Fixed broadband prices in Europe 2018 : executive summary.
Date: 2020-08-28
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology
Subjects: Canada, EU Member State, Iceland, Internet, Internet access provider, Japan, Norway, South Korea, United States, cost analysis, digital technology, information technology, price index, telecommunications industry, telephone, television, transmission network

Ref. Ares(2019)6421797 - 17/10/2019

Fixed Broadband 
Prices in Europe 
2018 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

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 

empirica Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung mbH  

in cooperation with TÜV Rheinland 

Internal identification 
Contract number: 30-CE-0805779/00-73 
SMART number 2018/0044 

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 978-92-76-03834-4 

doi: 10.2759/94991 

© European Union, 2019. All rights reserved. Certain parts are licensed under conditions to the EU.  

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fixed Broadband Prices in Europe 2018 – 
Executive Summary 

 
  
 
Introduction 

The current study provides comprehensive data on 2018 retail prices of fixed broadband offers for 
consumers in the EU28, Iceland, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the USA. The five largest 
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in each country were included. Data was collected from ISP websites 
between 8th and 22nd October 2018. 

Offers were analysed for Single Play (standalone internet), for Double Play with fixed telephony, 
Double Play with television services, and for Triple Play. Offers for each of the four bundles were 
spread over several download speed baskets ranging from 0.256 Mbps to more than 1 Gbps.  

Cross-national comparison of retail prices of fixed broadband offers in each bundle and basket 
required the application of consistent price normalisation procedures. These take full account of 
features such as one-off fees, volume limits, discounts, different contract durations and varying 
telephony time limits.  

1.  Results: Average price per basket and bundle 

Figure 1 shows the average across the EU of the lowest price found in each country for each of four 
service bundles and for the three speed baskets above 12 Mbps for which data was gathered. These 
EU average figures provide a reference point for international comparison and, to an extent, for 
comparison of country markets within the EU. The impact on prices of adding value through 
increased speed is clearly visible, especially in the Gigabit basket. 

Figure 1 – EU28 average lowest prices for four service bundles and five speed baskets, VAT included 

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

P
P
P
R
U
E

Standalone

Double Play |
Telephony

Double Play |
Television

Triple play

12-30 Mbps

30-100 Mbps

100+ Mbps

200+ Mbps

1 Gbps

€21,36

€23,47

€34,98

€34,42

€53,72

€30,27

€31,90

€44,10

€43,49

€63,86

€30,71

€32,19

€43,65

€44,34

€71,95

€40,12

€41,35

€53,22

€52,39

€78,08

4

 
 
 
 
 
 
2.  Results: Least expensive countries in Europe 

Figure 2 shows the lowest price found anywhere in the EU for each service bundle and speed basket. 
As can be seen, Single Play standalone fixed internet of more than 12 Mbps can be obtained in at 
least one country1 from one of the top five providers at a normalised price of €10.11 per month 
(PPP). At the top end of the speed basket set and for both selected bundled services (Triple Play, 1 
Gbps), the cheapest price in Europe2 is €28.98 (PPP). 

Comparing normalised prices in Euro, it was found that the least expensive countries for fixed 
broadband in the EU in 2018 were Romania, Latvia, Hungary and Lithuania.  Prices differ considerably 
between the least and most expensive countries in the EU.  

Figure 2 - EU Absolute lowest prices for four service bundles and five speed baskets, VAT included 

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

P
P
P
R
U
E

Standalone

Double Play |
Telephony

Double Play |
Television

Triple play

12-30 Mbps

30-100 Mbps

100+ Mbps

200+ Mbps

1 Gbps

€10,11

€10,11

€12,57

€12,57

€12,71

€16,55

€17,59

€17,59

€17,59

€18,21

€14,04

€14,04

€19,18

€20,97

€20,97

€25,77

€25,77

€25,77

€27,39

€28,98

To present a fuller picture, but without introducing distraction by small price differences, 4 clusters 
of countries were identified3 in each offer category, that is, for each combination of service bundle 
and speed basket, based on the prices of the least expensive offer in the bundle/basket category in 
each country.  

Figure 3 shows the results. A green bullet (1) in a bundle/basket combination represents the 
countries in the cluster with inexpensive offers for this category, a red bullet (4) countries in the 
expensive cluster of offers in a bundle/basket combination. Blue (2) bullets indicate clusters of 

1  

2  

3  

This offer is available in Bulgaria only. 

This offer is available in Italy only. 

k-means clustering was used with k=4; observations (offer categories) are assigned to clusters so as to 
minimise the average squared Euclidean distance of observations to each cluster centroid.   

5

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
relatively inexpensive, yellow bullets (3) of relatively expensive price levels. A dash means that no 
offer was collected in 2018 in this offer category and country. 

Figure 3 - Price variation per offer category across the EU, country clusters 

The following general country groupings can be observed: 

•  Overall,  Romania,  Latvia,  and  Hungary  have  the  most  attractive  prices  for  broadband 
internet in the EU. The majority of offers in these countries belongs to the cluster of the 
least expensive in the respective baskets. 
Lithuania, France, Italy, and Slovakia follow. France and Italy have especially low prices for 
Triple Play offers.

• 

•  Bulgaria and Estonia tend to have attractive prices for lower bandwidth offers, but tend to 

be in the cluster of more expensive countries for speeds above 100 Mbps. 
•  Greece and Belgium have no offers belonging to the two less expensive clusters. 
•  No country has offers in only one cluster. 

6

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.  Results: Development of prices  
Broadband prices show mixed trends in 2018: 

•  Prices for offers including telephony have increased by between 0.97% and 2.45%, as did 
prices for all bundles in the 100+ Mbps baskets. The largest increase (5.66%) was found in 
the 100+ Mbps Triple Play basket.  

•  A slight decrease in prices was observed for offers without telephony in the 12-30 Mbps (-

1.32%) and 30-100 Mbps (-2.48%) baskets.  

4.  Results: The EU compared with selected non-European countries 

Comparing the EU28 with other countries in the world, there is a similar pattern in all download 
speed baskets: 

•  South Korea shows the least expensive offers for Standalone Internet in every basket.  
•  The EU28 shows slightly lower prices for standalone internet and Double Play with Telephony 

offers compared with Japan.  
Japan, in turn, shows lower prices for bundles including television. 
In every speed basket, prices for bundles are lower in the EU28 than in the USA or Canada.  

• 
• 

7

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
European Commission 

Fixed Broadband Prices in Europe 2018 
Luxembourg, Publications Office of the European Union 

2019 – 9 pages  

ISBN 978-92-76-03834-4 
doi: 10.2759/94991 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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doi: 10.2759/94991                       ISBN 978-92-76-03834-4 

Electronically signed on 11/10/2019 09:55 (UTC+02) in accordance with article 4.2 (Validity of electronic documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563