Economic affairs minister Maxime Verhagen is to press ahead with the introduction of legislation guaranteeing unhindered access to the internet, heading off phone firm plans to stop customers using some open access services unless they pay higher fees.

‘Everyone has to have access to all internet-based information,’ the minister said. However, ‘pricing internet traffic on the basis of the volume of data or speed’ will be allowed, according to an economic affairs ministry statement.
‘We are ahead of the rest in Europe but this is because we have been confronted earlier with plans to tax competing services,’ Verhagen said.
EU investigation

MPs from the ruling VVD and CDA want to wait for the outcome of a European investigation into mobile internet pricing, but Verhagen says he plans to press ahead now.
Last month, opposition MPs called on the minister to introduce legislation guaranteeing net neutrality after KPN said it is to introduce new subscriptions for clients who use certain mobile phone applications.
In particular, mobile phone providers’ earnings have been hit as customers use free telephone and text message services which operate via the internet.
A spokesman for KPN told the Telegraaf the company has no plans to block any services and regrets the fact that parliament is rushing ahead with the legislation.