Federal Telecommunications Minister Petra De Sutter wants to extend and automate the social rate for Internet subscribers, she said on Saturday in Het Nieuwsblad.
The tariff, which allows for reduced installation and subscription fees for both mobile and fixed Internet services, has been in existence for some time now.
In theory, half a million people could be eligible for it, but "there is a big gap between the number of people eligible and those who apply for it," De Sutter said. “They are not informed or lose their way in the administrative process.”
Therefore, she wants to automate the social rate and extend it to an additional 700,000 eligible people. She is also studying whether European legislation authorises her to set a social tariff for mobile Internet and wants to complete her plan by the end of next week.
The Brussels Times