database with broadband offers, including a simulation tool, is published in addition to this 
report2.  These  elements  allow  for  tailor  made  analyses,  not  covered  by  this  report  (notably  for  non-EU 
countries).  

Any  questions  or  comments  on  this  study  can  be  directed  to  Van  Dijk  Management  Consultants  at 
info@bvdmc.com. 

1 Previous reports relate to February and October 2007, 2008 and 2009 and to February 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. No study was made in 2010. 
2 The 2013, 2014  and February 2015 databases can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/study-retail-broadband-
access-prices-february-2015  

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MAIN LIMITATIONS OF THE BIAC STUDY  

The analysis regarding the Broadband Internet Access Cost (BIAC) is characterised by a number of limitations 
which should be kept on mind when reading this report. The main limitations can be summarised as follows: 

1.  The study focusses on fixed broadband only 

The BIAC study only considers the (cost of the) broadband access delivered through fixed technologies 
(e.g. xDSL, FTTx, Cable) or available at fixed locations (in the case of fixed WIMAX or mobile broadband 
at home). The convergence which is currently observed between fixed and mobile broadband (e.g. in 
terms  of  available  download  speeds,  downloadable  data  volumes,  bundled  offers)  is  therefore  not 
reflected in this study. 

2.  The study is based on advertised download speeds 

Since no information is available on the actual speed of each individual broadband offer - which most 
often depends on the location of delivery and the number of customers sharing the access (at a given 
moment)  -  the  BIAC  study  only  considers  the  download  speed  as  advertised  on  the  operator’s 
websites.    A  significant  difference  could  however  exist  between  this  advertised  speed  and  the  real 
speed received by the customer. 

3.  Usage profiles are strictly applied 

In the BIAC study, each offer is assigned to one and only one speed baskets/usage profile depending 
on its download speed. This implies that, when identifying the least expensive offers per basket and 
offer type, each offer is only considered for the usage profile corresponding to its speed. An offer with 
a higher speed is therefore not taken into account in the identification of the least expensive offer for 
a  lower  speed  basket,  even  if  the  former  is  actually  cheaper  and  would  probably  be  chosen  by  a 
rational consumer looking for a lower speed. This can result in higher prices for lower speed baskets, 
which is counter-intuitive. Nevertheless, the chosen approach has the advantage to highlight market 
dynamics by identifying for which speed categories the competition between the different operators is 
the  highest,  leading  to  lower  costs.  The  reader  can  however  easily  see  when  cheaper  offers  are 
available in a higher speed category since results are presented for each speed basket (also at ISP level 
in the country reports).     

4.  Proxies  are  used  when  no  Standalone  offers  are  available  and  when  no  bundles  including  fixed 

services only are available 
Whenever no Standalone offers, but only bundled offers are available for a given speed category at a 
given operator, it has been decided to approximate the cost that a consumer willing to subscribe to a 
fixed  internet  only  offer  would  pay  by  using  the  cost  of  the  cheapest  available  bundle  (but  without 
considering any charges for the other fixed services included in that bundle e.g. call charges).  

Similarly,  in  some  countries,  mobile  services  are  always  included  in  packages  with  fixed  services, 
meaning  that  no  bundled  offers  including  only  fixed  services  are  available.  In  this  case,  bundles 
including  mobile  services  have  been  considered  for  the  analysis  of  fixed  products  (but  without 
considering any additional charges for these services). 

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0.  Executive summary 

As the provision of fast and ultra-fast internet access for all is one of the priority action areas of the “Digital 
Agenda for Europe” (DAE) initiative, the European Commission pursues the monitoring of broadband internet 
access offers, which was started in the frame of the “i2010 – A European Information Society for growth and 
employment” initiative. 

Through the Broadband Internet Access Cost (BIAC) study, it is analysed and compared how much residential 
customers actually pay for fixed broadband3 in the EU28 and a number of other countries (Canada, Iceland, 
Japan,  South  Korea,  Liechtenstein,  the  former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia,  Norway,  USA  (i.e.  State  of 
California, State of Colorado and State of New York), Switzerland and Turkey). 

This report contains the results of the analysis of Standalone and bundled broadband offers collected from a 
broad range of ISPs4 in autumn 2015 (21 September 2015 – 10 October 2015). For all offers, a set of financial 
and technical parameters was collected, allowing to calculate the total cost that a consumer actually pays per 
month.  The  analysis  and  comparison  is  thus  performed  on  this  total  monthly  price,  composed  of  the  basic 
monthly  charges  and  all  other  relevant  elements  such  as  e.g.  the  initial  set-up  charges,  the  rental  price  for 
equipment, discounts, etc. To allow a comparison on a like-to-like basis, the broadband offers are grouped per 
type of service offering and allocated to different speed baskets5, notably: 

Per  country,  type  of  service  offering  and  speed  basket,  the  least  expensive  offer  is  identified,  and  its  total 
monthly price is subsequently compared between countries and over time. 

In autumn 2015, a total of 4.859 Standalone and bundled offers including fixed services were collected6. 37% 
of these are Standalone offers, whereas Double play including Telephony, Triple play and Double play including 
TV respectively account for 26%; 23% and 14% of all collected offers. No less than 49% of offers are provided 
through FTTx technology, while 22% are cable offers and 20% are provided through xDSL. The remaining 9% 
are offers provided through Ethernet, Plug & Play technologies or Satellite. 

The study results show that between 2012 and autumn 2015, at the EU28 level prices for all types of service 
offerings and all speed baskets have fallen, albeit to a different extent. The drop is most consistent over the 
years and at the same time most outspoken for 30-100 Mbps offers, and the largest decline observed of 25.9% 
relates to Double play with fixed telephony offers in this speed range. In the 100+-Mbps range, a drop in prices 
was  for  the  first  time  observed  during  the  previous  data  collection  (February  2015),  and  this  new  trend  is 
further confirmed,  with prices dropping by between 5 and  15% between February and  October 2015. In the 

3 “Broadband Internet Access” is defined as an access assuring an always-on service with speeds in excess of 144 kbps (cf. DAE-scoreboard 2014: 
http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/scoreboard-2014-trends-european-broadband-markets-2014). 
4 Per country, data is collected from the largest ISPs together covering 90% of the market (with a maximum of 8 ISPs per country). For non-EU 
countries, an 80% market coverage is aimed at.  
5 Which each also have different usage levels per service included (e.g. downloadable volume, number of minutes, etc.). 
6 In addition to this, 1852 bundles including mobile telephony and/or mobile broadband were also collected. 

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Types of service offeringsStandalone broadband Double play with Tel: broadbandinabundlewithfixed telephony Double play with TV: broadband in a bundle with TV Triple play: broadbandinabundlewithfixed telephony and TVSpeed baskets144+kbps-1Mbps1+Mbps - 2Mbps2+Mbps- 4Mbps4+Mbps - 8Mbps8+Mbps - 12Mbps12+Mbps - 30Mbps30+Mbps - 100Mbps100+Mbps 
 
 
 
 
                     
 
 
                                                 
lower  speed  baskets  (i.e.  30  Mbps  and  lower),  the  decreasing  trend  in  prices  is  more  limited,  and  has 
furthermore slowed down during the most recent period. For Triple play offers, an increase has recently even 
taken  place  in  these  speed  ranges.  At  the  individual  Member  State  level,  the  good  news  is  that  prices  in 
several speed and service offering baskets have slightly grown closer, as prices in the most expensive country 
or  countries  have  often  decreased.  A  price  drop  is  however  not  a  ubiquitous  trend  among  countries  with 
higher  prices,  and  combined  with  the  fact  that  in  countries  with  lower  prices  a  stable  or  even  downward 
evolution can be observed, considerable differences remain. 

Distinguishing between good and bad performers is not always straightforward, since Member States’ relative 
position in some cases strongly differs between types of service offerings and speed baskets: 

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Figure 1: Clustering7 of countries based on prices for the least expensive offer available for Standalone, Double Play and Triple Play (expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

7 Clustering is performed through the k-means clustering approach, a method that aims to partition all observations in a predefined number of clusters by minimising the average squared Euclidean distance of observations to 
the cluster centre, with 4 clusters.  In the graph, all clusters are centered around the cluster mean, and the size of the clusters illustrates the number of observations belonging to the cluster. 

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A  low  price  for  all  types  of  service  offerings  and  speed  baskets  is  encountered  in  Poland,  and  apart  from 
some  exceptions  also  in  Bulgaria,  France  and  Lithuania,  whereas  Belgium,  Croatia,  Cyprus,  Ireland,  Italy, 
Malta and Spain are expensive for all selected offer types. In other countries, the situation is more mixed, e.g. 
in Czech Republic, Hungary and Sweden Standalone offers are low-priced, while only in the latter country the 
same can be said for Double play with fixed telephony. Similarly, Denmark, Finland, Estonia and Sweden have 
low-priced least expensive offers in the 8+Mbps – 12Mbps range, whereas Latvia offers low prices for speeds 
above 12 Mbps, and Romania in the 100+Mbps-category. 

When expressing these monthly prices as a percentage of income, results are more or less confirmed, as all 
bad performers on average show a percentage of income per capita spent on broadband access that is higher 
than the EU28 average, while nearly all good performers have a percentage below the EU28 average. The only 
exception  is  Bulgaria,  as  on  average,  2.26%  of  Bulgarian  income  per  capita  is  spent  on  broadband  access  as 
defined in the BIAC study, which is more than the EU28 average of 1.9%. The leading positions are reserved 
for France, Lithuania, Finland and Germany, where on average less than 1.40% of income per capita is spent 
on (bundles with) fixed broadband. 

The ‘clustering’ analysis also illustrates the effects of higher speeds and of bundling of products on the offer 
prices: 

-  At  EU28  level,  the  premium  for  upgrading  a  12-30  Mbps  offer  to  the  30-100  Mbps  speed  range  is 
rather limited. This amount of around 2 to 4 EUR/PPP is in stark contrast to the premium of 13 to 14 
EUR that needs to be paid on average in the EU for upgrading from a 30-100 Mbps offer to an offer 
of  more  than  100  Mbps.  Moreover,  individual  country  premiums  for  passing  the  100  Mbps  cap  are 
much  more diverse and  can in some cases (i.e.  Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia)8 even be larger than 50 
EUR/PPP. Also, countries in which the price of the least expensive 100+ Mbps offer is lower than the 
30-100  Mbps  equivalent,  are  scarce,  while  a  negative  premium  for  going  from  a  12-30  to  a  30-100 
Mbps  offers  appears  in  a  handful  of  countries  for  all  types  of  service  offerings.  Finally,  this  in  some 
cases negative correlation between speeds and prices becomes the general rule for the lower speed 
basket:  indeed,  in  many  countries  the  least  expensive  available  offer  in  the  12-30  Mbps  basket  is 
cheaper  than that  of  the  8-12  Mbps  basket,  resulting  in  a  negative  premium  of  -1  to  -6  EUR/PPP  at 
EU28  level.  Considering  all  these  elements,  it  is  therefore  not  surprising  that,  for  the  three  types  of 
bundles, the EU28 average of 30-100 least expensive offers is also cheaper than that of the 8-12 Mbps 
basket. 

- 

In general, prices increase as services are added, but, as was observed during the last BIAC exercise, 
the  addition  of  fixed  telephony  usually  comes  at  a  higher  price  than  the  addition  of  TV,  i.e. 
respectively  +9.5  to  10.5  EUR/PPP  and  +5.5  to  8  EUR/PPP  on  average.  Moreover,  there  are  some 
exceptions  to  the  overall  trend,  as  in  a  couple  of  countries  the  least  expensive  Triple  play  offer  is 
cheaper than the least expensive Double play offer (with Telephony or TV). In the 30-100 Mbps basket 
in Hungary, the least expensive Triple play offer is cheaper than both types of Double play offers, while 
in Cyprus and France Triple play is cheaper than Double play with Tel in several speed baskets. 

The BIAC data collection exercise results in a rich dataset allowing for several insights: 

From  the  EU-wide  statistics  on  least  expensive  offers  resulting  from  the  study,  the  following 
observations can be made: 

8 In the former two countries, this is the case for Triple play offers, while in the latter two countries, this is the case for Standalone offers. 

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- 

31% of offers are provided by incumbents. However, incumbents offer the cheapest product 
only in around 10% of cases. This is a considerable drop  from the  20% observed during the 
last BIAC exercise. Relatively speaking, incumbents seem to more often offer the best deals for 
Triple play and Double play with Tel offers. 

-  Nearly 3 out of 4 least expensive offers in the 30-100 Mbps basket are FTTx offers, while in the 
lower  basket  (12-30  Mbps),  FTTx  together  with  xDSL  accounts  for  around  2  out  of  3  least 
expensive  offers.  In  the  latter  basket,  cable  thus  comes  out  more  often  as  least  expensive 
technology,  i.e.  in  26.3%  versus  18.6%  (for  30-100  Mbps)  of  cases.  These  percentages  are 
rather in line with the relative importance of cable offers in the entire collected sample (22%).  

When  not  only  focusing  on  the  statistics  of  least  expensive  offers  per  category  but  on  those  of  all 
collected offers, a comparison can be made with EU take-up figures per speed basket and per type of 
service  offering.  While  no  real  trend  can  be  derived  from  the  correspondence  between  the  types  of 
service  offerings  provided  by  ISPs  and  those  subscribed  to  by  customers,  the  comparison  of  the 
relative importance of speed categories in the number of collected offers and the take-up per speed 
category shows that lower speed offers appear to still be more popular among consumers than what 
is proposed. Above 10/12 Mbps and especially above 30 Mbps, the relative number of offers clearly 
surpasses  the  demand.  This  observation  is  very  similar  to  what  was  seen  during  the  February  2015 
exercise. The only difference is that there are now a few more countries where this effect can only be 
observed  for  speeds  above  30  Mbps.  This  information  thus  further  confirms  last  year’s  observation 
that  many  consumers  do  not  migrate  to  higher  speed  products  simply  because  these  become 
available. The changeover to higher speed can first be observed at the offers and then at the take-
up.  

Further analysis of all collected offers shows that on average, 85% of the price paid by consumers on a monthly 
basis corresponds to the monthly subscription fee, the remaining 15% thus covering additional recurring and 
(a  part  of)  non-recurring  costs  (equipment,  installation,  activation,  etc.).  Like  during  the  last  BIAC  exercise, 
especially  in  Bulgaria,  Finland,  Lithuania  and  Poland  does  the  advertised  price  correspond  very  well  to  the 
actual price to be paid. While in Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom, more than 30% needs to be added to 
the advertised price. In the United Kingdom, the price consumers actually pay is even more than double the 
advertised price9. 

Finally, in all cases, the EU28 average of least expensive offers is substantially cheaper than that of the USA and 
Canada.  Above  30  Mbps  however,  offers  from  Japan  and  South  Korea  come  into  the  equation,  and  these 
countries  systematically  have  lower  least  expensive  prices  than  the  EU28  on  average.  The  price  of  least 
expensive  30-100  Mbps  offers  is  indeed  on  average  8%  higher  than  in  Japan  and  29%  higher  than  in  South 
Korea.  The  gap  is  even  larger  for  100+  Mbps  offers  (i.e.  on  average  +57%  compared  to  Japan  and  +40% 
compared to South Korea). 

9  This  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  to  nearly  every  offer  a  separate  charge  needs  to  be  added  to  fixed  telephone  line  rental  or  cable  TV 
subscription, whereas in other countries this fee is more often included in the monthly broadband subscription fee. 

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1.  Introduction 

1.1.  Context of the study 

In  2005,  the  European  Commission  launched  the  “i2010  –  A  European  Information  Society  for  growth  and 
employment”  initiative.  i2010  was  a  policy  framework  laying  out  broadband  policy  guidelines  for  the 
information  society  and  media  up  to  2010.  Under  this  initiative  the  Commission  carried  out  a  first  series  of 
Broadband Internet Access Costs (BIAC) studies.  

In 2010, the “Digital Agenda for Europe” (DAE) was launched, a new strategy which aims at promoting high-
speed internet and delivering sustainable economic and social benefits from a Digital Single Market.  

This  agenda  defines  several  priority  action  areas,  among  which  the  provision  of  fast  and  ultra-fast  internet 
access for all. More precisely, the objective is to make broadband accessible to all Europeans by 2013, and to 
provide universal internet access at speeds above 30 Mbps by 2020, with over 50% of households subscribing 
to internet connections above 100 Mbps.  

In 2015, the completion of the Digital Single Market is one of its 10 priorities of the new Juncker Commission. 
Indeed,  the  removal  of  existing  barriers  between  fragmented  national  markets  is  expected  to  boost  jobs, 
growth, competition, investment and innovation in Europe. Among the objectives of the Digital Single Market 
Strategy for Europe10, which is now included in the DEA initiative11, the Commission wants to “create the right 
conditions  and  a  level  playing  field  for  advanced  Digital  networks  and  innovative  services”  by,  among  other 
things,  “making  the  telecoms  rules  fit  for  purpose”.  By  “giving  more  ambitions  to  the  ongoing  reforms  on 
Telecom  rules”12,  one  of  the  aim  is  to  ensure  that  European  consumers  can  benefit  from  high-performance 
infrastructures at affordable prices.  

As part of the DAE initiative, the Commission wishes to pursue the monitoring  of broadband internet access 
offers.  The  results  are  used  in  the  Digital  Economy  and  Society  Index  (DESI)  and  as  input  for  the  European 
Semester. 

1.2.  Objective and methodology 

The BIAC study aims at analysing and comparing what residential customers actually pay for fixed broadband13 
in the EU28 and a number of other countries (Canada, Iceland, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, the former 
Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia,  Norway,  USA  (i.e.  State  of  California,  State  of  Colorado  and  State  of  New 
York), Switzerland and Turkey). 

For doing so, data on Standalone and bundled broadband offers is collected from a broad range of ISPs, with 
the  aim  of  covering  90%  of  the  market14.  The  data  used  for  this  exercise  were  directly  collected  on  the 
operator’s websites in February 2015.  

The data set contains a broad set of financial and technical parameters per offer that allow for calculating the 
total cost a consumer actually pays per month. This total monthly price is the key value we use in our analyses; 

10 http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/digital-single-market/docs/dsm-communication_en.pdf  
11 http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/digital-single-market  
12 http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/digital-single-market/index_en.htm  
13 “Broadband Internet Access” is defined as an access assuring an always-on service with speeds in excess of 144 kbps (cf. DAE-scoreboard 2014 : 
http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/scoreboard-2014-trends-european-broadband-markets-2014). 
14 For non-EU countries, an 80% market coverage is aimed at.  

15 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from Autumn 2015 

 
                   
 
 
 
                                                 
it is composed of the basic monthly charges and all other relevant elements such as e.g. initial set-up charges, 
the rental price for equipment, discounts, etc.15. It is referred to as “the (broadband) price” in the remainder of 
this document.  

To allow a comparison on a like-to-like basis, the broadband offers are grouped per type of service offering, i.e. 
Standalone broadband, broadband in a bundle with fixed telephony or TV (Double play) and broadband in a 
bundle with fixed telephony and TV (Triple play). Also, the offers are allocated to different speed16  baskets, 
which  each  also  have  different  usage  levels  per  service  included  (e.g.  downloadable  volume,  number  of 
minutes,  etc.).  Also,  appropriate  exchange  rates  and  Euro  Purchasing  Power  Parities  (Euro  PPP)  have  been 
applied  for  making  the  offers  better  comparable  in  financial  terms.  The  detailed  description  of  the 
methodology can be found in Annex I. 

1.3.  Focus of the analysis 

The  first  chapter  presents  the  main  findings  regarding  the  residential  fixed  broadband  prices  in  Europe.  As 
pointed  out  above,  the  full  dataset  is  very  comprehensive  and  contains  a  very  wide  range  of  broadband 
products (e.g. with speeds varying from 144 kbps to several 100 Mbps and containing different types of service 
offerings). Therefore, the following analysis mainly zooms in on the broadband services that are most offered 
and  bought,  i.e.  offers  with  speeds  between  12  and  30  Mbps  (included)  and  between  30  and  100  Mbps 
(included). For some analyses however, a wider speed scope is deemed relevant. 

In  the  second  chapter,  an  analysis  is  made  at  the  level  of  the  individual  Member  States.  These  “country 
profiles”  give  more  insight  in  the  specific  situation  and  results  of  all  EU28  countries,  as  well  as  Iceland  and 
Norway, and compare results with the overall EU28 figures. 

15 All costing elements are converted in a total monthly price by assuming that a consumer maintains the same broadband offer for a period of 3 
years (36 months). This duration was determined in consultation with the Commission and is based on churn rate indications. 
16 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

16 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from Autumn 2015 

 
                   
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
2.  Residential broadband prices: key findings 

The key findings of the autumn 2015 broadband price monitoring study are structured around the following six 
topics: 

−  Recent evolutions; 
−  Autumn 2015 prices at a glance; 
−  Price determining factors; 
−  Monthly broadband subscription fee versus actual total monthly price; 
−  Broadband offers and their prices in perspective; 
−  The bigger picture: Europe in the world. 

2.1.  Recent evolutions  

2.1.1. Are broadband prices still decreasing? 

Figure 2: Evolution of EU28 broadband prices between 2012 and October 2015 (based on least expensive prices and expressed in 
EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

Overall,  from  February  2012  to  autumn  2015,  prices  for  broadband  in  the  EU28  have  fallen  by  7.7%17  to 
25.9%18. This drop is most outspoken for the 30-100 Mbps range, in which prices for all broadband products 

17 For Standalone offers with speeds between 12 Mbps and 30 Mbps. 
18 For Double play with Fixed telephony (Tel) offers with speeds between 30 Mbps and 100 Mbps. 

17 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from Autumn 2015 

 
                   
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
have decreased in all consecutive years. Between February19 and October 2015 however, the decrease appears 
to have slowed down in this speed range, i.e. it is situated between 0.9%  and 5.3%, depending on the  offer 
type20. 

In  the  lower  speed  ranges  (2-12Mbps  and  12-30  Mbps),  prices  have  also  just  slightly  decreased  in  the  most 
recent comparison period, with the exception of triple play prices: the significant drop observed last year, has 
been partially undone between February and October 2015. With the exception of Triple play, the 2-12Mbps 
appears to furthermore be the range with the most stable prices between 2012 and October 2015 

For offers with speeds higher than 100 Mbps, the downward price trend starting in 2014 is further confirmed, 
with prices dropping between 5.4%21 and 14.4%22 between February and October 2015. 

2.1.2. How did prices evolve in the Member States? 

Figure 3: Evolution of Standalone and Triple Play prices in individual countries between February and October 2015 (based on least 
expensive prices and expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

For both standalone baskets under consideration and the Triple play 12-30Mbps basket, prices for residential 
broadband in the EU28 countries have slightly grown closer. Indeed, for all 3 baskets, the difference between 
the highest and lowest value observed has gotten smaller (in absolute terms). For the standalone baskets, this 

19 The report presenting the results of the February 2015 BIAC study is available at:  
 http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/document.cfm?action=display&doc_id=11183 
20 Whereas in the previous period (i.e. between 2014 and February 2015), the decrease ranged between 7% and 16.4%. 
21 Standalone 
22 Double play with TV 

18 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from Autumn 2015 

 
                   
 
 
 
 
                                                 
effect can largely be attributed to Cyprus, in which the high prices have decreased by -17.8 to -23.9% between 
February and October 2015. In the Triple play 12-30Mbps basket, Ireland is cause for a similar effect.  

Unlike  what  was  observed  during  the  February  2015  exercise,  decreasing  prices  for  expensive  countries 
currently are by no means a ubiquitous trend. Indeed, in Spain prices for all four baskets under consideration 
have increased further, as have Portuguese Triple play prices. In the 30-100Mbps, Portuguese prices even grow 
by 46.7%23. In this basket, prices in high-priced country Ireland also go up considerably, but at the same time 
they decrease in the 12-30Mbps range.  

In  countries  with  lower  prices,  a  rather  stable  situation  is  observed  in  many  cases,  while  in  most  others  a 
further downward evolution takes place24, like was observed during the previous BIAC exercise. Exceptions are 
Estonia  (for  both  12-30Mbps  baskets)  and  Finland  (for  Triple  play  baskets),  where  prices  go  up  by  between 
15.7%25 and 46.9%26. Furthermore, in the United Kingdom, prices have even gone up in all four baskets under 
consideration. 

2.2. Autumn 2015 prices at a glance 

Zooming in on current prices (October 2015), the following figure classifies EU countries in 4 groups. For each 
product  group  and  speed  basket,  the  clustering27  takes  account  of  the  price  of  the  least  expensive  offer 
available. To allow for a detailed comparison, results for all speed baskets above 8Mbps are presented. 

23 For more explications, please see the country profile on Portugal. 
24 E.g. Estonia and Lithuania in the 30+Mbps-100Mbps range and Poland for both Triple play baskets. 
25 Estonia Triple play 12+Mbps-30Mbps. 
26 Estonia Standalone 12+Mbps-30Mbps. 
27  Clustering  is  done  following  the  k-means  clustering  approach,  a  method  that  aims  to  partition  all  observations  in  a  predefined  number  of 
clusters by minimising the average squared Euclidean distance of observations to the cluster centre. 

19 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from Autumn 2015 

 
                   
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
 
Figure 4: Clustering28 of countries based on prices for the least expensive offer available for Standalone, Double Play and Triple Play (expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

28 Clustering is performed through the k-means clustering approach (see above) with 4 clusters. In the graph, all clusters are centered around the cluster mean, and the size of the clusters illustrates the number of observations 
belonging to the cluster. 

20 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from Autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
2.2.1. Who is best in class? 

Looking at all speed baskets and Standalone, Double play and Triple play least expensive offers together, only 
very few countries appear to offer cheap prices across all combinations. Only Poland is systematically present 
in  the  lowest  or  the  second  lowest  cluster,  and  with  some  exceptions,  the  same  can  be  said  of  Bulgaria, 
France and Lithuania. During the February 2015 exercise, Bulgaria and Estonia came out as top rankers. 

Other trends in the low price segments are more dispersed: 

 

  8+Mbps  -  12Mbps  least  expensive  offers  are  low-priced  are  systematically  low-priced  in  Denmark, 
Finland,  Estonia,  and  Sweden  and  in  the  latter  relatively  cheap  offers  are  also  available  in  the 
30+Mbps-100Mbps range; 
Standalone least expensive offers of Hungary are systematically low-priced, as are 100+Mbps offers of 
Romania. Czech Republic moreover has low prices for offers of both categories; 
Latvia offers low prices for the higher speeds, i.e. above 12Mbps; 
Swedish least expensive offers score well for Standalone and Double play with fixed telephony. 

 
 

On the other side of the ranking, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Malta and Spain are expensive for 
all selected offer types. Aside from some exceptions, the same goes for Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, 
Portugal and Slovenia. Only Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands are new in this list of bad performers (i.e. 
compared to February 2015). 

2.2.2. Are faster connections more expensive? 

Clustering of least expensive offers also gives an insight into the relationship between speed and price. From 
the  figure  above  it  can  be  concluded  that  a  positive  correlation  between  both  does  not  appear  as 
straightforwardly  as  intuitively  expected.  Indeed,  as  was  also  observed  in  last  year’s  exercise,  in  a  large 
number of countries29 for which offers are available in both baskets 8-12 Mbps and 12-30 Mbps, there is at 
least one offer from the 12-30 Mbps basket which is cheaper than the least expensive offer in basket 8-12 
Mbps.  In  consequence,  the  EU28  average  is  also  lower  for  all  four  types  of  service  offerings  under 
consideration. In some cases, the cheaper 12-30 Mbps offer is provided by an ISP30 that does not provide any 
offers in the 8-12 Mbps basket, while in other cases both are offered by the same ISP, but in lower baskets the 
ISP does not provide for offers of the same technology as that of the 12–30 Mbps least expensive offer, or the 
geographical coverage of the offers is not the same.  

Furthermore, 30-100 Mbps offers are only slightly more expensive than 12-30 Mbps offers: at EU28 level, the 
variation ranges from 4 to  19%, and  the difference becomes smaller as more services are included. In some 
individual countries, the least expensive 30-100 Mbps offer is even cheaper than that of the 12-30Mbps basket 
(see below). In view of the above, it is not surprising that for all types of service offerings, there are also several 
countries  in  which  the  30-100  Mbps  offer  is  cheaper  than  the  8-12  Mbps  offer,  and  for  the  three  types  of 
bundles, the EU28 average for 30-100 Mbps is lower than that of the 8-12 Mbps basket. 

However, once the 100 Mbps cap is passed, the EU average augments by 30 to 55% compared to that of the 
lower speed basket (this was 40 to 60% during the February 2015 exercise), and only in one or two instances in 

29 In 13 out of 19 countries for standalone offers (AT, BG, HR, CY, CZ, DE, HU, LV, LT, PL, SK, SI and ES), in 9 out of 18 countries for double play with 
fixed telephony (DE, HU, IT, LV, PL, PT, SK, SI and ES), in 7 out of 14 countries for double play with TV (HR, CY, CZ, HU, LV, PL and SK) and in 6 out 
of 14 countries for triple play (CY, LV, PL, SK, SI and ES). 
30 ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. 

21 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom is the least expensive 100+ Mbps offer cheaper than that of the 30-
100 Mbps basket31. 

The clustering graph also illustrates that especially in the 8-12 and 100+ Mbps baskets, it is not uncommon that 
there are a small number of countries showcasing extremely high prices. The most extreme case is that of the 
100+ Mbps Standalone offers, in which the Maltese least expensive offer price is 3 times the EU28 average32, 
and 8 times the least expensive offer from the Czech Republic33. In the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps basket, prices 
of different countries in general are more converged. 

The following graphs compare individual country prices for 12-30 Mbps and 30-100 Mbps in a more detailed 
way. As already mentioned, while at EU28 level for these speed ranges offers with higher speeds have higher 
prices, several countries show inverse results: for all types of service offers (Standalone, Double play with fixed 
telephony, Double play with TV and Triple play) there are between 4 and 7 countries showing lower prices for 
a  higher  speed34.  In  Belgium,  Estonia  and  Sweden,  this  is  the  case  for  all  four  service  baskets  under 
consideration. In several cases the price difference is substantial, e.g. in Sweden the Double Play with TV offer 
in the 30-100 Mbps range is 48% cheaper than that of the 12-30 Mbps range. 

31 These however appear in very particular situations, which are explained in further detail in the corresponding country profiles. 
32 It should however be mentioned that this price is not really representative since only 3 Standalone offers are available for  this speed range in 
Malta.  Moreover,  subscriptions  of  at  least  100  Mbps  are  not  very  popular  in  the  country  (i.e.  around  1%  of  the  total  number  of  broadband 
subscriptions). 
33 100+ Mbps offers account for 8.3% of broadband subscriptions in this country that showcases the lowest least expensive 100+ Mbps offer price 
of all EU countries. 
34 For Standalone offers: BE, EE, HI, IE, LT, RO and SE; For Double play with fixed telephony: BE, EE, PT and SE, for Double play with TV: BE, EE, RO 
and SE; for Triple play: BE, EE, HU, LU, RO and SE. 

22 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 5: Comparison of broadband prices per speed category for Standalone offers, Double Play and Triple Play (based on least 
expensive offers and expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

The fact that higher speeds come with relatively low price premiums is further confirmed in the graphs below, 
which show the price of one single Mbps for the least expensive Standalone offer in the speed ranges 8-12, 12-
30 and 30-100 Mbps. 

23 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
Figure 6: Unit cost (per Mbps) of the least expensive Standalone offer in 8+Mbps – 12 Mbps, 12+Mbps – 30 Mbps and 30+Mbps - 100 
Mbps baskets (expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

As expected, unit prices per Mbps drop significantly for higher speed ranges, i.e. at the EU28 level the price per 
Mbps  drops  from  2.20  to  1.09  EUR/PPP  (for  respectively  8-12  Mbps  and  12-30  Mbps  offers),  and  further  to 
0.49 EUR/PPP for 30-100 Mbps. At the individual country level this overall trend is largely confirmed, with the 
exception of Bulgaria and Malta, for which the price per Mbps in the 12-30 range is slightly lower than that in 
the 30-100 Mbps range, resulting in a drop in ranking of respectively 12 and 15 places.  

24 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
These graphs are useful not only to illustrate the effect of higher speeds on prices, but also have the additional 
benefit that the effect of the price ranges has been filtered out. Indeed, it needs to be kept in mind that the 
comparisons above (e.g. clustering in Figure 4) are done at the level of the ranges of speed in which the offers 
with different speeds are to be situated. Especially for higher speeds, these differences can be important (e.g. 
offers  situated  in  the  30-100  Mbps  range  vary  substantially  in  terms  of  the  associated  speed,  which  can  be 
situated anywhere between 30 and 100 Mbps).  

A comparison of the ranking in terms of price per Mbps with the cluster ranking in Figure 4 shows that only 
very few differences can be observed in the 8-12 Mbps range: Portugal, the only country with a least expensive 
offer in this range that applies to a 12 Mbps offer, would climb 4 places if the ranking is based on per individual 
Mbps  prices.  In  the  12-30  Mbps  range  however,  Denmark  and  Slovenia  drop  no  less  than  7  places  in  the 
ranking, whereas Belgium and Malta rise by respectively 12 and 9 places. This effect is logical given that the 
least  expensive  offer  of  the  former  countries  is  one  of  15  Mbps,  whereas  that  of  Belgium  and  Malta  has  a 
speed double as high (30 Mbps). The ranking of Ireland and Italy also improves greatly35 in the 30-100 Mbps 
range  when  focusing  on  the  price  per  Mbps,  whereas  Bulgaria  drops  no  less  than  9  places.  Again,  least 
expensive offers in Ireland and Italy are at the maximum speed of the range (100 Mbps), while the Bulgarian 
offer is one of 35 Mbps. 

Finally, the graph below compares the price differences between 12-30 and 30-100 least expensive offers and 
between 30-100 and 100+ least expensive offers per country, for both Standalone and Tripe Play offers. This 
again confirms that in a few countries, the least expensive 30-100 Mbps offer is cheaper than that in the 12-30 
Mbps  range.  In  Belgium,  Estonia  and  Sweden,  this  is  the  case  for  both  types  of  service  offerings  under 
consideration. 

35 I.e. by 10 places. 

25 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 7 : Price premium for 30+Mbps - 100 Mbps and 100+ Mbps offers compared to price of lower speed range (based on least expensive 

offers price and expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

Furthermore, while the range of high speed premiums is situated between -8 and +19 EUR/PPP and -15 and 
+18 EUR/PPP for Standalone and Triple Play respectively, the variation is much larger in the 100+ Mbps range, 
where differences range somewhere between -10 and  +81 EUR/PPP and -17 and +56 EUR/PPP, depending on 
the  country.  Only  few  countries  however  charge  such  extremely  large  premiums  for  the  very  high-speed 
baskets, which explains why at EU28 level the premiums are much more moderate (+14 and +13 EUR/PPP for 
Standalone and Triple Play offers respectively). At EU28 level, the premium for moving from a 30-100 to a 100+ 
Mbps offer is however considerably more important than the premium for moving from a 12-30 to a 30-100 
Mbps offer: for Standalone offers, these respectively amount to +14 and +4 EUR/PPP, and for Triple Play offers, 
premiums of +13 and +2 EUR/PPP are observed.  

2.2.3. Are bundles good value for money? 

In recent years, bundles became more and more popular. During last year’s exercise it was observed that the 
importance of bundles in the set of collected offers stabilised, and this trend seems to be further confirmed 
when  comparing  the  dataset  of  February  and  October  2015:  the  importance  of  Standalone36  offers  in  all 
collected offers including fixed services (internet access + potentially telephony and/or television) only slightly 
decreased, from 32% to 30.6%. 

The clusters in Figure 4 illustrate that prices increase as services (telephony, television) are added, albeit not to 
a  uniform  extent  for  the  different  services.  Trends  go  in  the  same direction  as  was  observed  during  the  last 

36  This  excludes  standalone  offers  that  in  reality  are  bundled  offers,  but  which  have  been  considered  as  a  proxy  for  the  cost  of  a  standalone 
service for those ISPs no longer offering standalone internet.  

26 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
BIAC exercise. More particularly, adding fixed telephony to obtain a Double play offer on average increases 
the Standalone price by 3737 to 48%38, which in absolute terms is around 9.5-10.5 EUR/PPP on average for the 
EU. Making it a Triple play offer by bundling the package further with television only adds around 23%39 to 
28%40  to  the  Double  play  price.  This  corresponds  to  a  supplement  of  about  8  to  9  EUR/PPP  for  the  EU  on 
average. Similarly, adding TV to a Standalone offer to obtain a Double play offer with TV on average increases 
the  Standalone  price  by  around  5.5-8  EUR/PPP  on  average  (22  to  38%  increase),  while  further  adding  fixed 
telephony to obtain a Triple play offer comes with a supplement of 12-13 EUR/PPP (38% to 44% increase). 

Zooming  in  on  price  differences  between  Standalone,  Double  play  and  Triple  play  on  an  individual  country 
basis, the following graph reveals the diversity in situations. 

Figure 8: Comparison of Standalone, Double Play and Triple Play prices for 12+Mbps - 30 Mbps and 30+Mbps - 100 Mbps offers (based 
on least expensive offers price and expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included) 

Price increases for addition of telephony (Double play) are much more limited than the EU averages in Bulgaria 
and Spain41, and also in Romania in the 12-30 Mbps range and Greece for the 30-100Mbps range. Triple play 
prices are also very close to Double play prices in Latvia and the United Kingdom, and in the 12-30 Mbps and 
30-100Mbps range also in respectively Poland and Slovenia. 

37 For offers with speeds between 30 and 100 Mbps. 
38 For offers with speeds between 12 and 30 Mbps. 
39 For offers with speeds between 30 and 100 Mbps. 
40 For offers with speeds between 12 and 30 Mbps. 
41 It should however be noted that in Spain, more than 80% of Standalone offers are actually “proxies” (i.e. bundled offers also considered as 
Standalone because the ISP does not provide a Standalone offer). Also in Greece and Romania the proportion of “proxies” is relatively high (i.e. 
respectively 50% and 35% of the total number of Standalone offers in the sample). 

27 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
The  positive  correlation  between  prices  and  services  included  is  moreover  not  ubiquitous.  For  both  speed 
baskets under consideration, the least expensive Triple play offer is cheaper than the least expensive Double 
play  with  fixed  telephony  offer  in  Cyprus  and  France.  In  the  30-100Mbps  range,  the  same  is  also  true  for 
Hungary. In the latter country, the Triple play offer is also less expensive than the Double play with TV offer in 
the 30-100 Mbps basket, while in the 12-30 Mbps basket this situation appears in Romania and Sweden. In all 
cases, the cheaper least expensive Triple play offer is offered by another ISP than the one offering the Double 
play least expensive offer. 

28 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
2.3.  Price across technologies and operators 

2.3.1. Who offers the best deal: incumbents or new entrants?  

The chart below illustrates in how many Member States the least expensive option is offered by an incumbent 
or a new entrant in EU countries. The graph below however makes abstraction of the fact that new entrant’s 
offers are more often geographically limited.   

Figure 9: Number of least expensive offers from incumbent ISPs versus from New entrants 

The  least  expensive  offers  per  country  are,  in  around  90%  of  cases,  provided  by  new  entrants.  This  is  a 
considerable  increase  compared  to  the  February  2015  data  collection,  when  80%  of  least  expensive  offers 
came from new entrants. 

As a matter of fact, offers coming from an incumbent are most common in Finland, where in all eight speed-
service  offering  combinations  shown  above,  the  least  expensive  offer  comes  from  the  incumbent42.  Other 
countries in which the incumbent often provides the least expensive offer, are Hungary, Malta and Romania43.  

For  both  speed  ranges  under  consideration,  the  proportion  of  least  expensive  offers  from  incumbents  is 
slightly  higher  for  Triple  play  and  Double  play  with  Telephony  offers.  In  both  baskets  of  the  latter  type, 
Hungary, Malta and Romania’s least expensive offers are provided by incumbents, and this is also the case in 
one of the two Triple play baskets. The Swedish and British incumbent also provide the least expensive offer in 
one of the two Triple play baskets44. 

Finally, when taking a closer look at the countries where a new entrant offer is the least expensive one, it can 
be concluded that the incumbent’s offer with the lowest price is on average between around 57% and 95% 
more  expensive  than  the  least  expensive  offer  overall,  and  the  relative  difference  is  the  highest  for 
Standalone offers.  

42 Which is logical since all Finnish ISPs in the sample are incumbents. 
43 Respectively in 6, 4 and 3 out of the 8 speed-service offering combinations shown in the graph. 
44 12+ Mbps -30 Mbps and 30+ Mbps - 100 Mbps respectively. 

29 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

051015202530Standalone12+Mbps -30MbpsDouble Playwith Tel12+Mbps -30MbpsDouble Playwith TV12+Mbps -30MbpsTriple Play12+Mbps -30MbpsStandalone30+Mbps -100MbpsDouble Playwith Tel30+Mbps -100MbpsDouble Playwith TV30+Mbps -100MbpsTriple Play30+Mbps -100MbpsIncumbentNew EntrantLeast expensive offers from Incumbents and New entrants 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
2.3.2. Are some technologies cheaper than others? 

The  chart  below  displays  the  occurrence  of  xDSL45,  FTTx  and  Cable  technology  among  the  least  expensive 
offers in the EU28 countries. 

Figure 10: Number of least expensive offers per type of technology46 

The least expensive offers in EU countries are more frequently provided through xDSL and FTTx technologies 
rather than through cable networks. Indeed, on average only 24%47 of the least expensive 12-30 Mbps and 30-
100 Mbps offers are provided through cable technology. Relatively speaking, the occurrence of a cable offer as 
least  expensive  is  most  frequently  encountered  for  12-30  Mbps  offers.  Within  this  speed  range,  especially 
Standalone  least  expensive  offers  seem  to  often  be  provided  through  cable  technology:  with  a  relative 
proportion  of  40%,  least  expensive  offers  appear  slightly  more  frequently  through  cable  technology  than 
through xDSL (36% of cases). 

The highest proportion of xDSL as least expensive technology is encountered for 12-30 Mbps Double play with 
fixed  telephony  (54.2%),  while  for  FTTx  this  is  the  case  for  30-100  Mbps  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony 
(85.2%). 

45 The category ‘xDSL technology’ is limited to offers with speeds up to 24Mbps. Since the infrastructure used to provide VDSL offers is mainly 
composed of optical fibre cable, these offers have been classified under FTTx. For this reason, xDSL technology is not presented in the Figure 8 for 
offers with 30-100 Mbps speeds.  
46 Number of EU28 countries where the different technologies are available: 

Standalone 
Double play with Tel 
Double play with TV 
Triple play 

12+Mbps - 30 Mbps 

xDSL 
26 
26 
15 
24 

FTTx 
20 
20 
12 
18 

Cable 
20 
12 
13 
16 

30+Mbps - 100 Mbps 
Cable 
FTTx 
23 
28 
12 
28 
16 
17 
21 
27 

47  This  proportion  varies  according  to  the  type  of  service  and  the  speed  category  between  14.8%  for  30-100  Mbps  double  play  with  fixed 
telephony and 40% for 12-30 Mbps standalone.    

