Italian incumbent Telecom (TI) Italia has launched DSL broadband in Holland, via its ISP brand Alice. TI already owns Dutch firm BBNed, which operates a nationwide DSL network and provides wholesale unbundled DSL access to around 50 ISPs. At the end of June 2007 BBNed accounted for around 172,000 connections and its infrastructure was available to around three-quarters of the Dutch population, which puts TI in the position of being able to offer triple-play voice, data and video services in Holland without needing to use incumbent KPN’s network. In the retail broadband market, TI’s Alice brand will compete against KPN, which had 2.34 million DSL subscribers at the end of June 2007, Tele2-Versatel with 266,000 customers at the same point, Orange (458,000 subs), Tiscali (112,000) and UPC Nederland (600,900) amongst others. The broadband market is approaching saturation, with an estimated 70% of households taking a service at the end of 2006.

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