What GlasDraad does

GlasDraad B.V. is a Dutch fiber optic broadband infrastructure developer that builds and owns open-access fiber networks in rural buitengebieden and kleine kernen (small villages) of the Netherlands — areas that large telecom operators KPN and Ziggo have historically declined to serve. Each home receives a dedicated point-to-point fiber connection delivering symmetrical speeds up to 4 Gb/s, and the physical network is opened to 15-19 independent service providers per region (including KPN, Odido, TriNed, Youfone, Online.nl, and Freedom), who deliver internet, TV, and telephony services to end customers. GlasDraad does not sell subscriptions directly; it sells the physical fiber connection via a vastrechtvergoeding (connection fee), offered as either a €1,815-€2,500 lump-sum buyout or a €15-€21 monthly installment over 15 years with indexation, charged only after the network is built and the property is connected.

The company's go-to-market is a community-led vraagbundeling (demand aggregation) model: campaigns run in specific municipalities until a minimum participation threshold (typically 40-50% of households) is reached, after which construction begins. GlasDraad works with local ambassadors, municipal governments, and foundations (e.g., Stichting Snel Internet Westerwolde Stadskanaal, LTO Flevoland, Stichting Kabelnet Veendam) to drive sign-ups through postcode checks on the website, telephone outreach, information evenings, and social media. The project team has been responsible for more than 30,000 fiber connections and previously built more than 250,000 connections for Reggefiber, CIF, and Mabib. The company operates 25+ regional initiatives across the Netherlands (including Bollenstreek, Flevoland, Mabin Groningen, Pekela, Edam-Volendam, Krimpenerwaard, Groene Hart, Westerkwartier, Oldambt, Haarlemmermeer, Landelijk Amsterdam Noord, Amstel Vecht en Venen, Emmen, Zeeland region) through 18 registered regional B.V. subsidiaries.

GlasDraad is a privately held company headquartered in Utrecht, supported by Glaspoort (a KPN + APG joint venture) and TINC (a publicly listed Belgian investment company). In September 2024 it secured €110 million in debt financing from ABN AMRO and Belfius to fund continued deployment. The company is led by founder Pieter van Grunsven, with 11-50 employees, and operates exclusively within the Netherlands with no international footprint disclosed.

Name

GlasDraad

Legal name

GlasDraad B.V.

Website

https://glasdraad.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GlasDraad B.V. is a Dutch open-access fiber optic broadband infrastructure developer that builds point-to-point fiber networks in rural areas and small villages across the Netherlands, connecting households and SMEs to a network shared by 15-19 independent ISPs. The company is backed by Glaspoort (KPN + APG) and TINC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiber Optic Broadband Infrastructure

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing (335921)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Municipal & Community Broadband Networks (HDAIACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open-Access Fiber Network Operators (Wholesale-Only) (HDAIACAF), Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG)

Keywords

• Fiber optic networks
• Broadband infrastructure
• Open access networks
• Telecom infrastructure
• Fixed broadband access

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilversum

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Vastrechtvergoeding (Connection Fee): GlasDraad charges a one-time or recurring fixed-right fee for the physical fiber connection to the property. This covers the cost of network construction in underserved areas where large telecom operators do not invest. Two payment options are offered: a lump-sum buyout or monthly installments over 15 years. This fee is charged only after the network is built and the property is connected.
2. Service Provider Network Access: GlasDraad develops broadband infrastructure in partnership with reputable service providers. Service providers deliver internet, television, and telephony services to consumers and businesses once the network is 'lit' (operational). While GlasDraad does not directly bill for subscriptions, the service providers' presence on the network generates traffic and validates the network investment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GlasDraad builds and owns fiber optic (glasvezel) broadband infrastructure in rural areas and small communities across the Netherlands, then opens the network to multiple independent service providers. End customers pay a vastrechtvergoeding (one-time buyout or 15-year monthly installment) for the physical fiber connection to their property, and then choose their internet, TV, and telephony provider from 15-19 ISPs operating on the open-access network. Demand is aggregated through community-led vraagbundeling campaigns requiring 40-50% household sign-up before construction begins.