30 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0510152025Standalone12+Mbps -30MbpsDouble Playwith Tel12+Mbps -30MbpsDouble Playwith TV12+Mbps -30MbpsTriple Play12+Mbps -30MbpsStandalone30+Mbps -100MbpsDouble Playwith Tel30+Mbps -100MbpsDouble Playwith TV30+Mbps -100MbpsTriple Play30+Mbps -100MbpsxDSLFTTxCableLeast expensive offers per technology 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
 
2.4.  Monthly broadband subscription fee versus actual total monthly price 

On their websites, ISPs  generally draw consumer’s attention to the monthly broadband subscription fee and 
any possible discounts that apply at a given moment. However, when looking more closely at prices, a number 
of additional costs for installation, activation, hardware equipment, etc. 48 also come into play. By adding these 
to  the  monthly  broadband  subscription  fee  and  by  depreciating  the  non-recurring  ones  over  the  assumed 
average period that consumers maintain their broadband subscription49, the actual total monthly price can be 
determined.  

2.4.1. How much do consumers actually pay as opposed to the monthly broadband 

subscription fee? 

Figure 11: Breakdown of the actual total monthly price (average breakdown for all fixed broadband offers50)  

In the EU28, the actual monthly price paid by consumers is on average composed of 85% monthly broadband 
subscription  fees  and  15%  additional  costs.  This  is  fairly  similar  to  the  result  in  February  2015,  when  a 
proportion 83%-17% was observed. 

48 Other cost are for example shipping cost, cost for the extra consumption for the internet or the telephony, monthly fee for the provision of the 
universal service, or annual internet access fee. The complete list of those cost can be found in annex 1 describing in detail the methodology. 
49 This duration is set at three years and was determined in consultation with the Commission and is based on churn rate indications. 
50 Based on those offers including fixed services only. Bundles including mobile telephony or mobile internet have not been considered here.  

31 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
In Finland, the average additional cost is only 0.48% of the actual total monthly price. A low additional cost is 
also observed in Bulgaria and Lithuania (i.e. average additional cost < 5% of the actual total monthly price). In 
both countries, this is in large part due to the fact that very few one-time fees apply. An additional cause in 
Bulgaria is  the  relatively frequent  occurrence of discounts on one-time and  recurring charges, compensating 
any additional charges on top of the monthly broadband subscription fee. In Finland, these discounts play an 
even larger role: additional one-time charges frequently do not need to be paid due to running promotions, 
and at the same time there is a substantial discount on the advertised basic offer price during a long period e.g. 
1 or 2 years. 

Poland is the only country in which the actual monthly price paid by consumers on average is lower than the 
advertised price. In most countries, the discounts applying on recurring and non-recurring charges are lower 
than the other additional costs so that the total monthly price paid by the consumer is systematically higher 
than the advertised price. In Poland, a substantial proportion of offers benefits from a substantial discount on 
the advertised basic offer price (regularly during a long period), and at the same time additional one-time costs 
are limited, or big promotions apply to these costs. At the end, the consumer pays  around 5% less than the 
normal advertised price. 

During the February 2015 data collection, the only country showcasing a negative additional cost (i.e. actual 
price paid is lower than advertised price) was Finland, while Poland together with Bulgaria and Lithuania made 
up the group of countries in which the average additional cost was very small (≤ 2%).  

Like during the previous exercise, a very high proportion of additional costs can be observed in the UK. This is 
caused by the need to add for nearly every broadband offer a separate recurring charge for fixed telephone 
line rental or cable TV subscription51, whereas in other countries, these charges are for the large majority of 
the  offers  (94%)  already  included  in  the  monthly  broadband  subscription  fee.  In  the  UK,  the  separate 
telephony or television subscription fee accounts for about 73% of the additional cost (compared to 60% in the 
last  data  collection).  To  a  lesser  extent,  the  same  argument  is  valid  for  Spain  and  Ireland,  where  for 
respectively 60 and 40% of offers a separate charge needs to be added for fixed telephone line rental or cable 
TV  subscription.  While  the  UK  and  Spain  also  showed  a  relatively  high  difference  between  advertised  and 
actual price during the previous data collection (February 2015), this was not the case for Ireland. Analysis of 
individual offers shows that one of the ISPs in the latter country in the meantime altered the way of presenting 
basic offer prices (i.e. they went from including to excluding them from the basic advertised price). 

Finally, like in February 2015 Italy shows a rather considerable additional cost on top of the advertised price. 
Again, this is due to a combination of reasons, like considerable one-time fees and the need to add additional 
call minutes52 for offers including fixed telephony.  

51 This is the case in over 90% of the collected offers. 
52 I.e. to achieve the predefined usage volumes of the different baskets for the offer. 

32 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
2.5.  Broadband offers and their prices in perspective 

By  combining  the  results  of  the  BIAC  study  with  other  statistics  and  data  on  the  EU28  broadband  market,  some  further  insights  in  the  market  can  be 
obtained. 

2.5.1. Does the number of offers per category match take-up? 

The BIAC data collection provides for a snapshot of what is currently available at country level in terms of broadband offerings, both in terms of speeds and 
types of service offerings. But does this set of proposed offers reflect the current popularity of the offers, i.e. the take-up of offers in a particular country?  

The following graph compares the number of offers available and the take-up per speed category. 

Figure 12: Comparison of the number of collected offers in the BIAC sample (per speed category) and the take-up of broadband per speed category (Source: Communications Committee, July 
2015 data) 

Speed categories for take-up figures do not exactly match those of the BIAC study, but nonetheless it can be observed that for higher speeds (as of 10/12 
Mbps), the number of offers generally surpasses the current popularity of these offers with customers. In Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Spain and 
Sweden, this trend can only be observed for speeds above 30 Mbps, either because offers in the 10-30 Mbps range are very popular or very few offers are 

33 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
available in the 12+ Mbps - 30 Mbps range. Finally, Hungary and Portugal are exceptions to the overall trend, as the proportion of take-up of offers in all 
speed ranges as of 10/12 Mbps surpasses the proportion of offers in these ranges. 

These observations are very similar to what was observed in the February 2015 study. Indeed, compared to that period, there are just a few more countries 
in which the take-up of offers above 10/12 Mbps surpasses the relative availability of these offers. This thus further confirms last year’s observation that the 
changeover to higher speeds can first be observed at the level of the offers and then at the level of take-up. This also confirms that many consumers do not 
migrate to higher speed products simply because these become available.  

The  general  trend  of  availability  of  higher-speed  offers  surpassing  the  current  popularity  of  these  offers  with  customers,  furthermore  implies  that  lower 
speed offers are most often more popular among customers than what is proposed. However, when only looking at the offers below or at 2 Mbps, it can be 
noticed that there are several countries where these offers  are still relatively frequently proposed, whereas these appear to be no longer popular on the 
market. This is notably the case in Cyprus, Italy, Spain and Sweden. 

Similarly, the relative importance of types of service offerings in the number of collected offers can be compared to the take-up of these types of service 
offerings, resulting in the graph below. 

Figure 13: Comparison of the number of collected offers in the BIAC sample (per type of service offering) and the take-up per type of service offering (Source: Special Eurobarometer 438 - E-
communications Household Survey and Eurostat - Community survey on ICT usage in Households and by Individuals: “households with a fixed broadband subscription” – 2015 data) 

In several countries like Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain, the offer types that are bought correspond very well to what is offered on 
the market. In other countries however, some important differences can be noted: 

34 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 

In Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and the UK, the relative importance of Standalone offers53 in the total set of 
collected offers does not at all reflect the large popularity of these offers, while in Portugal, the opposite is true; 

  No Double play offers included TV were collected for France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Spain and the United Kingdom 
whereas  in  all  of  these  countries,  take-up  figures  for  broadband  +  TV  offers  are  reported  upon  (they  are  however  small  for  all  countries  except 
France, Ireland, Luxembourg and Malta). Possible explanations for this include the fact that take-up is based on ‘old’ offers, i.e. offers that currently 
are no longer proposed to new customers, but continue to be sold to existing subscribers, as well as the fact that these Double play including TV 
offers might be proposed by smaller ISPs which are not part of the study sample54. 

  7 out of 10 offers purchased in Portugal are Triple play offers, while these only account for about 1 in 5 offers collected. To a lesser extent, the same 
mismatch is observed in Belgium. In Germany, the inverse situation can be observed: Triple play offers account for nearly a third of collected offers, 
while take-up of this type of service offerings is a bit less than 5%. 

53 Please note that this volume of Standalone offers also includes the offers that in reality are not Standalone offers, but which have been considered as a proxy for the cost of a Standalone service for those 
ISPs not offering Standalone internet. 
54 The BIAC data collection is focused on the set of ISPs that together have a 90% market share, with a maximum of eight ISPs per country. 

35 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
2.5.2. How much of the income is spent on (bundles with) fixed broadband? 

Whereas  the  calculation  of  the  Broadband  Internet  Access  Cost  to  some  extent  takes  account  of  income 
differences  between  countries  by  incorporating  Purchasing  Power  Parities,  a  more  detailed  analysis  of  the 
relative weight of broadband prices can be made  by analysing the  percentage of the  average income that is 
spent on broadband services. In the table below, results are shown for all types of offers in the 12-30 and 30-
100 Mbps speed range, supplemented by an overall average per Member State. 

Table 1: Part of the income spent on BIAC offers (BIAC: expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included – income: real adjusted gross disposable 
income of households per capita – Eurostat 2014 values55)56 

Depending  on  the  type  of  service  offering,  at  EU28  level  between  1.3  and  2.5%  of  income  is  spent  on  the 
broadband service offerings as defined for the BIAC study, which is very similar to the outcome of the same 
analysis  performed  on  February  2015  data.  In  Croatia  and  Cyprus  however,  these  percentages  are  for  many 
types of service offerings at least double as high. 

55 Retrieved on 8 January 2016. 
56 No statistics on the real adjusted gross disposable income of households per capita is available for Luxembourg and Malta. 

36 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

12+Mbps-30Mbps30+Mbps-100Mbps12+Mbps-30Mbps30+Mbps-100Mbps12+Mbps-30Mbps30+Mbps-100Mbps12+Mbps-30Mbps30+Mbps-100MbpsAverageFrance0,91%0,91%1,62%1,62%--1,17%1,17%1,23%Lithuania0,71%0,53%-1,42%-1,81%-2,19%1,33%Finland0,83%1,01%1,31%1,44%1,39%1,39%1,82%1,82%1,38%Germany0,87%1,12%1,13%1,33%--1,68%2,19%1,39%Sweden0,92%0,86%1,43%1,13%2,35%1,23%2,25%1,50%1,46%Austria0,85%1,24%1,26%1,44%1,42%2,06%1,58%2,03%1,49%Poland1,06%1,42%1,42%1,78%1,42%1,77%1,78%2,13%1,60%Denmark0,92%1,25%1,44%1,71%1,68%1,94%1,96%2,37%1,66%Netherlands1,05%1,18%1,60%1,73%1,64%1,78%2,19%2,33%1,69%Slovakia1,14%1,14%1,71%1,71%1,87%1,87%2,33%2,33%1,76%Czech_Republic1,12%1,18%1,54%2,03%1,87%1,87%2,29%2,29%1,77%United_Kingdom1,25%1,79%1,63%2,22%--1,90%2,34%1,86%EU281,27%1,50%1,89%2,05%1,75%1,83%2,42%2,52%1,90%Latvia1,26%1,48%2,16%2,60%1,48%1,93%2,60%2,82%2,04%Estonia1,85%1,23%2,24%2,03%2,49%1,72%2,98%2,52%2,13%Belgium1,28%1,20%2,60%2,02%2,19%2,09%3,51%2,94%2,23%Bulgaria1,52%1,85%1,67%1,96%2,38%2,37%2,95%3,42%2,26%Italy1,81%2,06%2,17%2,47%--2,78%3,07%2,39%Greece1,92%2,74%2,43%3,02%--3,06%3,58%2,79%Slovenia1,70%2,51%2,83%3,39%2,78%2,79%3,39%3,55%2,87%Hungary1,57%1,14%3,15%4,11%2,40%3,93%4,11%3,12%2,94%Romania2,73%1,64%2,78%2,78%4,27%2,89%4,38%3,98%3,18%Ireland2,19%2,17%2,95%2,99%--4,41%4,41%3,19%Spain2,69%3,04%2,70%3,04%--3,68%3,98%3,19%Portugal2,32%2,31%3,52%3,01%--4,03%5,23%3,41%Cyprus2,76%4,19%5,07%5,85%2,88%4,19%3,40%4,71%4,13%Croatia2,50%3,59%4,40%4,76%4,30%5,30%5,88%5,87%4,58%Double play with TelDouble play with TVTriple playStandalone 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
2.6.  The bigger picture: Europe in the world 

2.6.1. How does the EU compare to the rest of the world? 

Finally, the figure below shows how least expensive prices in the EU28 relate to those in a selection of other 
countries worldwide. 

Figure 14: EU28 least expensive prices compared to other countries in the world (expressed in EUR/PPP, VAT included)57 

57 Prices for the USA are the average of the least expensive offers for three States in the USA (i.e. California, Colorado and New York). No 12-30 
Mbps offers are available in South Korea. 

37 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
For all categories of services,  the least expensive offer with a speed between 12 and 30 Mbps (incl.) is the 
lowest in the EU28 compared to the three other countries (i.e. Japan, Canada and USA). The USA is the most 
expensive for Standalone and Triple play offers58, while Double play with TV and with fixed telephony are most 
expensive  in  Canada59.  When  interpreting  these  figures,  it  should  be  noted  however  that  no  offers  of  this 
speed category were collected in South Korea (i.e. only offers above 30 Mbps were observed), and only 2.3% of 
Japanese collected offers are situated in this speed category (compared to 25.6% at EU28 level). In Canada and 
the USA, these offers appear more frequently, i.e. respectively 39.6% and between 14 and 20% (depending on 
the state) of collected offers are in the 12-30 Mbps range. 

For 30-100 and 100+ Mbps, trends are very similar for all types of offers: the EU28 average of least expensive 
offers is higher than the Japanese and South Korean least expensive offers, but is in all cases substantially 
lower than the least expensive offer prices in Canada and the USA:   

-  For the 30-100 Mbps range, prices in the EU28 are between 5 and 11%60 higher than in Japan and 
between 1 and 52% more expensive compared to South Korea61. They are however between 49 
and 55%62 cheaper than in Canada and between 26 and 48%63 cheaper than in the USA. 

-  For 100+ Mbps, the difference with Japan and South Korea is larger (minimally 13%64 and up to 
69%65). The comparison with Canadian  and  American  prices on the  other hand is  similar to the 
one in the 30-100 Mbps range: EU28 prices are between 30 and 49% cheaper than in Canada and 
between 27 and 45% cheaper than in the USA. 

58 Respectively 84% and 115% more expensive than EU28 prices. 
59 Around 75% more expensive than EU28 prices. 
60 Values respectively apply to Triple play and Double play with Tel 
61 Values respectively apply to Double play with TV and Double play with Tel 
62 Values respectively apply to Standalone and Triple play 
63 Values respectively apply to Double play with Tel and Triple play 
64 I.e. compared to South Korea Double play with TV offers. 
65 i.e. compared to Japan Standalone offer. 

38 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.  Country profiles 

3.1. Austria 

3.1.1. Broadband price by speed66 and offer type 

As was the case during the previous data collection, offers between 2 and 10 Mbps seem to be most popular 
among Austrian consumers, while at EU28 level, offers in the higher speed range 10-30 Mbps are most often 
bought. Following the same trend, take-up of offers of 30-100 Mbps and 100+ Mbps in Austria is considerably 
lower than at EU level, i.e. nearly 10 percentage points. 

Compared to the EU average, Austrians only buy half as much bundles including fixed telephony, but double as 
much bundles including TV. At 6.1% of offers, Triple play is not very popular, and it is therefore not surprising 
that 3 out of 5 broadband offers bought are Standalone offers or fixed broadband offers combined with mobile 
telephony only. These figures are however in strong contrast with figures available at the Austrian regulator67, 
which were collected from the ISPs. 

Zooming  in  on  broadband  prices  in  Austria,  it  can  first  of  all  be  seen  that  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony 
offers in all speed baskets are considerably lower than the EU average (i.e. between -12 and -29%68). With the 
exception  of  the  30-100  Mbps  basket,  Standalone  and  Triple  play  offers  also  perform  between  7  and  21% 
better than the EU average. Finally, for Double play with TV, the least expensive 4-8 Mbps offer shows a similar 
trend, but offers of higher speeds compare less positively: the least expensive offers of the baskets above 30 
Mbps  are  over  40%  higher  than  the  EU  average.  During  the  February  2015  exercise,  they  were  also  more 
expensive, as was Double play with fixed telephony above 100 Mbps. The latter now being 15% lower than the 
EU average, this can be considered as the most remarkable evolution. 

Figure 15: Austria: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

66 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
67  See  https://www.rtr.at/de/inf/TK_Monitor_1_2016/TM1_2016.pdf,  on  page  25.  In  Q3  2015,  Standalone  offers  accounted  for  24%  of  the 
market; Double play with telephone for 45% and Double play with TV and Triple play offers respectively for 7% and 23%. 
68 For 30-100 and 12-30 Mbps respectively. 

39 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleAustriaEU28Standalone0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsAustriaEU28Double play with Tel0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsAustriaEU28Double play with TV0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsAustriaEU28Triple play 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.1.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Between 2012 and autumn 2015, no uniform trends can be spotted in Austrian broadband prices. Double play 
with fixed telephony offers have relatively speaking remained most stable, whilst for Standalone and Double 
play with TV especially the 30-100 Mbps least expensive price has gone up considerably and the 12-30 Mbps 
offer has dropped by around the same degree. For Triple play offers, the recent evolution goes against what 
was  observed  in  February  2015,  i.e.    12-30  and  30-100  Mbps  offers  are  now  decreasing  after  two  years  of 
rising,  while  for  2-12  Mbps  exactly  the  opposite  can  be  observed.  A  clear  evolution  between  February  and 
autumn 2015 is the decrease in 100+ Mbps offer prices: from -2% for Triple play to -41% for Double play with 
fixed telephony. 

Figure 16: Austria: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,   
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)69 

69 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

40 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.1.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the six main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare as 
follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 2: Austria: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

41 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTele2 AustriaA1 Telekom AustriaUPC Austria---EU28: 22.7417.8618.3823.66---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsUPC AustriaSalzburg AGKabelplus---EU28: 23.0919.5121.5522.79---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsKabelplusLIWESTUPC AustriaA1 Telekom AustriaTele2 AustriaSalzburg AGEU28: 21.9318.2819.1422.9124.1124.2929.7830+ Mbps - 100 MbpsUPC AustriaLIWESTKabelplusA1 Telekom AustriaSalzburg AG-EU28: 25.8926.6828.1834.3743.1847.88-100+ MbpsUPC AustriaLIWESTKabelplus---EU28: 40.2137.2355.3358.50---Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsA1 Telekom AustriaTele2 AustriaUPC Austria---EU28: 32.526.4426.6231.17---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsUPC AustriaSalzburg AG----EU28: 38.1727.0229.65----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsUPC AustriaKabelplusA1 Telekom AustriaTele2 AustriaSalzburg AG-EU28: 32.5327.2528.4332.1633.0436.98-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsUPC AustriaKabelplusSalzburg AG---EU28: 35.3531.0244.5255.07---100+ MbpsUPC AustriaKabelplus----EU28: 52.444.7468.64----Double play with TV4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsA1 Telekom Austria-----EU28: 29.2924.93-----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsA1 Telekom AustriaLIWEST----EU28: 30.1930.6632.71----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsLIWEST-----EU28: 31.5444.47-----100+ MbpsLIWEST-----EU28: 42.8162.57-----Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTele2 AustriaLIWEST----EU28: 39.5835.3936.45----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsKabelplusUPC AustriaTele2 Austria---EU28: 41.7734.0635.3941.81---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsUPC AustriaLIWESTKabelplus---EU28: 43.4543.8345.4950.15---100+ MbpsUPC AustriaLIWESTKabelplus---EU28: 56.3852.1369.5374.27--- 
 
 
 
 
 
UPC  Austria  is  systematically  the  cheapest  choice  for  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  offers  with  speeds 
above 8 Mbps, and Standalone and Triple play offers with speeds above 30 Mbps. For the latter two types of 
service offerings, Tele2 Austria and Kabelplus rank first for respectively the 4-8 Mbps and 12-30 Mbps baskets. 
For both Standalone and Triple play, Liwest appears to also be a consistently cheap option, often taking second 
place. 

Like Tele2,  A1 seems to only have relatively cheap offers for low speeds (i.e.  4-8 Mbps). Finally, as was also 
observed in February 2015, in almost all speed baskets where Salzburg AG is present, its least expensive offer 
is the highest of all operators.  

For speeds above 100 Mbps and for bundles including TV in the 30-100 Mbps category, only cable offers were 
collected  in  Austria,  so  as  shown  in  the  table  below:  all  least  expensive  offers  in  these  categories  are  cable 
offers.  For  other  offer  types  in  the  30-100  Mbps  category,  FTTx,  which  represents  only  27%  of  the  available 
offers  in  Austria  for  this  particular  segment,  is  systematically  the  cheapest  option.  Regarding  lower  speeds, 
xDSL  and  cable  come  out  as  cheapest  options  in  respectively  the  4-8  Mbps  and  8-12  Mbps  category,  which 
corresponds to their respective predominance in these categories. Finally, in the speed range 12-30 Mbps for 
which  competition  between  the  different  technologies  is  more  open,  xDSL  is  the  cheapest  technology  for 
Double play offers, Cable for Standalone and Triple play offers.  

Table 3: Austria: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.1.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The averages of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average70. 

Bundle premium 

Adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or Double play offer with TV on average costs around 7.7 to 8.2, EUR, 
with  the  exception  of  the  30-100  Mbps  speed  range  for  which  the  average  premium  is  only  5.7  EUR.  These 
premiums are 13 to 35% lower than the EU averages. For the first group, adding TV services costs about the 
same, i.e. between 6.7 and 8.5 EUR depending on the speed range, while for the 30-100 Mbps category 11.6 
EUR is added. Only the latter is more expensive than the EU average (i.e. +9%). Being situated between 15 and 
17.7 EUR, the triple play premium is generally lower in Austria than at average EU level, i.e. 11 to 26% cheaper, 
with the exception of the 100+ Mbps range where it is slightly higher than at EU level. 

Finally, adding both services at the same time does not provide a significant additional discount, as the triple 
play premium is maximum 6% lower than the sum of both individual premiums. In the 2-12Mbps category, the 
triple play premium is even 12% higher than the sum of both individual premiums.  

70 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 

42 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Austria4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLCableCableFTTxCableDouble play with TelxDSLCablexDSLFTTxCableDouble play with TVxDSL-xDSLCableCableTriple playxDSL-CableCableCable 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 17: Austria: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)71 

In Austria, consumers pay on average between 12 to 13 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 12-
30 Mbps offer (depending on the  bundle type), which is fairly comparable to what was observed during the 
previous BIAC exercise72. This is double or triple the premium observed for the EU on average. The premium 
between 30-100 Mbps offers and those of more than 100 Mbps likewise does not differ much between bundle 
types; i.e. between 18 and 21 EUR. This is much more consistent than last year’s range of 18.9 to 35.8 EUR. 
Compared to the EU average, the Austrian premium is 14 to 41% higher. 

Figure 18: Austria: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

71 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
72 I.e. between 12.8 and 16.5 EUR. 

43 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

051015202-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumAustria05101520Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU280510152025StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Austria0510152025Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.1.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

A1 Telekom Austria 
(incumbent) 

Kabelplus 

LIWEST 

Salzburg AG 

Tele2 Austria 

UPC Austria 

FTTx and xDSL 

Cable and Plug & Play 

Cable 

Cable 

FTTx and xDSL 

Cable, FTTx and xDSL 

Available offers on the Austrian market 

Take-up of offers on the Austrian market73  

73  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

44 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersAustriaEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps14.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps5.8%7.9% 12-30 Mbps40.7%25.6% 30-100 Mbps22.1%36.1% 100+ Mbps17.4%17.7% xDSL23.3%21.2% Cable62.8%21.3% FTTx10.5%45.2% Other3.5%12.3% Standalone offer45.3%34.1% Double play with Tel25.6%27.3% Double play with TV9.3%13.1% Triple play19.8%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesAustriaEU28Below 2 Mbps0.5%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps43.4%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps35.5%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps17.1%19.2%At least 100 Mbps3.6%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service59.6%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony22.9%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)10.7%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)19.9%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)6.1%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.2. Belgium 

3.2.1. Broadband price by speed74 and offer type 

Most popular offers in Belgium are in the speed range 30-100 Mbps, of which the take-up rate is substantially 
higher than the EU average75. The take-up of very high-speed offers (i.e. at least 100 Mbps) is more than  15 
percentage points higher than the EU average. This can be explained by the fact that, since 2012, offers with a 
speed below 15 Mbps are no longer provided by the three main ISPs in Belgium. 

At  the  same  time,  bundled  offers  including  telephony  are  not  very  popular  in  Belgium,  while  take-up  of 
bundled offers including TV (i.e. Double and Triple play) is  around 2.5 times as high as the EU average. Only 
28% of the subscriptions remain Standalone offers or fixed broadband offers combined with mobile telephony 
only. 

Zooming  in  on  broadband  prices  in  Belgium,  it  can  be  seen  that  for  nearly  all  types  of  offers  and  all  speed 
ranges, the least expensive offer in Belgium is more expensive than the EU average (i.e. between 14 and 74% 
higher depending of the offer type and the speed). There is only one exception: Standalone offer with a speed 
between 30 and 100 Mbps which is 7% cheaper than the EU average. Except for Triple play offers for which the 
12-30 Mbps is particularly expensive compared to the EU average76, the difference between Belgian cheapest 
offers and EU average is the highest for offers above 100 Mbps (i.e. 62% for Standalone offers, 74% for Double 
play with fixed telephony and 55% for Double play with TV). 

Figure 19: Belgium: broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

74 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
75 i.e. more than 50% of broadband connections are in the speed range 30-100Mbps in Belgium against less than 20% on average for the EU. 
76 I.e. 59% more expensive than the EU average. 

45 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080901002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBelgiumEU28Standalone01020304050607080901002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBelgiumEU28Double play with Tel01020304050607080901002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBelgiumEU28Double play with TV01020304050607080901002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBelgiumEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.2.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Despite  a  slight  increase  in  2013,  the  prices  of  the  least  expensive  offers  in  the  speed  range  30-100  have 
significantly decreased in Belgium between 2012 and 2015 (i.e.  -42% for Standalone offers; -32% for Double 
play including TV and -23% for Triple play). Meanwhile, while the number of offers with a speed between 12 
and  30  Mbps  is  decreasing  over  the  last  years,  their  prices  -  which  were  relatively  stable  until  2014  -  have 
visibly increased this last year. Finally, the price of Triple play above 100 Mbps has slightly decreased between 
2014 and 2015 (i.e. -2%). 

Figure 20: Belgium: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)77 

77 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

46 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.2.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the three main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 4: Belgium: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

While  Voo  is  systematically  the  cheapest  option  in  the  popular  speed  range  30-100  Mbps,  the  incumbent, 
Proximus, is always the second best choice in this speed category, with prices which are between 2 and 29% 
higher depending on the offer type. On the other hand, Telenet is offering the cheapest Standalone and Triple 
play with a speed above 100 Mbps. This last ISP is also the only one still providing offers in the speed range 12-
30 Mbps, but at a higher price than the offers provided by its competitors in the next speed category.  

47 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelenet--EU28: 21.9325.57--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVooProximusTelenetEU28: 25.8923.9826.2541.25100+ MbpsTelenetVoo-EU28: 40.2165.0367.23-Double play with Tel12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelenet--EU28: 32.5351.88--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVooProximusTelenetEU28: 35.3540.2954.5967.56100+ MbpsTelenet--EU28: 52.491.34--Double play with TV12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelenet--EU28: 30.1943.59--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVooProximusTelenetEU28: 31.5441.7042.8859.27100+ MbpsVooTelenet-EU28: 42.8166.4883.05-Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelenet--EU28: 41.7769.90--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVooTelenetProximusEU28: 43.4558.6161.5365.40100+ MbpsTelenetVoo-EU28: 56.3870.9575.04- 
 
 
 
 
For all types of offers and all speed ranges, Cable offers, which represent around 60% of the available offers in 
the Belgian fixed broadband market, systematically emerge as the cheapest option for consumers: 

Table 5: Belgium: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.2.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average78. 

Bundle premium79 

In Belgium, adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or Double play offer with TV on average costs between 14 
and 17.6 EUR depending on the speed range. This is on average about twice as high as the EU average.  Adding 
TV  services  costs  about  the  same,  i.e.  between  14.2  and  16.7  EUR  depending  on  the  speed  range.  This  is 
between  13  and  54%  more  expensive  than  the  EU  average.  Finally,  adding  both  services  at  the  same  time 
provides  a  significant  discount,  as  the  triple  play  premium  (i.e.  for  adding  telephony  and  TV  at once)  is  21% 
lower than the sum of both individual premiums for the speed range 30-100 Mbps. For the offers with speeds 
above  100  Mbps,  the  triple  play  premium  is  very  similar  to  the  cost  of  adding  telephony  only  or  TV  only.  
Compared to the EU average, the Triple play premium is 47% higher for the speed range 30-100 Mbps, but is 
approximatively 27% lower for the speed category 100+ Mbps. 

Figure 21: Belgium: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

78 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
79 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

48 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Belgium12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandaloneCableCableCableDouble play with TelCableCableCableDouble play with TVCableCableCableTriple playCableCableCable0102030405012-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumBelgium01020304050Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)80 
In  Belgium,  consumers  pay  around  20  EUR  extra  for  a  30-100  Mbps  Standalone  offer  compared  to  a  12-30 
Mbps offer81. This premium is more than three times higher than the EU average.  

The premium between 30-100 Mbps broadband offers and those of more than 100 Mbps varies between 26.7 
and  44.4 EUR depending  on the  offer type. Compared to the  EU average, this premium is roughly double in 
Belgium for the Standalone offers; around 160% higher for the Double play with TV; and around 40% higher for 
the Triple play. 

Figure 22: Belgium: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

80 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
81 Note that, as only one ISP provides offers in the speed range 12-30 Mbps, this amount only represents the difference between the 12-30 Mbps 
and the 30-100 Mbps least expensive standalone offers at this provider. 

49 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

-10010203040StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium  Belgium010203040Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.2.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Proximus  
(incumbent) 

VOO 

Telenet 

FTTx 

Cable  

Cable 

Available offers on the Belgian market  Take-up of offers on the Belgian market82  

82  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

50 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersBelgiumEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps0.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps15.0%25.6% 30-100 Mbps62.5%36.1% 100+ Mbps22.5%17.7% xDSL0.0%21.2% Cable70.0%21.3% FTTx30.0%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer22.5%34.1% Double play with Tel25.0%27.3% Double play with TV22.5%13.1% Triple play30.0%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesBelgiumEU28Below 2 Mbps0.7%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps11.0%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps10.8%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps51.3%19.2%At least 100 Mbps26.3%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service73.2%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony1.3%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)6.4%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)19.3%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)46.3%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.3. Bulgaria 

3.3.1. Broadband price by speed83 and offer type 

Like was the case during the February 2015 data collection, most popular offers in Bulgaria are in the speed 
range 10-30 Mbps, and subsequently in the 30-100 Mbps basket. Compared to the previous period, the latter 
have  become  a  bit  more  popular.  At  nearly  49%,  take-up  of  high-speed  offers  (i.e.  at  least  30  Mbps)  is 
considerably higher than in the EU on average, where 30% of take-up surpasses 30 Mbps.  

Bundled offers are a bit more popular in Bulgaria than in the EU on average, and more than 3 out of 5 of these 
bundles  are  Double  play  with  TV  offers,  which  is  nearly  4  times  the  EU  average.  Triple  play  and  especially 
Double play with fixed telephony are much less popular than in the EU28 in general. 

Zooming in on broadband prices in Bulgaria, it can be concluded that in nearly all baskets under consideration 
below,  these  are  considerably  lower  than  the  EU  average.  Only  for  Triple  play  above  100  Mbps  is  the  least 
expensive  price  equal  to  the  EU28  average.  The  difference  is  highest  for  12-30  and  30-100  Mbps  offers,  i.e. 
Bulgarian prices are between 40 and 60% lower. 

Figure 23: Bulgaria: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

83 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

51 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBulgariaEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBulgariaEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBulgariaEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleBulgariaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.3.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

No uniform trends can be spotted in the evolution of Bulgarian broadband prices over time and between the 
different  bundle  types.  The  significant  drop  in  Triple  play  prices  between  2012  and  February  2015  (-46%) 
appears to have come to a standstill in the last collection period. Prices for popular Double play with TV offers 
have remained rather stable, but in 2015 prices of 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps offers have grown closer together. 
Finally, the significant decrease in Standalone offer prices observed between 2014 and February 2015 appears 
to have been a one-time event, as prices have again stabilised.  

Figure 24: Bulgaria: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)84 

84 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

52 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.3.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the eight main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

53 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsVivacom-------EU28: 22.7417.28-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSkat TV -------EU28: 23.0921.69-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsMobiltelBulsatcomVivacomBlizoo----EU28: 21.9311.3114.3315.2317.64----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsNet 1MobiltelNetworxSkat TV BulsatcomEscomVivacomBlizooEU28: 25.8913.7814.0815.4716.2616.5017.3521.0121.97100+ MbpsNetworxBlizooSkat TV -----EU28: 40.2128.4832.8254.22-----Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsVivacom-------EU28: 32.527.27-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBulsatcomMobiltelVivacom-----EU28: 32.5312.4015.5427.27-----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBulsatcomMobiltelVivacom-----EU28: 35.3514.5718.3130.52-----Double play with TV4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsVivacom-------EU28: 29.2919.23-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsMobiltelVivacomBulsatcom-----EU28: 30.1917.6817.9620.17-----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBlizooVivacomMobiltelSkat TV NetworxBulsatcomEscomNet 1EU28: 31.5417.6420.9921.1721.5821.6722.3423.8624.90100+ MbpsNetworx-------EU28: 42.8134.19-------Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsVivacom-------EU28: 39.5836.81-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsMobiltelBulsatcomBlizooVivacom----EU28: 41.7721.9123.6635.2636.81----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsMobiltelBulsatcomVivacomBlizoo----EU28: 43.4525.4025.8340.0646.10----100+ MbpsBlizoo-------EU28: 56.3856.35------- 
 
 
 
Table 6: Bulgaria: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

Firstly,  Bulsatcom  appears  to  be  the  least  expensive  ISP  for  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  offers  and  the 
second least expensive ISP for Triple play. At the level of the speed baskets, Mobiltel consistently comes out as 
a  cheap  choice  for  12-30  Mbps  offers.  In  the  other  basket  with  relatively  much  competition  (30-100  Mbps), 
results  are  much  more  patchy:  e.g.  Bilzoo  is  the  least  expensive  ISP  for  Double  play  with  TV,  but  most 
expensive for Standalone and Triple play, while Net 1 is least expensive for Standalone but most expensive for 
Double play with TV. However, in the most popular categories (Standalone and Double play with TV), prices of 
the different ISPs are relatively close to each other, i.e. the difference between the least expensive offers of all 
eight ISPs is maximum around 8 EUR. 

Like was the case in February 2015, FTTx emerges as the cheapest technology in the 12-30 Mbps basket. This is 
however no longer entirely the case in the 30-100 Mbps basket, where cable ISP Blizoo now offers the least 
expensive Double play with TV bundle, as during the data collection the speeds of its offers were temporarily 
doubled as part of a promotional campaign. For offers with a speed above 100 Mbps, only Ethernet and cable 
offers  were  collected,  and  the  latter  comes  out  as  least  expensive  for  Triple  play,  while  Ethernet  is  the 
cheapest technology for Standalone and Double play with TV. 

Table 7: Bulgaria: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.3.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average85. 

Bundle premium 

Adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or Double play offer with TV  only costs around 6.8 EUR in the 12-30 
Mbps range, but no less than 11.9 to 13.8 EUR in the higher and lower speed baskets. While the former is more 
than 25% lower than the EU average premium, the Bulgarian premium is up to 50% higher than the EU average 
for the other speeds. For the addition of TV services, a much clearer trend can be observed, i.e. the premium 
of between 5.7 and 7 EUR is up to 45% lower than the EU average premium. Finally, the triple play premium in 
general is also lower than the EU average (i.e. between 2 and 28%), but like in February 2015, the premium in 
the 100+ Mbps range is considerably higher: no less than 68% above the average EU premium. From analysis of 
the Triple play premiums, it can also be concluded that adding both services at the same time does not provide 
a significant additional discount  in Bulgaria. In the  12-30 Mbps category the  Triple play premium is even 7% 
higher than the sum of both individual premiums. 

85 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 

54 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Bulgaria4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonePlug & PlayCableFTTxEthernetEthernetDouble play with TelPlug & Play-FTTxFTTx-Double play with TVPlug & Play-FTTxCableEthernetTriple playPlug & Play-FTTxFTTxCable 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 25: Bulgaria: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)86 

In Bulgaria, consumers pay on average between 2.7 and 4.9 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 
12-30  Mbps  offer  (depending  on  the  offer  type).  Only  the  Triple  play  high-speed  premium  is  thereby  more 
expensive  than  the  EU  average  premium  (+21%),  the  others  are  considerably  lower  (39  to  56%).  For  the 
premium between 30-100 Mbps broadband offers and those of more than 100 Mbps, the situation is inverse: 
at 10.2 EUR, the NGA premium for Triple play is more than 30% lower than the EU average, while the 20.6 EUR 
premium for Standalone is over 30% more expensive than the EU average. 

Figure 26: Bulgaria: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

86 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

55 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumBulgaria0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium  Bulgaria05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.3.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Vivacom 
(incumbent) 

Blizoo 

Bulsatcom 

Escom 

Mobiltel 

Net 1 

Networx 

Skat TV 

FTTx , xDSL, Plug&Play 
and Satellite 

Cable 

FTTx 

FTTx and Ethernet 

FTTx 

Ethernet 

Ethernet 

Cable and Ethernet 

Available offers on the Bulgarian market  Take-up of offers on the Bulgarian market87  

87  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

56 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersBulgariaEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps4.9%6.4% 8-12 Mbps1.6%7.9% 12-30 Mbps33.3%25.6% 30-100 Mbps53.7%36.1% 100+ Mbps6.5%17.7% xDSL5.7%21.2% Cable9.8%21.3% FTTx53.7%45.2% Other30.9%12.3% Standalone offer33.3%34.1% Double play with Tel17.9%27.3% Double play with TV27.6%13.1% Triple play21.1%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesBulgariaEU28Below 2 Mbps0.2%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps3.6%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps47.6%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps43.1%19.2%At least 100 Mbps5.5%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service59.5%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony10.8%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)3.6%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)37.9%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)7.2%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.4. Croatia 

3.4.1. Broadband price by speed88 and offer type 

Like In February 2015, most popular offers in Croatia are in the speed range 2-10 Mbps, which is slower than 
the EU average. An increase can however be observed in take-up of offers in all speed baskets above 10 Mbps, 
e.g. popularity of high-speed offers (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) has gone up from 1.1% to 2.8%. Nonetheless, as the 
take-up  in  the  EU  on  average  has  also  increased,  the  gap  (which  is  at  27  percentage  points)  with  the  EU 
average take-up of offers above 30 Mbps has even gotten wider.  

Furthermore, while bundled offers of broadband with either mobile telephony, fixed telephony or  TV are all 
around 30% less popular in Croatia than in the EU in general, Triple play offers appear to be more common. 
Standalone offers however remain more popular than in the EU on average (i.e. around 10 percentage points). 

Zooming  in  on  broadband  prices  in  Croatia,  it  can  be  seen  that  least  expensive  Croatian  offers  are 
systematically more expensive than the EU average. For all four offer types, the smallest difference is around 
20%, while there is at least one speed basket for which the difference with the EU average is over 40%. Most 
extreme  cases  are  Double  play  with  TV  30-100  Mbps  and  above  100  Mbps,  for  which  the  Croatian  least 
expensive offer respectively is no less than 73 and 81% higher than the EU average. 

Figure 27: Croatia: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

88 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

57 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCroatiaEU28Standalone01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCroatiaEU28Double play with Tel01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCroatiaEU28Double play with TV01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCroatiaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.4.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Whereas no trends can be spotted across speed baskets, the evolution of broadband prices between 2012 and 
autumn 2015 of different service offerings of the same speed basket shows important similarities. The 30-100 
Mbps category mostly catches the  eye,  as between 2013 (2014 for Double play  with TV) and  February 2015 
price  drops  of  48  to  63%  have  taken  place.  In  the  most  recent  period,  these  prices  have  more  or  less 
stabilised89.  Prices  for  offers  in  the  speed  range  12-30  have  fluctuated  in  a  limited  way  in  both  directions 
between 2012 and autumn 2015, and in the end only Double and Triple play bundles including fixed telephony 
have become cheaper (12 to 19%). Prices of offers with a speed up to 12 Mbps have overall increased between 
2012  and  autumn  2015  (16  to  35%),  and  this  is  mainly  due  to  a  significant  price  rise  between  2014  and 
February 2015. In view of all this, prices in the 2-12 and 12-30 are now very close together. Finally, offers of 
above 100 Mbps have only recently appeared in the statistics, but they have dropped by 10 to 23% between 
February and autumn 2015. 

Figure 28: Croatia: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)90 

89 Only for Double play with fixed telephony can a drop 9% be observed. 
90 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

58 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.4.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the four main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 8: Croatia: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)91 

Iskon  and  Vipnet  (in  some  cases  through  its  subsidiary  B.net)  appear  to  systematically  provide  low-priced 
offers, as in (nearly) all baskets where they are present, they are one of the two cheapest operators. T-Hrvatski 
Telekom often comes out as most expensive operator, especially for bundled offers, but scores very well for 
offers of above 100 Mbps. Indeed, while during the previous data collection Vipnet (via its subsidiary B.net) did 
not yet have any competition in this basket, T-Hrvatski Telekom has now entered the market with Standalone 
and bundled offers that are consistently cheaper.  

For speeds up to 12 Mbps, only xDSL offers are available, so this is systematically the cheapest technology for 
all types of offers. Between 12 and 30 Mbps, cable comes out cheaper than xDSL for Standalone and Double 
play with fixed telephony, like was the case in February 2015. For offers above 30 Mbps, competition mainly 
occurs  between  FTTx  and  cable  offers,  but  the  former  (representing  86%  of  offers)  comes  out  as  least 
expensive for all categories except Triple Play 30-100 Mbps and Double play with TV of above 100 Mbps.  

91 As Vipnet is now selling its products under two different brand names (i.e. its own brand ‘Vipnet’ and and the brand of the cablo operator they 
acquired in 2011,‘B.net’), offers from its subsidiary B.net have been identified in brackets in this table. 

