Amsterdam Broadband for Startups: Fiber Upgrade Plan

Amsterdam startups secured commitments this week for expanded fiber rollout in two central tech clusters, with work slated to begin along the IJ waterfront by September.

The push comes as more companies shift workloads to cloud-based platforms that require steady upload speeds above 500 megabits per second. City records show startup registrations in the capital rose 18 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, driving heavier use of video tools and data-sharing services.

Operators at the Startup Village inside Amsterdam Science Park and at the A Lab venue in the Houthavens area reported repeated outages during peak afternoon hours last month. Both sites sit within the municipal Smart Connectivity pilot, which began mapping coverage gaps in May using data from local internet providers.

Current rollout plans

KPN and local partner Delta Fiber have earmarked 4.2 million euros for new ducts under the streets around the Science Park and along the NDSM wharf. The work targets an increase from current average download speeds of 380 megabits per second to 1 gigabit by the end of 2027. A June municipal report listed 142 startups in those two zones alone that currently pay between 45 and 65 euros monthly for business-grade lines.

Next steps for founders

Companies can register interest in the subsidized upgrade through the Amsterdam Economic Board website starting July 20. Early sign-ups will receive a site survey within four weeks and a fixed installation window before the end of the year. Founders based outside the pilot zones can still request a free connectivity audit from the city’s digital desk at Weesperplein.