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Both. An aeronautical authorisation is required when airborne but a maritime authorisation is required when on water. Furthermore, it can use a PLB: a device which can be activated by the user in case of emergency. That type of device is not subject to an authorisation in Belgium, provided that it is registered by the user via www.406registration.com.

We will contact you via ordinary mail before the expiration date.

Make sure to always report any change in your contact details to us (according to regulation your data must always be up to date).

However, if BIPT has not contacted you two weeks before the expiration date, please contact us as soon as possible

Find out first what speed your operator promised you in your contract

Do not assume that you will get the speeds the operators advertise in their advertisements.

Fixed Internet service providers (ISPs) have to mention the minimum, maximum and generally available speeds in their contracts and on their websites as well. 

A BIPT Decision defines how these values have to be interpreted concretely, taking into account the set-up of networks in Belgium:

• “the minimum speed” shall be understood as the value of the speed the access provider will never drop below, unless there is an interruption of service;
• “generally available speed” shall be understood as the value of the speed that an end-user would expect to obtain for most of the time when accessing the service (i.e. for at least 95% of the time);
• "maximum speed" shall be understood as the value of the speed which the user may expect at certain times, in principle at least once per 24-hour period. 

How to accurately measure the actual speed?

There are speed tests (either from third parties or from operators) to measure the ISPs’ actual speeds. Examples are: 

• http://www.bipt-speedtest.be/#/test/run
• https://www2.telenet.be/residential/nl/landingspaginas/speedtest
• https://www.proximus.be/nl/id_cr_speedtest/particulieren/r-orphans/test-en-optimaliseer-je-internetsnelheid.html
• https://www.orange.be/nl/opties-en-diensten/speedtest
• https://www.speedtest.net/nl
• https://www.test-aankoop.be/acties/internetspeed/test

You will find several others on the Internet. 

Once you have selected one, it is in your interest to obtain as accurate as possible evidence of the inadequate speed. 

The following conditions have a positive effect on the accuracy of the measurements:  

1. always use the same speed test (this avoids deviations caused by other speed tests); 
2. establish a fixed connection between the measuring device (laptop) and the modem (this avoids a speed that is too low due to the use of Wi-Fi restricted by walls or other electrical equipment);
3. make sure that other persons in the household do not use the Internet at the time of measurement (they also take up capacity that cannot then be used for the measurement and thus reduces the result of the measurement);
4. close all other programs (browser, gaming, music) on the measuring device (laptop) (even those programs use capacity which causes the measurement result to be too low);
5. measure your speed between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. several times and for several days (to prove continuous or frequent inadequate speed);
6. take screenshots of all measurements and save them along with the date and time of each measurement.

Where there is a continuous or regular significant difference between the actual speeds of the Internet access service and the speeds specified by the ISP in the contract.

1. If that is the case, then the ISP should basically take actions to reach the promised level. If these actions do not solve the problem, then you are entitled to other contractual remedial measures, such as compensation for the damage and/or the dissolution of the contract.
2. Secondly, if you do not achieve a satisfactory result with the operator, you can also contact the Office of the Ombudsman for Telecommunications, which will mediate free of charge in order to reach an amicable settlement of the dispute.
3. In a third instance (or immediately after a prior written notice of the operator), the court can issue a binding ruling on the non-compliance with the contract.

My operator has been granted a derogation regarding roaming. What does that mean?

Operators have the right to submit an application to BIPT to receive a derogation allowing them to apply roaming surcharges in the European Union (and associated countries: Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein).

Currently no Belgian operator has been granted such a derogation.

Surcharges applied pursuant to such a derogation may not exceed the following amounts: 

These changes only concern sales by professionals  to private individuals (B2C).

Example: an online purchase by a Belgian consumer on a Chinese platform. 

• The purchaser must pay the VAT on all goods imported in the EU from third countries.
• For goods up to €150 bought online from outside the EU, the purchaser shall pay the VAT during the purchase if the seller is registered in the new import one-stop shop (IOSS).
• If the seller is not registered in the IOSS or if the purchase amount exceeds €150, the purchaser will in principle pay the VAT to the courier during the delivery.

To avoid any surprises, please check carefully from whom you are purchasing, especially if the VAT and the import duty are included in the selling price. Check your order and your invoice!

All you need to know about the new VAT e-commerce rules (Information for consumers in the EU).

More info avaliable on the website of the Federal  Public Service FINANCE:

• for private individual

You may be eligible for the social Internet offer.

You do not meet the granting conditions or the social Internet offer does not appeal to you?
Go to besttariff.be, the government’s telecom tariff comparison tool, and find the telecom tariff plan that does meet your needs, which may be cheaper for you. All telecom tariff plans available on the market are listed there, ranging from inexpensive to more expensive.

Certain operators have offers that include applications of which the consumption is not deducted from the data volume.

That practice, often called “zero-rating”, is not explicitly regulated by the net neutrality rules.

One part of the net neutrality rules generally specifies that Internet traffic should be treated in the same way. 

It was clear that this meant that it is forbidden to allow zero-rating applications to continue at the normal speed, whereas other traffic was blocked or throttled (e.g. because the data volume in the bundle was used up). 

But whether that rule also applied to a different way of billing, without blocking or throttling in an unequal way, was not clear. 

The European Court of Justice has ruled that this is the case. 

Zero-rating offers for certain applications are therefore unlawful and have to be adapted. 

If the adaptation is to your disadvantage, you have the right to cancel your contract free of charge.

A wireless local area network allows you to interconnect your devices and radio waves enable the rapid exchange of data.

The term “Wi-Fi” was coined to get a simpler term to refer to the standards of the group IEEE 802.11, which are the ones used for wireless networks. Since 1999, several versions have followed one another, improving the quality of data transmitted per second, the signal range or the connection quality. The latest publicly accessible version is called Wi-Fi 6 (the official name of the standard is “IEEE 802.11ax”).

Several devices are already compatible with Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E; these are very recent. Concerning your modem/router, there will be some time before this technology is included. At present, the Wi-Fi signal transmitted by your modem/router uses two frequency bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz):

• 2.4 GHz: This frequency band, shared by numerous types of use, enables the transmission of signals over long distances and is not affected by barriers created by walls or floors;
• 5 GHz: This frequency band is more stable and faster. Regarding data transmission, it has more and broader channels: there are 13 channels of 20 MHz or 40 MHz on 2.4 GHz. On 5 GHz, there are 13 channels of 20, 40 and 80 MHz. Most receivers are compatible with this band, which is a bit more sensitive to the presence of obstacles than the 2.4 GHz band.

Wi-Fi 6 also uses these frequency bands. In the next development, Wi-Fi 6E (E meaning “extended”) will add the 6 GHz band.

Compared with the previous versions, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E offer:

• A higher speed (channels up to 120 MHz);
• A shorter response time;
• A better connection management in case of high user density (when a large number of users are simultaneously connected to the same network, at the same location).

With the addition of the 6 GHz band and its 480 MHz of additional bandwidth, Wi-Fi 6E will offer more frequencies and a higher speed (up to 11 Gbps in theory).

Last but not least, it better manages the active and sleep status of connected devices. Less strain will be put on the batteries of smartphones, tablets and laptops and they will thus last longer.

The transition to Wi-Fi 6E will not be mandatory. Current devices, even if they do not have access to the new band, can still be used without any problems.