59 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

StandaloneDouble play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsVipnetOT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski Telekom-2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsVipnetOT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski Telekom-EU28: 24.5132.2233.0345.60-EU28: 34.8140.3843.8158.40-4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsIskon---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsIskon---EU28: 22.7427.69---EU28: 32.543.57---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsIskonT-Hrvatski TelekomOT Optima Telekom-8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsIskonOT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski Telekom-EU28: 23.0933.4447.6250.83-EU28: 38.1744.6045.1056.33-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsVipnetIskonT-Hrvatski TelekomOT Optima Telekom12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsIskonVipnet(B.net)OT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski TelekomEU28: 21.9325.6835.5147.6277.51EU28: 32.5345.2945.5946.2967.3730+ Mbps - 100 MbpsIskonVipnetT-Hrvatski Telekom-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVipnetIskonOT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski TelekomEU28: 25.8936.8939.4645.85-EU28: 35.3548.9952.1852.2364.86100+ MbpsT-Hrvatski TelekomVipnet--100+ MbpsT-Hrvatski TelekomVipnet--EU28: 40.2152.0653.24--EU28: 52.471.0673.11--Double play with TVTriple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsVipnetOT Optima Telekom--2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsOT Optima TelekomVipnetT-Hrvatski Telekom-EU28: 38.0347.3850.53--EU28: 46.9359.7662.7875.77-4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsIskon---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsIskon---EU28: 29.2946.89---EU28: 39.5857.36---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsIskonOT Optima Telekom--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsIskonOT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski Telekom-EU28: 37.6844.8249.54--EU28: 47.358.4060.1673.70-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsVipnet(B.net)IskonOT Optima Telekom-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsIskonOT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski Telekom-EU28: 30.1944.2446.8950.72-EU28: 41.7760.4663.1383.50-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsOT Optima TelekomIskonVipnet-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVipnet(B.net)IskonOT Optima TelekomT-Hrvatski TelekomEU28: 31.5454.4955.1656.86-EU28: 43.4560.4168.7369.0778.09100+ MbpsVipnet(B.net)---100+ MbpsT-Hrvatski TelekomVipnet(B.net)--EU28: 42.8177.32---EU28: 56.3884.2993.48-- 
 
 
 
   
                                                 
Table 9: Croatia: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.4.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average92. 

Bundle premium 

In all baskets under consideration except for 12-30 Mbps, adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or Double 
play offer with TV on average costs between 10.8 and  19 EUR, which is 20 to 85% higher than in the EU on 
average. Adding TV services costs between 13.2 and 15.8 EUR depending on the speed range, which is 47 to 
81% more than in the EU on average. As the premium for adding both services is virtually the same as the sum 
of  both  individual  premiums,  the  former  is  also  considerably  more  expensive  than  the  EU  average  (31  to 
130%). 

The 12-30 Mbps basket shows completely different results: the fixed telephony and TV premium respectively 
being situated at 7.3 and 8.1 EUR and the combined premium at 15.5, results are 20 to 30% lower than in the 
EU on average for that particular basket. 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)93 

Figure 29: Croatia: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

In Croatia, the premium to move from a 12-30 Mbps offer to an offer with a speed between 30 and 100 Mbps 
is varying depending on the offer type. While the NGA premium is situated at 2.9 EUR for Triple play, for the 

92 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 

60 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Croatia2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLxDSLxDSLCableFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLxDSLxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TVxDSLxDSLxDSLCableFTTxCableTriple playxDSLxDSLxDSLxDSLCableFTTx0102030402-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumCroatia010203040Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
other types of service offerings a premium of 3.4 to 6 EUR needs to be factored in. The latter value applies to 
Double play with TV, the only type for which the premium is higher than the EU on average (27%). 

Croatian consumers pay on average 6.2 to 10 EUR extra for an offer with a speed above 100 Mbps compared 
to  a  30-100  Mbps  offer.  This  is  between  36  and  63%  cheaper  than  the  EU  average  premium.  A  remarkable 
difference  can  be  observed  with  the  February  2015 premium,  as then  the  Croatian  results  were  20 to  120% 
higher than the EU average premium. This change is linked to the entry of T-Hrvatski Telekom on the market of 
offers above 100 Mbps, and the relatively low premium they charge. 

Figure 30: Croatia: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

93 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

61 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Croatia05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                
3.4.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

T-Hrvatski Telekom 
(incumbent) 

Iskon 

FTTx and xDSL 

FTTx and xDSL 

OT Optima Telekom 

xDSL and FTTx 

Vipnet  
(including B.net Hrvatska) 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers on the Croatian market             Take-up of offers on the Croatian market94 

94  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

62 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersCroatiaEU28 2 Mbps or lower1.4%3.8% 2-4 Mbps13.4%2.5% 4-8 Mbps4.2%6.4% 8-12 Mbps15.5%7.9% 12-30 Mbps28.2%25.6% 30-100 Mbps28.9%36.1% 100+ Mbps8.5%17.7% xDSL47.9%21.2% Cable8.5%21.3% FTTx43.7%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer27.5%34.1% Double play with Tel26.1%27.3% Double play with TV14.1%13.1% Triple play32.4%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesCroatiaEU28Below 2 Mbps1.4%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps69.1%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps26.7%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps2.6%19.2%At least 100 Mbps0.2%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service44.1%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony5.7%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)12.8%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)7.1%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)18.5%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.5. Cyprus 

3.5.1. Broadband price by speed95 and offer type 

While  popularity  of  offers  above  10  Mbps  in  Cyprus  has  slightly  increased96  since  the  last  BIAC  exercise 
(February 2015), still more than 80% of offers taken are in the speed range 2-10 Mbps, which is slower than 
the  EU  average.  Take-up  of  high-speed  offers  (above  30  Mbps)  has  moreover  remained  stable,  making  the 
Cypriot take-up more than 6 times smaller than the EU average.  

Furthermore, the popularity of bundled offers in Cyprus appears to be rather close to the EU average. Take-up 
of  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony,  Double  play  with  TV  and  Triple  play  is  very  comparable  (i.e.  around 
14.4%). When putting this into the EU perspective, it can be observed that only combined offers of broadband 
internet and TV appear more frequently in Cyprus.  

Like was observed in February 2015, broadband prices in Cyprus are generally (much) more expensive than in 
the EU on average. Only in the popular 4-8 Mbps basket are prices between 4% cheaper and only 15% more 
expensive than the EU average. In other speed categories, surpluses between 50 and 80% are rather common, 
and for all types of service offerings there is at least one speed basket where the Cypriot least expensive offer 
is more than double the EU equivalent. The most extreme case is 8-12 Mbps Double play with TV, where the 
Cypriot value is nearly 2.8 times the EU average. Finally, while in February 2015 no offer above 100 Mbps was 
available,  there  has  since  appeared  a  Triple  play  offer  which,  again,  is  more  than  double  the  EU  average  of 
least expensive offers. 

Figure 31: Cyprus: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

95 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
96 I.e. from 16.3 to 17% 

63 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCyprusEU28Standalone0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCyprusEU28Double play with Tel0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCyprusEU28Double play with TV0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCyprusEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.5.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Since the last data collection in February 2015, prices for 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps offers have decreased (by 3 
to 24%), while prices for 2-12 Mbps offers have gone up (by 6 to 26%). It should be noted that the higher prices 
in the latter baskets come with higher speeds. The only exception are Double play with fixed telephony offers, 
where the inverse can be observed; increase for 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps and decrease for 2-12 Mbps. As will 
be  seen  in  the  following  section,  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  least  expensive  offers  are  provided  by 
another ISP than the one providing least expensive offers in the other three categories, which might explain 
the atypical trend. 

As a result, the overall price decreases since 2012 which were observed during the last BIAC exercise for 12-30 
and  30-100  Mbps  have  gotten  even  more  important,  i.e.  between  30  and  50%  (except  for  Double  play  with 
fixed telephony: 3 to 15%). Finally, 2-12 Mbps offers that include TV are currently situated at around the same 
price as in 2012, while Standalone and Double play with fixed telephony offers are around 20 to 30% lower. 

Figure 32: Cyprus: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)97 

97 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

64 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.5.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the three main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 10: Cyprus: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)98 

In all baskets where Cablenet is present, it provides for the least expensive offer, and this at a price that is 24 
to 65% cheaper than that of the ISP that ranks second. In instances where Cablenet is not available, e.g. 8-12 
Mbps  basket  and  most  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  baskets,  Primetel  emerges  as  the  least  expensive 
provider.  Like  during  the  February  2015  BIAC  exercise,  incumbent  Cytanet  is  the  most  expensive  ISP  in  all 
cases. 

Logically,  cable  is  thus  the  cheapest  technology  in  all  market  segments  where  Cablenet  is  present  (i.e.  all 
baskets except 2-4 and 8-12 Mbps and most Double play with fixed telephony baskets). In other cases, least 
expensive offers are provided via xDSL or FTTx technology.  

Table 11: Cyprus: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

98 All prices for the Standalone offers for Cablenet are actually related to Double play with TV offers. Indeed, since Cablenet is not offering fixed 
broadband  as  a  single  service,  their  Double  play  with  TV  offers  have  been  considered  as  the  cheapest  option  for  consumers  who  are  only 
interested in Internet services.  

65 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

StandaloneDouble play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsPrimetelCytanet-2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsPrimetelCytanet-EU28: 24.5136.7248.42-EU28: 34.8140.0956.01-4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsCablenetPrimetelCytanet4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsCablenetPrimetelCytanetEU28: 22.7426.0543.1656.32EU28: 32.533.0346.5364.138+ Mbps - 12 MbpsPrimetelCytanet-8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsPrimetelCytanet-EU28: 23.0956.7484.52-EU28: 38.1760.1193.14-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsCablenetPrimetelCytanet12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsPrimetelCytanet-EU28: 21.9337.4365.2391.85EU28: 32.5368.60100.68-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCablenetPrimetelCytanet30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsPrimetelCytanet-EU28: 25.8956.7775.8598.48EU28: 35.3579.22107.51-Double play with TVTriple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsCytanet--2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsCytanet--EU28: 38.0367.53--EU28: 46.9374.05--4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsCablenetCytanet-4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsCablenetPrimetelCytanetEU28: 29.2931.0475.65-EU28: 39.5838.0262.1782.188+ Mbps - 12 MbpsCytanet--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsPrimetelCytanet-EU28: 37.68104.66--EU28: 47.375.75111.19-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsCablenetCytanet-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsCablenetPrimetelCytanetEU28: 30.1939.01112.20-EU28: 41.7745.9884.24118.7330+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCablenetCytanet-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCablenetPrimetelCytanetEU28: 31.5456.77119.03-EU28: 43.4563.7494.86125.55100+ MbpsCablenet--EU28: 56.38117.21--Cyprus2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLCablexDSLCableCable-Double play with TelxDSLCablexDSLxDSLFTTx-Double play with TVxDSLCablexDSLCableCable-Triple playxDSLCablexDSLCableCableCable 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.5.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average99. 

Bundle premium 

At 5.5 to 6 EUR, the premium for adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or Double play offer with TV is 30 to 
40%  cheaper  than  the  EU  average.  For  the  addition  of  TV,  a  decreasing  premium  applies  with  increasing 
speeds: from 16.4 EUR for 2-12 Mbps to 11.6 EUR for 30-100 Mbps, which is respectively 57 and 10% higher 
than  the  EU  average.  The  premium  for  adding  both  services  at  the  same  time  follows  the  same  decreasing 
trend  with  higher  speeds.  Moreover,  it  is  (nearly)  the  same  as  the  sum  of  the  separate  telephony  and  TV 
premiums, so that no additional benefit can be obtained by taking the three services at the same time. Finally, 
the Cypriot Triple play premium is fairly close to the EU average, i.e. differences are limited to around 10%. 

Figure 33: Cyprus: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)100 

Again, the Double play with fixed telephony category shows rather different results than the other three: while 
for the latter, the cost for moving from a 12-30 Mbps to a 30-100 Mbps offer is comprised between 11.3 and 
12.2 EUR, in the Double play with fixed telephony category this is only 8.7 EUR. The reason for this is that, as 
seen above, Cablenet, which has a relatively high premium, does not have  Double play with fixed telephony 
offers in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps market. In comparison with the EU average, the Double play with fixed 
telephony premium is 40% higher in Cyprus, while the other three are no less than 94 to 188% higher than the 
EU average. 

99 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
100 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

66 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumCyprus0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Finally, as an offer of more than 100 Mbps was introduced in Cyprus since the last data collection, a premium 
for going from 30-100 to more than 100 Mbps can now be derived: at 53.5 EUR, this is more than three times 
the EU average. It should be kept in mind however that the Cypriot premium is based on offers from only one 
ISP. 

Figure 34: Cyprus: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

67 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Cyprus0102030405060Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.5.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Cytanet 
(incumbent) 

Cablenet 

Primetel 

FTTx and xDSL 

Cable 

FTTx and xDSL 

Available offers on the Cypriot market 

Take-up of offers on the Cypriot market101 

101  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

68 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersCyprusEU28 2 Mbps or lower10.8%3.8% 2-4 Mbps10.8%2.5% 4-8 Mbps30.8%6.4% 8-12 Mbps12.3%7.9% 12-30 Mbps16.9%25.6% 30-100 Mbps16.9%36.1% 100+ Mbps1.5%17.7% xDSL70.8%21.2% Cable16.9%21.3% FTTx12.3%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer36.9%34.1% Double play with Tel23.1%27.3% Double play with TV15.4%13.1% Triple play24.6%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesCyprusEU28Below 2 Mbps0.1%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps82.9%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps12.7%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps4.2%19.2%At least 100 Mbps0.1%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service60.5%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony17.3%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)14.4%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)14.4%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)14.4%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.6. The Czech Republic 

3.6.1. Broadband price by speed102 and offer type 

Offers between 10 and 30 Mbps are currently most popular in the Czech Republic, closely followed by the 2 to 
10 Mbps speed range. The latter was most popular during the previous BIAC exercise, so higher speeds appear 
to gradually become more widespread. Meanwhile, at 31.1% the take-up of high-speed offers (i.e. at least 30 
Mbps) is relatively similar to the EU average.  

Furthermore, bundled offers seem not to be very popular in the Czech Republic, as only 15.8% of all offers are 
combined offers of broadband internet with fixed telephony and/or TV. Two thirds of bundles are Double play 
with  TV  offers;  which  results  in  a  popularity  that  is  fairly  close  to  the  EU  average.  Bundles  including  fixed 
telephony  are  however  much  less  popular  than  in  the  EU  on  average,  as  both  for  Double  play  with  fixed 
telephony and Triple play, the EU average is around 7 times higher than take-up in the Czech Republic. 

Least  expensive  offer  prices  of  broadband  in  the  Czech  Republic  appear  to  be  cheaper  than  in  the  EU  on 
average. Indeed, for bundled offers prices are, depending on the speed range, around 10 to 40% lower than 
the  EU  average  counterpart,  and  for  Standalone  offers  above  30  Mbps  even  higher  differences  can  be 
observed.  For  the  Standalone  above  100  Mbps  category,  the  Czech  price  is  even  62%  lower  than  the  EU 
average. The only exception are bundled offers in the 4-8 Mbps range, which are 23 to 72% higher than the EU 
average.  The  largest  surplus  can  be  observed  for  both  types  of  bundles  that  include  TV,  and  as  will  be  seen 
below, in both cases only one ISP provides an offer. 

Figure 35: Czech Republic: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

102 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

69 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCzech_RepublicEU28Double play with Tel0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCzech_RepublicEU28Standalone0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCzech_RepublicEU28Double play with TV0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleCzech_RepublicEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.6.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Between 2012 and February 2015, prices of Standalone offers of different speeds in the Czech Republic grew 
closer,  and  in  2015  they  became  virtually  identical.  Between  February  and  autumn  2015,  Standalone  prices 
remained very stable. For bundled offers, the situation is very different: since the last collection period, prices 
in most baskets decreased slightly (i.e. between 1 and 10%), but for Double play with fixed telephony 12-30 
Mbps  and  Double  play  with  TV  above  100  Mbps,  a  decrease  of  around  25%  can  be  observed.  While  for  the 
former this is because another ISP entered the Double play with fixed telephony market, for the latter a true 
price  decrease  at  the  least  expensive  ISP  can  be  observed.  Noteworthy  is  however  that  for  both  types  of 
bundled offers including TV, prices in the 2-12 Mbps basket have increased considerably (49 to 165%). In both 
cases this is because the former least expensive ISP (UPC), is now exclusively focusing on higher speeds, and 
consumer in this speed range can now only choose from more expensive ISPs. 

Finally, comparison of bundled offers over the entire 2012-autumn 2015 period shows that in all baskets above 
12  Mbps,  a  decrease  of  between  10  and  60%  took  place,  while  in  the  2-12  Mbps  range  an  overall  increase 
applies, which is mostly (i.e. for bundles incl. TV) explained by the price increase in the last period (cf. above). 

Figure 36: Czech Republic: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)103 

103 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented when at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 successive years. 

70 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.6.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least  expensive offers  per individual ISP in the  sample for the  Czech Republic compare as follows for all 
speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 12: Czech Republic: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

Poda, that compared to February 2015 has now also entered the market for Double play with fixed telephony 

71 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsRIO media-------EU28: 24.5120.71-------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsRIO mediaO2T-MobilePoda----EU28: 22.7420.7130.1531.5734.59----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsStarnetRIO media------EU28: 23.0915.2520.71------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsPodaStarnetInternethomeRIO mediaSmart CompT-MobileO2-EU28: 21.9314.5715.2520.5620.7121.1726.2330.15-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsStarnetPodaSmart CompInternethomeRIO mediaUPC Ceská republikaO2T-MobileEU28: 25.8915.2521.0121.1726.2226.3827.6432.9837.87100+ MbpsStarnetUPC Ceská republikaPoda-----EU28: 40.2115.2533.3050.81-----Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsPodaO2------EU28: 32.539.9444.25------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsPodaSmart CompInternethomeRIO mediaO2---EU28: 32.5319.9226.8527.1928.7944.25---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsPodaSmart CompRIO mediaInternethomeO2---EU28: 35.3526.3626.8531.6332.8547.09---Double play with TV4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsO2-------EU28: 29.2950.45-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsRIO media-------EU28: 37.6832.15-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsPodaO2Smart CompRIO mediaInternethome---EU28: 30.1924.3024.9626.8330.4540.92---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsPodaSmart CompUPC Ceská republikaRIO mediaInternethomeO2--EU28: 31.5424.3026.8327.6436.1146.5853.28--100+ MbpsUPC Ceská republikaPoda------EU28: 42.8133.3051.84------Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsO2-------EU28: 39.5864.55-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsPodaSmart CompRIO mediaInternethomeO2---EU28: 41.7729.6532.5235.5347.5464.55---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsPodaSmart CompUPC Ceská republikaRIO mediaInternethomeO2--EU28: 43.4529.6532.5239.7641.2053.2167.39--100+ MbpsUPC Ceská republikaPoda------EU28: 56.3845.4257.19------ 
 
 
 
and Triple play, is consistently a cheap choice in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps Standalone and bundled baskets. 
For  offers  above  100  Mbps  however,  UPC  provides  an  offer  that  is  20  to  35%  lower  than  that  of  Poda.  For 
Standalone  offers  above  100  Mbps,  Starnet  is  even  cheaper,  and  like  during  the  last  BIAC  exercise  this  ISP 
comes  out  as  a  cheap  option  for  all  Standalone  offers  with  a  download  speed  above  8  Mbps.  Based  on  the 
number of active providers, competition seems most fierce in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps baskets, and besides 
Poda, Smart Comp appears to be a rather cheap choice, as it generally is second or third in rank, before other 
mid-price  ISPs  like  Internet  Home  and  Rio  media104.  Meanwhile,  while  incumbent  O2  scores  well  for 
Standalone 4-8 Mbps and Double play with TV 12-30 Mbps, in all other baskets where it is present, its least 
expensive offer is one of the two highest ones. 

The table below shows that Plug & Play, representing around 1 in 8 collected offers in Czech Republic, often 
emerges  as  least  expensive  technology  for  lower  speeds  in  the  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  fixed 
telephony  categories.  FTTx  is  most  of  the  time  the  least  expensive  option  for  high-speed  offers,  with  the 
exception of  bundled offers including TV of  above 100 Mbps, in which a UPC cable offer comes out as  least 
expensive. 

Table 13: Czech Republic: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.6.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average105. 

Bundle premium 

In the Czech Republic, consumers pay on average and depending on the speed range, between  8.2 and 10.2 
EUR extra to add fixed telephony to a Standalone or a Double play with TV offer, which is fairly in line with the 
EU average (between 20% cheaper to 10% more expensive). Adding TV services in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps 
ranges respectively costs 10.3 and 9.9 EUR, which is also rather in line with the EU average. In the 2-12 Mbps 
basket however, the premium is more than 50% higher than the EU average, while for offers above 100 Mbps 
the opposite is true: at 0.5 EUR, the TV premium is only 1/14th of the EU average.  

Finally, adding both services at the same time costs between 9.2 and 20.5 EUR in the speed baskets above 12 
Mbps.  This  is  fairly  in  line  with  the  EU  average,  except  for  the  basket  above  100  Mbps,  where  the  Czech 
premium is 35% lower. In  the  2-12 Mbps speed range a completely  different  situation can  be  observed: the 
Czech premium is more than 70% higher than the EU average. The Triple play premium in this latter basket is 
also significantly higher than the sum of both individual premiums, while for the other baskets it is at the same 
level as the sum of the TV and fixed telephony premium. 

104 This is not the case for the Standalone 12-30 Mbps basket. 
105 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 

72 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Czech Republic2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonePlug & PlayPlug & PlayFTTxPlug & PlayFTTxFTTxDouble play with Tel-Plug & Play-Plug & PlayFTTx-Double play with TV-xDSLCableFTTxFTTxCableTriple play-xDSL-FTTxFTTxCable 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 37: Czech Republic: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)106 

For Double play with TV, both the premium for going from a 12-30 to a 30-100 Mbps offers and for going from 
a 30-100 to a more than 100 Mbps offer are substantially more expensive in the Czech Republic than in the EU 
on average (+63% and +25% respectively). For the other types of service offerings, the Czech premium is 24 to 
43%  cheaper  than  the  EU  average,  with  the  exception  of  the  Triple  play  premium  for  going  from  a  30-100 
Mbps to a more than 100 Mbps offer, which is at the same level as the EU average. 

Figure 38: Czech Republic: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

106 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

73 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030402-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumCzech Republic010203040Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium  Czech Republic05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.6.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Telefónica O2 
(incumbent) 

Internethome 

Poda 

RIO Media 

Starnet 

Smart Comp (Netbox) 

FTTx and xDSL 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 

FTTx and Plug & Play 

FTTx, Cable and Plug & 
Play 

FTTx 

Ethernet 

T-Mobile 

FTTx, xDSL and Plug &Play 

UPC Ceská republika 

Cable 

Available offers on the Czech market 

Take-up of offers on the Czech market107  

107  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

74 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersCzech RepublicEU28 2 Mbps or lower5.6%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.6%2.5% 4-8 Mbps5.6%6.4% 8-12 Mbps2.3%7.9% 12-30 Mbps31.6%25.6% 30-100 Mbps45.2%36.1% 100+ Mbps9.0%17.7% xDSL10.2%21.2% Cable13.6%21.3% FTTx40.7%45.2% Other35.6%12.3% Standalone offer38.4%34.1% Double play with Tel20.9%27.3% Double play with TV20.3%13.1% Triple play20.3%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesCzech RepublicEU28Below 2 Mbps2.8%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps32.2%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps33.9%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps22.7%19.2%At least 100 Mbps8.3%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service30.2%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony14.5%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)2.6%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)10.5%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)2.6%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.7. Denmark 

3.7.1. Broadband price by speed108 and offer type 

With  a  take-up  of  88.6%  of  offers  above  10  Mbps,  high-speed  offers  are  very  popular  in  Denmark  (cf.  EU 
average is at 75.5%). Like in the EU on average, the most popular speed category is that of 10-30 Mbps, but at 
the same time more than 2 out of 5 subscriptions have a speed of over 30 Mbps. This is nearly 12 percentage 
points higher than the EU average.  

At  the  same  time,  around  40%  of  Danish  broadband  subscriptions  are  Standalone  offers  or  fixed  broadband 
combined with mobile telephony only. Another 40% are bundles of broadband and TV, which is four times as 
much as in the EU on average. Logically, bundles with fixed telephony (with or without TV) then appear less 
frequently than in the EU on average.  

Looking more closely at broadband prices in Denmark, it can be concluded that cheapest Danish offers in the 
three slowest speed categories are all significantly cheaper than the EU average109.  In the speed baskets above 
12 Mbps, price differences become smaller, and for popular Double play with TV the Danish least expensive 
offer even systematically surpasses the EU average (by between 3 and 27%). For Standalone and Triple play, 
this is also the case for offers of above 100 Mbps (respectively +3 and +11%).  

Figure 39: Denmark: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

108 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
109 I.e. between 25 and 38% cheaper for Standalone offers, between 31 and 38% cheaper for Double play with telephony, between 8 and 31% 
cheaper for Double play with TV and between 11 and 35% for Triple play. 

75 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleDenmarkEU28Standalone0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleDenmarkEU28Double play with Tel0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleDenmarkEU28Double play with TV0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleDenmarkEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.7.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Between  2012  and  October  2015,  prices  for  30-100  Mbps  and  the  recently  appeared  100+  Mbps  have 
decreased for all types of service offerings, i.e. by between -5% (for Triple play above 100 Mbps) and -39% (for 
Standalone 30-100 Mbps). In the 12-30 Mbps speed range, over the years both price increases and decreases 
occurred  for  all  types  of  service  offerings  (although  not  at  the  same  point  in  time),  and  current  prices  for 
Double play with TV and Triple play are 6 to 11% more expensive than in 2012, while for the other two types 
prices have globally decreased by 11/29%. Finally, despite some fluctuations for Standalone and Double play 
with fixed telephony 2-12 Mbps offers, prices in this range are rather comparable to 2012. 

Since the last data collection, the least expensive offer price for Standalone and, to a lesser extent, Double play 
with  fixed  telephony,  have  decreased110,  while  for  the  other  two  types  of  service  offerings  prices  have 
remained  rather  stable.  The  only  exception  is  the  10%  drop  in  Double  play  with  TV  category  of  above  100 
Mbps. 

Figure 40: Denmark: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)111 

110 By between 5 and 24%, with the exception of Double play with fixed telephony 2-12 Mbps, for which a price stability can be observed. 
111 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

76 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.7.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the eight ISPs in the sample for this study compare as follows for all speed baskets 
and types of service offerings: 

Table 14: Denmark: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

77 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsTelia Denmark-------EU28: 24.5118.30-------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsBredbånd Nord-------EU28: 22.7414.02-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsDansk Kabel TVTelia DenmarkTelenor DenmarkBredbånd Nord----EU28: 23.0914.9919.2620.0927.83----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsDansk Kabel TVBredbånd NordFibiaStofaTelenor DenmarkTelia DenmarkTDC-EU28: 21.9316.9818.1722.0322.3824.0724.1026.89-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtDansk Kabel TVStofaFibiaTDCTelenor DenmarkTelia DenmarkEU28: 25.8923.1526.2926.9427.0627.6729.8830.0431.85100+ MbpsBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtStofaFibia----EU28: 40.2141.4041.8044.9851.07----Double play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsTelia Denmark-------EU28: 34.8122.53-------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsBredbånd Nord-------EU28: 32.522.54-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTelia DenmarkDansk Kabel TVTelenor DenmarkBredbånd Nord----EU28: 38.1723.5025.1526.6636.35----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBredbånd NordDansk Kabel TVTelia DenmarkTelenor DenmarkFibiaTDC--EU28: 32.5326.6827.1428.3430.6434.5236.75--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtTelia DenmarkFibiaTelenor DenmarkDansk Kabel TVTDC-EU28: 35.3531.6634.8036.0836.3136.6237.0939.73-100+ MbpsBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtFibia-----EU28: 52.449.9250.3159.70-----Double play with TV2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsTelia Denmark-------EU28: 38.0326.16-------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsBredbånd Nord-------EU28: 29.2926.87-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTelia Denmark-------EU28: 37.6827.13-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBredbånd NordTelia DenmarkStofaFibia----EU28: 30.1931.0231.9738.9181.94----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtTelia DenmarkFibiaStofa---EU28: 31.5435.9939.0139.7140.1245.88---100+ MbpsBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtStofaFibia----EU28: 42.8154.2554.9260.8163.52----Triple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsTelia Denmark-------EU28: 46.9330.39-------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsBredbånd Nord-------EU28: 39.5835.38-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTelia Denmark-------EU28: 47.331.36-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelia DenmarkBredbånd NordFibia-----EU28: 41.7736.2039.5394.44-----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsTelia DenmarkBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtFibiaStofa---EU28: 43.4543.9544.5147.5348.4953.91---100+ MbpsBredbånd NordEnergi-MidtFibia-----EU28: 56.3862.7663.4371.89----- 
 
 
 
 
 
Despite  its  weak  position  in  the  8-12  Mbps  range,  Bredbånd  Nord  comes  out  as  a  cheap  choice  in  all  speed 
categories above 12 Mbps, regardless of the offer type (i.e. systematically among the two cheapest operators 
on  the  market).  It  thereby  in  all  cases  performs  substantially  better  than  Fibia,  which  was  a  top  ranker  for 
above 30 Mbps during the last BIAC exercise. For offers above 30 Mbps, Energi-Midt is another cheap choice. 
Telia Denmark takes first place in all Triple play baskets where it is present, and also scores rather well for both 
types of Double play offerings, but not at all for Standalone offers above 12 Mbps. TDB and Telenor Denmark 
are in all cases where they are present situated on the expensive half of the ranking, and often this is also the 
case for Stofa. 

In the two highest speed baskets, the least expensive Danish offers are in all cases provided via FTTx. In the 
lower speed baskets FTTx and xDSL are also predominant: only for Standalone in the speed baskets 8-12 and 
12-30  Mbps  does  cable  come  out  as  cheapest  technology.  With  13.4%  of  collected  offers  being  provided 
through cable, this technology is clearly also less common than the other two (FTTx: 64.3% and xDSL: 22.3%).  

Table 15: Denmark: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.7.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average112. 

Bundle premium113 

On average, Danish customers pay between 6.7 and 8.6 EUR extra to add fixed telephony to a Standalone or a 
Double  play  with  TV  offer,  which  is  6  to  27%  less  than  in  the  EU  on  average.  Adding  TV  services  costs  on 
average between 9.5 and 13.5 EUR, and even 24.3 EUR in the 12-30 Mbps basket. The latter value is double the 
EU average equivalent, but it should be noted that this high value is influenced by the large premium applied 
by one ISP, which only offers satellite TV in combination with its broadband offer in this speed range (higher 
speed offers come with less expensive TV possibilities). 

Finally, the cost to add both services at the same time is between 15.2 and 21.3 EUR, and for 12-30 Mbps again 
is  exceptionally  high  (35.3  EUR),  for  the  same  reason  as  the  TV  premium  in  that  basket.  The  Triple  play 
premium in this speed range is even 7% more expensive than the sum of the two individual premiums. In the 
other baskets, it is slightly lower than this sum (only 2 to 6%). 

112 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
113 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 

78 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Denmark2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLFTTxcablecableFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLFTTxxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TVxDSLFTTxxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTxTriple playxDSLFTTxxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTx 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 41: Denmark: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)114 

In Denmark, a Standalone or Double play with fixed telephony offer with a download speed between 30 and 
100 Mbps is on average 5.6 to 6 EUR more expensive than a 12-30 Mbps offer, which is fairly close to the EU 
average.  For  Double  play  with  TV  and  Triple  play,  the  situation  is  very  different:  the  30-100  Mbps  offer  is 
respectively  5.5  and  11  EUR  cheaper  than  a  slower  12-30  Mbps  offer.  Again,  this  extreme  value  is  highly 
influenced by the fact that one ISP in the 12-30 Mbps range only offers an expensive bundle with (satellite) TV, 
while in the higher speed baskets other (cheaper) TV possibilities are available. The premium between 30-100 
Mbps broadband offers and those with speeds above 100 Mbps is positive in all cases, and ranging between 
18.1 and 19.2 EUR, which is 12 to 37% more than the EU average premium. 

Figure 42: Denmark: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

114 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

79 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030402-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumDenmark010203040Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28-15-10-505101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Denmark05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.7.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

TDC  
(incumbent) 

Dansk Kabel TV 

Bredbånd Nord 

Energi-Midt 

Fibia (SEAS-NVE) 

Stofa 

Telenor Denmark 

Telia Denmark 

FTTx  

Cable  

xDSL and FTTx 

FTTx 

FTTx 

Cable and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers on the Danish market 

Take-up of offers on the Danish market115  

115  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

80 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersDenmarkEU28 2 Mbps or lower2.6%3.8% 2-4 Mbps2.6%2.5% 4-8 Mbps2.6%6.4% 8-12 Mbps6.5%7.9% 12-30 Mbps20.3%25.6% 30-100 Mbps41.4%36.1% 100+ Mbps24.1%17.7% xDSL15.5%21.2% Cable15.5%21.3% FTTx69.0%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer25.9%34.1% Double play with Tel37.1%27.3% Double play with TV14.2%13.1% Triple play22.8%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesDenmarkEU28Below 2 Mbps1.6%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps9.8%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps46.9%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps32.4%19.2%At least 100 Mbps9.3%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service67.6%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony7.8%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)7.8%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)40.3%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)11.7%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.8. Estonia 

3.8.1. Broadband price by speed116 and offer type 

Like  in  the  EU  on  average,  the  most  popular  speed  range  in  Estonia  is  that  between  10  and  30  Mbps. 
Furthermore, offers with a speed of at least 30 Mbps take up 27% of the total number of subscriptions on the 
Estonian  broadband  market,  which  is  3  percentage  points  lower  than  the  EU  average.  At  the  same  time 
however, 15.2% of subscriptions are offers with a speed below 2 Mbps, which makes this low speed range ten 
times as popular as in the EU on average. 

Bundled  offers  including  telephony  are  not  very  popular  in  Estonia  (i.e.  they  only  represent  1.3%  of  all 
broadband offers), while take-up of Double play including TV (29.8%) is around three times as high as the EU 
average. Around half of the subscriptions remain Standalone offers or fixed broadband offers combined with 
mobile telephony only, which is slightly less than in the EU on average (-3%). 

Zooming in on broadband prices in Estonia, it can be concluded that the least expensive offers in Estonia are 
for  a  large  majority  of  offer  categories  cheaper  than  the  EU  average.  In  nearly  all  cases,  the  difference  is  a 
double-digit  percentage,  even  reaching  more  than  50%  in  most  of  4-8  Mbps  baskets.  The  difference  is  the 
smallest  for  offers  of above 100 Mbps, and for Double play with TV offers of  this speed range, the  Estonian 
least expensive offer price even slightly surpasses the EU average (i.e. by 6%). 

Figure 43: Estonia: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

116 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

81 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleEstoniaEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleEstoniaEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleEstoniaEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleEstoniaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.8.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Between February and  October 2015, prices for both  Standalone and  bundled offers in the  2-12 and 30-100 
Mbps decreased (by between 13 and 38%), while a rather strong increase can be observed for the 12-30 Mbps 
basket. For Standalone and Double play with TV, this increase even surpasses 40%. The reason is that the least 
expensive  ISP  for  this  basket  during  the  previous  data  collection,  upgraded  the  speed  of  its  least  expensive 
offer, so that it is no longer in the 12-30 Mbps speed range. Finally, prices of offers above 100 Mbps remained 
rather  stable  since  the  last  data  collection  period,  the  highest  difference  observed  is  a  decrease  of  7%  for 
Double play with fixed telephony. 

When looking at the period 2012-autumn 2015, prices for all types of service offerings and all speed ranges up 
until 100 Mbps have gone down, with the exception of Double play with TV in the 12-30 Mbps range (+11% - 
see explanation in previous paragraph). In view of the recent price increase in the 12-30 Mbps speed range, 
the overall decrease is the largest for 2-12 and 30-100 Mbps, for which for all types of service offerings a drop 
of 40 to 60% can be observed. 

Figure 44: Estonia: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)117 

117 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

82 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.8.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the four main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 16: Estonia: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October2015 data) 

Fill  OÜ  is  systematically  the  cheapest  ISPs  on  the  Estonian  market  for  offers  in  the  4-8  and  30-100  Mbps 
categories, while STV takes first place in the 8-12 and most 12-30 Mbps categories. It also comes out as least 
expensive  ISP  in  the  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  segments  above  100  Mbps,  while 
Starman takes this position for the two other types of service offerings under consideration. The category of 
offers  above  100  Mbps  is  also  the  one  in  which  prices  of  the  four  ISPs  lie  closest  together:  the  difference 
between the least and most expensive is maximum 16%. Finally, the least expensive offers of the incumbent 
Elion are most often the most expensive of all operators (i.e. in all cases except Standalone and Double play 
with TV in the 30-100 Mbps segment). 

In Estonia, the majority (51.5%) of offers collected are FTTx offers. This technology always emerges as the least 
expensive technology for the offers with a download speed above 30 Mbps, while cable (representing 28.4% of 
all collected  Estonian offers) is the  cheapest  technology for  nearly all types  of  service offerings in the  speed 
ranges between 8 and 12 and 12 and 30 Mbps. In the lowest (i.e. 4-8 Mbps) speed category, xDSL comes out as 
cheapest technology. 

83 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

StandaloneDouble play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsFillSTVStarmanTelekom (Elion)4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsFillSTVStarmanTelekom (Elion)EU28: 22.748.0413.3917.4022.13EU28: 32.516.6817.6922.7427.018+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSTVTelekom (Elion)--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSTVTelekom (Elion)--EU28: 23.0917.4122.13--EU28: 38.1721.7127.01--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSTVFillStarmanTelekom (Elion)12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSTVStarmanFillTelekom (Elion)EU28: 21.9320.0921.7324.0928.83EU28: 32.5324.3929.4330.3733.7130+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFillSTVTelekom (Elion)Starman30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFillTelekom (Elion)STVStarmanEU28: 25.8913.3926.7828.8332.13EU28: 35.3522.0333.7135.1037.47100+ MbpsSTVFillStarmanTelekom (Elion)100+ MbpsSTVStarmanFillTelekom (Elion)EU28: 40.2140.1840.1841.5044.90EU28: 52.444.4846.8448.8249.78Double play with TVTriple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsFillStarmanSTVTelekom (Elion)4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsFillSTVStarmanTelekom (Elion)EU28: 29.2913.3921.4021.4329.02EU28: 39.5822.0325.7326.7434.788+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSTVTelekom (Elion)--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSTVTelekom (Elion)--EU28: 37.6824.1129.02--EU28: 47.328.4134.78--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFillStarmanSTVTelekom (Elion)12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSTVStarmanFillTelekom (Elion)EU28: 30.1927.0828.1028.1236.49EU28: 41.7732.4233.4435.7241.4830+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFillSTVStarmanTelekom (Elion)30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFillSTVStarmanTelekom (Elion)EU28: 31.5418.7524.1136.1336.61EU28: 43.4527.3928.4141.4741.48100+ MbpsStarmanFillSTVTelekom (Elion)100+ MbpsStarmanSTVFillTelekom (Elion)EU28: 42.8145.5145.5348.2152.68EU28: 56.3850.8552.5154.1857.55 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 17: Estonia: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.8.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average118. 

Bundle premium 

On average, Estonian customers pay 5.4 to 6.3 EUR extra to add fixed telephony to a Standalone or a Double 
play with TV offer. Adding TV services costs between 3.1 and 6.6 EUR. Adding both services at the same time 
costs  9.4  to  12.1  EUR,  so  does  not  provide  for  a  significant  discount  compared  to  adding  the  two  services 
separately. Compared to the EU average premiums, the telephony, TV and Triple play premium is respectively 
about 38%, 43% and 36% lower.  

Figure 45: Estonia: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)119 

In Estonia, an offer with a download speed between 30 and 100 Mbps is 1.1 EUR cheaper to only 2.6 EUR more 
expensive than a 12-30 Mbps offer. The negative NGA premiums for Double play with TV and Triple play are 
amongst  others influenced  by the  fact that for one ISP, the  least  expensive offer  in the  two  speed ranges is 
provided  through  another  technology.  The  premium  between  30-100  Mbps  broadband  offers  and  those  of 

118 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
119 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

84 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Estonia4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLCableCableFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLCableCableFTTxFTTxDouble play with TVxDSLCablexDSLFTTxFTTxTriple playFTTxCableCableFTTxFTTx05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEstonia0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
more than 100 Mbps is much higher; i.e. between 15.4 and 19.1 EUR. Especially in the case of Double play with 
TV and Triple play, this premium is higher than the EU average (respectively 44 and 19%).  

Figure 46: Estonia: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

85 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

-505101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Estonia05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.8.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Telekom - Elion 
(incumbent) 

Fill 

Starman 

STV 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Cable 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers on the Estonian market 

Take-up of offers on the Estonian market120  

120  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

86 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersEstoniaEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps17.2%6.4% 8-12 Mbps15.4%7.9% 12-30 Mbps17.2%25.6% 30-100 Mbps37.3%36.1% 100+ Mbps13.0%17.7% xDSL20.1%21.2% Cable28.4%21.3% FTTx51.5%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer17.2%34.1% Double play with Tel27.8%27.3% Double play with TV22.5%13.1% Triple play32.5%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesEstoniaEU28Below 2 Mbps15.2%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps19.4%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps38.4%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps20.5%19.2%At least 100 Mbps6.5%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service57.1%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony7.8%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)1.3%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)29.8%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)18.2%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.9. Finland 

3.9.1. Broadband price by speed121 and offer type 

The popularity of offers in the speed range 10-30 Mbps is very close to the EU average, i.e.  45.7% compared to 
45.5%. Similarly, the take-up of high-speed offers (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) in Finland is relatively close to the EU 
average: 30.7% in Finland against 30% on average for the EU28. However, within this high-speed category the 
importance of broadband subscriptions above 100 Mbps is much more important in Finland than in the EU on 
average. Indeed, while 22.9% of Finnish subscriptions are offers of above 100 Mbps, only 10.8% of take-up in 
the EU relates to this speed range.  

At  the  same  time,  Standalone  offers  and  fixed  broadband  combined  with  mobile  telephony  only  are  very 
popular  in  Finland,  as  they  represent  more  than  7  out  of  10  Finnish  broadband  subscriptions122.  At  25.6%, 
Double  play  including  television  is  the  most  popular  bundle,  whereas  take-up  of  Double  play  with  fixed 
telephony and Triple play offers is virtually non-existent. 

Zooming in on broadband prices in Finland, it can be concluded that the least expensive offers in Finland are 
very often cheaper than the EU average. The difference ranges between 11.6% and 35.7%123 Only for Double 
play with TV in the 4-8 Mbps speed range is the Finnish least expensive offers fairly comparable, and the least 
expensive Double play with fixed telephony offer of above 100 Mbps is no less than 40% more expensive than 
the EU equivalent. For the latter, it should be noted that only one offer in this category is available in Finland, 
and that this was not yet the case during the last data collection. 

Figure 47: Finland: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

121 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
122 Standalone offers represent 68.9% of broadband subscriptions and bundles including fixed broadband and mobile telephony represent 21.6% 
of subscriptions. 
123 The former applies to Double play with TV 12-30 Mbps and the latter applies to Double play with fixed telephony 8-12 Mbps. 

87 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFinlandEU28Standalone010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFinlandEU28Double play with Tel010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFinlandEU28Double play with TV010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFinlandEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.9.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Apart  from  the  Double  play  with  TV  category  of  above  100  Mbps,  the  current  price  of  cheapest  broadband 
offers in Finland is lower than in 2012. Decreases range between 11.4% and 47%124. For most speed range-
type of service offering combinations, there has however been one point in time at which a price increase took 
place. Only Double play with fixed telephony least expensive offers have consistently dropped in price between 
2012 and autumn 2015. 

