The Dutch Connectivity Action Plan

The Dutch government developed the ‘Actieplan Digitale Connectiviteit‘ to ensure that the Netherlands remains a leader in digital infrastructure. It builds on previous explorations into digital connectivity and was shaped through broad consultations with stakeholders and citizens.

The plan is crucial because digitalisation is transforming the economy and society. To stay competitive, the Netherlands must offer high-quality, diverse, reliable, and affordable digital connectivity.

Key objectives

The government’s main goal is to guarantee:

• High-quality digital connectivity, meaning robust, fast, secure, and reliable networks.
• Support for diverse demands, accommodating both consumer and business-specific needs (like precision agriculture, e-health, and autonomous vehicles).
• Availability everywhere, always, including rural and less profitable areas.
• Affordable access through promoting healthy market competition.

Main action areas

The plan is structured around five main pillars:

1. Spectrum (Frequency management)
   • Ensure enough frequency space is available for mobile operators and industry-specific needs.
   • Enable 5G development and prepare for future demands by auctioning critical frequency bands (e.g. 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz, 26 GHz).
   • Support private networks (like for factories or hospitals) by reserving specific spectrum space.
   • Introduce usage obligations and coverage requirements, especially in rural areas.
2. Local policy (Municipal cooperation)
   • Improve cooperation between national and local governments.
   • Standardise and make transparent local regulations (like permits for antenna installation and excavation works).
   • Promote municipal adoption of best practices for antenna policies and facilitate 5G rollouts, especially in complex environments (e.g. historical city centres).
3. Investments
   • Keep investment thresholds low for telecom providers.
   • Encourage fibre optic expansions and 5G infrastructure investments.
   • Support building networks even in unprofitable, remote areas through policy tools (like ‘broadband toolkits’).
   • Maintain competition while enabling scale where necessary for investment returns.
4. Continuity (Resilience and security)
   • Strengthen telecom network resilience against disruptions, cyber threats, and disasters.
   • Establish legal standards for telecom operators.
   • Improve public awareness of digital dependency.
   • Enhance crisis response structures.
5. Innovation
   • Stimulate new technologies through pilot projects and experiments.
   • Build 5G innovation networks and promote cross-sector collaboration.
   • Make EU funding accessible for experimental connectivity projects.
   • Support the development of a national 5G research agenda.

Context

The plan is a response to:

• The explosion of digital applications (cloud computing, IoT, VR/AR).
• The convergence of fixed and mobile networks.
• The massive growth of bandwidth demand (driven largely by video traffic and real-time applications).
• There is a need for specialised connectivity for critical sectors (like healthcare, industry, transportation).
• Europe’s ambition to build a ‘Gigabit Society’ by 2025.

Challenges

• Spectrum scarcity: Careful planning is needed to balance national security uses (e.g., intelligence agencies) and commercial needs (e.g. 5G rollout).
• Local variation: Disparate municipal regulations create hurdles for nationwide infrastructure deployment.
• Investment risks: Large-scale fibre and mobile network deployments need financial incentives and regulatory certainty.
• Public health concerns: Citizens worried about electromagnetic fields (EMF) linked to new antenna installations, particularly 5 G. The government plans to set uniform national EMF safety standards.
• Resilience needs: As reliance on digital networks grows, society must prepare better for outages and cyberattacks.

Final Remarks

The plan connects to the broader Dutch Digitalization Strategy and European digital ambitions. It aims to keep the Netherlands among the top digital economies, offering a future-proof, inclusive, and innovation-friendly infrastructure.

It emphasises shared responsibility between the state, private sector, municipalities, and citizens to ensure that connectivity remains a pillar of prosperity, innovation, and social development.