Product overview

GlasDraad operates as a fiber optic network infrastructure company that builds and manages broadband networks in rural areas and small communities throughout the Netherlands. The company functions as a platform business, operating multiple regional sub-brands (such as GlasDraad Bollenstreek, GlasDraad Flevoland, Mabin Groningen, and various other regional initiatives) that each manage local fiber network deployments. Each regional project operates independently with its own branding, contact information, and project timelines. The core product offering is the physical fiber optic infrastructure (vastrechtvergoeding/connection fee) combined with access to 15-19 independent service providers (including KPN, Odido, TriNed, Youfone, and others) who deliver internet, television, and telephony services over the network. The company has deployed over 30,000 fiber connections and was previously involved in building more than 250,000 connections for Reggefiber, CIF and Mabib.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GlasDraad Fiber Network Connection (vastrechtvergoeding) Physical fiber optic (glasvezel) connection to a property, sold as a one-time lump-sum buyout or 15-year monthly installment fee (vastrechtvergoeding). Each home or business receives a dedicated point-to-point fiber link delivering symmetrical speeds up to 4 Gb/s, with the choice of 15-19 independent ISPs to deliver internet, TV, and telephony services over the open-access network. Targeted at residential households and SMEs in Dutch rural areas and small-town nuclei not served by large operators.
• GlasDraad Bollenstreek Regional Fiber Initiative Regional fiber network deployment covering the Bollenstreek (flower bulb region) in South Holland, providing fiber connections to rural addresses and village centers with 16 service providers available. Lump-sum buyout priced at €2,300 and monthly installment at €20/month for 15 years during the campaign period. Over 60% of residents signed up versus the required 50% threshold, enabling network construction.
• GlasDraad Flevoland Rural Fiber Initiative Regional fiber network initiative in Flevoland province covering rural addresses, with 17 service providers available on the open-access network. Lump-sum buyout priced at €2,500 and monthly installment at €21/month for 15 years with indexation. Deployed in partnership with LTO Flevoland representing agricultural businesses in the region.
• Mabin Groningen Regional Fiber Initiative Regional fiber network initiative covering municipalities of Westerwolde and Stadskanaal in Groningen province, providing fiber connections with up to 17 service providers including KPN, Odido, TriNed, Online.nl, XS4ALL, Freedom, and others. Construction is managed with quality oversight by VIB Netwerken and contractor Van Gelder Telecom. Campaign pricing was €1,815 (2017) and €1,915 (2020) for lump-sum buyout, with €15/month installment option.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of homes in Pekela were connected to the fiber network by project completion in December 2024.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• VIB NetwerkenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVIB Netwerken oversees quality control during the entire construction process of the fiber network in the Mabin Groningen region. It works closely with contractor Van Gelder Telecom and functions as an internal quality assurance department for the project.
• Van Gelder TelecomminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVan Gelder Telecom is the primary contractor (aannemer) responsible for constructing the fiber network in the Mabin Groningen region, working in conjunction with VIB Netwerken for quality oversight.
• Stichting Snel Internet Westerwolde StadskanaalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA local foundation representing residents in Westerwolde and Stadskanaal that partnered with Mabin Groningen to advocate for and support the rollout of fiber internet in the region. The foundation helped mobilize community participation during the vraagbundeling phase.
• LTO FlevolandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLTO Flevoland (Land- en Tuinbouworganisatie) collaborated with GlasDraad on the fiber campaign in the Flevoland rural area, representing agricultural businesses that benefit from high-speed connectivity for farm operations and rural commerce.
• Stichting Kabelnet VeendamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStichting Kabelnet Veendam partnered with GlasDraad to create Glasvezel Pekela B.V., a joint venture responsible for deploying fiber cables in the Pekela municipality in 2023–2024.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche Glasfaser: Germany's largest rural fiber-to-the-home provider, deploying open-access networks in underserved regions using a demand-aggregation go-to-market. Closest international analogue to GlasDraad's rural vraagbundeling model, though operating in a different country.
• E-Fiber: Dutch fiber operator focused on rural and underserved areas in the Netherlands. Closely aligned mission and demand-aggregation model, competing head-to-head with GlasDraad in some Dutch municipalities and a direct analogue for vraagbundeling execution.
• Delta Fiber Netwerk: Dutch wholesale and retail fiber network operator (backed by EQT) deploying FTTH across the Netherlands. Highly comparable business model — open-access fiber build with ISP partners — but larger footprint and broader urban-peri-urban reach versus GlasDraad's rural focus.
• Glaspoort: Joint venture between KPN and APG pension fund, building and operating FTTH networks in the Netherlands. Closest comparable: sister/parent vehicle using the same wholesale open-access model, but operating in overlapping geographies with materially greater scale and balance sheet.
• Eurofiber: Belgian-Dutch wholesale fiber infrastructure operator (backed by Antin Infrastructure Partners) providing open-access connectivity to businesses, governments and carriers. Comparable as a wholesale-only fiber platform, though Eurofiber skews to B2B/dark-fiber rather than residential FTTH.

Broad incumbents

• KPN: Largest Dutch telecom incumbent, KPN is both a GlasDraad ISP partner and the co-owner of Glaspoort. Overlaps in fiber build and retail ISP services, with a much broader portfolio (mobile, enterprise, IoT) and a national fiber+copper footprint that GlasDraad only addresses selectively.
• Ziggo (VodafoneZiggo): Largest Dutch cable broadband provider offering internet, TV and telephony via HFC/DOCSIS. Overlaps in residential broadband delivery and competes in adjacent geographies, but uses upgraded coax rather than end-to-end FTTH like GlasDraad.

Emerging players

• Odido (T-Mobile Netherlands): Major Dutch mobile and fixed ISP that sells fiber subscriptions over GlasDraad and competing open-access networks. Acts as both a customer of GlasDraad (as an ISP) and an indirect competitor via T-Mobile's own fiber ambitions, making it a strategic peer on the retail side.

Regional players

• CIF / Caiway: Historical Dutch cable and fiber provider (acquired by DELTA) serving regional and rural areas. Comparable as a regional broadband operator with deep rural roots; team backgrounds at Mabib/CIF at GlasDraad highlight direct historical ties.

Others

• Reggefiber: Pioneering Dutch rural FTTH operator founded by Reggeborgh, now part of KPN. GlasDraad's team was previously responsible for building >250,000 connections at Reggefiber, making it the closest historical analogue and source of operating know-how.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlasdraadG
• Facebookfacebook.com/glasdraad

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GlasDraad