Mobile phone connections will hit 19 million by the end of this year according to figures published on Wednesday by research firm Telecompaper. The Netherlands has a population of 16 million.

The turnover of mobile phone providers went up 7.5% to €1.6bn in the second quarter compared to the same 2007 period, Telecompaper said.
However total annual turnover is not expected to be rise more than 5%. This is because telecom regulator Opta put a ceiling on the price providers can charge for calls between fixed line and mobile phones from July 1.