• Communication of 27 November 2023 on the benchmarking of the fixed service and convergent bundle rates on the residential market [Tariffs applied in Q4 2023]

    Publications › Communication -
    The BIPT carries out a national price benchmarking each year. This study takes demand as its starting point, i.e. the needs that different types of telecoms service users have to satisfy.
  • Communication of 21 November 2023 regarding the Belgian postal services observatory for 2022

    Publications › Communication -
    The indicators present in this observatory aim at providing a representation of the market structure intended for all the stakeholders of the postal sector (senders, addressees, operators, various intermediate players, etc.).
  • FAQ

    What is Easy Switch?

    Easy Switch facilitates the switching of operators if you have at least one Internet access service or one television service.

    It relieves you from most of the administrative steps in case of a switch. Your new operator takes care of the cancellation of the old contract as soon as his services have been installed at your place.

    The procedure always applies for consumers but companies or non-profit organisations can also appeal to it when, at their previous operator, they: 

    • have subscribed to a tariff plan destined for consumers, or
    • use a standard tariff plan for businesses. This is a “take it or leave it” type of tariff plan: the rates and other parameters are non-negotiable. Generally these tariff plans were or are published on the operator’s website. Here you will find an indicative list of this type of tariff plans per operator.  

    What does Easy Switch?

    • Easy switch facilitates the switching of fixed operators. It is a standard procedure, unless you choose not to use it. In that case, you must terminate your contract by yourself with your previous operator.
    • If you use the Easy Switch procedure, you mandate your new operator to take care of the transfer in your stead, and thus to terminate the previous contract.
    • You only have to mention whether you want to transfer your number (including your mobile number if it is offered with the fixed services) or cancel it. In the absence of indications, the number shall remain with your previous operator (but your contract and/or the price may change).
      Certain operators do not allow you to keep a number without Internet access. If you do not indicate what you want concerning your number, you might lose it.
      So, gather all the necessary information!

    Why use Easy Switch?

    • Easy Switch limits the duration of service interruption: the new operator contacts the operator you are leaving as soon as it is ready to provide you with the requested services. It takes care of the termination of the services and of the contract with the operator you are leaving.
    • Easy Switch limits the risks of a double billing. The operator you are leaving must stop charging you for its services no later than by the end of the day following the day it was informed of the transfer.

    What should I take into account before taking my decision?

    • As a consumer, a company or a non-profit organisation with no more than 9 employees: check whether a fixed-term contract is still active at your previous operator. If you took out your contract less than 6 months ago, your operator may charge you a termination fee. This fee is limited to the subscription fee you would have paid until the 6th month of the contract.
    • Companies or non-profit organisations with an average of 10 employees or more during the recent financial year cannot enjoy this limit. Check in the contract whether, and to what degree, cancellation fees are due in case of a cancellation prior to the expiration of the fixed term!
    • Check if the operator sold you a device at a reduced price with the subscription. In that case, the operator can charge you the residual value of the device. This value must be indicated in a repayment table in the contract (or an annex).. Each month, the same amount must be deducted from the residual value of the device. After 24 months, an operator can never charge you an indemnity for the device.

    What do I have to communicate to my new operator?

    • The customer number your previous operator gave you,
    • The Easy Switch ID with your previous operator:
      You will find that code (a series of numbers and/or letters):
      - online, in your customer page or in the operator app;
      - in your invoice;
      - in the welcome letter or e-mail of your new operator since 1 July 2017.
    • If you wish to keep for 18 months your e-mail address with the name of the provider you are leaving.
      Certain operators allow you to keep the e-mail address without you having to request it. It is therefore recommended to contact your operator for more information.
    • The fixed and mobile number(s) you wish to transfer or cancel with your previous operator.
    • Possibly the period during which you wish the services to remain active with the operator you are leaving, while the services of your new operator have already been activated.
      This can be useful for instance when you move into a new home and change to a new operator.

    What rights do I have when changing to another fixed operator?

    A fixed date on which the new service is activated

    You have the right to agree with the operator on an exact date to activate his services. 

    As soon as the operator knows he will not be able to meet that deadline, he must notify you and agree on a new fixed date with you. 

    If this does not happen, you are entitled to a compensation of 6 euros per day of delay for the installation (the fixed date on which the installation eventually did not take place, is included in the number of days of delay). You need to apply for this compensation with your new operator. 

    Appointment in a half-day time slot

    If the visit of a technician is required, you have the right to make an appointment within time slots of maximum half a day. That way, you do not have to take a whole day off.
    If the technician did not show up at the agreed time, you are entitledto a fee of € 30 per missed appointment. Your new operator has to pay you this fee automatically if the attendance at the agreed time has not been proven by a technician's report.

