Dutch Parliament wants to stimulate implementation of fibreglass networks

The Netherlands need to speed up building fibreglass communication data networks, says a great majority of the Dutch House of representatives. The government ought to take a more pro-active, facilitating role. Members of Parliament have little faith that reducing the administrative burden will provide the market with enough incentive to take action.

Boris van der Ham and Kees Vendrk (GroenLinks) put forward this motion. The motion “requests the government to put forward a detailed plan for how a next generation network will be built with a country-wide coverage in The Netherlands in the next five to ten years,  and furthermore, also to acknowledge an active role and to support municipalities.”

The motion was adopted by a big majority. All coalition parties and several parties in the opposition supported it. Only the liberals feel this is a responsibility of the market.

As reasons for adopting the motion were named ensuring the “digital pole position” of The Netherlands, making the network more sustainable (communication over copper wires is less energy efficient) and the creation of employment during the economic crisis.

Concretely, the motion means that the government takes a favourable approach to assist in financing fibreglass networks. In doing so, it needs to take heed of the European Commission, that recently asked the province of Limburg to reconsider its plans for expanding its network.