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14 NOVEMBER 2011. - An Act to amend the Electronic Communications Act of June 13, 2005 with respect to the accessibility of emergency services (1)

ALBERT II, King of the Belgians,
To all, present and to come, Hi.
The Chambers adopted and We sanction the following:
Article 1^er. This Act regulates a matter referred to in Article 78 of the Constitution.
Art. 2. In section 107 of the Electronic Communications Act of 13 June 2005, as amended by the Acts of 18 May 2009 and 31 May 2011, the following amendments are made:
1/ a paragraph 2/1 is inserted, as follows:
§ 2/1. Operators who provide mobile services take the necessary technical measures on their networks as well as the necessary administrative measures to ensure that emergency services providing on-site assistance can be joined by a text message on their emergency numbers by deaf or hearing impaired persons, as well as those with any other disability that may prevent the use of an emergency call by a voice call.
These calls are emergency calls.
At the request of the Institute and within a period determined by the Institute for a maximum of four months, mobile operators offer technical solutions to ensure the accessibility by text message of emergency services offering on-site assistance. The Institute consults on-site emergency services on the proposed technical solutions.
On the Institute's proposal, the Minister sets out the technical solution that operators must implement, as well as the deadline for operators to carry out this, which can not exceed twelve months. ";
2/ in paragraph 4, the following amendments are made:
(a) in paragraph 1^er, first sentence, the words "to the obligation provided for in paragraph 2" are replaced by the words "to the obligations defined in paragraphs 2 and 2/1";
(b) in paragraph 1^er, second sentence, the words "to the obligation provided for in the second paragraph" are replaced by the words "to the obligations defined in paragraphs 2 and 2/1";
(c) in paragraph 3, the words "in paragraph two" are replaced by the words "in paragraphs 2 and 2/1";
(d) in the Dutch text of paragraph 3, the word "overgemaakt" is replaced by the word "overgezonden";
(e) the following paragraph shall be inserted between paragraphs 3 and 4:
"Mobile service providers support, in addition to the costs of adaptation within their own network, the costs of investment, operation and maintenance that can be directly attributed to the development and maintenance of central interfaces in the emergency services management plants that are used as part of the fulfilment of the obligation defined in paragraph 2/1. ";
3/ in paragraph 5, the following paragraph shall be inserted between paragraphs 2 and 3:
"Invest, operation and maintenance costs that can be directly attributed to the development and maintenance of central interfaces in emergency service management stations providing on-site assistance that are used as part of the fulfilment of the obligation set out in paragraph 2/1 are distributed among the operators providing relevant mobile services proportionally to the number of active users via which services were offered by each of these operators to 1^er September of the previous year. "
Promulgation of this law, let us order that it be clothed with the seal of the State and published by the Belgian Monitor.
Given in Brussels, 14 November 2011.
ALBERT
By the King:
Minister for Business and Simplification,
VAN QUICKENBORNE
Seal of the state seal:
Minister of Justice,
S. DE CLERCK
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Note
(1) Regular session 2010-2011.
House of Representatives.
Parliamentary documents. - Bill No. 1265/1. - Addendum, no. 1265/2. - Amendment No. 1265/3. - Report made on behalf of the commission, No. 1265/4. - Text adopted by the Commission, No. 1265/5. - Text adopted in plenary and transmitted to the Senate, No. 1265/6.
Full report. - 20 July 2011.
Senate.
Parliamentary documents. - Project not referred to by the Senate, No. 5-1181/1.