WRITTEN QUESTION E-0872/00

by Alejandro Agag Longo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 March 2000)

Subject: Internet in schools

On 28 February this year the Commission sent the President of the Council its contribution with a view to the forthcoming Lisbon Summit on reform and employment. It mentions, as one of its priorities, that all schools should have access to the Internet by 2001.

Does the Commission consider reasonably priced access to the Internet to be feasible, as a universal service, for the Member States?

Similarly, a number of countries have mooted the idea of free access to the Internet for schools, universities, hospitals and other healthcare structures, in order to prevent the different levels of income in the Union from creating a two-speed Europe as far as the information society is concerned. What is its opinion on this matter?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(25 May 2000)

In its eEurope Initiative(1) the Commission set the target that all European schools should have access to Internet and multimedia resources by the end of 2001. It is a priority for the Commission to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to be part of the emerging information society.

The Commission policy to encourage Member States to connect schools to the Internet should be distinguished from the concept of universal service as it is understood in the telecommunications legislation(2). This legislation requires the authorities in Member States to place obligations on network operators to ensure that a defined minimum set of services of specified quality are available to all, independent of their geographical location, at an affordable price.

The current definition of universal service includes the provision of voice telephony, fax and voice band data transmission via modems, i.e. access to the Internet.

Internet access to schools, however, is not included in the current scope of universal service. Nevertheless, the current Community legislative framework(3) allows special tariffs to be provided for well-defined groups of users, such as schools. In many Member States incumbent operators have already developed special tariffs for Internet access to schools. These special (usage) tariffs should not serve to distort competition and operators should not abuse their dominant position through predatory pricing. National regulatory authorities have been involved in making sure that competing operators or service providers also have the opportunity to provide these special offers.

Furthermore, the Member States are free to impose obligations outside the scope of universal service to provide further services at national level, but the Member States cannot oblige market players to contribute to the provision of such services. Such services, for example Internet access for schools, can be financed from public budgets, as long as they are in compliance with the competition law.

The Commission encourages the Member States to equip schools, hospitals and libraries with computers and Internet access, particularly in the context of the interventions of the structural funds for the period 2000-2006. These investments indeed are necessary to ensure that the information society is socially inclusive.

(1) COM(1999) 687.

(2) The Voice telephony directive (Directive 98/10/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 1998 on the application of open network provision (ONP) to voice telephony and on universal service for telecommunications in a competitive environment OJ L 101, 1.4.1998) and Interconnection directive (Directive 97/33/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 1997 on interconnection in telecommunications with regard to ensuring universal service and interoperability through application of the principles of open network provision (ONP) OJ L 199, 26.7.1997).

(3) The Voice telephony directive requires transparency and cost orientation (in the case of significant market power for tariffs and allow for the provision of special (or discounted) tariff schemes. The Interconnection directive (Article 5 and Annex III) states what is included in universal service and what can potentially be recovered or financed by universal funds where a net cost is demonstrated.