The Belgian mobile operators Proximus, Mobistar and Base have come out in protest over the Brussels regional government's proposal to impose a new tax on mobile antennas. In a joint press conference, their respective CEOs Dominique Leroy, Jean-Marc Harion and Jos Donvil said the tax will hold back investment and innovation.
The operators learned of the tax through press reports and said they were disappointed that they had not been consulted first by the government. The tax is expected to amount to around EUR 1,500 per mast per year and is aimed at harmonising a number of existing levies on the equipment. A similar tax was introduced recently in Wallonia, prompting a round of protest and lawsuits from the operators. That tax was expected to cost them around EUR 40 million a year. In Brussels, they estimate the tax will be the equivalent of around 30 percent of their annual investment in Brussels networks.