When exclusively focusing on the evolution since the last data collection period of February 2015, it becomes 
apparent that  Standalone  offer  prices  have  remained rather  stable (-4%  on  average),  Double  play  with  fixed 
telephony  prices  have  decreased  (-18%  on  average)  and  Double  play  with  TV  and  Triple  play  prices  have 
increased (+37% and +28% respectively). For all bundle types, most of the least expensive offers come from the 
same ISP as during the previous data collection period, but while in February 2015 this ISP offered promotions 
for bundles including TV, it offered Double play with fixed telephony at promotional prices in autumn 2015.  

Figure 48: Finland: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)125 

124 The former applies to Double play with TV 2-12 Mbps and the latter applies to Double play with fixed telephony 12-30 Mbps. 
125 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

88 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
3.9.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the four main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 18: Finland: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

Finnet group, which is on the only operator active on the Double play with telephony and Triple play market, is 
in  many  cases  also  the  least  expensive  ISP  for  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  TV.  Only  in  the  8-12  Mbps 
speed  range,  does  Sonera  come  out  as  a  cheaper  choice,  with  a  price  that  is  3  to  9%  cheaper  than  that  of 
Finnet group. 

FTTx, which is the technology of around 69% of collected bundles including fixed services only, in all but one 
case emerges as the least expensive technology for the bundled offers. On the Standalone market, FTTx only 
accounts for 36.5% of collected offers, but is still the cheapest technology in all speed ranges except that of 4.8 
Mbps. In the latter speed range, cable, responsible for 23.8% of collected Standalone offers, comes out as the 
cheapest choice.  

Table 19: Finland: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

89 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

StandaloneDouble play with TV2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsFinnet groupDNA group--2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsFinnet group---EU28: 24.5119.4632.59--EU28: 38.0326.70---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsFinnet groupSoneraDNA group-4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsFinnet group---EU28: 22.7416.0022.3733.38-EU28: 29.2930.03---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSoneraFinnet groupElisa (via Saunalahti)-8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSoneraFinnet group--EU28: 23.0915.6716.2217.21-EU28: 37.6824.3826.70--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFinnet groupElisa (via Saunalahti)SoneraDNA group12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFinnet groupElisa (via Saunalahti)Sonera-EU28: 21.9316.0023.6526.3940.62EU28: 30.1926.7032.0835.10-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFinnet groupSoneraElisa (via Saunalahti)DNA group30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFinnet groupDNA groupSoneraElisa (via Saunalahti)EU28: 25.8919.4420.6721.5022.17EU28: 31.5426.7029.6729.7432.08100+ MbpsFinnet groupDNA groupSonera-100+ MbpsFinnet groupDNA group--EU28: 40.2130.0731.8232.55-EU28: 42.8136.0641.73--Double play with TelTriple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsFinnet group---2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsFinnet group---EU28: 34.8127.77---EU28: 46.9335.00---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsFinnet group---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsFinnet group---EU28: 38.1724.53---EU28: 47.335.00---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFinnet group---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFinnet group---EU28: 32.5325.22---EU28: 41.7735.00---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFinnet group---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFinnet group---EU28: 35.3527.74---EU28: 43.4535.00---100+ MbpsFinnet group---EU28: 52.473.47---Finland2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandaloneFTTxCableFTTxFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelFTTx-FTTxFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TVFTTxxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTxFTTxTriple playFTTx-FTTxFTTxFTTx- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.9.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average126. 

Bundle premium127 

On  average,  adding  fixed  telephony  to  a  Standalone  offer  or  to  a  Double  play  with  TV  offer  in  Finland  costs 
between 8.3 and 9.2 EUR. This only differs 3 to 13% from the EU average. Adding TV services in Finland costs 
between 7.9 and 10.3 EUR, and is thereby 6% more expensive to 25% less expensive than the EU average. As 
shown  in  the  graph  below,  specifically  in  the  12-30  and  30-100  Mbps  speed  ranges  is  the  Finnish  premium 
substantially  lower.  Finally,  at  prices  between  15.6  and  19  EUR,  the  cost  for  adding  both  services  at  once  is 
fairly close to the sum of the costs for adding both services individually, i.e. between 8% less expensive and 6% 
more expensive, depending on the speed range. 

Figure 49: Finland: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)128 

In  Finland,  a  Standalone  or  a  Double  play  with  TV  with  a  download  speed  between  30  and  100  Mbps  is 
respectively 5.7 and 1.8 EUR cheaper than a slower 12-30 Mbps offer. Double play including fixed telephony in 
the 30-100 Mbps speed range comes at an additional cost of 2.5 EUR, and Triple play offers cost the same price 
in  both  speed  categories129.  Even  the  highest  premium,  i.e.  that  of  the  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony 
category, is thereby considerably cheaper than the EU average (60% in occurrence). 

Furthermore,  moving  from  a  30-100  Mbps  broadband  offer  to  an  offer  with  a  speed  above  100  Mbps  costs 
10.7 EUR for a Standalone or Double play with TV offer, which is 19 to 31% cheaper than in the EU on average. 

126 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
127 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
128 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
129 For Triple play, the premium is only calculated on the basis of Finnet group’s offers since it is the only ISP active on this market. 

90 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumFinland0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
In the Double play with fixed telephony category, the additional cost for an offer above 100 Mbps compared to 
a  30-100  Mbps  offer  is  at  32.97  EUR.  The  difference  with  the  premium  for  the  other  offer  types  can  be 
explained  by  the  fact  that  only  one  of  the  three  providers  in  the  Finnet  group  offers  Double  play  with  fixed 
telephony at speeds above 100 Mbps, while for the other offer types several providers are active. 

Figure 50: Finland: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

91 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

-10010203040StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Finland010203040Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.9.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

 DNA Group 
 (incumbent) 

Elisa (via Saunalahti) 
(incumbent) 

Finnet Group (Anvia, SSP, 
Tampereen, Puhelin) 
(incumbent) 

Sonera  
(incumbent) 

Cable, FTTx, xDSL and 
Ethernet 

FTTx and xDSL 

Cable, FTTx and xDSL 

Cable, FTTx and xDSL 

Available offers on the Finnish market 

      Take-up of offers on the Finnish market130  

130  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

92 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersFinlandEU28 2 Mbps or lower3.3%3.8% 2-4 Mbps5.8%2.5% 4-8 Mbps5.8%6.4% 8-12 Mbps16.5%7.9% 12-30 Mbps19.0%25.6% 30-100 Mbps36.4%36.1% 100+ Mbps13.2%17.7% xDSL27.3%21.2% Cable18.2%21.3% FTTx52.1%45.2% Other2.5%12.3% Standalone offer52.1%34.1% Double play with Tel18.2%27.3% Double play with TV24.0%13.1% Triple play5.8%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesFinlandEU28Below 2 Mbps2.5%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps21.0%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps45.7%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps7.8%19.2%At least 100 Mbps22.9%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service71.7%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony44.4%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)1.7%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)25.6%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)0.0%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.10. France 

3.10.1. Broadband price by speed131 and offer type 

At 15%, the take-up of high-speed offers (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) in France is only half that of the EU on average. 
At the same time however, offers of 10 Mbps or less are also less common (6% instead of 24.5% for the EU on 
average). Indeed, nearly 4 out of 5 offers taken in France are in the speed range 10-30 Mbps.  

At the same time, bundles appear to be very popular in France, as only 29.4% of offers are Standalone offers or 
bundles  with  mobile  telephony  only.  More  than  half  of  the  bundles  are  Triple  play  bundles:  at  38.1%,  their 
take-up in France is 21 percentage points higher than the EU average. The take-up of bundles with TV versus 
with fixed telephony is rather comparable, i.e. 16.9% versus 15.5%. The former is thereby 7 percentage points 
more popular than in the EU on average, and the latter is 4 percentage points less popular than in the EU on 
average. 

In October 2015, none of the 4 main operators on the French broadband market is still providing offers slower 
than  15  Mbps.  Finally,  while  more  than  40%  of  the  available  offers  on  the  market  are  Triple  play  offers;  no 
Double play with TV is offered by the main ISPs on the French market.   

Looking more closely at the level of broadband prices in France, it can be observed that least expensive offers 
in France are nearly systematically cheaper than the EU average132. The difference in price between cheapest 
French  offers  and  EU  average  is  the  highest  for  offers  with  a  speed  above  100  Mbps  and  for  Triple  play 
offers133. 

Figure 51: France: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

131 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
132 There is only one exception: the cheapest 12-30 Mbps Double play with fixed telephony which is at the same level as the EU average. 
133 i.e. depending on the offer  type, prices are between 37 and 58% lower in France for offers in the 100+ speed range and depending on  the 
speed, prices are between 43 and 58% lower in France for Triple play offers. 

93 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFranceEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFranceEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFranceEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleFranceEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.10.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Even if a slight increase in price is observed between February and October 2015 for nearly all speed categories 
and all types of offers134, broadband prices have globally decreased in France over the last four years. This is 
especially the case for Standalone and Triple play above 30 Mbps (i.e. around -28% for offers between 30 and 
100 Mbps and  -35% for offers above 100 Mbps). When  looking at  the  three types of offers available on the 
French  broadband  market,  it  is  clear  that  the  most  significant  decrease  in  price  is  observed  for  offers  in  the 
highest speed category (i.e.-27% on average for offers above 100 Mbps).  

Figure 52: France: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)135 

134 This increase in mainly due to an increase of the exchange rate EURO/PPP for France (i.e. from1.10 in February 2015 to 1.13in October 2015). 
135 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

94 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Double play with TV0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.10.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the four main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 20: France: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

With prices which are between 2.5 and 6.5% lower than the second cheapest option, Free emerges as the least 
expensive  ISP  for  Standalone136  and  Double  play  with  telephony  offers.  On  the  market  of  the  popular  Triple 
play offers, Bouygues Telecom is systematically the cheapest choice (i.e. between 27.5 and 30.2% cheaper than 
the second least expensive offer according to the speed range).  

FTTx is systematically the cheapest technology for speeds above 30 Mbps. Regarding the 12-30 Mbps category, 
xDSL  offers,  which  represent  around  90%  of  the  available  offers  in  this  segment,  logically  emerge  as  the 
cheapest choice. 

136  All  Standalone  offers  provided  by  Free  are  actually  “proxies  for  Standalone  offers”.  These  are  the  cheapest  options  for  only  having  fixed 
broadband in France and correspond to the Double play with telephony offers. 

95 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFreeBouygues TélécomSFR  (incl. Numericable)OrangeEU28: 21,9332.7833.9534.9735.9730+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFreeSFR  (incl. Numericable)Orange-EU28: 25,8932.7834.9735.97-100+ MbpsFree---EU28: 40,2132.78---Double play with Tel12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFreeSFR  (incl. Numericable)Bouygues Télécom-EU28: 32,5332.7833.6833.95-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFreeSFR  (incl. Numericable)--EU28: 35,3532.7833.68--100+ MbpsFree---EU28: 52,432.78---Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBouygues TélécomSFR  (incl. Numericable)OrangeFreeEU28: 41,7723.6332.6633.8734.1730+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBouygues TélécomSFR  (incl. Numericable)OrangeFreeEU28: 43,4523.6332.6633.8734.17100+ MbpsBouygues TélécomOrangeFreeSFR  (incl. Numericable)EU28: 56,3823.6333.8734.1741.29 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Table 21: France: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.10.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products  (within the same 
speed basket) and for different speeds (for the same product), the Bundle premiums and NGA premiums 
can  be  calculated.  The  average  of  the  premiums  for  all  ISPs  are  presented  below  as  Member  State 
premiums and are compared with the EU average137. 

Bundle premium138 

In France, bundle premiums are particularly low (and even negative in more than half the cases). Indeed, in the 
speed range 100+ Mbps, adding TV services to a Double play with telephony or adding both TV services and 
fixed telephony to a Standalone offer costs on average 1.39 EUR. This is between 5 and 10 times cheaper than 
the EU average. In the two other speed categories, a Double play with fixed telephony is on average around 0.5 
EUR cheaper than a Standalone offer and a Triple play is between 3.34 and 1 EUR139 cheaper than a Standalone 
offer. These results should clearly be seen in the light of the structure of the French broadband market that is 
characterized by a low availability of real140 standalone offers and the importance of Triple play offers. 

Figure 53: France: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

137 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
138 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
139 Respectively for offers in the speed range 12-30 Mbps and for offers in the speed range 30-100 Mbps 
140 Indeed, three-quarters of the 32 standalone offers in the BIAC 2015 sample are actually proxies for Standalone offers which have been built on 
the basis of Double play offers, to estimate what a customer willing to subscribe to the fixed broadband service would have to pay in the absence 
of Standalone offers. 

96 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

France12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV---Triple playxDSLFTTxFTTx-50510152012-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumFrance05101520Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)141 

Another particularity of the French broadband market is that, at ISP level, the prices are generally similar for all 
speed  categories.  This  can  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  same  offer  is  provided  at  the  same  price  to  all 
customers but the speed depends on the technology available at each individual location. For this reason, high-
speed premiums are not relevant for this country and therefore not presented hereafter. The only exception to 
this is the option “Booster”, which is offered by Numéricable, and which gives the opportunity to upgrade the 
400 Mbps offer to a speed of 1 Gbps. The price of this upgrade is at 8.63EUR/PPP. 

141 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

97 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.10.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Orange France 
(incumbent) 

FTTx and xDSL 

Bouygues Telecom 

FTTx , xDSL and Cable 

Free 

SFR (Including 
Numericable) 

FTTx and xDSL 

FTTx , xDSL and Cable 

Available offers on the French market      Take-up of offers on the French market142  

142  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

98 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersFranceEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps0.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps40.4%25.6% 30-100 Mbps34.8%36.1% 100+ Mbps24.7%17.7% xDSL36.0%21.2% Cable15.7%21.3% FTTx48.3%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer36.0%34.1% Double play with Tel10.1%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play53.9%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesFranceEU28Below 2 Mbps1.0%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps5.0%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps79.0%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps6.6%19.2%At least 100 Mbps8.4%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service76.2%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony5.6%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)15.5%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)16.9%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)38.1%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.11. Germany 

3.11.1. Broadband price by speed143and offer type 

With  a  take-up  of  24.8%,  the  popularity  of  high-speed  offers  (i.e.  at  least  30  Mbps)  is  smaller  than  the  EU 
average (30%). The other German subscriptions are distributed rather equally over the 2-10 and 10-30 Mbps 
speed ranges. The former (slow) category thereby has a popularity that is nearly 13 percentage points higher 
than in the EU on average, whereas the popularity of the latter is over 9 percentage points smaller than the EU 
average.  

At the same time, Standalone offers or bundles including mobile telephony only are a bit more popular than in 
the EU on average (60% versus 54%). Most bundled offers taken are Double play with fixed telephony offers. 
Indeed,  at  2.4%  and  4.8%,  Double  play  including  TV  and  Triple  play  are  respectively  7  and  12%  less  popular 
than in the EU on average. The former of the two is moreover not offered by the German ISPs considered in 
the BIAC study. 

Looking at the broadband prices in Germany, it can be seen that the least expensive Standalone and Double 
play  offers  with  telephony  are  systematically  cheaper  than  the  EU  average.  For  Standalone  services,  the 
difference is relatively limited, i.e. around 10% maximum, with the exception of the offers with a speed above 
100 Mbps, for which the German price is 24% lower than in the EU on average. Differences of that order of 
magnitude are common for the Double play with fixed telephony category, i.e. they range between -16 and -
32%. Finally, in the Triple play category, no real trend can be spotted: prices in the popular 12-30 Mbps speed 
range are 10% lower than the EU average, but in the speed range just above that they are 12% higher, while 
the German least expensive offer price for speeds above 100 Mbps is the same as the EU average. 

Figure 54: Germany: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

143 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

99 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGermanyEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGermanyEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGermanyEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGermanyEU28Triple play Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.11.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

For  all  three  offer  categories  under  consideration  (Standalone,  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  and  Triple 
play), prices of offers with a speed above 100 Mbps have decreased considerably between 2012 and autumn 
2015, i.e. by between 12 and 20%. Focusing on the  lower speed categories, it becomes apparent that Triple 
play prices have gone up: despite a small decrease since the last data collection period, prices are still 17 to 
32%  more  expensive  than  in  2012.  In  the  popular  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  category,  lower-speed 
offers have become cheaper (cf. 2-12 Mbps range: -22%), but others have remained stable. 

Figure 55: Germany: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)144 

144 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

100 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Double play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.11.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the five main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 22: Germany: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)145 

145 Please note that the offers provided by Kabel Deutschland and Unitymedia are only provided in some regions of Germany and never overlap. 

101 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsVodafone / Kabel DeutschlandTelefonica Germany (O2)---EU28: 22.7421.3222.12---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsUnitymediaVodafone / Kabel Deutschland---EU28: 23.0920.7823.05---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsUnited InternetVodafone / Kabel DeutschlandTelefonica Germany (O2)Deutsche Telekom-EU28: 21.9319.4526.1226.5234.79-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsUnited InternetUnitymediaTelefonica Germany (O2)Vodafone / Kabel DeutschlandDeutsche TelekomEU28: 25.8924.8925.5829.7229.8544.39100+ MbpsUnitymediaVodafone / Kabel Deutschland---EU28: 40.2130.3833.05---Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTelefonica Germany (O2)Vodafone / Kabel Deutschland---EU28: 32.522.1228.41---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsVodafone / Kabel Deutschland----EU28: 38.1726.88----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsUnited InternetTelefonica Germany (O2)Vodafone / Kabel DeutschlandUnitymediaDeutsche TelekomEU28: 32.5325.1826.5227.2830.1142.2130+ Mbps - 100 MbpsTelefonica Germany (O2)Vodafone / Kabel DeutschlandUnited InternetDeutsche Telekom-EU28: 35.3529.7233.6835.4149.86-100+ MbpsVodafone / Kabel DeutschlandUnitymediaDeutsche Telekom--EU28: 52.436.8839.7162.62--Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsVodafone / Kabel Deutschland----EU28: 39.5839.13----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsVodafone / Kabel DeutschlandDeutsche TelekomUnitymedia--EU28: 41.7737.5355.5780.09--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafone / Kabel DeutschlandUnitymediaDeutsche Telekom--EU28: 43.4548.7256.1064.20--100+ MbpsVodafone / Kabel DeutschlandUnitymediaDeutsche Telekom--EU28: 56.3856.6065.7078.59-- 
 
 
 
                                                 
Vodafone/Kabel Deutschland emerges as the cheapest ISP for all speed categories in the Triple play segment, 
at prices which are 13 to 32% cheaper than those of the second least expensive ISP. No suchlike clear trend can 
be  observed  for  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  offers.  On  the  contrary,  all  ISPs  except 
Deutsche Telekom appear as least expensive ISP in 2 to 3 cases. Deutsche Telekom in nearly all cases comes 
out as most expensive operator. 

For  offers  above  100  Mbps  and  in  the  speed  range  8-12  Mbps,  cable  systematically  emerges  as  the  least 
expensive  technology.  xDSL  takes  this  position  in  the  4-8  and  12-30  Mbps  speed  ranges,  and  finally  FTTx  is 
consistently the cheapest technology in the 30-100 Mbps speed range. 

Table 23: Germany: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.11.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average146. 

Bundle premium147 

While  adding  fixed  telephony  to  a  Standalone  offer  costs  on  average  3.6  to  6.6  EUR  in  Germany  (which  is 
around 40 to 60% cheaper than the EU average), adding TV services is more expensive (i.e. between 10.7 and 
20.6 EUR depending on the speed range). Compared to the EU average, the TV premium is therefore between 
3%  cheaper  and  174% more  expensive  in  Germany.  Adding  both  services  at  the  same  time  in all  four  speed 
ranges comes out more expensive than the sum of both individual premiums (i.e. 5 to 24% higher).  

146 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
147 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

102 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Germany4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLCablexDSLFTTxCableDouble play with TelxDSLCablexDSLFTTxCableDouble play with TV-----Triple playxDSL-xDSLFTTxCable 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 56: Germany: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)148 

In Germany, consumers pay on average between 5.5 and 9.9 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 
12-30 Mbps offer. Only in the Triple play category does this premium deviate substantially from the EU average 
(i.e.  +144%).  The  premium  to  move  from  a  30-100  Mbps  offer  to  an  offer  with  a  speed  above  100  Mbps  is 
rather  similar  (i.e.  between  4  and  10.6  EUR),  and  is  thereby  between  34  and  74%  lower  than  in  the  EU  on 
average. 

Figure 57: Germany: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

148 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

103 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020302-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumGermany0102030Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Germany05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.11.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Deutsche Telekom 
(incumbent) 

FTTx and xDSL 

Tefonica Germany (O2) 

FTTx and xDSL 

United Internet (1&1) 

FTTx and xDSL 

Unitymedia 

Vodafone/ Kabel 
Deutschland 

Cable 

Cable, FTTx and xDSL 

Available offers on the German market 

Take-up of offers on the German market149  

149  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

104 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersGermanyEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps11.8%6.4% 8-12 Mbps1.8%7.9% 12-30 Mbps33.7%25.6% 30-100 Mbps45.6%36.1% 100+ Mbps7.1%17.7% xDSL37.3%21.2% Cable16.0%21.3% FTTx46.7%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer29.0%34.1% Double play with Tel39.1%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play32.0%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesGermanyEU28Below 2 Mbps3.4%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps35.7%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps36.1%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps18.3%19.2%At least 100 Mbps6.4%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service45.3%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony6.0%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)32.2%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)2.4%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)4.8%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.12. Greece 

3.12.1. Broadband price by speed150 and offer type 

In Greece, 3 out of 4 broadband subscriptions have a download speed comprised between 10 and 30 Mbps. 
The most popular speed range is thus the same in Greece as at the EU level, but at the same time take-up of 
high-speed offers is largely lower in Greece. Indeed, only 4.2% of the subscriptions have a speed of at least 30 
Mbps, and there are no subscriptions with a speed above 100 Mbps. Moreover, none of the ISPs for which data 
was collected, offers subscriptions with a speed above 100 Mbps. 

At  the  same  time,  Double  play  including  fixed  telephony  is  undoubtedly  the  most  popular  product  on  the 
Greek broadband market (i.e. more than 60% of the total number of subscriptions). Only around 25% of the 
Greek  broadband  subscriptions  are  Standalone  offers  or  fixed  broadband  combined  with  mobile  telephony 
only, which is much lower than in the EU on average (i.e. 54%).  

Looking at the broadband prices in Greece, it appears that the price of the least expensive bundled offers in 
Greece  is  in  all  cases  fairly  close  to  the  EU  average.  Indeed,  for  Double  play  with fixed  telephony  and  Triple 
play,  differences  of  maximum  10%  can  be  observed,  in  both  directions.  Standalone  offers  however  are 
systematically  more  expensive  in  Greece,  more  precisely  by  7  to  30%.  No  Double  play  with  TV  offers  are 
offered by the main Greek ISPs.  

Figure 58: Greece: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

150 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

105 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGreeceEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGreeceEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGreeceEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleGreeceEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.12.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

When comparing 2012 and autumn 2015 prices, it can observed that very high-speed offers (i.e. with a speed 
above  30  Mbps)  have  all  gotten  cheaper  (i.e.  by  between  20  and  37%),  and  this  despite  the  slight  increase 
observed  in  the  most  recent  period.  Offers  in  the  2-12  Mbps  speed  range  are  on  the  other  hand  all  more 
expensive than in 2012 (19 to 35%). This is mostly due to the 28 to 62% increase between February 2015 and 
autumn 2015. Finally, in the popular 12-30 Mbps speed range, more stability can be observed, as the evolution 
since 2012 is comprised between -11 and +13%.  

Figure 59: Greece: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)151  

151 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

106 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100MbpsStandalone0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Double play with TV0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.12.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the five main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 24: Greece: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

Like could be concluded during the previous BIAC exercise, Cyta systematically comes out as a cheap choice on 
the Greek broadband market. Only in the Standalone 12-30 Mbps speed range is Forthnet slightly cheaper. The 
difference between the number 1 and number 2 is however nearly always very small (between 1 and 3%). Only 
in the Triple play 30-100 Mbps speed range is Cyta 15% cheaper than Forthnet. Hellas Online and OTE in all 
cases come out as most expensive choices. 

In  the  absence  of  cable  offers  on  the  Greek  market,  the  least  expensive  offers  are  systematically  provided 
through  xDSL  for  the  speed  ranges  2-4  Mbps,  4-8  Mbps  and  12-30  Mbps,  and  through  FTTx  for  the  highest 
speed category. 

Table 25: Greece: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

107 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsOTE----EU28: 24.5131.24----4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsWind----EU28: 22.7425.48----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsForthnetCYTAWindOTEHellas On Line (HOL)EU28: 21.9323.5623.9225.4834.1634.5430+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCYTAWindForthnetOTEHellas On Line (HOL)EU28: 25.8933.5734.0135.6249.6464.59Double play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsOTE----EU28: 34.8134.16----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsCYTAForthnetWindOTEHellas On Line (HOL)EU28: 32.5329.7529.9830.3834.1636.1130+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCYTAWindForthnetOTEHellas On Line (HOL)EU28: 35.3536.9938.2342.6549.6464.59Triple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsOTE----EU28: 46.9351.57----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsCYTAForthnetOTE--EU28: 41.7737.4938.3255.24--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCYTAForthnetOTE--EU28: 43.4543.9250.3872.13--Greece2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 MbpsStandalonexDSLxDSL-xDSLFTTxDouble play with TelxDSL--xDSLFTTxDouble play with TV-----Triple playxDSL--xDSLFTTx 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.12.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average152. 

Bundle premium 

Adding  fixed  telephony  to  a  Standalone  offer  on  average  only  costs  between  2.9  and  3.7  EUR  in  Greece 
(depending on the speed range). Compared to the EU average, the telephony premium is therefore between 
60 and 68% lower in Greece. Furthermore, consumers pay between 12.4 and 17.4 EUR extra to add TV services 
to  Double  play  offers  with  telephony.  Compared  to  the  EU  average,  the  TV  premium  is  thereby  especially 
expensive  in  the  2-12  Mbps  speed  range  (+68%).  Finally,  adding  both  services  at  the  same  time  in  all  speed 
categories  costs  nearly  the  same  as  adding  fixed  telephony  and  TV  separately.  The  premium  of  15.8 to  20.3 
EUR is thereby 20% lower to 2% higher than in the EU on average. 

Figure 60: Greece: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

152 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 

108 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumGreece0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)153 
In Greece, consumers pay on average between 11.8 and 15.2 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 
12-30 Mbps offer (depending on the offer type). Like was the case during the previous data collection period, 
the  premium is  thus  between  two  and  three  times  higher  than  the  EU  average.  Underlying  figures  from  the 
individual ISPs show that the premium in all cases is more expensive than the EU average, but is especially high 
for Hellas Online. 

Figure 61: Greece: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

153 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

109 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Greece05101520From 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.12.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

OTE  
(incumbent) 

Cyta  

Forthnet 

xDSL, FTTx and Satellite 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL,  FTTx and Satellite 

Hellas On Line (HOL) 

xDSL and FTTx 

Wind  

xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers on the Greek market 

Take-up of offers on the Greek market154  

154  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

110 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersGreeceEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps8.3%2.5% 4-8 Mbps1.7%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps53.3%25.6% 30-100 Mbps36.7%36.1% 100+ Mbps0.0%17.7% xDSL48.3%21.2% Cable0.0%21.3% FTTx41.7%45.2% Other10.0%12.3% Standalone offer30.0%34.1% Double play with Tel51.7%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play18.3%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesGreeceEU28Below 2 Mbps0.1%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps19.9%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps75.8%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps4.2%19.2%At least 100 Mbps0.0%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service85.3%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony9.1%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)63.9%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)3.0%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)9.1%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.13. Hungary 

3.13.1. Broadband price by speed155 and offer type 

No less than 48.6% of subscriptions in Hungary have a speed of at least 30 Mbps, which results in a take-up of 
high-speed offers that is over 18 percentage points higher than in the EU on average. Take-up of offers with 
speeds  above  100  Mbps  is  nearly  double  that  of  the  EU  on  average.  Like  in  the  EU  on  average,  the  most 
popular speed range however remains the 10-30 Mbps range. 

At  the  same  time,  Standalone  offers  or  fixed  broadband  offers  combined  with  mobile  telephony  only  are 
similarly popular as in the EU on average. The same cannot be said of Double play including TV and Triple play: 
their popularity is respectively 12 and 8 percentage points higher than in the EU on average. 

Looking more closely at broadband prices in Hungary, it can be seen that the least expensive prices in the not 
very  popular  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  category  are  systematically  a  bit  higher  than  in  the  EU  on 
average  (6  to  27%).  On  the  other  side,  Standalone  and  Triple  play  prices  are  nearly  all  cheaper  than  the  EU 
average (i.e. with the exception of Triple play in the 12-30 Mbps speed range). Especially offers in the 30-100 
Mbps range and of a speed of above 100 Mbps appear much cheaper in Hungary156. Double play with TV offers 
in these very high-speed categories are on the contrary 18 to 36% more expensive than the EU average, while 
suchlike offers in the lower speed ranges are less expensive than the EU average157. 

Figure 62: Hungary: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

155 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
156 Standalone: -53% on average and Triple play: -25% on average. 
157 30% for the 8-12 Mbps speed range and 13% for the 12-30 Mbps speed range. 

111 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleHungaryEU28Standalone0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleHungaryEU28Double play with Tel0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleHungaryEU28Double play with TV0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleHungaryEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.13.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Standalone and Double play prices are in nearly all cases substantially lower than in 2012 (-8 to -49%)158. In the 
Triple play category, an extreme drop of over 50% can be observed for the speed range above 100 Mbps, but 
an  upward  evolution  of  the  same  order  of  magnitude  can  be  spotted  in  the  12-30  Mbps  range.  When 
exclusively focusing on the evolution between the two most recent collection periods, it can be concluded that 
Standalone offers of all speeds and Double play with TV offers of above 100 Mbps have gotten considerably 
less expensive (decrease of around 20%), while in all other categories prices have evolved by only 5% or less. 

Figure 63: Hungary: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)159 

158 The only exception is Double play with fixed telephony in the 2-12 Mbps speed range, for which an increase of 3% can be observed. 
159 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

112 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.13.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The  least  expensive  offers  of  the  seven  ISPs  in  the  sample  for  this  study  compare  as  follows  for  all  speed 
baskets and types of service offerings: 

113 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsDigi KabelUPC Hungary-----EU28: 24.5111.5227.02-----4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsDigi KabelInvitelVidanetUPC Hungary---EU28: 22.7416.1027.4429.1837.43---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTarrVidanetInvitelMagyar Telekom (T-Home)UPC Hungary--EU28: 23.0921.5522.4129.1130.9048.02--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsInvitelUPC HungaryVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)PR-TelecomTarr-EU28: 21.9317.1120.0530.9933.7635.9036.42-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsDigi KabelInvitelUPC HungaryVidanetTarrMagyar Telekom (T-Home)PR-TelecomEU28: 25.8912.4422.8325.7739.5841.4345.2053.07100+ MbpsDigi KabelUPC HungaryInvitelMagyar Telekom (T-Home)PR-TelecomTarr-EU28: 40.2118.3939.7645.7256.6564.5169.56-Double play with Tel8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)-----EU28: 38.1742.2149.56-----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsInvitelPR-TelecomVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)---EU28: 32.5334.3839.4546.9851.85---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsInvitelPR-TelecomVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)---EU28: 35.3544.8754.3355.5661.00---100+ MbpsInvitelPR-TelecomMagyar Telekom (T-Home)----EU28: 52.460.6061.7770.16----Double play with TV8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTarrVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)----EU28: 37.6826.2629.8740.28----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsInvitelPR-TelecomVidanetTarrMagyar Telekom (T-Home)--EU28: 30.1926.1728.1938.4540.0042.57--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsInvitelPR-TelecomVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)Tarr--EU28: 31.5442.9643.0647.0451.7352.01--100+ MbpsPR-TelecomMagyar Telekom (T-Home)InvitelTarr---EU28: 42.8150.5060.8873.3874.33--- 
 
 
 
 
Table 26: Hungary: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

Like during the previous data collection period, Digi Kabel is the cheapest operator for Standalone and Triple 
play between 2 and 8 Mbps and above 30 Mbps (i.e. the only categories where this ISP is present). Their prices 
are moreover at least 35% cheaper than those of the ISP that ranks second. Furthermore, for bundled offers, 
PR-Telecom is always in the top 3 of least expensive ISPs. It is however one of the most expensive options in 
the Standalone category. Invitel also ranks rather well in all categories where it is present, with the exception 
of Triple play of above 100 Mbps, where it is the most expensive of 6 ISPs. Finally, while Tarr scores very well 
for speeds between 8 and 12 Mbps, it appears to be very expensive for all higher speeds. 

For  speeds  between  2  and  12  Mbps,  cable  offers,  which  represent  around  half  of  the  available  offers160  in 
Hungary  for  this  particular  segment,  are  always  the  cheapest  option  for  all  types  of  offers.  In  the  3  highest 
speed categories, cable is even more present (i.e. around 61% of collected offers in these segments are cable 
offers), but in these cases FTTx161 nearly always emerges as the least expensive technology. 

Table 27: Hungary: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

160 51% of the available offers between 2 and 12 Mbps are cable offers, 40% are xDSL offers and 9% are FTTx offers. 
161 Which is responsible for 33% of offers in these speed ranges. 

114 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Triple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsDigi Kabel------EU28: 46.9333.12------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsDigi Kabel------EU28: 39.5837.70------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTarrVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)----EU28: 47.343.5349.6762.18----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsInvitelPR-TelecomUPC HungaryVidanetTarrMagyar Telekom (T-Home)-EU28: 41.7744.8747.1853.1154.4459.5564.32-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsDigi KabelInvitelPR-TelecomVidanetMagyar Telekom (T-Home)Tarr-EU28: 43.4534.0461.6562.0663.0272.9173.85-100+ MbpsDigi KabelUPC HungaryPR-TelecomMagyar Telekom (T-Home)TarrInvitel-EU28: 56.3839.9961.3869.5081.4987.3092.07-Hungary2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandaloneCableCableCableFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with Tel--CableFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV--CableFTTxFTTxCableTriple playCableCableCableFTTxFTTxFTTx 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.13.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The averages of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average162. 

Bundle premium163 

For  offers  of  above  100  Mbps,  it  costs  30%  more  than  in  the  EU  on  average  to  add  fixed  telephony  to  a 
Standalone offer or to a Double play with TV offer. In the other speed ranges, the fixed telephony premium is 
even much higher: at 17 to 19.1 EUR, it is nearly double the EU average. The premium to be paid in Hungary to 
add TV services to a Standalone or to a Double play with telephony offer is much lower, i.e. between 6.3 and 
9.7  EUR,  depending  on  the  speed  range.  Finally,  adding  both  services  at  the  same  time  costs  on  average 
between 23.3 and 26.8 EUR (depending on the speed range); which is more expensive than the EU average for 
all speed categories (i.e. between 17 and 61% more expensive). 

Figure 64: Hungary: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)164 

In Hungary, consumers pay on average between 8.9 and 12.6 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 
12-30 Mbps offer (depending on the bundle type). This is relatively expensive, as it is 42 to 210% higher than 
the EU average. The premium between 30-100 Mbps broadband offers and those of more than 100 Mbps is 
more in line with the EU average; i.e. it ranges between 10.8 and 15.6 EUR, and is thereby 37% lower to 31% 
higher than in the EU on average. It is highest in the popular Double play with TV category.  

162 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
163 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 
164 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

115 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumHungary0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 65: Hungary: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

116 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Hungary05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.13.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Invitel 
(incumbent) 

Magyar Telekom (T-
Home) (Incumbent) 

Digi Kabel 

PR-Telecom 

Tarr 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Cable and FTTx 

Cable 

Cable 

UPC Hungary 

Cable and xDSL 

Vidanet 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers on the Hungarian market 

Take-up of offers on the Hungarian market165  

165  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

117 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersHungaryEU28 2 Mbps or lower4.6%3.8% 2-4 Mbps1.8%2.5% 4-8 Mbps3.7%6.4% 8-12 Mbps12.4%7.9% 12-30 Mbps35.8%25.6% 30-100 Mbps24.3%36.1% 100+ Mbps17.4%17.7% xDSL15.6%21.2% Cable55.0%21.3% FTTx29.4%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer35.8%34.1% Double play with Tel17.0%27.3% Double play with TV18.3%13.1% Triple play28.9%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesHungaryEU28Below 2 Mbps3.4%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps12.5%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps35.4%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps28.8%19.2%At least 100 Mbps19.8%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service52.4%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony2.9%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)2.9%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)21.8%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)24.7%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
              
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.14. Ireland 

3.14.1. Broadband price by speed166 and offer type 

In Ireland, the most popular broadband subscriptions have a download speed comprised between 30 and 100 
Mbps; which is faster than the most popular offers in the EU on average. In general, the take-up of high-speed 
offers (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) is also much higher than the EU average (i.e. 50.9% of broadband subscriptions in 
Ireland  against  30%  on  average  for  the  EU).  Nearly  one  in  three  subscriptions  however  are  still  in  the  2-10 
Mbps speed range. 

At the same time, bundled offers appear to be fairly popular in Ireland: the proportion of Standalone offers or 
fixed broadband offers combined with mobile telephony is only around 42%, compared to 54% for the EU on 
average.  The  take-up  of  all  bundle  types  is  higher  than  the  EU  average,  but  especially  Double  play  including 
fixed telephony seems to be popular (27.5% of all subscriptions). 

Looking at the broadband prices in Ireland, it can be seen that the cheapest offers in Ireland are in most cases 
substantially more expensive than the EU average. The two exceptions are Standalone and Double play with 
fixed  telephony  above  100  Mbps,  which  are  marginally  cheaper.  The  difference  in  price  between  Irish  least 
expensive  offers  and  the  EU  average  is  comprised  between  32%  (i.e.  Standalone  in  the  30-100  Mbps  speed 
range) and 66% (i.e. Triple play in the 12-30 Mbps speed range). Finally, it can be seen that the four main ISPs 
on the Irish market do not offer Double play with TV subscriptions. 

Figure 66: Ireland: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

166 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

118 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIrelandEU28Standalone01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIrelandEU28Double play with Tel01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIrelandEU28Double play with TV01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIrelandEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.14.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

With the exception of 30-100 Mbps offers, prices in Ireland are currently higher than they were in 2012. In the 
12-30 Mbps range, especially Standalone offer prices  have increased167, while in the speed range above 100 
Mbps,  all  offer  types  have  increased  considerably  (i.e.  by  between  16168  and  32%169).  In  the  popular  speed 
range 30-100 Mbps, prices are lower than they were in 2012170, but this is mostly due to a decreasing trend 
between  2012  and  2014.  Indeed,  since  the  last  data  collection  period  prices  in  this  speed  range  have  all 
increased  (by  between  5  and  19%).  Bundled  prices  with  speeds  above  100  Mbps  have  increased  even  more 
between February and autumn 2015 (20 to 21%). This is because the ISP with the cheapest prices in this range 
has been rebranded since the last data collection period, and at this occasion increased its prices. Prices for the 
other categories have remained rather stable between February and autumn 2015. 

Figure 67: Ireland: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 data) 171 

167  I.e.  increase  of  20%  between  2012  and  Autumn  2015,  while  for  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  and  Triple  play  the  increase  is  limited  to 
respectively 5 and 6%. 
168 For Standalone. 
169 For Triple play. 
170 Between 3 and 25%. 
171 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

119 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Double play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
3.14.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the four main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 28: Ireland: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

Like during the BIAC February 2015 exercise, all Irish operators emerge as the cheapest option for at least one 
market segment (depending on the speed basket and the offer type), so no general conclusion can be drawn 
on who is the cheapest provider on the fixed broadband market. Nevertheless, it can be seen that Virgin Media 
is systematically a cheap choice for offers with speeds above 100 Mbps, and that Eir ranks first for Triple play 
offers with speeds below or at 100 Mbps. In the other service categories, Sky and Vodafone at home are the 
cheapest option in respectively the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps speed range.  

As all offers up to 30 Mbps are provided via xDSL and  all offers in the 30-100 Mbps range are FTTx offers in 
Ireland,  these  technologies  logically  emerge  as  the  cheapest  ones  for  these  respective  speed  categories. 
Finally, cable, that represents around two thirds of available offers in the speed range above 100Mbps, is the 
least expensive technology for all offer categories in this speed range.  

120 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSkyEir-EU28: 21.9334.4452.51-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafone at homeSkyEirEU28: 25.8934.1441.9355.71100+ MbpsVirgin MediaEir-EU28: 40.2137.4478.17-Double play with Tel12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSkyEir-EU28: 32.5346.3052.51-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafone at homeEirSkyEU28: 35.3546.9052.5153.75100+ MbpsVirgin MediaEir-EU28: 52.451.2478.17-Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsEirSky-EU28: 41.7769.1881.59-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsEirSky-EU28: 43.4569.1888.08-100+ MbpsVirgin MediaEir-EU28: 56.3879.7091.65- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 29: Ireland: Technology of the least expensive offer (February 2015 data) 

3.14.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The averages of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average172. 

Bundle premium173 

In Ireland, the cost for adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer is situated between 5.9 EUR and 7.1 EUR, 
and is thereby 17 to 36% cheaper than the EU average.  Adding TV services on the other hand is very expensive 
in Ireland: the premium is situated between 21 and 26 EUR (depending on the speed basket); which is double 
and  for  speeds  above  100  Mbps  nearly  triple  the  EU  average  premium.  All  three  ISPs  that  offer  bundles 
including TV charge a premium that is higher than the EU average. 

Finally,  adding  both  services  at  once  costs  on  average  between  27.9  and  32  EUR  (depending  on  the  speed 
range). This is 55 to 60% higher than the EU average for speeds below or at 100 Mbps, and nearly double the 
EU Triple play premium for offers with speeds above 100 Mbps (+97%). Adding both services at once moreover 
does not appear to offer a noteworthy advantage over adding fixed telephony and TV separately: only in the 
30-100 Mbps speed range would the former option be 9% cheaper. 

Figure 68: Ireland: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

172 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
173 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

121 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Ireland12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLFTTxCableDouble play with TelxDSLFTTxCableDouble play with TV---Triple playxDSLFTTxCable01020304012-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumIreland010203040Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)174 

On average, Irish consumers pay only between 3.2 and 5.3 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 
12-30  Mbps  offer  (depending  on  the  offer  type).  This  is  between  15  and  40%  cheaper  than  the  EU  average. 
Moving from a 30-100 Mbps offer to an offer of above 100 Mbps costs 22.5 EUR for a Standalone and Triple 
play offer, and 25.7 EUR for a Double play with fixed telephony offer. These premiums are 40 to 50% higher 
than  the  EU  average,  and  very  different  from  February  2015,  when  for  bundled  offers  a  negative  premium 
could be observed for moving from a 30-10 Mbps offer to an offer of above 100 Mbps175.  

Figure 69: Ireland: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, February 2015 data) 

174 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
175 In February 2015 a ‘free calls option’ which was only available for speeds above 100 Mbps at UPC, was the reason for this negative premium. In 
Autumn 2015, Virgin Media (i.e. rebranded UPC) does no longer offer subscriptions with speeds below 100 Mbps, so this effect  is not relevant 
anymore. 

