LTE performance in the Netherlands is reaching saturation, a new report from testing agency OpenSignal has found, with average download speeds hitting more than 40MBps and coverage passing the 90 percent mark.
T-Mobile held onto its crown as the market’s best performer, winning the 4G download, 4G upload, 4G latency and overall speed awards. It tied with Vodafone in the 3G download speeds and latency categories.
The final category, 4G availability, was shared by Tele2 and Vodafone.
The Netherlands was deemed as one of the best markets for mobile performance and is the only European country where all of the operators offer more than 90 percent LTE availability.
[Read more: Belgium experiencing frenetic competition for network quality, says OpenSignal]
However, it warned growth in download speeds and availability is inevitably slowing.
It said: “Indeed, our analysis of other highly advanced LTE markets suggests that further significant growth will be difficult to achieve, since 4G speeds over 50MBps and availability over 95 percent are rare indeed.”
Additionally, the wider availability of LTE will put a corresponding strain on network capacity, the report warned.
Market leader T-Mobile has download speeds of over 50MBps, a lead of more than 6MBps against its closest rival KPN.
OpenSignal said that with T-Mobile’s merger with Tele2 awaiting regulatory approval, it seemed likely to maintain its market dominance.
The testing agency made more than 312 million measurements between the beginning of May and end of July for its latest report.
KPN is already turning its attention to 5G, launching connected car testing on a Dutch highway last month.