Broadband Internet access in Europe should be universal service, accessible to all citizens – this is the European Commission view, which on Thursday began debate on this issue with representatives of governments and business. High-speed Internet access are present in about 1 / 3 of all households throughout the European Union.

In countries such as Belgium, Denmark and Luxembourg broadband access to the web is universal, but poorer countries lag far behind. EC considers that, while competitive markets make wider broadband access networks to proceed in a systematic pace, we should “make further efforts to ensure access for all”.

“The Internet is a quick passport to the information society and a key condition for economic development. Therefore, the task of the commission is to ensure that the Internet has become accessible to all Europeans to 2010″ – Said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media. However the Commission reserves, that this time does not intend to propose any new proposals for legislation.

EU Directive on universal service for the 2002 stipulates that all citizens must have access to broadband Internet.

According to the Commissioner, a large responsibility in this regard rests on the public sector (while private telecommunications companies failed to make the mobile phone service providers without public aid). Currently in the European Union mobile penetration is 112% (it is not known, however, whether the data is overstated).

Reding, however, recognizes the rapid growth in mobile telephony as an example of confidence in the European telecoms market – so operators do not have to impose the obligation to the spread of mobile telephony services.

For more information visit: Europe’s Information Society – http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/current/consumer_rights/universal_service/index_en.htm