14 telecom operators promote mobile internet on October

Late June the Minister, together with BIPT and the FPS Economy, launched the website www.surfmobile.be in order to instil trust into the consumers and to inform them of the advantages of mobile Internet and of the good, safe and controlled use thereof. The website also includes a clever simulator allowing users to estimate the data volume they need. This way consumers can determine more easily which telecom subscription suits them best.

As announced the second phase of the campaign promoting mobile Internet kicks off on 1 October. 14 telecom operators signed up for the campaign. As of 1 October they provide various advantageous actions, such as extra data volume, for people who did not, or only to a small extent, use mobile Internet up until now and will inform consumers of the easy and safe use thereof. This campaign is an opportunity for people to become acquainted with the advantages of mobile Internet. The purpose is that people can have a taste of mobile Internet in an accessible and informal manner. You can find a list of the participating operators on www.surfmobile.be/initiative .

With this initiative, the Minister, together with BIPT and the FPS Economy, want to give mobile Internet in Belgium a boost. A boost that is needed. The penetration rate of mobile Internet may have increased strongly in our country these past few years: from 16% (2011) to 57.5% by the end of 2014, but despite catching up Belgium is still below the EU average (66.7 %).

Vice-premier and Minister of the Digital Agenda and Telecom, Alexander De Croo: “This campaign is an opportunity for people to become acquainted with the advantages of mobile Internet. I am pleased that 14 mobile operators join hands along with 'Digital Belgium'. This way we eliminate the lag our country has in the use of mobile Internet and we give an extra boost to the digital economy.”

Axel Desmedt, Member of the BIPT Council: “A mobile broadband penetration rate of 57.5% is not sufficient. In order to remedy this, we, together with the Minister and the FPS Economy, wish in the first place to instil trust into the consumer as regards the use of mobile data and hope that numerous consumers will get to know mobile Internet in a positive and profitable manner during October thanks to the telecom operators' actions."

Jean-Marc Delporte, President of the Board of the FPS Economy: "With this campaign we want to encourage consumers having no or few experience with mobile Internet to discover this during the month of October. Thanks to mobile Internet a consumer has all the practical information regarding daily life right at hand: the latest news, the doctor or pharmacist in attendance, the phone number of a restaurant, ... It could not get any easier."