Our situation in Belgium seems a bit different to this. The state no longer regulates Belgacom directly, but neither were they in the situation of having a total monopoly over the local loop. So they were never in the position to overcharge for services like DSL.

Since the 1970s, large networks of cable TV have been in use here, rather than UHF broadcasts. So, in the main cities like Brussels and Antwerp, there are extensive networks of good-quality coaxial wiring into every home; the TV providers like Coditel and Telenet are now offering a 4mbits/s package as an add-on to the basic TV channels, and they started offering a telephone service also.

I chose the ADSL package offered by Belgacom, the phone people, though, because it seemed better value -- had it now for coming towards 5 years. 3mbits/s, 27 euros per month, no messing around. When I signed up as an early adopter, I got a free Alcatel modem and line filters and the first month free also.

The cable TV wiring is quite distinctive and I could try to take some photos if people are interested. All coax, distinctive aluminium splitter boxes on the front of people's homes, and some pretty hairy "lash-up" solutions where the main has to jump from one building to another. It's pretty good, though -- 50 channels, plus FM radio, available in French, Dutch and Flemish, German, Turkish, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, American, and cartoons too [Linked Image]