122 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Ireland0102030Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.14.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Eir 
(incumbent) 

Sky 

Virgin Media 

Vodafone at home 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Cable 

FTTx 

Available offers on the Irish market 

Take-up of offers on the Irish market176  

176  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

123 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersIrelandEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps0.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps33.3%25.6% 30-100 Mbps41.0%36.1% 100+ Mbps25.6%17.7% xDSL33.3%21.2% Cable17.9%21.3% FTTx48.7%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer25.6%34.1% Double play with Tel41.0%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play33.3%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesIrelandEU28Below 2 Mbps3.5%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps31.6%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps14.0%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps33.4%19.2%At least 100 Mbps17.5%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service67.3%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony9.2%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)27.5%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)12.2%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)18.4%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.15. Italy 

3.15.1. Broadband price by speed177 and offer type 

In Italy, more than 70% of broadband subscriptions are in the speed range 2-10 Mbps, which is slower than the 
EU average. Similarly, take-up of offers with a speed of at least 30 Mbps is more than 5 times lower than the 
EU  average  with  only  5.4%  of  the  total  number  of  subscriptions.  Compared  to  February  2015  exercise,  the 
situation  is  relatively  similar  even  if,  as  it  is  also  the  case  for  the  EU  average,  a  slight  amelioration  can  be 
observed for offers of at least 30 Mbps. 

At the same time, while Double play offers including fixed telephony is the most popular bundle on the Italian 
market  with  around  25%  of  the  total  number  of  broadband  subscriptions,  the  take-up  of  other  bundles 
including  TV  services  is  particularly  low  (i.e.  around  2%  of  broadband  connections).  More  than  85%  of  the 
Italian broadband subscriptions remain Standalone offers or fixed broadband combined with mobile telephony 
only.  

When  comparing  these  take-up  figures  with  the  products  currently  offered  on  the  Italian  market  (see  chart 
below),  a  clear  correspondence  appears  between  the  products  available  on  the  market  (i.e.  offer  side)  and 
those  subscribed  by  the  consumers  (i.e.  demand  side).  Indeed,  offers  are  provided  for  five  different  speed 
categories  for  the  popular  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  telephone,  whereas  Triple  play  offers  are  only 
available  for  two  speed  ranges  and  Double  play  with  TV  are  not  offered  at  all  by  any  of  the  4  main  ISPs  in 
October 2015. 

Looking  more  closely  at  the  level  of  prices  in  Italy,  it  can  be  concluded  that  broadband  prices  in  Italy  are 
systematically higher than the EU average. For the slowest Standalone offers, the difference between the price 
of the least expensive offers in Italy and the EU average is particularly important (i.e. +82% in the speed range 
4-8 Mbps and +120% in the speed range 8-12 Mbps).  

Figure 70: Italy: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

177 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

124 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleItalyEU28Standalone0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleItalyEU28Double play with Tel0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleItalyEU28Double play with TV0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleItalyEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.15.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

With the exception of Standalone and Double play offers with telephony in the speed range 30-100 Mbps178, 
prices have increased for all other types of offer and speed categories between 2012 and autumn 2015. While 
prices have increased by around 20% in the 12-30 Mbps speed category, the most important increase can be 
observed for offers between 2 and 12 Mbps (i.e. +78% between 2012 and October 2015 for Standalone offers 
and +33% for Double Play). Whereas significant increases were noticed between 2013 and February 2015179, it 
is interesting to note that the prices of least expensive offers have been more stable between February and 
October 2015 (i.e. variation generally lower than +/- 5%). 

Figure 71: Italy: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)180  

178 Respectively -18 and -29% between 2012 and October 2015. 
179 E.g. between 2013 and February 2015, the price of least expensive offer has increased by respectively 99% for  Standalone offers between 2 
and 12 Mbps, 90% for Double Play with Telephony in the same speed range and 70% for Double Play offers between 12 and 30 Mbps. 
180 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

125 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Double play with TV010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.15.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the four main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 30: Italy: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

While  the  incumbent  Telecom  Italia  is  nearly  systematically  the  most  expensive  operator  in  the  Italian 
broadband market, Fastweb is the cheapest provider for all types of offers between 12 and 100 Mbps181. On 
the popular Standalone and Double with telephony markets, Wind emerges as the cheapest option for offers in 
the speed range 4-8 Mbps and generally as the second best choice for  offers in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps 
speed categories.  Finally, Vodafone, which is the  only  provider  of  offers  above 100 Mbps, does not perform 
very well for offers between 12 and 100 Mbps where it appears for most cases at the third or fourth position 
with prices 20 and 30% higher than Fastweb. 

181 With prices which are on average 15% lower than the second cheapest ISP on the market. 

126 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsWind (Infostrada)Telecom Italia--EU28: 22.7441.4544.65--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTelecom Italia---EU28: 23.0950.86---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFastwebWind (Infostrada)Vodafone (TeleTu)Telecom ItaliaEU28: 21.9331.3536.4738.5539.4230+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFastwebVodafone (TeleTu)Wind (Infostrada)Telecom ItaliaEU28: 25.8935.5143.5346.3256.45100+ MbpsVodafone (TeleTu)---EU28: 40.2143.53---Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsWind (Infostrada)Telecom Italia--EU28: 32.547.2553.52--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTelecom Italia---EU28: 38.1759.73---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFastwebWind (Infostrada)Telecom ItaliaVodafone (TeleTu)EU28: 32.5337.5042.2742.7448.0130+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFastwebWind (Infostrada)Vodafone (TeleTu)Telecom ItaliaEU28: 35.3542.6549.9153.0056.45100+ MbpsVodafone (TeleTu)---EU28: 52.453.00---Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsFastwebTelecom Italia--EU28: 41.7748.0657.10--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsFastwebTelecom Italia--EU28: 43.4553.0461.47-- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
In the absence of Cable offers on the Italian broadband market, FTTx is the only available technology for offers 
above  30  Mbps.  The  cheapest  offers  for  the  slowest  speed  categories  are  systematically  provided  through 
xDSL. 

Table 31: Italy: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.15.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average182. 

Bundle premium 

Compared to the EU average, bundle premiums are systematically lower in Italy. Adding fixed telephony to a 
Standalone offer is particularly cheap (i.e. between 5 and 6.2 EUR for offers up to 100 Mbps, which is between 
30 and 40% cheaper than the EU average, and 9.5 EUR for offers above 100Mbps, which is around 10% lower 
than the EU average). While adding TV to a Double Play offer with telephony to obtain a Triple play offer in the 
12-30 Mbps range costs approximately 12 EUR in Italy (which is similar to the EU average), it is substantially 
lower for offers between 30 and 100 Mbps (i.e. 7.7 EUR in Italy, which is 27% cheaper than the EU average). 
Finally, Triple Play premiums are also significantly lower in Italy: 17.2 EUR in the 12-30 Mbps speed category 
(i.e. 17% cheaper than the EU average) and 11.3 EUR for offers between 30 and 100 Mbps (i.e. 40% cheaper 
than the EU average). 

Figure 72: Italy: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

182 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 

127 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Italy4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV-----Triple play--xDSLFTTx-05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumItaly0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)183 

In Italy, a 30-100 Mbps offer costs on average between 4.7 and 9 EUR extra compared to a 12-30 Mbps offer 
(depending on the offer type). In comparison with the EU average, this high-speed premium is between 15 and 
43%  more  expensive  in  Italy.  The  amount  of  the  premium  and  the  difference  between  Italian  and  EU  high 
speed premium is however decreasing when more services are included in the offer184. 

The  cost  for  moving  from  a  30-100  Mbps  offer  to  a  100+  Mbps  offer,  is  not  represented  in  the  chart  below 
since it is equal to 0 for Standalone and Double play with telephony offers. Indeed, Vodafone is the only ISP to 
provide  offers  above  100  Mbps  (i.e.  with  a  speed  of  300  Mbps)  but  these  offers  are  limited  to  some  main 
regions according to technical availabilities and are provided at the same price than offers with a speed of 100 
Mbps. 

Figure 73: Italy: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

183 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 
184 i.e. 43% more expensive for Standalone offers, 26% more expensive for Double Play offers and 15% more expensive for Triple Play offers. 

128 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Italy05101520From 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.15.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Telecom Italia 
(incumbent) 

Fastweb 

Vodafone  

(Tele Tu) 

Wind (Infostrada) 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers on the Italian market 

Take-up of offers on the Italian market185  

185  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

129 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersItalyEU28 2 Mbps or lower5.7%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps7.5%6.4% 8-12 Mbps1.9%7.9% 12-30 Mbps58.5%25.6% 30-100 Mbps22.6%36.1% 100+ Mbps3.8%17.7% xDSL50.9%21.2% Cable0.0%21.3% FTTx49.1%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer32.1%34.1% Double play with Tel54.7%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play13.2%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesItalyEU28Below 2 Mbps1.1%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps72.8%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps20.7%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps4.5%19.2%At least 100 Mbps0.9%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service38.1%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony24.7%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)11.4%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)1.9%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)0.0%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.16. Latvia 

3.16.1. Broadband price by speed186 and offer type 

In Latvia, more than 40% of broadband subscriptions have a download speed of at least 100 Mbps. With a take 
up  of  very  high-speed  offers  which  is  around  4  times  as  high  as  the  EU  average,  these  offers  are  the  most 
popular in the country. Only 44% of broadband subscriptions still have a download speed below 30 Mbps. 

At the same time, while Double play including telephony and Triple offers are not very popular in Latvia, take-
up  of  Double  play  including  TV  reaches  more  than  40%,  which  is  around  three  times  higher  than  the  EU 
average.  Around  45%  of  the  subscriptions  in  Latvia  remain  Standalone  offers  or  fixed  broadband  offers 
combined with mobile telephony only. 

Focussing on broadband prices in Latvia, it can be seen that, with the exception of all three bundled offers in 
the speed range 8-12 Mbps which are between 88 and 103% more expensive in Latvia, least expensive offers 
are significantly cheaper than the EU average. Indeed, least expensive offers are between 28 and 59% cheaper 
in  Latvia  (depending  on  the  offer  type  and  the  speed  category).  Generally  speaking,  the  difference  in  price 
between Latvian cheapest offers and EU average is the most important (on average 47%187) for offers with a 
speed above 100 Mbps. 

Figure 74: Latvia: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

186 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
187 i.e. 53% for Standalone offers, 27% for Double play with telephony offers, 56% for Double play with TV offers and 53% for Triple play offers 

130 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLatviaEU28Standalone01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLatviaEU28Double play with Tel01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLatviaEU28Double play with TV01020304050607080902-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLatviaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.16.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Even if a general decrease in price can be observed for all offer types and speed categories between 2012 and 
October 2015, prices have not followed a uniform trend in Latvia. Indeed, while prices have (very) slightly but 
regularly  decreased  between  2012  and  October  2015  for  the  popular  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  TV 
offers,  the  evolution  of  Double  play  with  telephony  and  Triple  play  offers  is  often  characterised  by  more 
significant  decreases  and  periods  of  stability  (such  as  between  2013  and  2014  and  between  February  and 
October  2015188).  Nevertheless,  prices  of  cheapest  Double  play  with  telephony  and  Triple  play  have,  on 
average, respectively decreased by 35 and 41 % between February 2012 and October 2015. 

Figure 75: Latvia: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)189 

188 There are two exceptions: the 100+ Mbps Double play with telephony for which the price of the cheapest offer has decreased by nearly 20% 
between 2013 and 2014 and by 30% between February and October 2015, and the price of the least expensive 100+ Mbps Triple play which has 
decreased by 45% between 2013 and 2014. 
189 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

131 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.16.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the eight ISPs in the sample for this study compare as follows for all speed baskets 
and types of service offerings: 

Table 32: Latvia: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

132 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsMCKElektrons & K------EU28: 24.5115.5116.58------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsElektrons & KLivas KTVMCKDautkom TVLattelecom---EU28: 22.749.339.4810.9812.4516.10---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsMCKBalticomDautkom TVLattelecom----EU28: 23.0913.8918.5129.1236.50----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsLivas KTVEdanBalticomMCKDautkom TVLattelecom--EU28: 21.9312.3913.1214.1427.0235.3536.50--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsElektrons & KLivas KTVEdanMCKBalticomDautkom TVBaltcom TVLattelecomEU28: 25.8914.5716.7717.5018.2718.5118.6818.9621.93100+ MbpsBaltcom TVEdanBalticomElektrons & KDautkom TVLattelecom--EU28: 40.2118.9621.8722.8824.7930.6132.14--Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsLivas KTVDautkom TVLattelecom-----EU28: 32.518.2929.9958.40-----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsLattelecom-------EU28: 38.1777.34-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsLivas KTVEdanLattelecom-----EU28: 32.5321.2031.8077.34-----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsLivas KTVEdanDautkom TVBalticomLattelecom---EU28: 35.3525.5833.9936.2236.3065.66---100+ MbpsEdanBalticomDautkom TVLattelecom----EU28: 52.438.3638.4948.1574.41----Double play with TV4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsMCKDautkom TVLattelecom-----EU28: 29.2915.3120.6730.68-----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsDautkom TVLattelecom------EU28: 37.6841.4053.99------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsEdanBalticomLivas KTVDautkom TVLattelecom---EU28: 30.1914.5816.0016.7747.6253.99---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBaltcom TVLivas KTVEdanMCKBalticomElektrons & KDautkom TVLattelecomEU28: 31.5418.9621.8722.6022.6024.0224.0630.9635.05100+ MbpsBaltcom TVEdanBalticomElektrons & KLattelecomDautkom TV--EU28: 42.8118.9625.5226.9435.1842.3342.88--Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsDautkom TVLattelecom------EU28: 39.5833.3074.41------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsLattelecom-------EU28: 47.388.99-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsLivas KTVEdanLattelecom-----EU28: 41.7725.5833.2688.99-----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBaltcom TVLivas KTVEdanDautkom TVBalticomLattelecom--EU28: 43.4527.7030.6839.0939.5341.4074.41--100+ MbpsBaltcom TVEdanBalticomDautkom TVLattelecom---EU28: 56.3827.7042.0142.1351.4684.63--- 
 
 
 
 
From  the  table  above,  it  can  be  seen  that  Livas  KTV  is  a  cheap  choice  for  offers  in  the  speed  ranges  12-30 
Mbps190 and 30-100 Mbps191. In the popular market for high-speed offers (i.e. 30-100 Mbps and 100+ Mbps), 
Baltcom  TV  is  always  the  least  expensive  option,  except  on  the  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  market 
(where the operator is not active) and for Standalone offers between 30 and 100Mbps. It is also interesting to 
note  that  Edan  is  a  relatively  cheap  option  as  well  for  these  three  highest  speed  categories  (i.e.  It  is  always 
ranked among the three cheapest providers for all offer types).Finally, with prices which are on average more 
than the  double of the  cheapest offer  on the  market, the  incumbent  Lattelecom is nearly systematically the 
most expensive operator. 

Even  if  FTTx  offers  represent  around  65%  of  the  available  broadband  offers  in  Latvia  (compared  to  22%  for 
cable and 10% for xDSL), Cable is the cheapest technology in more than 40% of the cases for offers up to 100 
Mbps  and  xDSL  in  half  of  the  cases  for  the  specific  speed  range  8-12  Mbps.  In  the  speed  range  above  100 
Mbps, FTTx is the only available technology on the market. 

Table 33: Latvia: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.16.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average192. 

Bundle premium 

Adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer or to a Double play with TV offer costs on average between 17.7 
and 30.1 EUR (depending on the speed range); which is between 82 and 228% more expensive than the EU28 
average  premium.  Adding  TV  services  is  however  much  cheaper  in  Latvia  (i.e.  between  5.9  and  10.9  EUR 
depending  on  the  speed  category).  Also  compared  to  the  EU  average,  TV  premium  are  generally  cheaper  in 
Latvia  (i.e.  up  to  43%  lower).  Finally,  adding  both  services  at  the  same  time  costs  at  least  the  sum  of  both 
individual premiums in Latvia193. Therefore, the Triple play premium is between 26 and 130% higher than the 
EU average. 

190 Livas is the cheapest ISP for Standalone, Double play with telephony and Triple play offers and is ranked at the 3rd poistion for Double play 
with TV offers. 
191 It is the second cheapest option for Standalone, Double play with TV and Triple play offers and the least expensive provider  for Double play 
with telephony. 
192 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
193 With the exception of the speed range 100+ Mbps for which the sum of individual premiums is around 1EUR more expensive than the Triple 
play premium. 

133 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Latvia2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonePlug & PlayFTTxFTTxCableFTTxFTTxDouble play with Tel-CablexDSLCableCableFTTxDouble play with TV-CableCableFTTxFTTxFTTxTriple play-FTTxxDSLCableFTTxFTTx 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 76: Latvia: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)194 

In  Latvia,  the  least  expensive  offers  in  the  speed  range  30-100  Mbps  are  on  average195  cheaper  than  least 
expensive  offers  with  a  speed  between  12  and  30  Mbps  available  at  the  same  operator.  Depending  on  the 
offer type, the 30-100 Mbps offer is on average between 1.2 and 4.5 EUR cheaper. 

More  in  line  with  what  can  be  expected,  least  expensive  offers  in  the  speed  range  100+  Mbps  are  more 
expensive  than  the  cheapest  30-100Mbps  offers.  Indeed,  consumers  in  Latvia  pay  between  5.2  and  6.9  EUR 
extra for a 100+ Mbps offer. Compared to the EU average, this premium is  particularly low (i.e. between 55 
and 70% lower than the EU average). 

Figure 77: Latvia: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

194 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
195 This is actually true for 3 out of the 6 ISPs providing offers in both speed ranges for at least 1 of the offer type. 

134 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040502-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumLatvia01020304050Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28-10-505101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Latvia05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.16.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Lattelecom 

(incumbent) 

Baltcom TV 

Balticom 

Dautkom TV 

Edan 

Elektrons & K 

Livas KTV 

Media Centrs “Kurzeme” 

xDSL  and FTTx 

FTTx 

FTTx and Plug & Play 

FTTx, Cable and Plug & 
Play 

FTTx 

Cable and FTTx 

Cable 

FTTx, Cable and Plug & 
Play 

Available offers on the Latvian market 

Take-up of offers on the Latvian market196  

196  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

135 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersLatviaEU28 2 Mbps or lower2.4%3.8% 2-4 Mbps1.8%2.5% 4-8 Mbps15.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps4.8%7.9% 12-30 Mbps14.4%25.6% 30-100 Mbps35.9%36.1% 100+ Mbps25.7%17.7% xDSL9.6%21.2% Cable22.2%21.3% FTTx64.1%45.2% Other4.2%12.3% Standalone offer34.1%34.1% Double play with Tel17.4%27.3% Double play with TV26.3%13.1% Triple play22.2%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesLatviaEU28Below 2 Mbps1.7%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps22.9%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps19.2%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps14.0%19.2%At least 100 Mbps42.2%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service64.8%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony9.3%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)3.1%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)41.7%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)10.8%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.17. Lithuania 

3.17.1. Broadband price by speed197 and offer type 

In  Lithuania,  nearly  60%  of  broadband  subscriptions  have  a  download  speed  of  at  least  30  Mbps,  of  which 
more than a fifth are subscriptions of at least 100 Mbps. Therefore, the take-up of high-speed offers is twice as 
high in Lithuania compared to the EU average.   

Looking at the different types of products, it can be noted that more than 70% of broadband subscriptions in 
Lithuania remain Standalone offers or internet access with mobile telephony only. Among the different types 
of fixed bundles, Double play with TV offers is the most popular bundle with a take up of 16.7% of the total 
number  of  broadband  subscriptions  (which  is  around  1.7  times  as  high  as  the  EU  average  take-up  for  this 
product).  

Zooming  in  on  broadband  prices,  it  appears  that  the  least  expensive  offers  in  Lithuania  are  nearly 
systematically cheaper than the EU average198. Indeed, the least expensive Standalone offers are on average 
48%  cheaper  than  the  EU  average  and  Double  play  offers  with  fixed  telephony  are  between  37  and  50% 
cheaper. For bundles including TV (i.e. Double and Triple play), the difference between Lithuanian and average 
EU prices is a bit smaller, since the prices of the least expensive Double play with TV above 30Mbps and Triple 
play offers in general are on average 25% lower than the EU average.  

Figure 78: Lithuania: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

197 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
198  There  is  only  two  exceptions:  the  Double  play  with  TV  in  the  speed  ranges  4-8  Mbps  and  8-12  Mbps  are  respectively  33  and  53%  more 
expensive than the average of least expensive EU offers for these products. 

136 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLithuaniaEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLithuaniaEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLithuaniaEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLithuaniaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.17.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Even if significant decreases in price are observed the two last periods for high-speed offers199, the price of the 
least  expensive  Standalone  offers  has  remained  relatively  stable  in  Lithuania  between  February  2012  and 
October 2015. Regarding bundled offers including TV (i.e. Double play with TV and Triple play), the evolution of 
cheapest  offer’s  price  has  not  followed  the  same  trend  since  while  the  price  of  least  expensive  Double  play 
offers with TV has increased by 58% on average between 2012 and autumn 2015, the price of cheapest Triple 
play offers has decreased during the same period by around 15% for offers between 2 and 12 Mbps and by 
32% for offers between 30 and 100 Mbps. It is also interesting to note that, as for Standalone offers, the price 
of high-speed Triple play offers have significantly decreased in Lithuania over the last 6 months (i.e. -33% for 
30-100 Mbps offers and -20% for 100+ Mbps offers). 

Figure 79: Lithuania: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)200 

199 i.e. -41% for least expensive 30-100 Mbps offers between February and October 2015 and -18% for cheapest offers above 100Mbps between 
February 2014 and October 2015 
200 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

137 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
  
 
 
 
                                                 
3.17.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the eight ISPs in the sample for this study compare as follows for all speed baskets 
and types of service offerings: 

Table 34: Lithuania: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

138 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsSpliusBalticum TVTeo LTLietuvos radijo ir televizijos centras---EU28: 24.5116.4616.9417.4822.28---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsInitTeo LTSpliusLietuvos radijo ir televizijos centrasBalticum TV--EU28: 22.749.7919.3223.5127.7127.78--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsInitCgatesTeo LTBalticum TVSpliusLietuvos radijo ir televizijos centras-EU28: 23.0913.0319.3522.3528.6730.5732.05-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsKauno interneto sistemosInitCgates----EU28: 21.938.939.3824.22----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsKauno interneto sistemosSpliusInitPenkiu kontinentu komunikacijos centrasBalticum TVCgatesTeo LTEU28: 25.896.7011.7513.0314.6116.9417.8418.43100+ MbpsCgatesTeo LTInitPenkiu kontinentu komunikacijos centrasSpliusBalticum TV-EU28: 40.2130.8332.3137.3840.5944.6651.66-Double play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsTeo LT------EU28: 34.8117.48------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTeo LT------EU28: 32.519.32------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTeo LT------EU28: 38.1724.19------30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCgates------EU28: 35.3517.83------100+ MbpsCgates------EU28: 52.430.81------Double play with TV2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsBalticum TV------EU28: 38.0330.39------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsBalticum TV------EU28: 29.2939.05------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsBalticum TV------EU28: 37.6857.72------30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCgatesPenkiu kontinentu komunikacijos centrasInitBalticum TVTeo LT--EU28: 31.5422.7022.7330.1930.3932.31--100+ MbpsCgatesPenkiu kontinentu komunikacijos centras-----EU28: 42.8135.6840.59-----Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTeo LT------EU28: 39.5835.55------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTeo LT------EU28: 47.338.80------30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsCgatesTeo LT-----EU28: 43.4527.5538.80-----100+ MbpsCgatesTeo LT-----EU28: 56.3840.5448.54----- 
 
 
 
 
Before zooming in on the individual prices offered by the different operators on the market, it is interesting to 
note  that  a  clear  correspondence  can  be  seen  between  the  offers  available  on  the  market  and  the  most 
popular  products  subscribed  by  consumers.  Indeed,  as  in  February  2015,  more  than  60%  of  the  broadband 
offers available in Lithuania are Standalone offers, and Double play with TV offers (which is provided by 5 out 
of the 8 ISPS) represent 16.5% of the offer in the sample. On the other side, bundles with fixed telephony (i.e. 
Double play and Triple play), which are not very popular in Lithuania, are only provided as predefined packages 
by 2 operators and represent together less than 20% of the offers. 

On the popular market for Standalone offers, Init and (to a less extent) Splius are generally cheap choices for 
offers up to 100 Mbps (i.e. they respectively the cheapest ISPs for offers between 4 and 12 Mbps and offers 
between 2 and 4 Mbps, and are -nearly systematically for Splius- among the three cheapest providers for all 
other speed categories). Kauno internet sistemos, which is only providing Standalone offers in the 12-30 and 
30-100 speed baskets, comes out as the least expensive operator for these two types of offers. Finally, when 
looking  at  the  high-speed  offers  (i.e.  above  30  Mbps)  across  all  types  of  products,  it  appears  that  Cgates 
emerges as the cheapest provider in 7 out of the 8 cases.  

As presented in the table below, FTTx is systematically the cheapest technology on the broadband market for 
offers  above  12  Mbps.  This  is  not  surprising  since  FTTx  offers  represent  nearly  90%  of  the  total  number  of 
offers  for  these  3  speed  ranges.  In  lower  speed  categories,  xDSL  is  the  cheapest  technology  for  Double  play 
with  telephony  and  Triple  play  offers,  while  either  Cable  or  Plug  &  Play  comes  out  as  least  expensive 
technology in each of the speed ranges within the Standalone and Double play with TV categories. 

Table 35: Lithuania: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.17.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average201. 

Bundle premium202 

The chart below provides  an  overview  of what a  consumer has to  pay for adding fixed telephony  and/or TV 
services  to  a  Standalone  offer  or  to  a  bundle.  Adding  fixed  telephony  is  particularly  cheap  in  Lithuania 
compared to the EU average since the Telephony premium is comprised between 0.6 and 4.5 EUR (depending 
on the speed range). This fixed telephony premium is between one tenth and half of the amount of EU average 
premiums. With the exception of offers above 100 Mbps203, adding Television is substantially more expensive 
in Lithuania (i.e. 16.3 EUR for offers between 2 and 12 Mbps and 12 EUR for offers in the 30-100 Mbps speed 
range;  which  is  respectively  60  and  13%  more  expensive  than  the  EU  average).  Adding  both  services  at  the 
same time costs between 13 and 16.3 EUR in Lithuania (depending on the speed category). Compared to the 
EU average, the Triple play premium is systematically cheaper in Lithuania (between 8.5% cheaper for the 100+ 
Mbps offers and 19% cheaper for the 30-100 Mbps offers). 

201 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
202 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
203 For which TV premium is around an half of the EU average premium (i.e. 3.6 EUR) 

139 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Lithuania2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonePlug & PlayCableCableFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLxDSLxDSL-FTTxFTTxDouble play with TVCablePlug & PlayPlug & Play-FTTxFTTxTriple play-xDSLxDSL-FTTxFTTx 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)204 

Figure 80: Lithuania: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

In Lithuania, a Standalone offer with a speed between 30 and 100 Mbps is on average 1.7 EUR cheaper than an 
offer with a speed between 12 and 30 Mbps. However, moving from a Standalone offer in the speed range 30-
100  to  an  offer  above  100  Mbps  is  rather  expensive  (i.e.  on  average  24.1  EUR;  which  is  around  55%  more 
expensive than the EU average). This high-speed premium is however significantly lower for bundled offers (i.e. 
comprised between 11.4 EUR for Triple play offers and 15.4 EUR for Double play with TV). Compared to the EU 
average,  these  premiums  are  on  average  27%  lower  in  Lithuania  for  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  and 
Triple play, but 16% higher for Double play with TV. 

Figure 81: Lithuania: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

204 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

140 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumLithuania0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28-50510152025StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Lithuania0510152025Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
  
 
  
 
                                                 
141 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
3.17.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Teo LT  
(incumbent) 

Balticum TV 

Cgates 

Init 

Kauno interneto sistemos 

Lietuvos radijo ir televizijos 
centras 

Penkiu kontinentu 
komunikacijos centras 
(skynet) 

Splius 

xDSL  and FTTx 

FTTx, Cable and Plug & 
Play 

FTTx and Plug & Play 

Cable and FTTx 

FTTx 

Plug & Play 

FTTx 

FTTx, Cable and Plug & 
Play 

Available offers on the Lithuanian market        Take-up of offers on the Lithuanian market205  

205  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

142 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersLithuaniaEU28 2 Mbps or lower4.4%3.8% 2-4 Mbps8.8%2.5% 4-8 Mbps8.8%6.4% 8-12 Mbps12.1%7.9% 12-30 Mbps4.4%25.6% 30-100 Mbps39.6%36.1% 100+ Mbps22.0%17.7% xDSL9.9%21.2% Cable14.3%21.3% FTTx58.2%45.2% Other17.6%12.3% Standalone offer63.7%34.1% Double play with Tel7.7%27.3% Double play with TV16.5%13.1% Triple play12.1%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesLithuaniaEU28Below 2 Mbps2.6%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps24.0%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps15.0%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps41.3%19.2%At least 100 Mbps17.1%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service33.5%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony5.0%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)6.7%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)16.7%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)5.0%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.18. Luxembourg 

3.18.1. Broadband price by speed206 and offer type 

Even if the most popular broadband subscriptions in Luxembourg have speeds in the range 2-10 Mbps (which 
is  slower  than  the  EU  average),  take-up  of  high-speed  offers  (i.e.  at  least  30  Mbps)  is  relatively  high  in  the 
country (i.e. 39.5% of the total number of subscriptions; which is nearly 10 percentage points higher than the 
EU average). 

At the same time, when looking at the different types of products on the market, it appears that Standalone 
offers  and  Internet  access  combined  with  mobile  telephony  only  remains  very  popular  in  Luxembourg  (i.e. 
around  50%  of  the  total  number  of  broadband  subscriptions,  among  which  more  than  a  fifth  are  bundles 
including  internet  access  and  mobile  telephony).  The  take-up  of  both  types  of  bundles  including  fixed 
telephony (i.e. Double play with telephony and Triple play) is relatively high in Luxembourg compared to the 
EU  average  (i.e.  43.6%  of  the  number  of  broadband  subscriptions  equally  distributed  between  Double  and 
Triple play offers against 36.2% for the EU average). 

Zooming  in  on  the  broadband  prices  in  Luxembourg,  it  can  be  concluded  that  the  prices  of  least  expensive 
offers  in  Luxembourg  are  systematically  higher  than  the  average  of  least  expensive  prices  in  EU  countries. 
Indeed,  the  cheapest  offers  are  on  average  27%  more  expensive  in  Luxembourg,  and  up  to  72%  more 
expensive for Standalone offers in the speed range 30-100 Mbps. However, as in February 2015, there are two 
exceptions: the 8-12 Mbps Double play offer with fixed telephony and the Triple play offer with a speed above 
100 Mbps, which are respectively 14 and 1% cheaper than the EU average. 

Figure 82: Luxembourg: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

206 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

143 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLuxembourgEU28Standalone0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLuxembourgEU28Double play with Tel0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLuxembourgEU28Double play with TV0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleLuxembourgEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.18.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Prices of Standalone and Double play with fixed telephony remained relatively stable in Luxembourg between 
February 2012 and October 2015 (i.e. less than +/- 15% of variation over the period207). By contrast, there were 
some important fluctuations in the prices of the least expensive Triple play offers. Several factors contribute to 
this. For instance, in the 12-30 Mbps speed range, the ISP that had the least expensive offer in 2013, no longer 
provided offers in this speed basket in 2014, while in 2015 an offer from a newly included ISP brought about a 
temporary return to lower prices. Indeed, in autumn 2015 prices re-increased because this ISP was no longer 
active in the 12-30 Mbps speed range. Furthermore, the opposite trends in the 30-100 and above 100 Mbps 
ranges between February 2014 and 2015 can be explained by increasing speeds of least expensive offer prices, 
which brought about a shift of these offers in terms of speed range. After that, a small increase took place in 
the above 100 Mbps range, due to the fact that discounts on recurring and non-recurring charges are lower, 
and a 20% decrease took place in the 30-100 Mbps range, due to the inclusion of Eltrona’s offers among LOL 
offers. 

Figure 83: Luxembourg: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)208 

207 The only exception is 12-30 Mbps Double play with telephony for which the price has increased by 19% between 2012 and October 2015. 
208 Evolution of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during 2 successive years (or 
more), including 2015. 

144 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100MbpsDouble play with TV0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.18.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the five main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 36: Luxembourg: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

As  it  was  already  the  case  in  February  2015,  Luxembourg  Online  is  systematically  a  cheap  option  for  the 
different combinations of speeds and  offer types. Indeed, with the exception of the  12-30 Mbps Standalone 
and the 100+ Mbps Standalone and Triple play for which LOL is ranked at the second position, this provider is 
always the cheapest ISP on the market with prices which are on average 19% lower than the second operator. 
Numericable is only providing Standalone offers above 30 Mbps and Triple play offers above 100 Mbps, but for 
each  of  this  three  combinations,  it  comes  out  as  a  cheap  choice  (i.e.  second  cheapest  ISP  for  30-100  Mbps 
Standalone offers and least expensive one for the highest speed category). On the other side, Tango and the 

145 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsLuxembourg OnlineTangoPost Lux--EU28: 22.7433.3043.4150.49--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsLuxembourg OnlineTangoPost Lux--EU28: 23.0926.3155.2458.12--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsOrangeLuxembourg OnlineTangoPost Lux-EU28: 21.9327.1731.8838.6150.65-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsLuxembourg OnlineNumericablePost LuxTangoOrangeEU28: 25.8944.4645.1654.8456.2257.69100+ MbpsNumericableLuxembourg OnlinePost LuxTangoOrangeEU28: 40.2157.7462.0767.4268.8069.44Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsLuxembourg OnlinePost LuxTango--EU28: 32.539.9046.4448.17--8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsLuxembourg OnlinePost LuxTango--EU28: 38.1732.9158.7260.00--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsLuxembourg OnlineOrangeTangoPost Lux-EU28: 32.5337.9740.3043.3757.14-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsLuxembourg OnlineTangoPost LuxOrange-EU28: 35.3549.2260.9861.3462.43-100+ MbpsLuxembourg OnlineTangoPost LuxOrange-EU28: 52.466.8373.5773.9274.18-Triple play8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsLuxembourg Online----EU28: 47.349.25----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsLuxembourg OnlinePost LuxTango--EU28: 41.7764.3372.6374.06--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsLuxembourg OnlineOrangePost LuxTango-EU28: 43.4556.9459.0676.8282.45-100+ MbpsNumericableLuxembourg OnlineOrangePost LuxTangoEU28: 56.3856.1063.4871.7989.4195.03 
 
 
 
incumbent Post Lux are generally among the two most expensive providers on the market for nearly all types 
of offer and all speed categories209.  

Despite  the  fact  that  cable  offers  represent  around  35%  of  available  offers  above  30  Mbps,  this  technology 
systematically  emerges  as  the  cheapest  technology  for  the  higher  speeds.  For  lower  speed  categories,  least 
expensive offers are more often provided through xDSL (mainly in the 4-8 Mbps and 12-30Mbps speed ranges) 
and Cable technologies (for offers between 8 and 12 Mbps). 

Table 37: Luxembourg: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.18.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The averages of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average210. 

Bundle premium211 

In Luxembourg, adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer is relatively cheap compared to the EU average 
(i.e.  between  3.2  and  7.6  EUR;  which  is  on  average  round  40%  cheaper).  For  consumers  wishing  to  add  TV 
services  to  a  Double  play  with  telephony  or  both  services  to  a  Standalone  offer,  the  premium  is  higher, 
especially for the lower speed baskets. Indeed, in the 2-12 and the 12-30 Mbps categories, adding TV services 
costs respectively 16.3 and 24.2 EUR, while the Triple play premium amounts to respectively 22.9 and 30 EUR. 
These premiums are on average more than 50% more expensive than the EU average212. For the higher speed 
categories, the TV premium is more in line with the EU (i.e. 10.3 and 7.8 EUR respectively for 30-100 and 100+ 
Mbps offers) and the Triple play premium is even cheaper (i.e. -17% for offers between 30 and 100 Mbps, and -
29% for offers above 100 Mbps). 

209 There are two exceptions for both ISPs : the two fastest Standalone baskets for Post lux and the two fastest Double play with telephony for 
Tango. 
210 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
211 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
212 This is actually not the case for the 2-12 Mbps Triple play premium which is only 15% higher than the EU average. 

146 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Luxembourg4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLCablexDSLCableCableDouble play with TelxDSLCablexDSLCableCableDouble play with TV-----Triple play-CableFTTxCableCable 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 84: Luxembourg: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)213 

The  high-speed  premium  (i.e.  cost  for  moving  from  a  12-30  to  a  30-100  Mbps  offer)  in  Luxembourg  is 
particularly high for Standalone and Double play with fixed telephony offer (i.e. respectively 16.2 and 13.8 EUR; 
which  is  between  2  and  3  times  the  amount  of  the  EU  average  premium).  This  premium  is  however 
substantially lower for Triple play offers (i.e. 1.7 EUR; which is less than half of the corresponding EU average 
premium).  

The cost  for  moving from  a 30-100 Mbps to a 100+ Mbps offer is more comparable between the  3 types of 
products (i.e. comprised between 11.1 and 13.6 EUR depending on the offer type) and are systematically lower 
than the corresponding EU average premiums. 

Figure 85: Luxembourg: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

213 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

147 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0510152025302-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumLuxembourg051015202530Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Luxembourg05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.18.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Post Lux 
(incumbent) 

xDSL and FTTx 

Luxembourg Online 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Numericable 

Cable 

Orange 

Tango 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers in Luxembourg  

Take-up of offers in Luxembourg214  

214  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

148 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersLuxembourgEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps7.5%6.4% 8-12 Mbps11.3%7.9% 12-30 Mbps32.5%25.6% 30-100 Mbps21.3%36.1% 100+ Mbps27.5%17.7% xDSL31.3%21.2% Cable23.8%21.3% FTTx45.0%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer41.3%34.1% Double play with Tel36.3%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play22.5%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesLuxembourgEU28Below 2 Mbps0.0%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps42.3%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps18.1%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps30.6%19.2%At least 100 Mbps8.9%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service61.4%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony10.6%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)22.2%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)7.4%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)21.2%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.19. Malta 

3.19.1. Broadband price by speed215 and offer type 

The  most  popular  speed  range  in  Malta  by  far  is  that  of  30-100  Mbps,  which  is  faster  than  the  EU  average. 
However,  only  1%  of  the  total  number  of  broadband  subscriptions  has  a  speed  of  at  least  100  Mbps,  which 
makes take-up of very high-speed offers particularly low.   

Furthermore,  according  to  Eurobarometer  data,  around  30%  of  the  subscriptions  in  Malta  are  Standalone 
offers  or  fixed  broadband  combined  with  mobile  telephony  only.  Bundles  are  thus  remarkably  popular,  and 
this  is  especially  the  case  for  Triple  play:  this  bundle  type  represents  44.7%  of  subscriptions  (i.e.  more  than 
twice as high as the EU average take-up for this product). These figures are fairly close to the figures available 
at the Maltese regulator, collected at the ISPs216. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  none  of  the  two  main  operators  on  the  market  is  selling  pre-defined  bundles 
including fixed broadband and television services (‘Double play including TV’). Also, like was already observed 
during the previous data collection period,  offers with a download speed lower than 15 Mbps are no longer 
available  on  the  Maltese  market,  as  the  two  main  Maltese  ISPs  enhanced  their  networks  to  sustain  faster 
speeds. 

Finally,  when  zooming  in  on  broadband  prices  in  Malta,  it  can  be  concluded  that  the  price  of  the  least 
expensive offers in Malta is systematically higher than the corresponding EU average price. The gap appears to 
widen with higher speeds: in the 12-30 Mbps range, the difference between Maltese and EU average prices is 
limited  to  maximum  35%;  in  the  30-100  Mbps  range,  the  maximum  difference  is  64%  and  for  offers  with 
speeds above 100 Mbps, the Maltese least expensive price is at least double the EU average. The Standalone 
price in this speed range is even triple the EU average. 

Figure 86: Malta: broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

215 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
216  See  https://www.mca.org.mt/sites/default/files/attachments/reports/2015/cmr_fh_2015_report_04122015.pdf.  In  Q2  2015,  Standalone 
offers and Triple play offers (with or without mobile telephony) respectively accounted for 29.4% and 46.3% of the market.  

149 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0204060801001201402-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleMaltaEU28Standalone0204060801001201402-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleMaltaEU28Double play with Tel0204060801001201402-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleMaltaEU28Double play with TV0204060801001201402-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleMaltaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
                                                 
3.19.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Compared to 2012, prices in the popular 30-100 Mbps speed range are consistently lower. This is mainly due to 
price decreases that took place between 2013 and February 2015, as in the most recent data collection period, 
price  stability  was  observed  for  this  speed  range.  Prices  for  the  other  speed  ranges  also  remained  constant 
between February and autumn 2015: the maximum differences are a 1% increase (for Standalone 12-30 Mbps) 
and a 5% decrease (for Double play with fixed telephony 12-30 Mbps). 

Figure 87: Malta: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)217 

217 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

150 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Double play with TV020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.19.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the two main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 38: Malta: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

When  comparing  the  cheapest  offers  of  both  operators,  it  appears  that  the  least  expensive  offer  of  the 
incumbent GO is cheaper than that of Melita in 4 out of the 6 categories in which there is competition. Only for 
Standalone and Triple play offers in the 12-30 Mbps speed range does Melita come out as a cheaper choice. In 
most  cases  however,  the  differences  in  prices  between  the  two  providers  are  rather  limited  (i.e.  generally 
lower than 10%). Only for Standalone offers in the 30-100 Mbps range does Go offer a subscription that is 33% 
lower than the least expensive offer of Melita. 

FTTx, which represents 68% of the available Maltese offers above 30 Mbps, is the cheapest technology for all 
types of offers in the 30-100 Mbps range and for bundled offers above 100 Mbps. For Standalone offers in the 
latter speed range, Cable is the cheapest technology. This is also the case for Standalone and Triple play offers 
in the 12-30 Mbps speed range, in which the number of cable and xDSL offers is evenly distributed. 

151 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsMelitaGOEU28: 21.9329.6929.9430+ Mbps - 100 MbpsGOMelitaEU28: 25.8942.4263.48100+ MbpsGO-EU28: 40.21121.01-Double play with Tel12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsGOMelitaEU28: 32.5334.6539.3630+ Mbps - 100 MbpsGO-EU28: 35.3547.12-100+ MbpsGO-EU28: 52.4128.21-Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsMelitaGOEU28: 41.7747.9852.9530+ Mbps - 100 MbpsGOMelitaEU28: 43.4559.8161.59100+ MbpsGOMelitaEU28: 56.38115.32124.59 
 
 
 
Table 39: Malta: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 218 

3.19.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average219. 

Bundle premium220 

In Malta, adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer costs on average between 4.7 and 7.2 EUR depending 
on the speed range; which is 23 to 45% cheaper than the EU average. For speeds below or at 100 Mbps, adding 
TV services to a Double play is more expensive: i.e. around 13 EUR, which is +/- 10 to 20% higher than the EU 
average. In the speed range above 100 Mbps the situation is very different: the least expensive Triple play offer 
is 12.9 EUR cheaper than the Double play offer with the same speed221, resulting in a negative TV premium. 
Finally, the cost for adding fixed telephony and TV at once to a Standalone offer is highly variable in Malta, and 
goes down when speeds go up. This Triple play premium amounts to 20.6 EUR for offers between 12 and 30 
Mbps, 7.8 EUR for offers between 30 and 100 Mbps and -5.7 EUR on average for the highest speed category222.  