    A switch without an interruption of service of more than one working day

    The Easy Switch rules instruct the operators to first activate the new services and then deactivate the old services. 
    But sometimes that is technically not possible. For example, when the switch takes place on the same network. In that case, operators have to ensure a proper coordination and minimum disruption of service. 

    If the interruption of service takes longer than one working day (excluding the day of the interruption of service itself), the new operator will automatically have to pay you a compensation of 10 euros per calendar day that the service remains interrupted.

    For example: the old service was interrupted on Thursday; the new service was activated the following Tuesday. You are automatically entitled to a compensation of 30 euros by your new operator. This must be paid upon the first invoice following the migration or via a credit note issued on the occasion of this first invoice.

    What are the other steps if I have requested an Easy Switch?

    • If you have a modem or a decoder from your previous operator, you will probably have to return it.
    • The new operator or his technician cannot return this to the previous operator in your place.

    In which cases is Easy Switch not applicable?

    • If your company or non-profit organisation has a tariff plan that was ‘tailored’ to your company or non-profit organisation; usually such a tariff plan is not listed on the operator's website and the contract was concluded following a request for a quotation. 
    • If you wish to switch operators only for television, but not for the Internet or vice versa (partial migration).
      You must then terminate by yourself the service(s) of the operator you are leaving that you have selected for transfer.
    • If you move and remain with the same operator, the Easy Switch procedure does not apply either.

    When is the Easy Switch procedure only partially applicable?

    If you have taken out services with multiple operators.
    You can only request the Easy Switch procedure for the transfer from an operator you are leaving to the new operator. You must terminate the other services by yourself.

  • Results of the benchmarking of mobile service tariffs in Belgium [Tariffs applied in Q3 2023]

    Publications › Communication -
    The changing nature of mobile offers proposed by operators should encourage consumers to compare them regularly, to ensure that they do not miss any new, more advantageous solutions since their latest choice.
  • Communication of 2 October 2023 on the results of a survey regarding the consumers’ perception of the Belgian electronic communications market

    Publications › Communication -
    Since 2012, BIPT has a thorough survey carried out about the perception of consumers on the functioning of the electronic communications market in Belgium. The survey makes it possible to assess the level of information of the consumers, as well as the impact of the measures taken to regulate the electronic communications market. The survey results are reported annually.
  • FAQ

    Belgium missed two European deadlines for the 5G roll-out in 2020: 30 June 2020, the date set for allowing the use of 5G in the 700 MHz band and 30 December 2020, the deadline for 3400-3800 MHz and at least 1 GHz in the 26 GHz band (provided there is sufficient demand from the market, which is not the case in Belgium today).

    Most European countries did make the 5G pioneer bands available:

      700 MHz 3400 – 3800 MHz
    Cyprus December 2020 December 2020
    Denmark March 2019 December 2020
    Germany Juin 2015 June 2019
    Estonia   December 2020
    Finland November 2016  October 2018
    France Novembre 2015 October 2020
    Greece December 2020 December 2020
    Hungary April 2020 April 2020
    Irland   May 2017
    Italy October 2018 October 2018
    Latvia   September 2018
    Luxembourg August 2020  August 2020
    The Netherlands July 2020  
    Norway June 2019  
    Austria September 2020  March  2019
    Slovakia December 2020 July 2017
    Espagne   July 2018
    Czech Republic January 2021 January 2021
    The United Kingdom July 2020  April 2018
    Sweden December 2018 December 2019
    Switzerland June 2019 January 2019

  • Communication regarding the monitoring of net neutrality in Belgium (period from 1 May 2022 to 30 April 2023)

    Publications › Communication -
    In this seventh annual report the BIPT describes all activities it carried out in the field of net neutrality during the period from 1 May 2022 until 30 April 2023 included.
  • Opinion of 14 March 2023 on the draft resolution regarding the protection of young children against inappropriate online content, submitted to the Chamber of Representatives

    Publications › Opinion -
    At the request of the chairman of the Chamber of Representatives’ Committee for Economy, Consumer protection and Digital Agenda, the BIPT issued an opinion on a draft resolution regarding the protection of young children against inappropriate online content that was submitted to the Chamber.
  • The situation of the electronic communications and television market (2022)

    Publications › Communication -
    Communication of 9 June 2023 on the situation of the electronic communications and television market (2022)
  • Consultation on the allocation of the 40.660 MHz- 40.690 MHz spectrum to private radio stations for individual training, technical exchange of messages and studies, used by radio amateurs

    Publications › Consultation -
    Allocation of the 40.660 MHz- 40.690 MHz spectrum to private radio stations for individual training, technical exchange of messages and studies, used by radio amateurs
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