The Netherlands’ internet is one of the best places to connect to on the worldwide web. Next to a very friendly legal environment, the Dutch were the first in Europe to start practicing a net neutrality policy. This is still very uncommon today, as less than ten countries worldwide enacted changes toward net neutrality, or something relatable to it. If you plan on accessing European internet (via a VPN provider, for example), the Netherlands is a safe bet. With great bandwidth support and virtually no restrictions to online content, the Dutch deserve an accolade.
NordVPN has already managed to conquer the market by being one of the most reputable and trustworthy services ever made. Among its vast arsenal of features, the close attention given to security is one of the major highlights, thanks to the presence of an automatic kill switch, protection against DNS leaks, ads and malware, and even double VPN servers.
Speaking of which, these are only some of NordVPN's special servers that compose a global network filled with unusual locations, P2P countries, support for Onion over VPN, and more. NordVPN has a handful of different subscriptions in the form of simple apps for all kinds of devices and user types.
For as little as $3.09 per month, users can enjoy all the perks of having a secure and high-speed VPN. Plus, a generous refund policy allows you to get your money back if you decide NordVPN isn't for you during the first 30 days.
A surfing shark might not conjure up an image of security, but it does represent an effective way of defending yourself from the threats of the deep ocean that is the internet.
Established in 2018, Surfshark offers aesthetically-pleasing apps for multiple platforms. The Netherlands-based company continues to enhance its cybersecurity, merging with Nord Security in 2022. The VPN service doesn't miss out on any critical security features, such as a static IP address and kill switch, and provides servers in more than 100 countries.
Additionally, Surfshark offers encryption protocols (including WireGuard) and P2P support, alternative IDs, and a no-logs policy. It is one of the cheapest services on the market and offers a 7-day free trial for Android, iOS, and macOS devices, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the service risk free.
PureVPN has more than 6,000 servers worldwide with reliable, secire, and uninterrupted connections, compatibility with over 50 devices, and excellent customer service.
Prices start as low as $2.11 per month for the VPN, and those willing to pay a little more can get their hands on a password manager, file encryption, and personal privacy manager – all under the same subscription. Plus, with a 7-day free trial, 31-day money-back guarantee, add-ons, and discounts of up to 83%, it would be a mistake not to consider PureVPN as a viable option.
The Netherlands are a great place to connect to regarding the technical specifics. The country has no bandwidth limitations; in most households, standard connection speeds exceed 50 mbit/s and the situation gets better if you connect to the country from the outside. Almost all VPN providers supply connections to the Dutch, usually at the best bandwidth values in Europe. There are essentially no websites that use geoblocking: almost all websites are available to everybody outside Dutch borders. We do have to count in domains that are made private for individual usage, for example. However, the legal framework of the Netherlands allows all websites to be potentially unblocked for all internet users, and this is the case most of the time. Still, if you wish for privacy among these great conditions, we recommend enlisting the help of a VPN service. Furthermore, more and more Dutch ISPs support IPv6 usage.
Now, a few words about the legal framework: the internet of Holland benefits from a very favorable one. According to the Telecommunications Act of 2014, ISPs are not allowed to slow down the speeds of any of their services. This is quite good news for anyone who wishes to access the Dutch web from anywhere.
The Netherlands are one of the few countries in the world to practice net neutrality. Thus, any data passing through or present at any time within Dutch borders is treated equally since 2012. The specific system enacted in the Netherlands has been criticized though, as this uniformity of data traffic does not necessarily promote a consumer choice-based model of ISP business. Nevertheless, we favor data not having privilege over other data.
In terms of internet censorship, we have good news; literally no data is censored through governmental intervention. This means that essentially all content not blocked anywhere on the internet is accessible from the Netherlands. In fact, in the 21st century so far, the number of blocked websites in the Netherlands has decreased while almost all countries show the opposite tendency.
We must highlight how the Netherlands provides some of the freest internet access in the world. The legal system in use limits the government’s power to censor content. Therefore, censorship can be mostly be requested by court orders. The general atmosphere of the Dutch web is making restrictions disappear altogether. Still, connecting to the country is advised with a VPN service – better safe than sorry.
The Netherlands is in a good situation regarding the availability of streaming services. For music, Spotify is a bigger player present on the market, and so is Apple Music. Google Play Music is similarly good to go in Holland, along with Deezer. For television and moving picture entertainment, Netflix is available. The company also seems to provide a vast choice of movies and series to its Dutch customers, as opposed to most other European countries that suffer from a limited selection. If you are interested in accessing BBC iPlayer or Amazon Prime, perhaps Napster online however, you are in bad luck. These streaming services are only available from the UK, US and UK, and the UK and Germany, respectively. Still, we concluded that the Netherlands are favored among the European countries in terms of streaming service availability.
Lastly, we would like to take the opportunity and advise you on taking a look at VPN services ideal for connecting to the Netherlands, regardless of you being an expat, or just a casual foreigner seeking information. Similarly, connecting to other countries from the Netherlands is also a possibility to consider, and we will include both in our recommendations. NordVPN is a better-known provider. Some advantages of theirs include great P2P support, very easy usage and even smoother security options and their website and client are available in Dutch.
Private Internet Access is an even bigger player. With prices under $4 per month and a very favorable log policy, you are bound to enjoy your VPN experience, complete with fast and reliable connections. And finally, VPN4ALL is a friendly company, seated in the Netherlands. Next to regular prices, you can purchase extra features, too like firewall protection and an anti-malware module. With 30 days of refund time, you can keep yourself busy for quite a while before making a decision.
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