Figure 88: Malta: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

218 In Malta, for non-cable operators,  speeds higher than or equal to 75  Mbps are offered  on FTTx while lower speeds offers are on xDSL. For 
consistency reasons, all xDSL offers with speeds above 24 Mbps have been considered as FTTx in the frame of this study. 
219 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
220 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
221 Only GO provides both Double play with fixed telephony and Triple play offers in this speed range, so the TV premium for offers above 100 
Mbps is solely based on their offers. 
222 The latter (negative) premium is again solely based on GO offers. 

152 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Malta12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandaloneCableFTTxCableDouble play with TelxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV---Triple playCableFTTxFTTx-15-10-5051015202512-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumMalta051015202530Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)223 

In Malta, both NGA premiums are particularly high compared to the EU average premiums. Indeed, consumers 
pay on average between 10.2 and 23.1 EUR extra for a 30-100 offer compared to a 12-30 offer (depending on 
the offer type). This is between 100 and 268% higher than the EU average. Moving from an offer with a speed 
between 30 and 100 Mbps to an offer above 100 Mbps is even much more expensive, i.e. between 59.3 and 
81.1 EUR; which is no less than 3.5 to 5 times the EU average premium. This is not surprising given the very 
high  least  expensive  offer  prices  in  the  speed  range  above  100  Mbps,  as  shown  in  the  first  section  of  this 
country report.  

Figure 89: Malta: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

223 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

153 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Malta01020304050607080Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.19.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

GO  
(incumbent) 

Melita 

xDSL and FTTx 

Cable 

Available offers on the Maltese market 

Take-up of offers on the Maltese market224 

224  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

154 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersMaltaEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps0.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps23.5%25.6% 30-100 Mbps41.2%36.1% 100+ Mbps35.3%17.7% xDSL14.7%21.2% Cable26.5%21.3% FTTx58.8%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer26.5%34.1% Double play with Tel32.4%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play41.2%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesMaltaEU28Below 2 Mbps0.0%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps5.0%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps37.2%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps56.9%19.2%At least 100 Mbps1.0%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service74.6%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony5.0%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)13.7%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)11.2%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)44.7%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.20. The Netherlands 

3.20.1. Broadband price by speed225 and offer type 

At 61.8%, the take-up of high speed offers (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) in the Netherlands is more than double the 
EU average. Moreover, around 1 in 6 offers taken in the Netherlands have a speed of more than 100 Mbps. 
The popularity of these offers is nearly 7 percentage points higher than the EU average. 

Over 70% of subscriptions are bundled offers, and especially Triple play appears popular: the take-up of 43.6% 
is more than twice the EU average. Double play with TV is also relatively popular among Dutch consumers, as 
the take-up is 6 percentage points higher than the EU average. 

Looking more closely at the broadband prices in the Netherlands, it can be seen that the price of the cheapest 
offers in many cases is rather close to the EU average. This is especially the case for Double play with TV and 
Triple  play  offers  (prices  are  between  2%  lower  and  5%  higher).  For  the  other  two  categories  of  offers,  a 
distinction needs to be made between speeds below or at 100 Mbps and speeds above 100 Mbps: Dutch prices 
for the former are 8 to 15% lower than the EU average, while prices for offers above 100 Mbps are 8 to 15% 
higher than the EU average. 

Figure 90: The Netherlands: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

225 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

155 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNetherlandsEU28Triple play 0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNetherlandsEU28Double play with TV0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNetherlandsEU28Double play with Tel0102030405060702-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNetherlandsEU28Standalone 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.20.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Between February and autumn 2015, Dutch prices remained rather stable. Indeed, a change of more than 5% 
could only be observed for Double play with TV at speeds above 100 Mbps (i.e. decrease by 12%). This stability 
comes after a period of increasing prices (between 2014 and February 2015), that in turn was preceded by a 
set of price drops between 2012 and 2014. In result, when comparing prices in 2012 and autumn 2015, all 30-
100 Mbps offer prices have decreased, as have Triple play prices above 100 Mbps. The others226 are now at a 
level that is fairly close to the 2012 value, or even a bit more expensive (cf. Triple play 12-30 Mbps: +8%). 

Figure 91: The Netherlands: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)227 

226 This excludes offers in the 2-12 Mbps speed range, as in Autumn 2015 no more offers were provided in this speed range. 
227 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

156 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.20.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the three main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 40: The Netherlands: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)228 

228 Ziggo’s offers also include UPC’s offers since a merger between these two providers took place in November 2014. As different offers were 
available for both ISPs in February 2015, UPC’s offers were collected individually, and included in the sample under the ‘Ziggo’ brand name. 
However, when the cheapest offer from Ziggo is provided by UPC, this is identified in the table above in brackets. 

157 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBBNED / Tele2KPN-EU28: 21.9319.6129.18-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBBNED / Tele2KPNZiggoEU28: 25.8922.1233.3839.28100+ MbpsZiggoKPN-EU28: 40.2143.4449.40-Double play with Tel12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBBNED / Tele2KPN-EU28: 32.5329.8640.16-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBBNED / Tele2KPN-EU28: 35.3532.3844.36-100+ MbpsKPN--EU28: 52.460.38--Double play with TV12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBBNED / Tele2KPN-EU28: 30.1930.7439.67-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBBNED / Tele2ZiggoKPNEU28: 31.5433.2639.2839.67100+ MbpsZiggoKPN-EU28: 42.8143.4455.69-Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBBNED / Tele2KPN-EU28: 41.7741.0050.65-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBBNED / Tele2ZiggoKPNEU28: 43.4543.5150.4150.65100+ MbpsZiggoKPN-EU28: 56.3858.0466.67- 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
At prices which are between 14 and 35% lower than the second cheapest operator on the market, BBNED/Tele 
2 is systematically the cheapest choice for offers between 12 and 100 Mbps, like was the case at the February 
2015 BIAC exercise. For offers with a download speed above 100 Mbps, Ziggo (via UPC) always emerges as the 
least  expensive  option.  Ziggo  however  does  not  provide  any  Double  play  offer  including  fixed  telephony.  In 
cases  where  all  three  ISPs  are  active  (i.e.  in  the  speed  range  30-100  Mbps),  KPN  can  only  avoid  the  worst 
position in the Standalone category. However, it should be noted that the Ziggo offer that it precedes, is in fact 
a Double play with TV offer that is used as a proxy for a Standalone offer (as Ziggo does not provide Standalone 
offers). 

On the Dutch broadband market, the least expensive offers between 12 and 30 Mbps are always provided via 
xDSL technology. For higher speed baskets, FTTx systematically emerges as the cheapest technology for offers 
between 30 and 100 Mbps and Cable is most often the least expensive technology for offers above 100 Mbps. 
The only exception is Double play with fixed telephony, as only KPN is active in this segment. 

Table 41: The Netherlands: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.20.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The averages of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average229. 

Bundle premium230 

On average, Dutch customers pay around 10.6 to 12.8 EUR extra to add fixed telephony to a Standalone or a 
Double play with TV offer. This is 14 to 26% more than the EU average telephony premium. Adding TV services 
costs very different amounts in different speed ranges: the premium drops from 10.8 to 3.1 between the 12-30 
Mbps and above 100 Mbps speed category231. In all cases however, it is cheaper than the EU average premium 
(i.e. 11 to 58%). Finally, adding both services at the same time does not provide for any discount: the Triple 
play premium is therefore comprised between 15.9 and 21.4 EUR. This deviates by around 10% maximum from 
the EU average. 

229 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
230 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 
231 And it is 5.8 EUR for the intermediary 30-100 Mbps speed range. 

158 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Netherlands12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLFTTxCableDouble play with TelxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TVxDSLFTTxCableTriple playxDSLFTTxCable 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 92: The Netherlands: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)232 

In the Netherlands, moving from a 12-30 Mbps offer to an offer with a download speed between 30 and 100 
Mbps on average costs an additional 1.3 to 3.4 EUR. This low premium is 46 to 74% lower than the EU average 
premium.  The  premium  between  a  30-100  Mbps  offer  and  an  offer  of  more  than  100  Mbps  is  substantially 
higher; i.e. between 10.1 and 16 EUR depending on the offer type. This is however still considerably cheaper 
than the EU average premium (i.e. 6 to 35%). 

Figure 93: The Netherlands: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

232 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

159 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

051015202512-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumNetherlands0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Netherlands05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.20.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

KPN  
(incumbent) 

BBNED/ Tele 2 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx  

Ziggo  (including UPC) 

Cable 

Available offers on the Dutch market 

Take-up of offers on the Dutch market233  

233  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data. 

160 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersNetherlandsEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps0.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps26.5%25.6% 30-100 Mbps52.9%36.1% 100+ Mbps20.6%17.7% xDSL17.6%21.2% Cable17.6%21.3% FTTx64.7%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer19.1%34.1% Double play with Tel23.5%27.3% Double play with TV19.1%13.1% Triple play38.2%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesNetherlandsEU28Below 2 Mbps0.4%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps15.8%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps22.0%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps44.3%19.2%At least 100 Mbps17.5%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service73.4%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony3.2%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)10.6%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)16.0%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)43.6%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.21. Poland 

3.21.1. Broadband price by speed234 and offer type 

Take-up of high-speed offers (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) in Poland is fairly similar to in the EU on average (i.e. 29.8% 
compared  to  30%).  At  the  same  time  however,  nearly  2  in  5  subscriptions  have  a  speed  that  is  situated 
between 2 and 10 Mbps, making this speed range much more popular than the 10-30 Mbps range, which is 
most popular at EU level.   

65%  of  broadband  subscriptions  in  Poland  are  Standalone  offers  or  fixed  broadband  combined  with  mobile 
telephony only, which is 11 percentage points higher than the EU average. In the bundled segment, especially 
Double  play  including  TV  services  appears  to  be  popular  among  Polish  consumers:  at  20.9%,  the  take-up  is 
more than double the EU average. Double and Triple play bundles including fixed telephony together do not 
even reach this degree of popularity.  

Polish least expensive offer prices for all speed ranges and all types of offers are clearly cheaper than the EU 
average. At 8%, the difference for Standalone in the 2-4 Mbps range is fairly limited, but in all other cases the 
difference amounts to at least the double. For speeds higher than 12 Mbps, the Polish price is even 30235 to 
50236% cheaper than the EU average. 

Figure 94: Poland: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

234 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
235 Double play with TV of above 100 Mbps 
236 Triple play 12-30 Mbps 

161 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePolandEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePolandEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePolandEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePolandEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.21.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Compared to 2012, Polish prices in autumn 2015 are all considerably cheaper. Standalone offer prices are now 
around 25 to 35% cheaper, and least expensive prices for bundled offers have even dropped by around 40 to 
60%237.  For  most  offer  types,  the  largest  decreases  took  place  in  the  period  2013-February  2015,  but  in  the 
Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  category,  the  drop  mostly  started  only  in  2014.  However,  for  this  offer 
category the price decrease seems to be still ongoing: between February and autumn 2015 prices dropped by 
between 24 and 37%. For the other offer types, recent evolutions are less uniform. For instance, Standalone 
prices have remained stable since February 2015, and in the 2-12 Mbps range even increased by 24%238. In the 
Triple  play  category,  the  drop  continued  for  all  speed  ranges  except  the  2-12  Mbps  range,  while  the  latter 
speed range is the only one in the Double play with TV category that showcases a significant drop in the last 
year239. 

Figure 95: Poland: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)240 

237 Maximum decrease is observed for Double play with TV and Triple play in the 12-30 Mbps range. 
238 This can be explained by the fact that in February 2015, a substantial promotion on recurring and non-recurring fees applied, which is not the 
case in autumn 2015. The basis offer price of the least expensive offer remained the same. 
239 -25% 
240 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

162 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.21.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the eight main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 42: Poland: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

163 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsIneaMNI Centrum Usług-----EU28: 24.5122.6143.17-----4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsToyaMultimedia PolskaInea----EU28: 22.7413.7516.8526.68----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaUPC PolskaOrange (TP &PTK)---EU28: 23.0916.8116.8519.4344.32---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsGroup NetiaVectraMultimedia PolskaToyaUPC PolskaIneaOrange (TP &PTK)EU28: 21.9312.4515.5618.9220.2223.1423.8849.8330+ Mbps - 100 MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaVectraIneaToyaOrange (TP &PTK)-EU28: 25.8916.5819.6019.8527.6727.9346.54-100+ MbpsMultimedia PolskaGroup NetiaVectraUPC PolskaToyaIneaOrange (TP &PTK)EU28: 40.2124.7724.8527.6528.5134.8135.5937.70Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsMultimedia Polska------EU28: 32.526.85------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsGroup NetiaUPC PolskaMultimedia PolskaOrange (TP &PTK)---EU28: 38.1723.1126.0326.8556.83---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsGroup NetiaVectraMultimedia PolskaUPC PolskaOrange (TP &PTK)--EU28: 32.5316.6927.4928.9229.7565.09--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaVectraOrange (TP &PTK)---EU28: 35.3520.8229.6131.7867.84---100+ MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaUPC Polska----EU28: 52.429.0834.7735.12----Double play with TV4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsMultimedia Polska------EU28: 29.2924.31------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsMultimedia PolskaOrange (TP &PTK)-----EU28: 37.6824.3151.17-----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsGroup NetiaVectraMultimedia PolskaUPC PolskaIneaOrange (TP &PTK)-EU28: 30.1916.5819.8124.3137.3241.2656.67-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsGroup NetiaVectraMultimedia PolskaIneaOrange (TP &PTK)--EU28: 31.5420.7225.8931.2052.9759.43--100+ MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaUPC PolskaInea---EU28: 42.8128.9839.4645.5948.84---Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsToyaMultimedia Polska-----EU28: 39.5829.3134.32-----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsMultimedia PolskaOrange (TP &PTK)-----EU28: 47.334.3261.20-----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaVectraUPC PolskaIneaToyaOrange (TP &PTK)EU28: 41.7720.8234.3239.3950.4150.8352.0766.7130+ Mbps - 100 MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaVectraIneaToyaOrange (TP &PTK)-EU28: 43.4524.9541.2043.6861.5561.9962.36-100+ MbpsGroup NetiaMultimedia PolskaUPC PolskaIneaOrange (TP &PTK)Toya-EU28: 56.3833.2149.4655.7757.4267.8770.25- 
 
 
 
For  all  four  offer  types,  Group  Netia  systematically  comes  out  as  the  cheapest  choice  in  all  speed  ranges  in 
which it provides offers (i.e. above 8 or 12 Mbps). Only for Standalone with speed of above 100 Mbps does it 
rank  second,  but  the  price  difference  with  the  least  expensive  ISP  is  less  than  1%.  Multimedia  Polska  and 
Vectra also consistently rank in the top three of least expensive offers. Orange on the other hand in nearly all 
cases  comes  out  as  providing  the  most  expensive  offer  prices,  and  is  in  the  higher  speed  ranges  often 
accompanied by Toya and Inea. 

Cable  offers  systematically  emerge  as  the  cheapest  option  for  offers  above  12  Mbps  (as  well  as  for  offers 
between 4 and 8 Mbps). It should be noted that the technology of no less than 83% of collected offers with a 
speed of above 12 Mbps is cable. In the speed range between 8 and 12 Mbps cable is a bit less predominant 
(47% of collected offers), and there least expensive offers for two of the four offer types are based on xDSL 
technology. 

Table 43: Poland: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.21.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average241. 

Bundle premium 

Adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer or to a Double play with TV costs on average between  7.8 and 
10.3 EUR in Poland (depending on the speed range). For offers of above 100 Mbps, it is 1/4th cheaper than the 
EU average premium, but at the same time the telephony premium in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps categories is 
over 10% more expensive than the EU average, so no uniform trend can be observed.  This is even more the 
case for the cost for adding TV services: it is situated between 7 and 12.8 EUR, and is remarkably cheaper than 
the EU average for offers of maximum 30 Mbps242. For offers with speeds higher than 100 Mbps, it is on the 
other hand nearly 70% more expensive than the EU average.  

Finally, adding both services at the same time in all cases is more expensive than the sum of both individual 
premiums  in  Poland.  It  costs  between  16.8  and  24.6  EUR,  and  is  thereby  16%  cheaper243  to  74%  more 
expensive244 than the EU average. 

241 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
242 i.e. minimum 22% 
243 Applies to 2-12 Mbps range 
244 Applies to above 100 Mbps range 

164 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Poland2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonePlug & PlayCablexDSLcablecablecableDouble play with Tel-cablexDSLcablecablecableDouble play with TV-cablecablecablecablecableTriple play-Cablecablecablecablecable 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)245 

Figure 96: Poland: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

Moving  from  a  Standalone  or  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  12-30  Mbps  offer  to  an  offer  with  a  speed 
between 30 and 100 Mbps in Poland costs only half of what it costs in the EU on average (i.e. around 3 EUR 
instead  of  6  EUR).  For  the  other  two  offer  types,  this  Polish  high-speed  premium  is  however  30%  more 
expensive than the EU average. The Polish premium for moving from a 30-100 Mbps offer to an offer with a 
speed of above 100 Mbps is remarkably small: as it is situated between 4.1 and 6.7 EUR, it is 60 to 70% cheaper 
than  the  EU  average  premium.  The  premiums  from  the  individual  ISPs  behind  the  Polish  average  are  all 
relatively small, and some ISPs even showcase a negative premium, i.e. they provide higher-speed offers for 
lower prices. 

Figure 97: Poland: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

245 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

165 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumPoland0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Poland05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.21.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Orange (TP and PTK) 
(incumbent) 

Group Netia 

Inea 

MNI Centrum Usług 

Multimedia Polska 

Toya  

UPC Polska 

Vectra 

xDSL,  FTTx and Plug & 
Play 

xDSL, FTTx and Cable 

xDSL,  FTTx and Plug & 
Play 

xDSL 

Cable 

Cable 

Cable 

Cable 

Available offers on the Polish market 

Take-up of offers on the Polish market246 

246  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

166 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersPolandEU28 2 Mbps or lower4.7%3.8% 2-4 Mbps1.4%2.5% 4-8 Mbps4.7%6.4% 8-12 Mbps8.8%7.9% 12-30 Mbps25.7%25.6% 30-100 Mbps29.1%36.1% 100+ Mbps25.7%17.7% xDSL13.5%21.2% Cable63.5%21.3% FTTx18.9%45.2% Other4.1%12.3% Standalone offer31.1%34.1% Double play with Tel20.3%27.3% Double play with TV20.9%13.1% Triple play27.7%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesPolandEU28Below 2 Mbps3.8%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps39.8%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps26.8%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps21.3%19.2%At least 100 Mbps8.4%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service52.3%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony17.4%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)7.0%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)20.9%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)7.0%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.22. Portugal 

3.22.1. Broadband price by speed247 and offer type 

In Portugal, nearly 57% of broadband subscriptions have a download speed of at least 30 Mbps248. This is 27 
percentage  points  more  than  the  EU  average.  Noteworthy  is  also  that  very  high-speed  offers  of  above  100 
Mbps are responsible for 1 out of 4 subscriptions (compared to 1 out of 10 at EU level). The popularity of high 
speeds is further confirmed by the fact that less than 3% of subscriptions have a speed below or at 10 Mbps 
(compared to 24.5% at the EU level). 

At the same time, most subscriptions appear to be bundled offers including fixed telephony and/or TV. Indeed, 
Standalone  offers  or  fixed  broadband  offers  combined  with  mobile  telephony  only  represent  12%  of 
subscriptions (compared to 54% at the EU level) 249. Triple play offers are the most popular category of offers: 
they represent 70% of the total number of broadband subscriptions250; which is more than four times the EU 
average. Most  other bundles are Double play with TV subscriptions;  Double play with fixed telephony is not 
very common in Portugal. 

Looking  more  closely  at  broadband  prices  in  Portugal,  it  can  be  concluded  that  in  most  cases  the  cheapest 
offers in Portugal are more expensive than  or similar to the EU average. Only for Double play with TV is the 
Portuguese least expensive offer in the 8-12 Mbps speed range (the only range with suchlike offers in Portugal) 
39%  cheaper  than  the  EU  average.  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  prices  are  consistently  more  expensive 
than  the  EU  average251,  and  for  Standalone  and  Triple  play  this  is  the  case  for  offers  between  12  and  100 
Mbps252.  In  the  Triple  play  category,  the  cheapest  offer  above  100  Mbps  has  a  lower  price  than  that  of  the 
lower  speed  basket,  which  explains  why  the  comparison  with  the  EU  average  turns  out  better.  The 
counterintuitive decrease in price is linked to the fact that the ISP providing the least expensive offer of above 
100 Mbps does not have a Triple play offer in the lower 30-100 Mbps range. 

247 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
248 The take-up of offers between 30 and 100 Mbps is 31.4% and the take-up of offers of at least 100 Mbps is 22.3%.  
249  This  low  rate  could  probably  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  real  Standalone  offers  are  relatively  rare  on  the  Portuguese  broadband  market. 
Indeed, 88% of the Standalone offers in the Autumn 2015 sample are actually « proxies for Standalone offers » created from bundled offers to 
estimate the cost for customers that want to have broadband only. 
250  It  should  however  be  noted  that  a  large  part  of  these  subscriptions  are  actually  quadruple  and  quintuple  play  offers  as  described  in  the 
quarterly report of the Portuguese NRA; http://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1357727#.Vbdzu6TtlBc see Table 3 and Chart 2. 
251 19 to 52%. 
252 Between 25 and 69%. 

167 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 98: Portugal: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

3.22.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

For several Standalone and Double play categories (except in the above 100 Mbps category), a large price drop 
can  be  observed  between  2012  and  2013,  after  which  prices  have  remained  on  a  more  stable  level  until 
autumn 2015. Comparing February and autumn 2015, the most noteworthy change is in the Double play with 
TV  2-12  Mbps  category,  where  the  price  of  the  least  expensive  offer  dropped  by  16%.  For  Standalone  and 
Double play offers of above 100 Mbps, the period February 2014-February 2015 was the one characterised by 
a  substantial  price  decrease.  The  Standalone  least  expensive  offer  price  in  the  most  recent  data  collection 
period even further decreased by 14%. 

Triple play prices show a different pattern. After continuous price drops until February 2015, prices have now 
evolved  differently.  This  is  linked  to  the  fact  that  the  least  expensive  prices  in  the  12-30  and  30-100  Mbps 
speed range in February 2015 in fact came from the same ISP and were offered at the same prices (only their 
availability  differed),  and  that  this  ISP  has  in  the  meantime  increased  the  download  speed  of  the  highest  of 
both offers, so that it now falls in the above 100 Mbps speed category. This ISP is thus no longer active in the 
30-100 Mbps range, explaining why the least expensive offer price has increased.  

168 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePortugalEU28Standalone010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePortugalEU28Double play with Tel010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePortugalEU28Double play with TV010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitlePortugalEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
Figure 99: Portugal: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)253 

253 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

169 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV020406080100120140201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.22.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the three main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 44: Portugal: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)254,255 

254 With the exception of the 12-30Mbps and 30-100 Mbps Standalone offers for NOS, all Standalone offers presented in this table are actually 
“proxies for Standalone offers”. These are the cheapest options for only having fixed broadband in Portugal and correspond to the Double play 
with telephony or TV offers. 
255 In the case of Vodafone’s cheapest above 100 Mbps Standalone, a cheaper offer is actually available on the market at 39.72 EUR/PPP but has 
not been considered since this offer is actually a proxy for Standalone offer made from a Triple play offer. In accordance with the Commission 
services, it has been decided to exclude these types of proxies from the analysis at the ISPs’ level. 

170 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsNOSMEO (PT Comunicações)-EU28: 23.0923,1331,27-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsNOSVodafone PortugalMEO (PT Comunicações)EU28: 21.9332,5934,1238,8730+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafone PortugalNOSMEO (PT Comunicações)EU28: 25.8932,4440,9450,55100+ MbpsVodafone PortugalMEO (PT Comunicações)-EU28: 40.2146,27112,47-Double play with Tel8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsMEO (PT Comunicações)--EU28: 38.1751,95--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsVodafone PortugalNOSMEO (PT Comunicações)EU28: 32.5349,3653,1753,2630+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafone PortugalNOSMEO (PT Comunicações)EU28: 35.3542,1861,5264,94100+ MbpsVodafone PortugalMEO (PT Comunicações)-EU28: 52.462,21126,85-Double play with TV8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsNOS--EU28: 37.6823,13--Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsVodafone PortugalNOSMEO (PT Comunicações)EU28: 41.7756,5362,2169,9930+ Mbps - 100 MbpsNOSMEO (PT Comunicações)-EU28: 43.4573,3290,02-100+ MbpsVodafone Portugal--EU28: 56.3856,53-- 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
In  all  but  one  categories  where  it  is  present,  Vodafone  emerges  as  least  expensive  option.  Only  in  the  e 
Standalone 12-30 Mbps category does NOS provide an offer that is 5% cheaper. MEO in all cases is the most 
expensive option. In the Double play with fixed telephony category below or at 100 Mbps, the difference with 
the ISP that ranks just better is limited, but in other categories price differences between 15 and 35% are not 
uncommon. 

As  presented  in  the  table  below,  the  cheapest  broadband  offers  in  Portugal  are  provided  via  different 
technologies  depending  on  the  offer  type  and  the  speed  category.  In  one  out  of  3  cases,  Plug  &  Play,  that 
represents  31%  of  Portuguese  collected  offers,  comes  out  as  least  expensive  technology.  The  importance  of 
Plug & Play on the Portuguese market has to do with the fact that many Standalone and Double play with fixed 
telephony offers of Vodafone and NOS are based on mobile technology (i.e. 3G or 4G), designed for home use 
(cf.  use  of  a  fixed  modem  which  has  to  be  plugged  in  a  power  socket).  FTTx  is  the  technology  of  35%  of 
collected offers, and also comes out as least expensive technology in 1 out of 3 cases. 

Table 45: Portugal: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.22.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The averages of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average256. 

Bundle premium257 

In  Portugal,  telephony  premiums  are  no  less  than  73  to  126%  higher  than  the  corresponding  EU  average 
premium. For the TV premium, a less uniform trend can be observed: in the 12-30 Mbps range the Portuguese 
premium is 10% lower than the EU average, in the 30-100 Mbps range the premium is 74% higher than the EU 
average, and in the category above 100 Mbps the premium in Portugal is negative (-5.7 EUR). The reason for 
this fluctuation is the fact that the premiums of the different ISPs largely differ, and not all ISPs are active in all 
speed  ranges,  e.g.  the  above  100  Mbps  TV  premium  is  solely  based  on  the  difference  between  a  Vodafone 
Triple  play  and  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  offer,  while  in  the  12-30  Mbps  range  the  premium  is  the 
average of results from all three ISPs. 

Finally, adding both services at the same time is expensive, i.e. between 16.8 and 35.9 EUR, which is 19 to 93% 
more expensive than the EU average premium. 

256 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
257 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 

171 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Portugal8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandaloneCablePlug & PlayFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLPlug & PlayFTTxPlug & PlayDouble play with TVCable---Triple play-xDSLPlug & PlayFTTx 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)258 

Figure 100: Portugal: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

In  Portugal,  consumers  pay  on  average  between  4.3  and  6.1  EUR  extra  for  a  30-100  Mbps  Standalone  or 
Double play with fixed telephony offer compared to a 12-30 Mbps offer. This is 3 to 31% cheaper than in the 
EU on average. In the Triple play category, the corresponding speed premium however amounts to 15.6 EUR, 
which  is  nearly  4  times  the  EU  average.  Moving  from  a  30-100  Mbps  offer  to  an  offer  of  above  100  Mbps 
appears to be very expensive in Portugal. It costs indeed between 34.6 and 41 EUR for Standalone and Double 
play offers259, which is more than double the EU average. 

Figure 101: Portugal: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

258 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 
259 No premium can be calculated in the Triple play category, as no ISP has offers in both the 30-100 and above 100 Mbps range. 

172 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

-100102030402-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumPortugal010203040Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2801020304050StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Portugal01020304050Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.22.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

MEO (PT Comunicações) 
(incumbent) 

xDSL  and FTTX 

NOS 

Cable and Plug & Play 

Vodafone Portugal 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 

Available offers on the Portuguese market      Take-up of offers on the Portuguese market260  

260  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

173 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersPortugalEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps3.6%6.4% 8-12 Mbps7.3%7.9% 12-30 Mbps34.5%25.6% 30-100 Mbps32.7%36.1% 100+ Mbps21.8%17.7% xDSL16.4%21.2% Cable10.9%21.3% FTTx32.7%45.2% Other40.0%12.3% Standalone offer45.5%34.1% Double play with Tel30.9%27.3% Double play with TV1.8%13.1% Triple play21.8%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesPortugalEU28Below 2 Mbps0.8%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps2.1%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps40.5%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps31.2%19.2%At least 100 Mbps25.5%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service91.2%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony3.3%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)1.6%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)16.3%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)70.0%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.23. Romania 

3.23.1. Broadband price by speed261 and offer type 

No  less  than  49%  of  Romanian  broadband  subscriptions  have  a  speed  of  at  least  100  Mbps,  which  is  the 
highest  value  in  the  EU.  Furthermore,  only  around  15%  of  subscriptions  have  a  download  speed  below  10 
Mbps, which is nearly 10 percentage points lower than the EU average. 

With a take-up that is 10 percentage points higher than in the EU on average, bundles are rather widespread in 
Romania. Nearly all of these262 include TV services, and especially the popularity of Double play with TV stands 
out, i.e. 34.8% of subscriptions compared to 9.8% at EU level. 

Analysis of broadband prices in Romania shows that in all but two cases, the least expensive Romanian offer is 
lower than the EU average. Indeed, only in the 4-8 Mbps Standalone category and the 12-30 Mbps Double play 
with TV category does the Romanian least expensive offer price surpass the EU average by respectively 29 and 
9%.   Especially offers with speeds above 30 Mbps are remarkably cheaper than the EU average: the difference 
is  situated  between  30  and  60%,  the  latter  value  applying  to  both  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  fixed 
telephony with speeds above 100 Mbps. 

Figure 102: Romania: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

261 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
262 I.e. 97.1% 

174 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleRomaniaEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleRomaniaEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleRomaniaEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleRomaniaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.23.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

When comparing autumn 2015 prices with their equivalent in 2012, it can be observed that in the 2-12 and 12-
30 Mbps speed ranges, offers have gotten more expensive263. Especially Standalone prices have pretty much 
doubled.  For  offers  with  speeds  above  30  Mbps,  a  completely  different  situation  can  be  observed.  Indeed, 
current  offer  prices  in  the  speed  range  between  30  and  100  Mbps  are,  despite some  important  fluctuations 
over  the  years  (especially  for  offers  including  fixed  telephony),  relatively  close  to  2012  prices264.  Prices  for 
offers with speeds above 100 Mbps have on the other hand decreased substantially: between 30% for Double 
play with fixed telephony and 50% for Standalone offers. 

Finally,  between  February  and  autumn  2015,  prices  in  the  2-12  Mbps  range  have  gotten  3  to  10%  more 
expensive, while in all other categories a decrease can be observed. This is often rather modest, but for Double 
play with fixed telephony and Triple play, average decreases of respectively 20 and 13% can be noted. 

Figure 103: Romania: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)265 

263 With the exception of Triple play in the 12-30 Mbps category: -7%. 
264 i.e. 3 to 9% cheaper. 
265 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

175 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV010203040506070201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.23.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the five main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 46: Romania: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

176 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTelekom Romania Communications----EU28: 22.7429.31----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsDigital Cable Systems (Akta)Telekom Romania Communications---EU28: 21.9320.9721.37---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsNextgen CommunicationsRCS & RDSTelekom Romania CommunicationsUPC RomaniaDigital Cable Systems (Akta)EU28: 25.8912.5812.6921.3726.7028.87100+ MbpsRCS & RDSNextgen CommunicationsTelekom Romania CommunicationsUPC Romania-EU28: 40.2117.0720.5521.3730.20-Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTelekom Romania Communications----EU28: 32.529.31----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelekom Romania CommunicationsDigital Cable Systems (Akta)---EU28: 32.5321.3729.99---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsTelekom Romania CommunicationsNextgen CommunicationsUPC RomaniaDigital Cable Systems (Akta)-EU28: 35.3521.3723.2231.5137.89-100+ MbpsTelekom Romania CommunicationsNextgen CommunicationsUPC Romania--EU28: 52.421.3730.3533.70--Double play with TV12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsDigital Cable Systems (Akta)----EU28: 30.1932.87----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsNextgen CommunicationsUPC RomaniaDigital Cable Systems (Akta)--EU28: 31.5422.2324.0740.78--100+ MbpsUPC RomaniaNextgen Communications---EU28: 42.8126.2627.26---Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTelekom Romania Communications----EU28: 39.5837.85----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelekom Romania CommunicationsDigital Cable Systems (Akta)---EU28: 41.7733.7041.89---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsUPC RomaniaTelekom Romania CommunicationsNextgen CommunicationsDigital Cable Systems (Akta)-EU28: 43.4530.6433.7037.3549.79-100+ MbpsUPC RomaniaTelekom Romania CommunicationsNextgen Communications--EU28: 56.3832.8233.7041.55-- 
 
 
 
Telekom  Romania  Communications  scores  particularly  well  for  offers  of  the  type  Double  play  with  fixed 
telephony and Triple play. In the Standalone category for offers of above 30 Mbps however, it is at least 25% 
more expensive than the  ISP that  ranks first. Noteworthy is also that all other ISPs also take first place in at 
least  one  of  the  speed-offer  type  combinations,  so  that  no  strong  conclusions  can  be  drawn.  UPC  Romania 
scores very good for high-speed Double play with TV and Triple play, Nextgen communications takes first place 
for Standalone and Double play with TV in the 30-100 Mbps range, and Digital Cable Systems and RCS & RDS 
are the cheapest options for 12-30 Mbps and above 100 Mbps Standalone respectively. For the latter ISP, it 
should be noted that it is only present in two categories, and scores well in both, while Digital Cable Systems, 
apart from its first ranking for Standalone 12-30 Mbps, often comes out as one of the most expensive choices. 
In all these cases, it is between 25 and 130% more expensive than the cheapest option. 

Similarly,  no  clear  trends  can  be  observed  in  terms  of  cheapest  technology.  For  offers  between  12  and  30 
Mbps, cable appears to be the least expensive choice for Standalone and Double play with TV, and xDSL for the 
other two offer types, while their distribution in terms of number of offers in this speed range is around 30-70. 
For  speeds  above  30  Mbps,  FTTx  and  Cable,  that  represent  respectively  66  and  34%  of  offers  in  this  speed 
range, respectively come out as least expensive option in 5 and 3 cases. 

Table 47: Romania: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.23.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average266. 

Bundle premium 

All Romanian bundle premiums are lower than the EU average. The telephony premium is no less than 20 to 
100% cheaper than the EU average, depending on the speed range, while the difference for the TV premium is 
more modest, i.e. between 0.3 and 19%. As the premium for adding both services at the same time is equal to 
the  sum  of  both  individual  premiums,  the  combined  premium  is  also  considerably  cheaper  than  the  EU 
average. Indeed, the premium of between 8.5 and 16.6 EUR is 15 to 57% lower than what needs to be paid 
extra  on  average  in  the  EU.  Finally,  it  can  be  noted  that  in  the  speed  range  between  2  and  12  Mbps,  the 
addition  of  fixed  telephony  comes  at  a  cost  of  0  EUR.  This  is  linked  to  the  fact  that  only  one  ISP  offers 
Standalone broadband in this speed range, so that the average premium is based exclusively on the results of 
this ISP, whose basic offer already is a combination of broadband and fixed telephony, so that customers who 
only want broadband also need to buy a suchlike package.  

266 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 

177 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Romania4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLCableFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV-CableFTTxCableTriple playxDSLxDSLCableCable 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)267 

Figure 104: Romania: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

With the exception of Double play with TV, the cost of moving from a 12-30 Mbps offer to a 30-100 Mbps offer 
in Romania is fairly limited: at 4 EUR, it is 3 to 37% cheaper than in the EU on average. In the Double play with 
TV category, there is only one ISP offering services both in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps category, so unlike for 
the other categories, the average is not influenced by results from another ISP who provides offers of different 
speeds at the same price.  

At prices that range between 2.1 and 4 EUR, moving from a 30-100 Mbps offer to an offer of more than 100 
Mbps is extremely cheap in Romania. Depending on the offer type, the premium is between 73 and 87% less 
expensive than in the EU on average. 

Figure 105: Romania: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

267 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

178 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumRomania0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Romania05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.23.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Telekom Romania 
Communications 
(Romtelecom) 
(incumbent) 

Digital Cable Systems 
(Akta) 

Nextgen 
Communications 

RCS & RDS 

UPC Romania  

xDSL  and FTTX  

Cable 

FTTx 

FTTx 

Cable 

Available offers on the Romanian market 

Take-up of offers on the Romanian market268  

268  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

179 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersRomaniaEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps4.3%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps14.5%25.6% 30-100 Mbps36.2%36.1% 100+ Mbps44.9%17.7% xDSL13.0%21.2% Cable40.6%21.3% FTTx46.4%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer29.0%34.1% Double play with Tel27.5%27.3% Double play with TV13.0%13.1% Triple play30.4%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesRomaniaEU28Below 2 Mbps0.8%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps14.2%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps22.3%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps13.8%19.2%At least 100 Mbps49.0%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service63.0%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony6.6%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)1.7%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)34.8%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)19.9%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.24. Slovakia 

3.24.1. Broadband price by speed269 and offer type 

A bit more than half of Slovakian broadband subscriptions  have a download speed between 2 and 10 Mbps, 
making  this  the  most  popular  speed  range  in  the  country.  This  is  slower  than  the  EU  average,  where  offers 
between 10 and 30 Mbps are most popular. At the same time however, high-speed (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) and 
very high-speed (i.e. at least 100 Mbps) offers are also fairly popular in Slovakia: the take-up of 30.3% matches 
the EU average.  

Bundled offers including fixed broadband are remarkably unpopular in Slovakia. They represent only 18.2% of 
the  total  number  of  subscriptions  (compared  to  46%  for  the  EU  on  average).  more  than  3  out  of  4  of  these 
bundles are Double play offers including TV. 

Zooming  in  on  broadband  prices  in  Slovakia,  it  appears  that  offers  with  speeds  higher  than  12  Mbps  are 
relatively  cheap.  For  all  offer  types  and  all  speed  ranges  above  12  Mbps,  the  Slovakian  price  is  considerably 
lower than the EU average (i.e. 19270 to 43271%). In the 2-4 Mbps range, the same effect can be observed, but 
for the speeds in between, there are some cases in which the Slovakian price surpasses the EU average. The 
difference is most notable for Standalone offers in the 8-12 Mbps range, as the Slovakian least expensive offer 
price is 17% higher than the EU average. The 8-12 Mbps speed range however shows some peculiar results: 
least expensive offer prices are in all cases more expensive than their counterparts in the 12-30, 30-100 and 
above 100 Mbps ranges. 

Figure 106: Slovakia: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

269 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
270 Applies to Double play with TV 12-30 Mbps 
271 Applies to Standalone 30-100 Mbps 

180 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSlovakiaEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSlovakiaEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSlovakiaEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSlovakiaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.24.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Between  2012  and  autumn  2015,  Slovakian  broadband  prices  for  offers  with  speeds  of  maximum  100 Mbps 
have decreased for nearly all types of services and speed categories272. Especially offers with speeds between 
30  and  100  Mbps  have  gotten  cheaper:  27  to  37%,  depending  on  the  offer  type.  Noteworthy  is  also  that 
currently, least expensive prices in the 12-30 Mbps range are systematically cheaper than their equivalent in 
the  lower  range.  Moreover,  for  all  four  types  of  service  offerings,  the  30-100  Mbps  least  expensive  price  is 
equal  to  the  price  of  the  12-30  Mbps  offer.  This  is  because  the  ISP  providing  these  offers  applies  the  same 
prices for offers that differ only in speed and geographical availability. This counterintuitive relation between 
prices is relatively new, and linked to the fact that between February and autumn 2015 prices in the 2-12 Mbps 
range  substantially  increased  (by  15  to  25%273),  while  prices  in  the  30-100  Mbps  range  decreased  by  13  to 
25%274, and prices in the intermediary range either remained stable275 or decreased by 10 to 25%276. Finally, 
prices of the relatively new offers of over 100 Mbps have not evolved in a uniform way in 2015: Standalone 
and Double play with TV prices increased by respectively 23 and 9%, while the other two remained stable. 

Figure 107: Slovakia: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)277 

272 I.e. with the exception of Double play with TV in 2-12 and 12-30 Mbps ranges, where prices after a drop are now at the same level as in 2012. 
273 The former applying to Double play with fixed telephony, the latter applying to Double play with TV. 
274 The former applying to Triple play, the latter applying to Double play with fixed telephony 
275 Standalone and Double play with TV 
276 The former applying to Triple play, the latter applying to Double play with fixed telephony 
277 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

181 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV0102030405060708090100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.24.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the seven ISP in the sample for this study compare as follows for all speed baskets 
and types of service offerings: 

182 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)SWANDSI Data---EU28: 24.5115.4219.7324.79---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)DSI DataSWANSlovanetOrange Slovensko-EU28: 22.7415.4218.9121.8522.9324.40-8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsDSI DataOrange SlovenskoSlovanetSWANAntik TelekomSlovak Telekom (T-COM)EU28: 23.0926.9627.4027.4328.7329.6130.4312+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSWANUPC SlovakiaSlovanetSlovak Telekom (T-COM)DSI DataOrange SlovenskoEU28: 21.9314.8314.9817.0122.9334.4634.9030+ Mbps - 100 MbpsSWANDSI DataUPC SlovakiaSlovanetSlovak Telekom (T-COM)Orange SlovenskoEU28: 25.8914.8319.3220.9922.1822.9339.41100+ MbpsDSI DataAntik TelekomOrange SlovenskoUPC SlovakiaSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-EU28: 40.2126.8226.9027.4028.4930.43-Double play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-----EU28: 34.8127.59-----4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)Slovanet----EU28: 32.527.5937.84----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)Slovanet----EU28: 38.1738.1042.34----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSWANSlovanetSlovak Telekom (T-COM)---EU28: 32.5322.3631.9232.09---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsSWANSlovak Telekom (T-COM)Slovanet---EU28: 35.3522.3632.0935.59---100+ MbpsAntik TelekomSlovak Telekom (T-COM)----EU28: 52.433.0938.10---- 
 
 
 
 
Table 48: Slovakia: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

For speeds between 12 and 100 Mbps, Swan always comes out as the cheapest choice on the Slovak market, 
regardless of the offer type. Slovak Telecom takes first place in  most cases in the lower speed ranges, but it 
should  be  noted  that  it  only  faces  competition  from  several  ISPs  in  the  Standalone  segment.  Surprisingly,  it 
comes  out  as  most  expensive  of  6  ISPs  in  the  Standalone  8-12  Mbps  range278.  For  speeds  above  12  Mbps, 
Slovak Telecom only provides relatively low-priced offers in the Triple play segment. UPC is systematically the 
most expensive choice for this offer type, at prices that are more than double those of the least expensive ISP. 
Finally, Antik Telekom offers very competitive offers of above 100 Mbps: only in the Standalone segment does 
it not take first place, but is its least expensive offer just 0.3% more expensive than that of DSI Data. 

