Compare Fiber Optic Internet Plans

Here's the best way to compare fiber-optic internet plans

1. Decide which fiber-optic services you want

If you want to compare fiber-optic plans, first decide for yourself which services you need. That way, you’ll only pay for what you actually use.

Is internet alone enough for you? If so, you can easily save about €15 per month on a TV subscription. Landline calls will cost you between €1 and €2 extra per month.
  

2. Choose the right fiber-optic internet speed

When comparing fiber-optic plans, also pay attention to the internet speed. This can help you save a lot of money. The difference between a 100 Mbit/s plan and a 1000 Mbit/s fiber-optic plan is well over €15 per month.

3. Other things to keep in mind when comparing fiber-optic plans

In addition to choosing your package and speed, here are some other comparison tips:
 

• See if you can take advantage of a great internet deal (with a free gift)
• Compare the channel lineups if you’re also getting TV
• Always enter your postal code to see all providers available at your address

What are the best fiber-optic providers?

Every year, various organizations conduct research on the best providers, including the Consumentenbond and Tweakers. They ask their panel members to rate the best providers (based on various criteria).

At Keuze.nl, we also take a critical look at fiber-optic providers. For example, we conduct an annual study to identify the best internet provider, which includes the top fiber-optic providers.

Based on these studies, the following providers are the best in the tests.

Best Nationwide Fiber-Optic Providers

1. KPN
2. Odido

Best regional fiber-optic providers

1. Solcon
2. Delta 

The Main Differences Between Fiber-Optic Providers

Not all fiber-optic providers are the same when it comes to service, quality, and price, as our survey of the best internet providers shows.

You could say there are “premium” and “budget” fiber-optic providers. This means there’s a suitable fiber-optic provider for every household, depending on your needs.

Premium fiber-optic providers

These are: KPN and Odido. With a fiber-optic subscription from a premium provider, you can expect just that little bit more in terms of service and quality than with a budget provider. That’s why you pay more for the same speed (with the exception of some special offers).

Premium fiber-optic providers offer:

• A wider range of internet speeds
• More package features
• More package options, such as additional TV channel bundles or package deals

Budget fiber-optic providers

These include: Budget Internet and Youfone. To a lesser extent, you could also include Online.nl in this list, although in recent years they haven’t been as cheap as they once were (without a promotion).

You can often sign up for a fiber-optic subscription with a budget fiber-optic provider at a more competitive price, while still enjoying excellent internet quality. That’s because these budget fiber-optic providers also deliver service over the KPN fiber-optic network. So they use the network of major network providers, but without the extra costs and “frills” of comprehensive packages.

The difference between a premium and a budget fiber-optic provider can save you as much as €100 to €200 per year.
 

Budget fiber-optic providers offer:

• More competitive pricing
• Access to the same high-quality KPN network
• A good basic package
• Sometimes options to expand your package

Why choose fiber-optic internet?

Are you still unsure whether you should sign up for a fiber-optic plan? Fiber-optic internet is the internet of the future. This type of connection has tremendous growth potential in the coming years, and it’s the most stable and fastest internet available.

What’s more, all providers offer this type of internet, except for Ziggo and Hollandsnieuwe. So at your address (especially in areas with multiple networks), you have plenty of providers to choose from.

The only downside is that it’s not yet available everywhere. But deployment has been moving at breakneck speed, meaning millions of households can already sign up for a subscription.

Advantages of fiber-optic internet

• Most stable and lightning-fast
• Equally fast upload and download speeds
• Fewest outages
• Speeds of up to 8 Gbit/s possible nationwide
• Open network, so plenty of provider options
• Cheaper than cable internet
• No extra charge if DSL is also available
• Exceptional image quality

Fiber remains faster than cable internet 

You can now also achieve increasingly higher internet speeds via coaxial cable. For example, Ziggo and Hollandsnieuwe now offer plans with a maximum speed of 2 Gbit/s through their “Giganet” service. But with fiber optics, speeds of 8 Gbit/s are already possible. So fiber optics remains the leader.

That said, starting this year, Ziggo is also providing fiber-optic internet to 600,000 addresses in the Netherlands via the Delta Fiber network. So it’s possible that you can get fiber-optic internet from Ziggo at your address.

Higher upload speeds with fiber-optic than with cable

The fact that fiber-optic internet is significantly faster than cable internet comes down to the upload speed. With fiber, the upload speed is equal to the download speed; with cable internet, it’s only a fraction of the download speed—less than 10%. You’ll notice this difference most when uploading large files or streaming a TV series.

Compare fiber-optic internet