COUNTRY FOCUS: NETHERLANDS
“
preconditions necessary to develop
innovations and the ensuing services.”
THESE DAYS, THE ABILITY
TO COMMUNICATE QUICKLY,
IRRESPECTIVE OF LOCATION, CAN
BE CONSIDERED A BASIC NEED
AND IS A PRECONDITION FOR A
COMPETITIVE ECONOMY.
For example, providers of gas, electricity
and drinking water must be publicly owned.
In other sectors, such as the postal and
telecom sectors, regulations ensure that
private companies offer effective service
and sufficient competition. Other branches
of industry are also being examined in
addition to the telecom sector. For example,
the Ministry of Economic Affairs is currently
investigating whether the Universal Postal
Service (UPD), which organises punctual
and affordable delivery of post, could be
expanded to include requirements governing
the legal entity’s place of business, the
location of its head office and the level of
investment made in the service.
The Dutch government has not only made
securing telecom services a priority, but
has also set the goal of providing all Dutch
citizens with access to fast fixed-connection
broadband Internet (at least 100 megabits
per second) by 2023. By the same year, the
vast majority should be taking advantage
of a connection 10 times as fast (one
gigabit per second). In addition, Keijzer
favours integrating coverage obligations
into the upcoming frequency auctions for
wireless communications, such as that for
the 5G network.
State Secretary of Economic Affairs and
Climate, Mona Keijzer
part and parcel of various aspects of daily
life, such as cars, agriculture, healthcare,
robots and household appliances. This
means that every Dutch citizen will need
around-the-clock access to fast-fixed and
mobile Internet. In order to achieve that
goal, the government is now creating the
Additional support for
local authorities
Currently, 97% of Dutch citizens
have access to fast Internet via a
fixed broadband connection. These
days, the ability to communicate
quickly, irrespective of location, can
be considered a basic need and is a
precondition for a competitive economy.
This is why the government is moving
its 100% goal forward by two years,
while striving to achieve even greater
acceleration by that year (2023). In
locations where private investments to
this end are difficult to obtain and active
government intervention is needed, such
as in rural areas, the Ministry of Economic
Affairs and Climate Policy intends to
offer additional support to municipalities
and provinces. Besides the exchange of
knowledge on such topics as fees and
excavation depths, an umbrella scheme
will make it easier for the local authorities
themselves to provide financial support
for construction. This means that the
local authorities will no longer need to
submit individual financial assistance
schemes to the European Commission.
Coverage obligations
for future mobile
communications auctions
The government also wants the
Netherlands to remain a front runner in
These and other basic principles are included
in the Digital Connectivity Action Plan
presented by the government. The refined
objectives contribute to the Digital Agenda
for the Netherlands, the government’s
ambition to make the Netherlands the
digital front runner in Europe. According
to Keijzer: “While we’re currently leading
the pack in terms of digital infrastructure,
we must now take steps to maintain that
position. After all, in the coming years, a
continuous Internet connection will become
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