FTTx, that represents nearly 62% of collected offers, emerges as the least expensive technology on the market 
for all offer types and all speed ranges except the 8-12 Mbps range. In this speed range, in which prices are 
also  deviating  (cf.  supra),  xDSL  is  the  least  expensive  technology  for  bundled  offers,  and  Ethernet  for 
Standalone. These technologies respectively represent 74% and 5% of collected offers in this speed range. 

278 But this speed range in general shows some particular results, cf. 3.24.1 

183 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Double play with TV2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-----EU28: 38.0330.02-----4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-----EU28: 29.2930.02-----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-----EU28: 37.6840.52-----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSWANSlovanetUPC SlovakiaSlovak Telekom (T-COM)--EU28: 30.1924.4126.9328.4734.52--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsSWANDSI DataSlovanetSlovak Telekom (T-COM)--EU28: 31.5424.4129.7529.9334.52--100+ MbpsAntik TelekomOrange SlovenskoSlovak Telekom (T-COM)UPC Slovakia--EU28: 42.8131.0236.3940.5243.48--Triple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-----EU28: 46.9337.69-----4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-----EU28: 39.5837.69-----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSlovak Telekom (T-COM)-----EU28: 47.345.19-----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsSWANSlovak Telekom (T-COM)SlovanetUPC Slovakia--EU28: 41.7730.4440.6941.8474.89--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsSWANSlovak Telekom (T-COM)DSI DataSlovanetUPC Slovakia-EU28: 43.4530.4440.6944.4644.8480.92-100+ MbpsAntik TelekomSlovak Telekom (T-COM)Orange SlovenskoDSI DataUPC Slovakia-EU28: 56.3837.7545.1949.0049.2689.90- 
 
 
 
                                                 
Table 49: Slovakia: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.24.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket) and for different speeds (for the same product), the Bundle premiums and NGA premiums can be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average279. 

Bundle premium280 

Adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer or to a Double play with TV offer in the 2-12 and 30-100 Mbps 
ranges  costs  10.8  to  11  EUR,  which  is  around  one  fourth  more  expensive  than  in  the  EU  on  average.  In  the 
other two speed ranges under consideration, the premium amounts to 17.9 to 18.9 EUR, which is 70 to 100% 
more expensive than the EU average. The cost for adding TV services is much more moderate: at prices that 
range between 9.2 and 11.1 EUR, it is 13% cheaper to 23% more expensive than the EU average. Finally, adding 
both services at the same time costs 19.8 EUR in the 2-12 Mbps segment, which is 10% cheaper than the sum 
of both individual premiums in this segment, and very close to the EU average. In the other speed ranges, the 
combined premium amounts to 26.2 to 29.5 EUR, and thereby does not provide a discount compared to the 
sum  of  the  telephony  and  TV  premium.  It  is  moreover  also  43  to  85%  more  expensive  than  the  EU  average 
combined premium. 

Figure 108: Slovakia: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

279 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
280 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

184 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Slovakia2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandaloneFTTxFTTxEthernetFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelFTTxFTTxxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TVFTTxFTTxxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTxTriple playFTTxFTTxxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTx0102030402-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumSlovakia0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)281 

Consumers in Slovakia on average only pay between 0.1 and 2.3 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared 
to an offer between 12 and 30 Mbps (depending on the offer type). Moving from a 30-100 Mbps offer to an 
offer  with  a  speed  above  100  Mbps  costs  between  2.6  and  6.1  EUR.    High-speed  premiums  are  thereby  all 
much cheaper than the EU average premiums: they are between 45 and 99% lower. 

Figure 109: Slovakia: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

281 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

185 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Slovakia05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.24.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Slovak Telekom (T-COM) 
(incumbent) 

xDSL and FTTx 

Antik Telekom 

FTTX and Plug & Play 

DSI Data 

xDSL , FTTX, Ethernet and 
Plug & Play 

Orange Slovensko  

xDSL and FTTx 

Slovanet 

SWAN 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL,  FTTx and Plug & 
Play 

UPC Slovakia 

Cable 

Available offers on the Slovakian market 

       Take-up of offers on the Slovakian market282  

282  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

186 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersSlovakiaEU28 2 Mbps or lower5.4%3.8% 2-4 Mbps3.6%2.5% 4-8 Mbps11.4%6.4% 8-12 Mbps10.2%7.9% 12-30 Mbps19.9%25.6% 30-100 Mbps33.7%36.1% 100+ Mbps15.7%17.7% xDSL22.9%21.2% Cable5.4%21.3% FTTx62.0%45.2% Other9.6%12.3% Standalone offer46.4%34.1% Double play with Tel19.3%27.3% Double play with TV15.7%13.1% Triple play18.7%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesSlovakiaEU28Below 2 Mbps2.0%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps52.5%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps15.2%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps20.2%19.2%At least 100 Mbps10.1%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service29.4%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony11.2%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)1.4%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)14.0%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)2.8%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.25. Slovenia 

3.25.1. Broadband price by speed283 and offer type 

Like in the EU on average, most popular offers in Slovenia are in the speed range between 10 and 30 Mbps. A 
further 21% of subscriptions has a speed of higher than 30 Mbps, which is 9 percentage points lower than in 
the EU on average. Indeed, subscriptions of lower speeds are still relatively popular in Slovenia: at a take-up of 
30% (compared to 23% in the EU), offers between 2 and 10 Mbps appear frequently. 

Bundled offers are very popular on the Slovenian market: their take-up of around 64% is 18 percentage points 
higher  than  the  EU  average.  Especially  Triple  play  seems  to  be  a  hit  among  Slovenian  consumers  (43%  of 
subscriptions),  and  Double  play  offers  including  TV  are  also  fairly  popular  when  comparing  with  the  EU 
average: 17% versus 9.8%. 

When comparing broadband prices in Slovenia with their EU average counterpart, it appears that the price of 
least expensive offers in Slovenia is most often higher. Exceptions are the Double play with TV and Triple play 
offers in the 8-12 Mbps range, which are just below the EU average, and the Triple play least expensive offer of 
more than 100 Mbps, which is 10% cheaper than the EU average. Other offers are between 4284 and 37285% 
more  expensive  than  the  EU  average,  and  in  the  Standalone  category  the  Slovenian  least  expensive  offer  of 
more than 100 Mbps is nearly 3 times as high as the EU average. It should be noted that only ISP provides a 
Standalone offer in this speed category286, and this ISP in general is one of the most expensive options in the 
Standalone segment. 

Figure 110: Slovenia: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

283 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
284 Applies to Standalone in the 12-30 Mbps range 
285 Applies to Standalone in the 4-8 Mbps range 
286 One other ISP also has offers in this speed range, but these have been excluded from the analysis since their cost exceeds 150 EUR/PPP (cf. 
BUAC methodology). 

187 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSloveniaEU28Standalone0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSloveniaEU28Double play with Tel0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSloveniaEU28Double play with TV0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSloveniaEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
                                                 
3.25.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Compared  to  2012,  especially  least  expensive  offer  prices  for  Double  play  with  TV  have  strongly  evolved  in 
Slovenia. Indeed, these have all become 20 to 40% cheaper, and the drop increases with speed. For the other 
types  of  bundled  offers,  a  suchlike  decrease  can  also  be  observed  in  the  30-100 Mbps  category.  In  all  other 
Standalone  and  bundled  categories,  prices  are  currently  very  close  to  2012  prices,  i.e.  between  5%  lower287 
and 10% higher288. 

Figure 111: Slovenia: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)289 

3.25.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The  least  expensive  offers  per  individual  ISP  compare  as  follows  for  all  speed  baskets  and  types  of  service 
offerings: 

287 Applies to Triple play 12-30 Mbps 
288 Applies to Standalone 12-30 Mbps 
289 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

188 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV020406080100120201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Table 50: Slovenia: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

T-2 appears to be a consistently cheap choice: it scores especially well in the Triple play segment, but also for 
the  other  offer  types,  it  is  systematically  one  of  the  two  best  rankers290.  Furthermore,  for  all  offer  types 

290 With one exception: Standalone 12-30 Mbps 

189 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsAmisT-2---EU28: 24.5126.2728.76---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsT-2Telemach---EU28: 22.7431.2649.19---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTeleingT-2AmisTelekom Slovenije-EU28: 23.0925.0130.0137.5339.03-12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsAmisTeleingT-2Telemach-EU28: 21.9322.8437.5238.7761.70-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsAmisT-2Telekom SlovenijeTeleingTelemachEU28: 25.8933.7837.5246.5450.0380.47100+ MbpsTelemach----EU28: 40.21114.87----Double play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsAmisTelemach---EU28: 34.8141.4748.10---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsAmis----EU28: 32.544.31----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsAmisTelekom Slovenije---EU28: 38.1746.9454.73---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsAmis----EU28: 32.5338.06----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsAmisTelekom Slovenije---EU28: 35.3545.5662.24---Double play with TV8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTeleingT-2Telekom Slovenije--EU28: 37.6835.0237.5260.30--12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsAmisTeleingTelekom Slovenije--EU28: 30.1937.4141.2765.30--30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsT-2AmisTeleingTelekom Slovenije-EU28: 31.5437.5252.4257.5460.30-Triple play2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsTelemachTelekom Slovenije---EU28: 46.9353.8555.60---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTelemach----EU28: 39.5851.35----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsT-2TeleingAmisTelekom SlovenijeTelemachEU28: 47.345.7155.2555.6556.0159.4812+ Mbps - 30 MbpsAmisT-2TelemachTelekom SlovenijeTeleingEU28: 41.7745.5648.2050.6063.5267.7730+ Mbps - 100 MbpsT-2TelemachAmisTelekom SlovenijeTeleingEU28: 43.4547.7947.8160.5763.5280.28100+ MbpsT-2TelemachTelekom Slovenije--EU28: 56.3850.7152.81135.66-- 
 
 
 
                                                 
between  12  and  30  Mbps,  Amis  comes  out  as  least  expensive  ISP,  and  in  the  other  combinations  of  offer 
categories and speed ranges where it is present, this ISP is always among the top three. Telekom Slovenije is in 
many cases among the most expensive options, while for Telemach and Teleing the situation is very mixed. The 
former scores very well for high-speed Triple play offers, but not good at all in the Standalone segment, while 
the relative position of the latter seems to worsen with increasing speeds.  

In the categories up to 12 Mbps, Cable frequently comes out as least expensive choice, although it represents 
only 38% of collected offers in these speed ranges. While also FTTx sometimes comes out as least expensive 
technology in this segment, the latter technology scores even much better for offers above 12 Mbps. In the 30-
100 Mbps range, in which 88% of offers is provided through FTTx, it is always the cheapest technology. 

Table 51: Slovenia: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.25.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average291. 

Bundle premium292 

In Slovenia, adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer or to a Double play with TV on average costs between 
12.1 and 13.1 EUR, which is around 30 to 50% more expensive than the corresponding EU average premium. 
The  cost  for  adding  TV  services  scores  much  better.  Indeed,  it  is  between  25  and  40%  lower  than  the  EU 
average, and costs around 7.4 to 8 EUR. Adding both services at once seems to be a very good idea in Slovenia: 
for all speed ranges up until 100 Mbps, a discount of around 35 to 50% can be obtained compared to the sum 
of  both  individual  premiums.  The  Triple  play  premium  in  these  cases  is  even  lower  than,  or  only  just  higher 
than, the fixed telephony premium. In the speed range above 100 Mbps, it even appears to be much cheaper 
to take a Triple play offer than a Standalone offer, as a negative premium of  -62.1 EUR applies. This value is 
based on figures from only one ISP, and this ISP in general (i.e. also for other speeds) provides Triple play offers 
that are priced lower than their Standalone counterpart293. 

291 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
292 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 
293 i.e. the sum of the Standalone price and the applicable line rental is higher than the Triple play price of the same speed  (in which  case no 
separate line rental needs to be paid). 

190 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Slovenia2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandaloneCableFTTxCableFTTxFTTxCableDouble play with TelCableCablexDSLFTTxFTTx-Double play with TV--CablexDSLFTTx-Triple playCableCableFTTxxDSLFTTxFTTx 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 112: Slovenia: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)294 

High-speed  premiums  are  rather  high  in  Slovenia  compared  to  the  EU  average.  Indeed,  consumers  pay  on 
average  between  4.9  to  10.2  EUR  extra  to  move  from  12-30  Mbps  offer  to  a  30-100  Mbps  offer,  which  is 
between 20 and 80% higher than the EU average. Moving from a 30-100 Mbps offer to an offer of above 100 
Mbps comes at even much higher prices: in the Triple play segment, an additional 26.7 EUR needs to be taken 
into account on average, and in the Standalone segment, this is even 34.4 EUR. These values are respectively 
66% and 121% higher than the EU average.  

Figure 113: Slovenia: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

294 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

191 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

-70-65-60-55-50-45-40-35-30-25-20-15-10-5051015202-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumSlovenia0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28010203040StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Slovenia010203040Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.25.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Telekom Slovenije 
(incumbent) 

Amis 

T-2 

Teleing 

Telemach 

xDSL , FTTx and Cable 

xDSL, FTTx and Cable 

FTTx 

xDSL, FTTx and Cable 

xDSL, FTTx, Cable and Plug 
& Play 

Available offers on the Slovenian market 

Take-up of offers on the Slovenian market295  

295  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

192 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersSloveniaEU28 2 Mbps or lower8.8%3.8% 2-4 Mbps6.4%2.5% 4-8 Mbps2.4%6.4% 8-12 Mbps10.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps31.5%25.6% 30-100 Mbps35.9%36.1% 100+ Mbps5.2%17.7% xDSL12.0%21.2% Cable22.3%21.3% FTTx65.7%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer31.9%34.1% Double play with Tel10.4%27.3% Double play with TV12.0%13.1% Triple play45.8%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesSloveniaEU28Below 2 Mbps4.0%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps30.0%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps44.9%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps13.6%19.2%At least 100 Mbps7.5%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service65.7%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony1.3%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)4.0%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)17.4%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)42.9%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.26. Spain 

3.26.1. Broadband price by speed296 and offer type 

At 29.2%, take-up of high-speed offers (i.e. at least 30 Mbps) in Spain is rather similar to the EU average (30%). 
At  the  same  time,  subscriptions  with  speeds  lower  than  10  Mbps  are  not  very  common  anymore  (7.6% 
compared to 24.5% in the EU), making offers between 10 and 30 Mbps by far the most popular ones on the 
Spanish market. 

According  to  Eurobarometer  2015  data,  Double  play  including  fixed  telephony  (with  or  without  mobile 
services) is the most popular bundle on the Spanish broadband market, with its take-up of 36%. As only 1.5% 
of  subscriptions  are  Double  play  including  TV  offers,  this  offer  type  is  not  at  all  popular.  This  seems  to  be 
confirmed by the fact none of the ISPs for which data was collected during this study, provides suchlike offers. 
Finally, 49% of offers are Standalone offers or fixed broadband offers combined with mobile telephony only, 
which is 5 percentage points lower than in the EU on average.  

Some  of  these  figures  however  are  very  different  from  the  statistics  available  at  the  Spanish  NRA297,  which 
were  obtained  from  the  operators.  According  to  these,  Spanish  Standalone  offers  only  represented  around 
3.3%  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  2015.  This  seems  to  be  consistent  with  the  fact  that  only  a  minority298  of 
Standalone offers collected in the frame of this study are true Standalone offers, i.e. all others are so-called 
proxies299. Double play including fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony) according to these figures 
is  even  more  popular  on  the  Spanish  market  than  what  is  suggested  by  Eurostat  (i.e.  no  less  than  65%  of 
subscriptions).   

Looking at the broadband prices collected for Spain in autumn 2015, it becomes clear that in general, the price 
of the  least expensive offers in  Spain is  substantially  higher than in the  EU on  average.  Only the  Standalone 
least  expensive  offer  price  is  4%  lower  than  the  EU  average  counterpart.  For  the  other  speed  ranges  in  the 
Standalone segment, the difference with the EU average is at least 80%, going up to nearly 150% for the 4-8 
Mbps range300. Also in the Double play with fixed telephony category does this speed range show the largest 
difference with the EU average (i.e. + 103%). In the higher speed ranges for Double play with fixed telephony 
and Triple play, differences are bit more limited, i.e. between 10 and 40%, but still considerably important. 

296 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
297 See http://data.cnmc.es/datagraph/jsp/inf_trim.jsp 
298 I.e. 14% 
299 This implies that the cheapest available bundles have been considered as a proxy for the Standalone offers. After all, consumers which are only 
interested in having broadband services, have no other option than buying these bundles. No additional charges are however included for the 
consumption of the additional services (e.g. fixed telephony). 
300 Many of these offers are however proxies obtained from bundled offers, as explained above. 

193 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 114: Spain: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

3.26.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Despite an increase in the Standalone and Triple play least expensive offer price in the 30-100 Mbps range 
between February and autumn 2015, prices in this speed range for all offer categories are considerably 
lower than what they were in 2012 (i.e. around 20 to 30%). In lower speed offer categories, only Triple 
play  prices  show  a  similar  decreasing  trend.  Indeed,  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony 
prices up until 30 Mbps only differ from 2012 prices by some percentage points. 

Focusing on the difference with the last data collection period, only Standalone prices of above 100 Mbps 
show a similar increase as the Standalone and Triple play increases in the 30-100 Mbps range mentioned 
above. Most other least expensive prices have  remained rather  stable (evolution of maximum 5%), and 
the Triple play price in the 2-12 Mbps range has decreases by 19%. 

194 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSpainEU28Standalone010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSpainEU28Double play with Tel010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSpainEU28Double play with TV010203040506070802-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSpainEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 115: Spain: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)301 

301 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

195 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Double play with TV0102030405060708090201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.26.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the four main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 52: Spain: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)302 

302 It should be noted that ONO is now part of the Vodafone Group. 

196 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsJazztel---EU28: 24.5152.23---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsJazztel---EU28: 22.7456.28---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsJazztel---EU28: 23.0942.23---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsOrange SpainJazztelVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)Telefonica Spain (Movistar)EU28: 21.9341.1041.2646.1346.6430+ Mbps - 100 MbpsJazztelVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)Orange Spain-EU28: 25.8946.5248.4660.11-100+ MbpsOrange SpainVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)JazztelTelefonica Spain (Movistar)EU28: 40.2138.5158.5259.6761.94Double play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsJazztel---EU28: 34.8161.78---4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsJazztel---EU28: 32.565.84---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsJazztel---EU28: 38.1742.23---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsJazztelOrange SpainVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)Telefonica Spain (Movistar)EU28: 32.5341.2642.2246.1349.7330+ Mbps - 100 MbpsJazztelVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)Orange Spain-EU28: 35.3546.5248.4661.23-100+ MbpsVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)JazztelTelefonica Spain (Movistar)-EU28: 52.458.5359.6761.94-Triple play8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsTelefonica Spain (Movistar)---EU28: 47.360.27---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsJazztelOrange SpainVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)Telefonica Spain (Movistar)EU28: 41.7756.2756.7058.4372.6730+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)Orange Spain--EU28: 43.4560.7675.71--100+ MbpsVodafone Spain (incl. ONO)Telefonica Spain (Movistar)--EU28: 56.3870.8273.69-- 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Vodafone  Spain  appears  to  offer  a  good  deal  for  subscriptions  with  speeds  of  more  than  30  Mbps.  This  is 
especially so for Triple play, but also for the other offer types is its least expensive offer price situated in the 
top  two.  In  the  12-30  Mbps  range,  Vodafone  is  systematically  outranked  by  Jazztel  and  Orange  Spain.  The 
former scores well for all categories except Standalone of more than 100 Mbps, while the latter appears to be 
a good choice in the 12-30 Mbps range, but is 25 to 32% more expensive than the least expensive ISP in the 30-
100 Mbps range. 

FTTx,  which  represents  nearly  85%  of  collected  offers  of  more  than  12  Mbps,  in  most  cases  comes  out  as 
cheapest technology for the categories with higher speeds. Cheapest offers between 2 and 12 Mbps are in all 
cases  provides  through  xDSL,  which  is  not  surprising  as  on  the  Spanish  market  these  speeds  are  exclusively 
provided through this technology. 

Table 53: Spain: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.26.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average303. 

Bundle premium304 

In Spain, the cost of the telephony premium is negligible for speeds above 12 Mbps. Indeed, ranging between 0 
and 1.1 EUR, the cost for adding telephony to a Standalone or Double play including TV offer is at least 90% 
lower than in the EU on average. This is linked to the fact that true Standalone offers in Spain are scarce, and 
the Standalone offers collected in the frame of the BIAC exercise are often proxies that were created based on 
bundled offers of the ISPs. In the 2-12 Mbps speed range the telephony premium is considerably higher (i.e. 
6.4 EUR) but still 30% cheaper than the EU average. The cost for adding TV in Spain is substantially higher than 
the cost for adding telephony: depending on the speed range, it is situated between 12 and 15.8 EUR, which is 
30 to 60% higher than the EU average. Finally, adding both services at the same time in all speed ranges costs 
as  much  as  adding  telephony  and  TV  individually.  The  premium  is  situated  between  12  and  16.9  EUR. 
Compared to the EU average, this is 15 to 22% cheaper. 

303 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
304 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 

197 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Spain2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLxDSLxDSLxDSLFTTxPlug & PlayDouble play with TelxDSLxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV------Triple play--xDSLFTTxFTTxFTTx 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)305 

Figure 116: Spain: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

Spanish consumers on average pay between 8.9 and 10.7 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 12-
30 Mbps offer, which is exceptionally high (i.e. around 40 to 160% more expensive than in the EU on average). 
Much diversity however exists between ISPs: only one of the three Spanish ISPs on which the average is based, 
charges a premium that is higher than the EU average306. The premium to move from a 30-100 Mbps offer to 
an offer with a speed above 100 Mbps scores very differently. It amounts to between 10.1 and 11.6 EUR for 
bundled offers, which is around 35% cheaper than the EU average, and it is only 0.5 EUR for Standalone offers. 
The latter exceptionally low value is strongly influenced by the negative premium of one individual ISP, who 
offers a very high-speed mobile broadband subscription for home use at a low price. 

Figure 117: Spain: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

305 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
306 I.e. nearly triple this EU average value 

198 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumSpain0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU2805101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Spain05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.26.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Telefonica Spain 
(Movistar) 
(incumbent) 

Jazztel 

xDSL  and FTTX  

xDSL  and FTTX 

Orange Spain 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 

Vodafone Spain 

FTTx 

Available offers on the Spanish market 

Take-up of offers on the Spanish market307  

307  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data 

199 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersSpainEU28 2 Mbps or lower8.5%3.8% 2-4 Mbps5.6%2.5% 4-8 Mbps5.6%6.4% 8-12 Mbps7.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps39.4%25.6% 30-100 Mbps14.1%36.1% 100+ Mbps19.7%17.7% xDSL39.4%21.2% Cable0.0%21.3% FTTx59.2%45.2% Other1.4%12.3% Standalone offer39.4%34.1% Double play with Tel38.0%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play22.5%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesSpainEU28Below 2 Mbps0.9%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps6.8%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps63.2%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps15.4%19.2%At least 100 Mbps13.8%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service61.1%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony10.2%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)36.4%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)1.5%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)13.1%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.27. Sweden 

3.27.1. Broadband price by speed308 and offer type 

In Sweden,  most  popular broadband offers have a download speed above 100  Mbps. No less than  41.5% of 
subscriptions have such speeds, which is 30 percentage points more than the EU average. From the other +/- 
60% of subscriptions, 4 out of 10 are situated in the 1O to 30 Mbps speed range.  

At the same time, Standalone offers and fixed broadband combined with mobile telephony only are still very 
popular in Sweden, since they are estimated together at 48.5% of the total Swedish broadband subscriptions. 
Within the category of bundles, Double play with TV appears to be very popular, i.e. 23.5% of offers compared 
to 9.8% at EU level, while take-up percentages of Double play with fixed telephony and Triple play are lower 
than in the EU on average. 

When comparing least expensive offer prices in Sweden with the corresponding EU averages, the former most 
often appear to be cheaper. Exceptions are the 4-8 Mbps speed range in all categories, in which the Swedish 
price  is  6  to  20%  more  expensive  than  the  EU  average,  and  bundled  offers  including  TV  in  the  12-30  Mbps 
range. Regarding the latter, especially the Double play with TV price in Sweden stands out, as it is 53% higher 
than the EU average.  In the cases where the Swedish offer price is lower than the EU average, the difference is 
not negligible: in the popular above 100 Mbps range for instance, the difference is between 6 and 37%, and in 
the 8-12 Mbps range it even amounts to 38 to 48%. 

Figure 118: Sweden: Broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

308 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 

200 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSwedenEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSwedenEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSwedenEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleSwedenEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.27.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

With  the  exception  of  Standalone  and  Double  play  of  above  100  Mbps,  prices  of  least  expensive  broadband 
offers have all increased in Sweden between 2012 and autumn 2015 (on average by 38%)309. In some cases, 
some  important  fluctuations  occurred  in  the  meantime,  e.g.  the  significant  increase  for  12-30Mbps  Double 
play with TV and Triple play is due to the fact that the cheapest provider in 2012 was no longer providing offers 
in this speed range in 2013 and thereafter, and the highly variable evolution of 100+ Mbps prices is associated 
with a strong variation from year to year in the ISPs providing the cheapest offers. It can also be noted that 
over the years, the price of cheapest 12-30 Mbps offers has systematically been higher than the cheapest 30-
100 Mbps offer, which is linked to the fact that the former are often based on xDSL, which is generally more 
expensive in Sweden than faster offers based on FTTx or Ethernet technology.  

Finally, between February and autumn 2015, Standalone and Double play with TV offers in the 2-12 and 30-100 
Mbps categories slightly increased (5 to 8%), while in all other cases a decrease of 4 to 16% can be observed. 
Especially the offers of above 100 Mbps became systematically more attractive. 

Figure 119: Sweden: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)310  

309 Ranging from 5% for Triple play above 100 Mbps to 132% for Double play with TV in the 12-30 Mbps range. 
310 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

201 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV0102030405060201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.27.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The  least  expensive  offers  of  the  seven  main  ISPs  covering  at  least  90%  of  the  fixed  broadband  market 
compare as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 54: Sweden: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)311 

311 In Sweden, Telenor provides fixed broadband offers via two brands : Bredbandsbolaget and Glocalnet 

202 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsAllTeleTele2 SverigeBahnhof TeliaSonera---EU28: 22.7427.1928.0028.9234.36---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsBredband 2Bahnhof AllTeleTeliaSonera---EU28: 23.0914.2314.6221.0022.70---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBredband 2AllTeleBahnhof Tele2 SverigeTelenor SverigeTeliaSonera-EU28: 21.9318.1023.6625.7830.5332.2536.68-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBredband 2Bahnhof AllTeleTele2 SverigeTeliaSoneracomhemTelenor SverigeEU28: 25.8916.8616.8724.1324.5225.2326.1730.14100+ MbpsBredband 2AllTeleTelenor SverigeBahnhof comhemTeliaSonera-EU28: 40.2125.4432.2232.2533.1435.5240.00-Double play with Tel4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTele2 SverigeBahnhof TeliaSoneraAllTele---EU28: 32.534.7636.2837.1338.34---8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsBahnhof Bredband 2AllTeleTeliaSonera---EU28: 38.1720.0424.2229.7134.04---12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBredband 2Bahnhof AllTeleTelenor SverigeTele2 SverigeTeliaSonera-EU28: 32.5328.0931.2031.6736.0137.0839.45-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBahnhof Bredband 2AllTeleTeliaSoneraTelenor Sverige--EU28: 35.3522.2926.8532.1337.9138.76--100+ MbpsBredband 2Bahnhof AllTeleTelenor SverigeTeliaSonera--EU28: 52.435.4338.5640.2240.8747.19--Double play with TV8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsBahnhof TeliaSonera-----EU28: 37.6821.8831.58-----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTelenor Sverige------EU28: 30.1946.23------30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBahnhof TeliaSoneracomhemTelenor Sverige---EU28: 31.5424.1335.4537.1444.13---100+ MbpsBahnhof TeliaSoneraTelenor Sverigecomhem---EU28: 42.8140.4044.7346.2448.96---Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsTeliaSonera------EU28: 39.5841.86------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsBahnhof TeliaSoneraAllTele----EU28: 47.327.3039.1140.39----12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTeliaSoneraTelenor Sverige-----EU28: 41.7744.1854.85-----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBahnhof TeliaSoneracomhemAllTeleTelenor Sverige--EU28: 43.4529.5542.9844.3547.9952.75--100+ MbpsBahnhof TeliaSoneraTelenor Sverigecomhem---EU28: 56.3845.8252.2654.8656.17--- 
 
 
 
                                                 
In the categories of bundled offers, Bahnhof systematically comes out as a cheap choice, always taking first or 
second position in the ranking. The same can be said for Bredband 2 in the Standalone and Double play with 
fixed  telephony  category.  In  both  these  categories  incumbent  TeliaSonera  is  among  the  most  expensive 
providers.  It  however  performs  better  for  high-speed  Double  play  with  TV  and  Triple  play  offers.  Finally, 
Telenor Sverige and Com Hem also in general rank rather low in the ISP ranking.  

A bit more than half of the collected offers in Sweden are Ethernet offers, and this technology emerges as the 
least expensive one in nearly all speed ranges above 8 Mbps. While around 1 in 9 offers is a cable offer, this 
technology  never  appears  as  the  least  expensive  one.  Rather  xDSL  and  in  one  case  FTTx,  responsible  for 
respectively 10.7 and 19.5% of collected offers, appear alongside Ethernet. 

Table 55: Sweden: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.27.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The averages of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average312. 

Bundle premium313 

On average, adding fixed telephony to a Standalone offer or to a Double play with TV costs in Sweden between 
6.5 and 8.2 EUR depending on the speed category. Compared to the EU average, the telephony premium is 4 
to 30% cheaper in Sweden. To add TV services, Swedish consumers pay between 6.5 and 11.1 EUR extra. This is 
considerably lower than the EU average premium in the 2-12 and 12-30 Mbps ranges, similar to the EU average 
in  the  30-100  Mbps  range  and  over  30%  more  expensive  than  the  EU  average  for  offers  above  100  Mbps. 
Finally,  the  cost  for  adding  both  services  at  once  varies  considerably  depending  on  the  speed  range  (i.e. 
between 11.8 and 19 EUR), and again only the premium in the above 100 Mbps category is higher than the EU 
average (+20%). Especially in the lower speed ranges does this Triple play premium come out cheaper than the 
sum of individual premiums.  

312 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
313 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 

203 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Sweden4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLEthernetEthernetEthernetEthernetDouble play with TelxDSLEthernetEthernetEthernetEthernetDouble play with TV-EthernetxDSLEthernetEthernetTriple playxDSLEthernetFTTxEthernetEthernet 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)314 

Figure 120: Sweden: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October2015 data) 

As already mentioned above, for all offer types the Swedish price of an offer with a download speed between 
30  and  100  Mbps  is  cheaper  than  a  12-30  Mbps  offer.  The  difference  amounts  to  1.7  to  4.9  EUR.  It  should 
however be noted that the availability and the conditions of an offer vary a lot depending on the location (e.g. 
different offers in different cities, different city networks inside the same city, different technologies), so that 
not all offers are available to all customers. Moving from a 30-100 Mbps broadband offer to an offer with a 
speed  above  100  Mbps  on  the  other  hand  comes  at  a  surplus.  This  is  comprised  between  8.9  and  9.9  EUR 
(depending on the offer type), which is 26 to 48% cheaper than the EU average.  

Figure 121: Sweden: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

314 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP. 

204 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520252-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumSweden0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28-10-505101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Sweden0510152025Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.27.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

TeliaSonera 
 (incumbent) 

AllTele Allmänna Svenska 
Telefonaktiebolaget 

Bahnhof  

Bredband 2 

Com Hem 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 

Ethernet, xDSL and FTTx 

Ethernet and xDSL 

Ethernet 

Ethernet and Cable 

Tele 2 Sverige 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 

Telenor Sveritge 
(Bredbandsbolaget/Glocalnet) 

xDSL, FTTx, Ethernet and 
Cable 

Available offers on the Swedish market 

Take-up of offers on the Swedish market315  

315  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data. 

205 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersSwedenEU28 2 Mbps or lower10.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps3.5%6.4% 8-12 Mbps12.8%7.9% 12-30 Mbps9.8%25.6% 30-100 Mbps32.8%36.1% 100+ Mbps31.3%17.7% xDSL11.5%21.2% Cable8.0%21.3% FTTx18.5%45.2% Other62.0%12.3% Standalone offer36.0%34.1% Double play with Tel42.8%27.3% Double play with TV7.8%13.1% Triple play13.5%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesSwedenEU28Below 2 Mbps0.6%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps17.5%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps24.7%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps15.7%19.2%At least 100 Mbps41.5%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service58.8%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony7.4%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)13.2%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)23.5%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)14.7%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.28. The United Kingdom 

3.28.1. Broadband price by speed316 and offer type 

In the United Kingdom, no less than 56% of fixed broadband subscriptions have a download speed comprised 
between 10 and 30 Mbps. This is 10 percentage points more than in the EU on average. The take-up of high-
speed offers between 30 and 100 Mbps in the country is also around 10 percentage points higher than the EU 
average, but at a take-up of 7.2%, the popularity of very high-speed offers of more than 100 Mbps is lagging a 
bit behind. 

Around  4  in  7  of  the  British  subscriptions  are  Standalone  offers  or  fixed  broadband  offers  combined  with 
mobile telephony only. Within the group of bundled offers, Double play with fixed telephony and Triple play 
appear to be the most popular ones, like is the case in the EU on average. 

Zooming in on broadband prices in the UK, it can be seen that the price of the least expensive British offers in 
the speed range 30-100 Mbps is higher than or similar to the EU average317, as is the 12-30 Mbps Standalone 
price  (+5%).  The  other  least  expensive  offer  prices  in  the  UK  are  smaller  than  the  EU  average,  and  score 
especially well in the category of offers with speeds above 100 Mbps: the difference ranges between 21% (for 
Triple play) and 42% (Standalone). 

Figure 122: The United Kingdom: broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)318 

316 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
317 Standalone: 27% higher than the EU average, Double play with fixed telephony: 16% higher than the EU average and Triple play: same as the 
EU average. 
318 Please note that only fixed services (i.e. Fixed broadband, fixed telephony and TV) are taken into account in the Triple play category, Triple play 
including fixed broadband, mobile telephony and mobile broadband are not considered. 

206 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleUnited_KingdomEU28Standalone01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleUnited_KingdomEU28Double play with Tel01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleUnited_KingdomEU28Double play with TV01020304050602-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleUnited_KingdomEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.28.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

Compared to 2012, British Triple play prices in the 12-30 and 30-100 Mbps speed ranges are now around 30% 
lower. For the other offer types, a (smaller) decrease can only be observed for offers with speeds between 30 
and 100 Mbps. The largest contributor to this overall decrease was the drop in prices between 2012 and 2013. 
Between  the  most  recent  data  collection  period  and  now,  an  increase  can  even  be  observed  for  all  speed 
ranges and offer types of maximum 100 Mbps: prices have gone up by 6% (Triple play 30-100 Mbps) to 24% 
(Standalone 30-100 Mbps). 

For  offers  of  more  than  100  Mbps,  which  appeared  on  the  market  rather  recently,  the  situation  is  very 
different. Indeed, a noteworthy drop in prices can be seen between February and autumn 2015: the Triple play 
least expensive price dropped by 38%, and the Double play with fixed telephony price with no less than 49%. 
The autumn 2015 prices refer to new offers that come from an ISP previously not active in this speed range, 
and it should be noted that it relates to a trial FTTP deployment with a currently limited footprint. 

Figure 123: The United Kingdom: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)319 

319 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

207 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.28.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the five main ISPs covering at least 90% of the fixed broadband market compare 
as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 56: The United Kingdom: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

TalkTalk  is  clearly  a  cheap  provider  for  Standalone  and  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony,  and  for  very  high-
speed Triple play. For lower speeds on the Triple play market, it is however around 30% more expensive than 
the least expensive ISP, being either EE or BT. The former also comes out as a cheap provider for Double play 
with fixed telephony. The least expensive Virgin Media offer systematically scores badly in all categories where 
this ISP is present. In the speed range above 100 Mbps, its price is even more than double the least expensive 
TalkTalk offer. 

FTTx,  that  represents  73.7%  and  25%  of  collected  offers  in  the  30-100  Mbps  and  above  100  Mbps  speed 
ranges320,  systematically  comes  out  as  cheapest  technology  for  all  categories  above  30  Mbps.  In  the  12-30 
Mbps range, the cheapest technology xDSL is also the only available. 

320 The technology for the other collected offers in both speed ranges is cable. 

208 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsTalkTalkSkyEEBT-EU28: 21.9323.0824.8125.1027.39-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsTalkTalkBTSkyEEVirgin MediaEU28: 25.8932.8532.8736.3637.9140.94100+ MbpsTalkTalkVirgin Media---EU28: 40.2123.3454.27---Double play with Tel12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsEETalkTalkSkyBT-EU28: 32.5330.0631.0833.3437.01-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsTalkTalkEEBTSkyVirgin MediaEU28: 35.3540.8542.3543.2344.8957.97100+ MbpsTalkTalkVirgin Media---EU28: 52.431.3470.64---Triple play12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsEEBTTalkTalkSky-EU28: 41.7735.0440.4744.5354.97-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsBTEETalkTalkVirgin MediaSkyEU28: 43.4543.1345.5555.9463.4766.52100+ MbpsTalkTalkVirgin Media---EU28: 56.3844.3693.57--- 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Table 57: The United Kingdom: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.28.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated. The average of the premiums for all ISPs are presented below as Member State premiums and are 
compared with the EU average321. 

Bundle premium322 

In the United Kingdom, the premium for adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or Double play with TV offer is 
comprised  between  7.8  and  12.2  EUR,  which  is  17%  cheaper  to  15%  more  expensive  than  the  EU  average 
premium. The situation is less uniform for the TV premium. Indeed, for speeds up to 100 Mbps the premium, 
which amounts to 9.1 – 10.9 EUR, is slightly lower than the EU average, while the TV premium for offers with 
speeds  above  100  Mbps  is  more  than  double  the  EU  average323.  The  British  premium  in  this  speed  range  is 
based on offers from only 2 ISPs, both of which have a premium that considerably surpasses the EU average. 

Finally, the cost for adding both services at once varies between 18.7 and 30.2 EUR; and for all speed ranges 
equals the sum of both individual premiums.  

Figure 124: The United Kingdom: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

321 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
322 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
323 i.e. 18 EUR compared to 7.5 EUR for the EU on average. 

209 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

United Kingdom12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV---Triple playxDSLFTTxFTTx051015202512-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumUnited_Kingdom0510152025Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)324 

Consumers in the United Kingdom pay between 9 and 10 EUR extra for a 30-100 Mbps offer compared to a 12-
30 Mbps offer. Depending on the offer type, this is between 60 and 128% more expensive than the EU average 
premium.  

Observations regarding the premium to move from a 30-100 Mbps broadband offer to an offer with a speed 
over 100 Mbps are very different: indeed, ranging between 1.6 and 9.3 EUR, this high-speed premium is 42 to 
91%  lower  than  in  the  EU  on  average.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  latter  effect  is  linked  to  the  trial  FTTP 
deployment of one of the ISPs mentioned above, which brings about lower offer prices in the speed range of 
more than 100 Mbps than in the 30-100 Mbps range (for this ISP).  

Figure 125: The United Kingdom: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

324 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

210 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

05101520StandaloneDouble playwith TelTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium UnitedKingdom05101520Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.28.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

BT 
(incumbent) 

EE 

Sky 

Talk Talk 

Virgin Media 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Cable 

Available offers on the British market 

Take-up of offers on the British market325  

325  Source:  Special  Eurobarometer  438  -  E-communications  Household  Survey  and  Electronic  communications  market  indicators  collected  by 
Commission services, through National Regulatory Authorities, for the Communications Committee (COCOM), July 2015 data. 

211 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersUKEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps0.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps0.0%7.9% 12-30 Mbps29.1%25.6% 30-100 Mbps62.7%36.1% 100+ Mbps8.2%17.7% xDSL29.1%21.2% Cable13.6%21.3% FTTx57.3%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer23.6%34.1% Double play with Tel47.3%27.3% Double play with TV0.0%13.1% Triple play29.1%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offerTake-up of broadband servicesUKEU28Below 2 Mbps0.0%1.5%At least 2 but below 10 Mbps7.7%23.0%At least 10 but below 30 Mbps56.0%45.5%At least 30 but below 100 Mbps29.0%19.2%At least 100 Mbps7.2%10.8%% of households having broadband access that have subscribed to a broadband offer bundled with at least one other service45.7%54.4%% of households having broadband access with Mobile telephony2.3%8.4%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony (with or without mobile telephony)17.6%19.5%% of households having broadband access with Television (with or without mobile telephony)5.9%9.8%% of households having broadband access with Fixed telephony and Television (with or without mobile telephony)19.9%16.7%    Per speed rangeFixed broadband in a bundle 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.29. Iceland 

3.29.1. Broadband price by speed326 and offer type 

For  Iceland,  no  take-up  data  per  speed  range  and/or  offer  type,  which  is  comparable  to  the  figures  for  the 
EU28 countries, is available. Statistics on the offers collected in the frame of the BIAC exercise suggest that the 
30-100 Mbps speed range is the range with most Icelandic offers, and that all four types of service offerings 
(Standalone,  Double  play  with  fixed  telephony,  Double  play  with  TV  and  Triple  play)  are  fairly  common. 
Compared to the EU average however, both types of Double play are relatively more often offered. 

Zooming  in  on  broadband  prices  in  Iceland,  it  can  be  seen  that  the  price  of  the  least  expensive  offers 
consistently is very expensive in comparison to the EU average. Prices for offers of more than 100 Mbps are 2 
to 2.5 times the EU average counterpart, and also the Standalone 4-8 Mbps price is more than double the EU 
average. In the speed categories in between, differences are a bit smaller, but are still around 30 to 70% higher 
than EU average prices. 

Figure 126: Iceland: broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)327 

326 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
327 Please note that only fixed services (i.e. Fixed broadband, fixed telephony and TV) are taken into account in the Triple play category, Triple play 
including fixed broadband, mobile telephony and mobile broadband are not considered. 

212 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIcelandEU28Standalone0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIcelandEU28Double play with Tel0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIcelandEU28Double play with TV0204060801001202-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleIcelandEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.29.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

In  both  speed  categories  for  which  the  time  evolution  can  be  analysed,  i.e.  2-12  Mbps  and  30-100  Mbps, 
current  Icelandic  prices  are  higher  than  what  they  were  in  2012.  Standalone  prices  have  increased  by 
respectively  61%  and  29%,  while  for  bundled  offers  the  increase  ranges  from  10328  to  35329%.  Between 
February and autumn 2015, the evolution of Standalone and Double play with fixed telephony prices appears 
to  have  slowed  down  (differences  of  maximum  5%),  but  for  Double  play  including  TV  and  Triple  play  the 
increase  continued.  Indeed,  prices  have  grown  by  between  10  and  30%,  and  the  highest  values  are 
encountered in the 2-12 Mbps speed range. 

