Telecommunications Regulation in the Netherlands

As in the rest of the world, the telecommunications industry in the Netherlands has been subject to drastic change over the last few years. By necessity, the same applies to its regulation. The present Dutch Telecommunications Act dates from 1988, when competitive provision of infrastructure and services was almost non-existent.

<p class=copymedium>Since then, technological developments and a general tendency towards liberalisation have had a profound impact on the market structure. On 15 July 1996, a major amendment to the Dutch Telecommunications Act introduced virtually unlimited competition in the provision of fixed telecommunication infrastructure. In addition, almost all telecommunication services, with the exception of public voice telephony, were liberalised.

<p class=copymedium>This book provides an introduction to Dutch telecommunications regulation, and contains English translations of the Telecommunications Act, the Fixed Telecommunications Infra-structure Licenses Act, and a number of important regulations implementing the acts.

<p class=copymedium>This publication results from a cooperative effort between the law firm Loeff Claeys Verbeke and the Telecommunications and Post Department of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.