The Netherlands’ cable internet operators collectively added more customers than the total for xDSL services providers for the first time since 2002, Telecompaper reports. By the end of last year there were a total of 5.588 million broadband connections in the country, up 10.8% year-on-year, with Q4 2007 growth standing at 2.9%, or roughly 160,000 net additions. Broadband penetration now stands at 34.1 lines per 100 of population, up from 30.8% at the start of 2007. Zesko Holdings, the cable conglomerate formed through the merger of @Home, Casema and Multikabel, reported 1.268 million high speed internet users, up 93,000 quarter-on-quarter, while broadband ISP Het Net had 643,000 DSL users, the Dutch online journal writes, thanks to nearly 15,000 net additions in the final three months of the year. Other strong growth came from UPC Nederland (up 15,800 lines to 640,300) and Tele2-Versatel (up 22,000 to 303,000 DSL users), helping it leapfrog XS4ALL to become the sixth largest broadband ISP in the market.telegeography.com