Figure 127: Iceland: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)330 

328 Applies to Triple play 30-100 Mbps 
329 Applies to Double play with TV 30-100 Mbps 
330 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

213 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV01020304050607080201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.29.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The least expensive offers of the two main ISPs covering at least 80% of the fixed broadband market in Iceland 
compare as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

Table 58: Iceland: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

As Siminn only provides offers in the 8-12 and 30-100 Mbps speed ranges, competition between the two main 
ISPs is limited to these categories. In the lowest of both speed ranges, Siminn appears to offer the best deal331, 
whereas in the 30-100 Mbps range, Vodafone in 3 of the 4 categories offers a least expensive offer that is 8 to 

331 Except for Triple play, as it does not provide suchlike offers in the 8-12 Mbps range. 

214 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsVodafone-EU28: 22.7450.79-8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSiminnVodafoneEU28: 23.0939.9444.4030+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafoneSiminnEU28: 25.8938.8942.09100+ MbpsVodafone-EU28: 40.2186.82-Double play with Tel8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSiminnVodafoneEU28: 38.1749.1062.1830+ Mbps - 100 MbpsSiminnVodafoneEU28: 35.3551.7151.90100+ MbpsVodafone-EU28: 52.4103.06-Double play with TV8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsSiminnVodafoneEU28: 37.6854.7758.3730+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafoneSiminnEU28: 31.5452.9357.92100+ MbpsVodafone-EU28: 42.81104.10-Triple play8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsVodafone-EU28: 47.376.23-30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsVodafoneSiminnEU28: 43.4565.9483.84100+ MbpsVodafone-EU28: 56.38117.11- 
 
 
 
                                                 
21% cheaper than the Siminn least expensive offer. Only for Double play with fixed telephony does Siminn rank 
first, but the difference with Vodafone is less than 1%. 

Least expensive offers  in Iceland of maximum  12 Mbps in all cases  are xDSL offers, and  in the speed ranges 
above  30  Mbps,  FTTx  always  comes  out  as  cheapest  technology.  Both  technologies  however  are  the  only 
available technologies in these respective speed ranges. 

Table 59: Iceland: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.29.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated.  The  average  of  the  premiums  for  all  ISPs  are  presented  below  as  country  premiums  and  are 
compared with the EU average332. 

Bundle premium333 

In Iceland, adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or a Double play with TV  offer on average costs between 
13.5 and 14.4EUR, depending on the  speed range. This is 38 to 74% more expensive than what needs to be 
paid extra for telephony in the EU on average. For adding TV services, consumers pay on average 14.4 to 19 
EUR extra, which again is considerably more than the EU average. For speeds above 100 Mbps, the premium in 
Iceland is even more than double the EU average premium.  Finally, the cost for adding both services at once 
follows this trend and is 53 to 99% more expensive than the EU average combined premium. 

Figure 128: Iceland: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

332 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
333 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

215 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Iceland4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLxDSL-FTTxFTTxDouble play with Tel-xDSL-FTTxFTTxDouble play with TV-xDSL-FTTxFTTxTriple play-xDSL-FTTxFTTx051015202530352-12Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumIceland05101520253035Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
High-speed premium (NGA premium)334 

As  the  main  ISPs  of  Iceland  do  not  offer  subscriptions  in  the  12-30 Mbps  speed  range,  only  the  premium  to 
move from a 30-100 Mbps broadband offer to an offer with a speed over 100 Mbps can be calculated. At 47.9 
to  51.2  EUR,  this  premium  is  exceptionally  high,  i.e.  around  2.5  to  3.5  times  the  EU  average  high-speed 
premium. As only one of the two ISPs offers speeds of more than 100 Mbps, the values do not represent an 
average over different market actors.  

Figure 129: Iceland: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

334 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

216 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0102030405060StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Iceland0102030405060Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.29.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Siminn 
(incumbent) 

Vodafone 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Available offers on the market in Iceland 

217 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersIcelandEU28 2 Mbps or lower0.0%3.8% 2-4 Mbps0.0%2.5% 4-8 Mbps0.7%6.4% 8-12 Mbps38.1%7.9% 12-30 Mbps0.0%25.6% 30-100 Mbps58.5%36.1% 100+ Mbps2.7%17.7% xDSL38.8%21.2% Cable0.0%21.3% FTTx61.2%45.2% Other0.0%12.3% Standalone offer24.5%34.1% Double play with Tel34.7%27.3% Double play with TV23.8%13.1% Triple play17.0%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offer 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
3.30. Norway 

3.30.1. Broadband price by speed335 and offer type 

For  Norway,  no  take-up  data  per  speed  range  and/or  offer  type,  which  is  comparable  to  the  figures  for  the 
EU28 countries, is available. Statistics on the offers collected in the frame of the BIAC exercise suggest that the 
30-100 Mbps speed range is the range with most Norwegian offers, and that Standalone broadband services 
are offered more frequently than in the EU on average, while Triple play offers appear less frequently. 

When  comparing  Norwegian  least  expensive  broadband  prices  with  the  EU  averages  of  least  expensive 
prices, it appears that in none of the speed-offer type combinations, Norwegian prices are lower than the 
EU average. For Standalone offers of above 100 Mbps, both values are the same, but in all other cases, 
the prices in Norway are higher. For speeds above 12 Mbps, the difference in all cases is substantial, i.e. 
between 32336 and 107337%, while for lower speeds some more diverse results are obtained. For instance, 
the price of Double play including fixed telephony in the 8-12 Mbps range is only 5% higher than the EU 
average, while the Standalone price in the same speed range is no less than 49% higher. 

Figure 130: Norway: broadband price per speed and offer type (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data)338 

335 Speed refers to the (maximum) download speed of the offer as advertised on the ISPs’ websites. 
336 Applies to Triple play 12-30 Mbps 
337 Applies to Double play with TV of more than 100 Mbps 
338 Please note that only fixed services (i.e. Fixed broadband, fixed telephony and TV) are taken into account in the Triple play category, Triple play 
including fixed broadband, mobile telephony and mobile broadband are not considered. 

218 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

0204060801002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNorwayEU28Standalone0204060801002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNorwayEU28Double play with Tel0204060801002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNorwayEU28Double play with TV0204060801002-4Mbps4-8Mbps8-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+ MbpsChart TitleNorwayEU28Triple play  
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.30.2. Recent evolutions in broadband prices 

In autumn 2015, Norwegian prices for Double play with TV and Triple play are considerably lower than in 2012. 
Indeed, depending on the speed range, prices are now around 10 to 30% lower, despite some increases in the 
first  years.  In  the  Standalone  segment,  prices  have  also  dropped,  except  in  the  12-30  Mbps  range,  in  which 
prices have remained stable throughout the entire period. Finally, Double play with fixed telephony prices have 
increased for speeds up until 30 Mbps, mostly due to a large increase between 2012 and 2013. In the 12-30 
Mbps range, the overall increase between 2012 and autumn 2015 is no less than 42%. 

Since the last data collection period, Norwegian prices in the Triple play segment of more than 100 Mbps have 
increased by 13%, while in all other cases prices have gone down. The drop is most outspoken in the Double 
play  with  TV  category,  i.e.  decreases  there  amount  to  between  18  to  27%.  All  least  expensive  offers  in  this 
category come from the same ISP, who systematically lowered its prices. 

Figure 131: Norway: Recent evolutions in broadband prices (least expensive offer in EUR/PPP,  
February 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and October 2015 data)339 

339 The evolution in the prices of offers above 100 Mbps is only presented for offer type(s) for which at least 2 offers are available during at least 2 
successive years, including 2015. 

219 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

020406080100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsStandalone020406080100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with Tel020406080100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '152-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsDouble play with TV020406080100201220132014Feb. '15Oct. '15Chart Title2-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsTriple play 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
3.30.3. Internet Service Providers competition 

The  least  expensive  offers  of  the  eight  main  ISPs  covering  at  least  80%  of  the  fixed  broadband  market  in 
Norway compare as follows for all speed baskets and types of service offerings: 

220 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Standalone2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsEidsiva MarkedNTE Bredband------EU28: 24.5133.4749.05------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsBroadnetNextGenTelTelenor NorwayEidsiva Marked----EU28: 22.7424.1530.7434.5137.46----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsNextGenTelTelenor Norway------EU28: 23.0934.4135.97------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsBroadnetNextGenTelEidsiva MarkedTelenor NorwayGet---EU28: 21.9331.7931.8137.4639.6463.51---30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsEidsiva MarkedBroadnetViken FibernettNTE BredbandLyse FiberTelenor NorwayNextGenTelGetEU28: 25.8935.8736.1339.2940.9741.2943.3045.0579.49100+ MbpsBroadnetViken FibernettLyse FiberEidsiva Marked----EU28: 40.2140.1351.8454.9579.80----Double play with Tel2+ Mbps - 4 MbpsEidsiva Marked-------EU28: 34.8144.40-------4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsNextGenTelTelenor NorwayEidsiva Marked-----EU28: 32.536.2444.7548.40-----8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsNextGenTelTelenor Norway------EU28: 38.1739.9146.21------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsNextGenTelEidsiva MarkedTelenor Norway-----EU28: 32.5343.2348.4049.87-----30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsEidsiva MarkedNextGenTelTelenor Norway-----EU28: 35.3546.8050.5553.53-----100+ MbpsEidsiva Marked-------EU28: 52.490.74-------Double play with TV4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsNextGenTel-------EU28: 29.2942.56-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsNextGenTel-------EU28: 37.6846.23-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsNextGenTelGet------EU28: 30.1943.6464.62------30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsNextGenTelNTE BredbandGet-----EU28: 31.5456.8772.0972.61-----100+ MbpsGet-------EU28: 42.8188.58------- 
 
 
 
Table 60: Norway: Least expensive offers per ISP (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

NextGenTel is among the top two rankers in terms of least expensive offer price for all four offer types and for 
different  speed  ranges.  The  only  exception  is  the  Standalone  30-100  Mbps  segment,  in  which  it  surprisingly 
ranks 7th out of 8 ISPs, with an offer that is 26% more expensive than that of the ISP that ranks first. This first 
ranker is Eidsiva  Marked, who apparently offers a very good deal for Standalone and  Double play with fixed 
telephony  in  the  30-100  Mbps  range,  but  cannot  match  this  in  other  speed  ranges.  Broadnet  only  provides 
Standalone offers, but in nearly all speed ranges where it is present, ranks first. Finally, Get offers a very good 
deal for Triple play of more than 100 Mbps, but has (much) less competitive prices in the other categories. 

xDSL  is  responsible  for  82%  of  offers  of  12  Mbps  and  lower,  so  is  not  surprisingly  the  least  expensive 
technology in nearly all categories up until this speed. Above 12 Mbps, FTTx becomes the predominant least 
expensive technology, but for offers of more than 100 Mbps, it is passed by Cable in the Double play with TV 
and Triple play segment. It should be noted that Cable represents only 19% of collected offers of more than 
100 Mbps.  

Table 61: Norway: Technology of the least expensive offer (October 2015 data) 

3.30.4. Price breakdown 

By comparing the least expensive offers of a single ISP for different types of products (within the same speed 
basket)  and  for  different  speeds  (for  the  same  product),  the  Bundle  premiums  and  NGA  premiums  can  be 
calculated.  The  average  of  the  premiums  for  all  ISPs  are  presented  below  as  country  premiums  and  are 
compared with the EU average340. 

Bundle premium341 

Adding fixed telephony to a Standalone or to a Double play with TV offer in Norway costs on average between 
9.1 and 10.2 EUR, which is fairly close to the EU average342. For adding TV services, consumers pay 6.5 EUR on 
average  in  the  12-30  Mbps  speed  range,  which  is  44%  less  than  the  EU  average,  but  around  12  EUR  in  the 
speed ranges just below and above (+/- 10% more expensive than the EU average TV premium for these speed 
ranges).  This  difference  is  linked  to  the  difference  in  ISPs  present  in  the  average.  One  ISP  that  charges  a 

340 This is calculated as the average of the Member State premiums. 
341 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 
342 I..e. between 14% cheaper (for offers of more than 100 Mbps) and 15% more expensive (for offers in the 30-100 Mbps speed range) 

221 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Triple play4+ Mbps - 8 MbpsNextGenTel-------EU28: 39.5848.06-------8+ Mbps - 12 MbpsNextGenTel-------EU28: 47.351.74-------12+ Mbps - 30 MbpsNextGenTelGet------EU28: 41.7755.0571.87------30+ Mbps - 100 MbpsNextGenTelGetViken FibernettNTE BredbandLyse Fiber---EU28: 43.4562.3779.8688.4989.0690.49---100+ MbpsGetViken FibernettLyse Fiber-----EU28: 56.3895.83101.04104.15-----Norway2+ Mbps to4 Mbps4+ Mbps to 8 Mbps8+ Mbps to 12 Mbps12+ Mbps to 30 Mbps30+ Mbps to 100 Mbps100+ MbpsStandalonexDSLFTTxxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxDouble play with TelxDSLxDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxFTTxDouble play with TV-xDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxCableTriple play-xDSLxDSLFTTxFTTxCable 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
particularly low premium, is not present in the 8-12 Mbps range, and is counterbalanced by results from an ISP 
with very high premiums in the 30-100 Mbps range. 

Finally, the cost for adding both services at once in Norway is lower than the EU average cost in the 2-12 and 
12-30 Mbps speed ranges (i.e.  15.8 to 17.3 EUR, which is around 20% cheaper than the EU average). However, 
once  the  30  Mbps  cap  is  passed,  the  combined  telephony  and  TV  premium  greatly  increases:  32.8  EUR  for 
offers between 30 and 100 Mbps and 49.2 EUR for offers of more than 100 Mbps. The latter value, which is the 
average of 2 equally high ISP premiums, is more than 3 times the EU average premium for that speed range. 

High-speed premium (NGA premium)343 

Figure 132: Norway: Bundle premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

The Norwegian average premium for moving from a 12-30 Mbps to a 30-100 Mbps offer varies considerably: 
while  for  Standalone  services,  the  value  of  7.1  EUR  is  close  to  the  EU  average  (+10%),  the  premium  in  the 
Double  play  with  fixed  telephony  segment  is  very  low  at  3.1  EUR  (around  half  of  the  EU  average)  and  the 
premium in the other two bundled segments is 70 to 90% higher than the EU average. 

The premium for moving from a 30-100 Mbps offer to an offer of more than 100 Mbps does not follow the 
same pattern. On the contrary, it is highest in the Double play with fixed telephony category (at 43.9 EUR, it is 
more than double the EU average), and close to the EU average in the other categories. For Triple play, it is 
even 22% lower than the EU average premium (14.1 compared to 18 EUR). 

343 Calculations based on the comparison of the least expensive offers per ISP 

222 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

010203040502-12Mbps12-30Mbps30-100Mbps100+MbpsChart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumNorway01020304050Chart TitleTelTVTel+TVBundle premiumEU28 
 
 
 
                                                 
Figure 133: Norway: NGA premium (in EUR/PPP, October 2015 data) 

223 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

01020304050StandaloneDouble playwith TelDouble playwith TVTriple playChart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsVeryhigh-speed premiumHigh-speed premium Norway01020304050Chart TitleFrom 12-30 Mbps to 30-100 MbpsFrom 30-100 Mbps to +100 MbpsHigh-speed premium EU28 
 
 
 
 
3.30.5. Background information 

List of ISPs considered in the BIAC sample 

ISPs in BIAC October 2015 sample 

Telenor 
(incumbent) 

Broadnet 

xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

Eidsiva Marked 

xDSL, FTTx and Cable 

Get 

Lyse Fiber 

NextGenTel 

NTE Bredband 

Cable 

FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 

FTTx and Plug and Play 

Viken Fibernett 

FTTx 

Available offers on the Norwegian market   

224 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

Breakdown of available offersNorwayEU28 2 Mbps or lower1.4%3.8% 2-4 Mbps2.1%2.5% 4-8 Mbps7.0%6.4% 8-12 Mbps4.9%7.9% 12-30 Mbps23.8%25.6% 30-100 Mbps46.2%36.1% 100+ Mbps14.7%17.7% xDSL17.5%21.2% Cable18.2%21.3% FTTx62.2%45.2% Other2.1%12.3% Standalone offer45.5%34.1% Double play with Tel23.8%27.3% Double play with TV16.8%13.1% Triple play14.0%25.5%    Per speed basket    Per technology    Per type of offer 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
0.  Annexes  

Annex 1: Methodology 

0.1.1. Scope of the BIAC study 

List of countries 

The study examines the retail price of fixed broadband offers in the forty following countries or States: 

- 

The 28 EU Member States; 

-  Other  European  countries:  the  Former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia,  Lichtenstein,  Norway, 

Switzerland and Turkey; 

-  Non-European  countries:  Canada,  Iceland,  Japan,  South  Korea,  USA.  For  the  USA,  three  different 
States have been selected based on their population density: New York, California and Colorado. 

Selection of ISPs 

For each country in the scope of the study, the ‘top fixed broadband ISPs’ are selected based on the number 
of subscribers (i.e. markets  share). For  European countries (EU28 and  non-EU), the  aim is to cover a market 
share of over 90%. For non-European countries, a market share of over 80% should be reached.  

In countries where the broadband market is very fragmented and the number of broadband providers needed 
to cover 80% or 90% of the market is very high, a representative sample of eight market players is selected, 
based on market shares and including at random a number of smaller providers.   

When  the  market  share  of  an  operator  also  includes  the  market  share  of  some  branches  (i.e.  generally 
(discount) sub-branding) held by that ISP, the offers of those subsidiaries are generally not taken into account, 
unless however their individual market share is considered as significant (i.e. at least 5% of the total number of 
fixed broadband subscription in the country) and there is a clear link between the website of the main brand 
and the sub-brand.  

A list of the ISPs which are part of the sample for this study is provided in Annex 2.  

Selection of offers 

The BIAC study aims at analysing fixed broadband internet access, intended for  all residential subscribers344. 
‘Broadband Internet Access’ is defined as an access assuring an always-on service with speeds in excess of 144 
kbps (cf. DAE-scoreboard 2014345). 

The study considers both ‘Internet only’ (or ‘Standalone’) offers and fixed broadband internet that is part of a 
bundle346. Regarding the bundled offers, a distinction is made between the three following types of bundles 
including fixed broadband combined with other fixed services: 

-  Double play including fixed telephony:  fixed broadband in a bundle with fixed telephony; 

-  Double play including TV: fixed broadband in a bundle with TV services; 

344 Note that offers targeting certain categories of consumers such as students or retired persons are out of the scope. 
345 http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/news/scoreboard-2014-trends-european-broadband-markets-2014. 
346 In the 12th Implementation report of the European Commission, a bundle is defined as “a product where operators offer a variety of services 
for  a  single  overall  price,  provided  through  different  platforms  for  the  benefit  of  consumers”.  Are  therefore  considered  as  bundle  offers, 
predefined  packages  combining  different  services  at  a  single  price.  Multiple  single  services  will  only  be  considered  as  a  bundle  in  case  a  price 
discount is offered for the purchase of multiple single services from the same provider, as these can be assimilated to bundled offers. 

225 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
                                                 
- 

Triple play: fixed broadband in a bundle with fixed telephony and TV services. 

To  ensure  the  completeness  of  the  data  set,  bundles  including  mobile  telephony  and/or  mobile  broadband 
have also been collected. However, in the frame of the present study, mobile services are only considered to 
be  complementary  to  fixed  services,  and  not  a  substitute.  This  implies  that  mobile  broadband  internet  will 
never  be  considered  as  a  standalone  product  and  that  no  specific  analysis  will  be  performed  for  bundles 
including mobile services. 

Whenever an ISP only offers bundled offers, it is considered that a customer willing to purchase a standalone 
Internet  Access  offer  would  purchase  the  least  expensive  bundled  offer  in  the  targeted  speed  category, 
without additional consumption for services other than Internet Access (i.e. no additional charges for calls or 
for  equipment  such  as  decoder)347.  Similarly,  when  mobile  services  are  automatically  included  (i.e.  as  free 
options) within packages with fixed services (meaning that ISPs are not (or no longer) offering packages that 
only  include  fixed  services),  these  packages  are  also  considered  for  the  analysis  as  fixed  bundles  (without 
charging any additional costs for mobile telephony and/or mobile broadband consumption)348. 

Broadband technologies included 

The  study  aims  at  being  technology  neutral.  Therefore,  we  consider  all  of  the  following  fixed  broadband 
technologies: 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

‘xDSL’  stands  for  Digital  Subscriber  Line  and  represents  a  family  of  technologies  that  provide  digital 
data transmission over the wires of a copper telephone network (e.g. ADSL, ADSL2+, SHDSL, …). xDSL 
technologies allow for a download speed of up to 24 Mbps (ADSL2+) and an upload speed of up to 1 
Mbps for asymmetrical DSL, and somewhat higher for symmetric offers (SHDSL). The more performant 
successors  of  DSL  enabling  a  download  speed  of  more  than  24  Mbps,  i.e.  VDSL  and  VDSL2 
technologies, are classified under FTTx. 

‘FTTx’ groups Fibre to the Home (FTTH), Fibre to the Building (FTTB), Fibre to the Cabinet/Curb (FTTC), 
…  and  is  defined  as  a  telecommunications  architecture  in  which  data  transmission  is  provided  over 
optical  fibre  cables  extending  from  the  telecommunications  operator’s  switching  equipment  to  (at 
least) the boundary of the home living space or business office space, cabinet, etc. In the case of FTTC, 
VDSL  or  VDSL2  is  often  used  for  the  remaining  distance  between  the  cabinet  and  the  home.  FTTx 
offers  are  characterised  by  much  higher  up  and  download  speeds,  and  in  a  number  of  cases, 
symmetrical speeds.  

 ‘Cable’ internet works by using TV channel space for data transmission, with certain channels used for 
downstream  transmission,  and  other  channels  for  upstream  transmission.  The  development  of  new 
technologies has permitted cable internet to attain speeds comparable to FTTx, in particular thanks to 
the use of Docsis 3.0 decoders.  

 ‘Ethernet’  internet  uses  area  network  techniques  which  provide  internet  access  in  a  limited 
geographical  area  such  as  LAN  (local  area  network),  MAN  (metropolitan  area  network,  also  called 
Metro internet), WAN (wide area network), etc.  

‘Satellite Internet’ uses a satellite in geostationary orbit to relay data from the ISP to its customers. 

347 Note that these offers are identified in the database by the mention “name of the offer – Proxy for standalone offer”. 
348 These offers are identified in the database with the following mentions according to the specific situation: “Name of the offer- Free mobile 
internet  option  available”  (i.e.  the  mobile  internet  option  is  offered  for  free  and  users  cannot  refuse  it),  “Name  of  the  offer  –  Mobile  internet 
option available” (i.e. the mobile internet is offered in a package and users cannot refuse it) or “Name of the offer  -  Mobile telephony option 
available” (i.e. the mobile telephony is offered in a package and users cannot refuse it) 

226 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
                                                 
-  Fixed  ‘Plug  &  Play’  can  be  used  with  technologies  such  as  ‘fixed  WiMAX’  or  ‘mobile  broadband  at 
home’  (via  3G,  4G  or  LTE)349.  With  the  exception  of  ‘WiMAX  at  home’  these  technologies  are 
characterised  by  the  fact  that  the  broadband  Internet  access  is  not  limited  to  a  specific  location,  as 
opposed to where the Internet access is provided through a telephone line, cable or fibre.  The name 
of the category ‘Plug & Play’ refers to the ability for a user to plug in the device (modem) and run it.   

A detailed overview of the different technologies offered by each ISPs can be found below in Annex 2. 

0.1.2. Definition of the Broadband Internet Access Cost (BIAC) 

The  Broadband  Internet  Access  Cost  (or  BIAC)  is  the  key  indicator  allowing  for  the  identification  and  the 
comparison of the  least  expensive offers per country, ISP, basket  and offer type. Calculated on a 36 months 
basis350, the BIAC is defined as the total average monthly cost a consumer has to pay for a specific offer and is 
composed of the following charge elements: 

-  One off charges: these charges relate to the initial charges borne by a new consumer such as the cost 
for  activating  and  installing  the  service,  the  equipment  costs  (i.e.  modem  or  router  and  TV  decoder 
when required) and other initial charges (e.g. sending cost or administration cost). In order to reflect 
the monthly impact of these costs, one off charges are equally distributed over the 36 months period. 

-  Monthly  recurring  charges:  these  charges  are  the  monthly  subscription  fee  as  advertised  on  the 
operator’s  websites,  excluding  any  temporary  discounts  and  recurring  extra  charges  (see  below). 
When  required,  the  monthly  cost  for  the  line  rental  or  the  cable  TV  subscription  is  added  to  the 
monthly  subscription  fee.  In  case  the  equipment  is  not  directly  purchased  by  the  customer  but  is 
rented from the ISP, the monthly cost for the equipment is considered. 

-  Overage  charges:  when  the  allowance  of  the  offer  is  not  sufficient  to  fulfill  the  predefined  minimal 
level  of  consumption  (see  Table  62),  costs  are  taken  into  account  per  additional  GB  downloaded 
and/or per additional call minute until the required level is attained. 

-  Discounts: as most of the operators apply temporary but successive discounts on different recurring 
and  non-recurring  charges,  it  is  clear  that  discounts  are  part  of  the  pricing  scheme  of  the  operators 
and should therefore be considered in the estimation of the total monthly cost paid by customers. For 
this reason, commercial discounts available to all consumers are taken into account351. Discounts on 
non-recurring  charges  are  directly  deducted  from  the  total  one  off  charges,  while  discounts  on 
recurring charges are taken into account by calculating an average monthly subscription fee based on 
the discounted rate for the period the discount applies and on the normal rate for the rest of the 36 
months.  

-  Recurring  extra  charges:  in  some  countries,  recurring  extra  charges  for  the  provision  of  universal 
service,  internet  access  fees,  author  rights  (TV),  etc.  apply  to  all  consumers.  As  the  objective  of  the 
study  is  to  reflect  as  closely  as  possible  what  a  consumer  is  actually  paying,  these  recurring  extra 
charges are also taken into account on a monthly basis.  

349 These technologies are considered as fixed broadband since they require the use of a fixed support (i.e. an antenna in the case of fixed Wimax 
and a router which should be plugged in in a power socket in the case of mobile broadband at home) and can therefore not be used on the way. 
350 36 months is assumed to be the average subscription duration to a broadband offer. 
351  ‘Online  discounts’  which  are  only  available  for  consumer  ordering  online,  or  targeted  promotion  for  certain  categories  of  customers  (e.g. 
students) are thus not considered. 

227 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
                                                 
Finally,  the  BIAC  is  calculated  for  each  offer  in  the  sample  on  the  basis  of  these  different  costing  elements 
which are directly collected from the operator’s websites in EUR or other local currency and then converted in 
EUR/PPP352. The results are presented VAT included. 353 

A table presenting the financial parameters applied for each country can be found in Annex 3. 

0.1.3. Analysis of the Broadband Internet Access Cost  

Basket approach 

In  order  to  make  the  analysis  as  relevant  as  possible,  a  ‘basket  approach’  is  applied  to  compare  broadband 
offers.  In  the  BIAC  study,  baskets  are  first  of  all  based  on  the  advertised  download  speed  of  the  fixed 
broadband  offer,  allowing  to  distinguish  between  8  profiles  of  users.  Minimal  monthly  usage  levels  for  the 
different types of services are then defined according to the basket/user’s profile. Table 62 below presents, for 
each basket, the minimal monthly usage which should be reached for the fixed broadband, the fixed telephony 
and TV services.  

Fixed broadband 

Fixed telephony 

Advertised Download 
speed 

Data 
volume 
(GB)354 

Daytime minutes 
towards fixed 
networks 

Daytime minutes 
towards  mobile 
networks 

Average 
connection 
time (min) 

TV 

Type of 
package 

Basket 1 

144+kbps-1Mbps 

Basket 2 

1+Mbps - 2Mbps 

Basket 3 

2+Mbps- 4Mbps 

Basket 4 

4+Mbps - 8Mbps 

Basket 5 

8+Mbps - 12Mbps 

Basket 6 

12+Mbps - 30Mbps 

Basket 7 

30+Mbps - 100Mbps 

Basket 8 

100+Mbps 

1 

2 

5 

5 

10 

10 

30 

30 

70 

30 

5 

Basic TV 
package 

Table 62: Minimal monthly usage level per basket for each of the fixed service included in the BIAC study 

Minimal monthly usage levels are also defined for mobile services and are similar for all baskets:  

-  Mobile telephony: 30 daytime minutes towards fixed networks, 70 daytime minutes towards mobile 

networks and average connection time of 5 minutes; 

-  Mobile broadband: 1GB of data volume or 10 hours of connection 

Each  offer  in  the  sample  (i.e.  Standalone  or  bundled  offer)  is  firstly  assigned  to  a  basket  based  on  the 
advertised download speed. Then, depending on the different types of services included in the offer (i.e. fixed 
broadband,  fixed telephony, TV, mobile  telephony and/or mobile broadband), it is checked, for  each service 
included, that the allowance included in the offer is sufficient to fulfill the minimal monthly usage defined for 

352  Note  that  in  addition  to  these  pricing  elements,  other  technical  parameters  are  also  collected  for  each  offer,  enabling  further  –  more 
qualitative- comparison of the offers. A list of these parameters is presented in Annex 4.  
353  Offers  for  which  the  calculated  BIAC  is  higher  than  150  EUR/PPP  are  excluded  from  the  following  analyses  since  it  is  likely  that  a  rational 
customer would never pay this amount and would find a cheaper offer corresponding to its needs (eventually with an higher download speed). 
354In some rare cases (i.e. 8 offers in 2015 in Italy, Lithuania and Turkey), the offers are not volume metered but time metered (i.e. a number of 
hours of connection are included in the offer and additional consumption is invoiced per additional hour of connection). In this case, the minimal 
monthly usage for all baskets is 20 hours during daytime. 

228 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
this  basket355.  If  this  is  not  the  case  for  one  or  several  services,  additional  GB  and/or  minutes  are  added  to 
reach the required level. This allows for calculating the overage charges presented in section 0.1.2 

Identification of least expensive offers 

Once the BIAC is calculated for every offer in the sample, the least expensive offers per basket and per offer 
type (i.e. 32 offers356) can be identified for each operator and then for each country. The BIAC of these least 
expensive offers (called ‘price’ in the report) is then used as the key indicator for all the analyses presented in 
this report at EU, country and ISP level.  

355 For example, minimal usage level will only be checked for fixed broadband in the case of Standalone offers while minimal usage levels for fixed 
broadband, fixed telephony and TV will be checked in the case of Triple play offers.  
356 I.e. 8 speed baskets multiplied by 4 offer types (Standalone, Double play including telephony, Double play including TV and Triple play. 

229 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
Annex 2: List of ISPs included in the study sample  

Country 

ISP 

Status  

Technologies 

Austria 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Canada 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

Czech Republic 

A1 Telekom Austria 
Kabelplus 
LIWEST 
Salzburg AG 
Tele2 Austria 
UPC Austria 

Proximus 
Telenet 
Voo 

Vivacom 
Blizoo 
Bulsatcom 
Escom 
Mobiltel 
Net 1 
Networx 
Skat TV 

Bell Canada 
Shaw Communications 
Videotron 
Rogers Communications 
Telus 

T-Hrvatski Telekom 
Iskon 
OT Optima Telekom 
Vipnet 

Cytanet 
Cablenet 
Primetel 

Telefónica O2 
Internethome* 
Poda* 
RIO media 
Smart Comp* 
Starnet* 
T-mobile 
UPC Ceská republika 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
Incumbent 
Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New entrant 
New entrant 
New entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable and Plug & Play 
Cable 
Cable 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, FTTx and xDSL 

FTTx 
Cable 
Cable 

xDSL, FTTx, Satellite and Plug & Play 
Cable 
FTTx 
Ethernet and FTTx 
FTTx 
Ethernet 
Ethernet  
Ethernet and Cable 

FTTx 
Cable 
Cable 
Cable 
xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL  and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 
FTTx and xDSL 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
FTTx and Plug & Play 
Cable,FTTx and Plug & Play 
Ethernet 
FTTx 
xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
Cable 

230 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country 

ISP 

Status  

Technologies 

Denmark 

Estonia 

Finland 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

TDC 
Bredbånd Nord 
Dansk Kabel TV* 
Energi-Midt 
Fibia  
Stofa 
Telenor Denmark 
Telia Denmark* 

Telekom (Elion) 
Fill  
Starman 
STV 

DNA group 
Elisa (via Saunalahti) 
Finnet group (Anvia, SSP, 
Tampereen Puhelin) 

Sonera 

Orange France 
Bouygues Télécom 
Free 
SFR (including Numericable) 

Deutsche Telekom 
Telefonica Germany (O2) 
United Internet 
Unitymedia 
Vodafone / Kabel Deutschland 

OTE 
CYTA 
Forthnet 
Hellas On Line (HOL) 
Wind 

Magyar Telekom (T-Home) 
Invitel 
UPC Hungary 
Digi Kabel 
PR-Telecom 
Tarr 
Vidanet 

Iceland 

Siminn 
Vodafone 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Intrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
Incumbent 

Incumbent 

Incumbent 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 

FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 
FTTx 
FTTx 
Cable and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Cable, FTTx, xDSL and Ethernet 
xDSL and FTTx 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL, FTTX and Satellite 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL, FTTx and Satellite 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
Cable and xDSL 
Cable and FTTx 
Cable  
Cable 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 

231 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country 

ISP 

Ireland 

Italy 

Japan 

Korea 

Latvia 

Eir 
Sky 
Virgin Media 
Vodafone at home 

Telecom Italia 
Fastweb 
Vodafone (Tele Tu) 
Wind (Infostrada) 

NTT East 
NTT West 
Jupiter Telecommunications 
Yahoo Japan 

Korea Telecom (Olleh) 
LG U+ 
SK broadband 

Lattelecom 
Baltcom TV357 
Balticom 
Dautkom TV 
Edan 
Elektrons & K* 
Livas KTV 
Media Centrs “Kurzeme” 

Status  

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant  
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Technologies 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 
FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 
xDSL and FTTx 

FTTx 
FTTx 
FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
FTTx 
FTTx and Plug & Play 
Cable and FTTx 
FTTx 
Cable and FTTx 
Cable 
FTTx, Cable and Plug & Play 

Liechtenstein 

Telecom Liechtenstein 

Incumbent 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Lithuania 

Teo LT 
Balticum TV 
Cgates 
Init 
Kauno interneto sistemos 
Lietuvos radijo ir televizijos centras 
(mezon) 
Penkiu kontinentu komunikacijos 
centras (Skynet) 
Splius 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

New Entrant 

New Entrant 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, FTTx and Plug & Play 
FTTx and Plug & Play 
Cable and FTTx 
FTTx 

Plug & Play 

FTTx 

New Entrant 

Cable, FTTx and Plug & Play 

Luxembourg 

Post Lux (EPT) 
Luxembourg Online 
Numericable 
Orange 
Tango 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 

357 Izzi has been acquired in September 2013 by Baltcom TV, the leading cable provider in Latvia. Despite the merger, the two ISPs continue to run 
as separate legal entities and existing consumers continue to receive their existing services with prices and conditions remaining the same. The 
new customers will however benefit from the same range of offers. 

232 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Country 

ISP 

Status  

Technologies 

The former Yugoslav 
Republic of 
Macedonia 

Makedonski Telekom (MT) 
Blizoo 
Inel Internacional 
Kabel Net 
Neotel 
ONE 
Robi (Telekabel) 

Malta 

GO 
Melita 

The Netherlands 

Norway 

Poland 

KPN 
BBNED / Tele 2 
Ziggo 

Telenor Norway 
Broadnet 
Eidsiva Bredband 
Get 
Lyse Fiber 
NextGen Tel 
NTE Bredband 
Viken Fibernett 

Orange (TP and PTK) 
Inea 
MNI Centrum Uslug S.A. 
Multimedia Polska 
Group Netia (Netia, Internetia and 
Telefonia Dialog) 
Toya 
UPC Polska 
Vectra 

Portugal 

MEO (PT Comunicações) 
NOS* 
Vodafone Portugal 

Romania 

Telekom Romania 
Communications (Romtelecom) 
Digital Cable Systems (Akta) 
Nextgen Communications 
RCS & RDS 
UPC Romania 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant  
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
Incumbent 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

New Entrant 

New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 

New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 
Cable 
Cable and FTTx 
Plug & Play 
xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
Cable 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL, FTTx and Cable 
Cable 
FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
FTTx and Plug & Play 
FTTx 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
xDSL 
Cable 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 

Cable 
Cable 
Cable 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable and Plug & Play 
xDSL, FTTx and Plug and Play 

xDSL and FTTx 

Cable 
FTTx 
FTTx  
Cable 

Slovakia 

Slovak Telekom (T-COM) 
Antik Telekom 
DSI Data 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

xDSL and FTTX 
FTTx and Plug & Play 
xDSL, FTTx, Ethernet and Plug & Play 

233 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country 

ISP 

Status  

Technologies 

Orange Slovensko 
Slovanet 
SWAN 
UPC Slovakia 

Telekom Slovenije 
Amis 
Teleing 
Telemach 
T-2 

Telefonica Spain (Movistar) 
Jazztel 
Orange Spain 
Vodafone Spain (including ONO) 

TeliaSonera 
All Tele  
Bahnhof  
Bredband 2 
Comhem 
Telenor Sverige 
(Bredbandsbolaget/Glocalnet) 
Tele2 Sverige 

Swisscom 
Quickline 
Sunrise Communications 
UPC Cablecom 

Türk Telekom (TTNet) 
Turkcell SuperOnline 
Turksat (Uydunet) 

BT (Including Plusnet) 
EE 
Sky 
TalkTalk 
Virgin Media 

AT&T 
Verizon 
Bright House 
Charter Communications 
Cox Communications 
Time Warner Cable 

Slovenia 

Spain 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

Turkey 

The United Kingdom 

State of California 

State of Colorado 

Verizon 
CenturyLink (Qwest) 

New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

xDSL and FTTX 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
Cable 

Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
 Cable and FTTx 
Cable, xDSL and FTTx 
FTTx 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx  
xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
FTTx 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 
xDSL, FTTx and Ethernet 
xDSL and Ethernet 
Ethernet 
Ethernet and Cable 

New Entrant 

Cable, xDSL, FTTx and Ethernet 

New Entrant 

xDSL, FTTx and Plug & Play 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Incumbent 
New Entrant 

xDSL and FTTx 
Cable and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 

xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
xDSL and FTTx 
Cable 

FTTx 
FTTx 
Cable 
Cable 
Cable 
Cable 

FTTx 
FTTx 

234 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Country 

ISP 

Status  

Technologies 

State of New York 

Comcast 

Verizon 
Cable vision 
Time Warner Cable 

New Entrant  

Incumbent 
New Entrant 
New Entrant 

Cable 

FTTx 
Cable 
Cable 

Compared to the sample of ISPs in February 2014, there are 12 new ISPs (indicated with asterisk) in this report 
(February 2015), while 12 ISPs of the sample of February 2015 have been removed. 

235 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex 3: Financial parameters 

Country 

VAT 
percentage 

Local Currency 
(LC) 

1 EURO in LC 

EURO PPP 

Austria 

Belgium 

Bulgaria 

Canada 

Croatia 

Cyprus 

Czech Republic 

Denmark 

Estonia 

Finland 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

Hungary 

Iceland 

Ireland 

Italy 

Japan 

Korea (South Korea) 

Latvia 
Liechtenstein358 
Lithuania 

Luxembourg 

Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia 

Malta 

Norway 

The Netherlands 

Poland 

Portugal 

Romania 

Slovakia 

Slovenia 

Spain 

State of California 

State of Colorado 

State of New York 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

Turkey 

The United Kingdom 

20% 

21% 

20% 

11% 

25% 

19% 

21% 

25% 

20% 

24% 

20% 

19% 

23% 

27% 

24% 

23 % 

22% 

8% 

10% 

21% 

8% 

21% 

17% 

18% 

18% 

25% 

21% 

23% 

23% 

24% 

20% 

22% 

21% 

8% 

7% 

8% 

25% 

8% 

18% 

20% 

EUR 

EUR 

BGN 

CAD 

HRK 

EUR 

CZK 

DKK 

EUR 

EUR 

EUR 

EUR 

EUR 

HUF 

ISK 

EUR 

EUR 

JPY 

KRW 

EUR 

CHF 

LTL 

EUR 

MKD 

EUR 

NOK 

EUR 

PLN 

EUR 

RON 

EUR 

EUR 

EUR 

USD 

USD 

USD 

SEK 

CHF 

TRY 

GBP 

1.00 

1.00 

1.96 

1.48 

7.63 

1.00 

27.14 

7.46 

1.00 

1.00 

1.00 

1.00 

1.00 

312.74 

142.81 

1.00 

1.00 

134.71 

1,320.04 

1.00 

1.09 

1.00 

1.00 

61.69 

1.00 

9.37 

1.00 

4.23 

1.00 

4.42 

1.00 

1.00 

1.00 

1.12 

1.12 

1.12 

9.36 

1.09 

3.37 

0.74 

1.11 

1.11 

0.92 

1.67 

4.84 

0.88 

17.65 

10.04 

0.75 

1.24 

1.10 

1.04 

0.83 

174.77 

185.67 

1.11 

1.00 

139.38 

1,135.03 

0.69 

1.81 

0.62 

1.19 

25.52 

0.80 

12.52 

1.09 

2.42 

0.78 

2.28 

0.67 

0.80 

0.89 

1.32 

1.32 

1.32 

11.85 

1.81 

1.59 

0.94 

358 VAT rate and currency for Liechtenstein are the same as for Switzerland. 

236 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
                                                 
Annex 4: Additional technical parameters  

In  addition  to  the  pricing  parameters  and  the  technical  parameters  presented  above,  information  was  also 
gathered on additional technical parameters. An overview of these additional technical parameters is provided 
below per type of service. The details on these additional technical parameters are provided in the database. 

Additional technical parameters related to the Internet Access Service 

Additional technical parameters that were collected for the Internet Services are: 

  Volume  of  additional  services  included  (e.g.  number  of  e-mailboxes,  number  of  addresses  per  e-

mailbox,…); 

  Availability of webspace; 

  Level of protection (e.g. antivirus, antispam,…). 

Additional technical parameters related to the Fixed Telephony Service 

Additional technical parameters that were collected for the Fixed Telephony Services are: 

  Technology used: switched Telephone Service or VoIP; 

 

Indication of the period during which calls are unlimited; 

  Number of minutes included in the offer during daytime (limited/unlimited).  

Additional technical parameters related to the Television Service 

Additional technical parameters that were collected for the Television Services are: 

  Technology used: analog or digital; 

  Number of channels included. 

Note that such type of technical parameters are also collected  

Additional technical parameters related to the Mobile Telephony Service 

Additional technical parameters that were collected for the Mobile Telephony Services are: 

 

Indication of the period during which calls are unlimited; 

  Number of minutes included in the offer during daytime (limited/unlimited). 

Additional technical parameters related to the Mobile Broadband Service 

Additional technical parameters that were collected for the Mobile Broadband Services are: 

  Type of mobile device (e.g. mobile broadband for laptop, mobile phone, or tablet.); 

  Connecting device (e.g. USB stick, SIM card, etc.) 

  Highest maximum download speed. 

237 

Broadband Internet Access Cost 
Data as from autumn 2015 

 
 
 
 
European Commission 

Broadband Internet Access Cost (BIAC) autumn 2015 
Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union 

2016 – 239 pages  

ISBN 978-92-79-57598-3 
doi:10.2759/755548                          

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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doi:10.2759/755548                         ISBN 978-92-79-57598-3