Internet Service Providers announce the Internet Service Provider Association of Belgium

Brussels, november 4, 1996

Today, 23 Internet Service Providers announced the foundation of an Internet Service Provider Association with the overall aim to promote the interests of Internet Service Providers in Belgium.
The Internet is becoming a universal platform for communication and information exchange between different layers of the population in a global environment with a major impact on the society and the way we all work, live, ... Internet Service Providers play a crucial role in this fast changing world. They have a leading edge in the technology and give people the possibility to communicate and exchange the information. Internet Service Providers are becoming a major industry with its own rights, duties and responsibilities.
23 Internet Service Providers signed today a Memorandum of Understanding and committed to promote the interests of Service Providers in Belgium by founding an Internet Service Provider Association (ISPA Belgium). Together they represent over 85 % of the Belgian Internet Marketplace.

The founding of ISPA is an important step in representing the Internet Industry. The Internet is a young and fast-evolving sector and in respect to this, ISPA is open to and encourages the co-operation with other players in the Internet sector.
The ISPA will have following aim :
Overall Aim : To promote the interests of the Internet Service Providers Industry in Belgium

The principle aims of the Association are:

To provide a focal point for discussion with public authorities and other groups likely to impact the industry.
To promote accurate and un-biased media coverage of the Internet and its community
To establish, maintain and to promote a Code of Practice for service providers.
To communicate to members, technical and social issues and developments, relevant to the industry,
To foster communications between members, related organisations in Belgium and world-wide.
To encourage an open and competitive environment
To address any technical issues of specific relevance to the BE Internet community
To promote the Belgian national languages and its culture
To sponsor research into trends likely to affect Internet Service Providers.
Te MoU is open to every organisation which has a public pricelist in Belgium for Internet Access via the IP Protocol.

All members will subscribe the Code of Practice as will be defined by the ISPA.
The signatories of the MoU

Aleph-1
Antrasite
AREA 013 Gateway
Arkham
Belgium Online
Cybernet
EUnet Belgium
EUREGIO.NET
Globe
Infoboard
INnet
Interpac
International Consulting
Interweb
Linkline
Netpoint
Ontonet
Ping
Promin
Tornado
Unisource
United Callers
VEN Brussels