Innovative developments on the internet stimulate the economy and the telecoms market
Network neutrality is a term that is used increasingly whenever the internet and future possibilities are discussed. But what is network neutrality exactly, and is it as good as it sounds? Network neutrality is the key phrase in the debate about the openness of the internet.

A few days ago, the Federal Government agreed on the principle of reforming the energy market to further streamline the market. One of the measures proposed is giving customers the option to change operators more easily and at less cost. As in telecoms, customers are often effectively locked into 12- or 24-month contracts from which they cannot escape without incurring significant dropout fees. The telecoms package currently under discussion enables people to break their telecoms contract without cost after 6 months. KPN/BASE has welcomed this agreement and these measures with great satisfaction.

Why is a “Don’t-call-me” list so important?
In the context of consumer protection, new measures have recently been adopted, such as the Charter for Customer Friendliness, under which the operators, together with other big companies and government bodies, guarantee to answer all calls within 2.5 minutes. But in one area we are lagging far behind: telemarketing.
The telecom operators belong to the top three most intensive telemarketers. KPN/BASE deliberately chooses to make no use of telemarketing to sell new products. The privacy of the consumers is important to us, and we have no wish to disturb them at the most inconvenient times. Accordingly, KPN/BASE is working on possibilities for optimising the “don’t-call-me” list and protecting the consumer.

The radiation emitted by digital audio broadcasting (DAB) will logically soon be required to comply with the strict 3V/m standard that must already be respected by mobile phone operators in Brussels. This is the conclusion reached by a study conducted at the request of Bruxelles Environnment, which puts this radiation in the so-called “pulsed” waves category, as covered by this regulation. Probably incapable of respecting such a strict standard, does this herald the end of digital radio stations in Brussels?

As part of last weekend’s budgetary control, the Government unilaterally and without any kind of prior consultation decided to significantly cut the legal costs it pays the operators for their information. This decision comes in the footsteps of another unilateral reduction of the legal costs just a year ago. KPN/BASE deplores this approach by the Government, which overlooks the structural reasons behind the costs as well as the amount of the legal costs involved, and which is at risk of exacerbating the situation even further, with the upshot that these expenses will go up. Consequently, KPN/BASE would like to invite the Government to reconsider its decision and to engage in dialogue with the telecom operators to find structural solutions to the problems that exist.