Fifteen Countries Participate in Coordinated European Telecommunications
Boycott

London, 21 April 1999

For immediate release

Internet users in fifteen European countries are joining forces to
campaign for fairer telecommunications charges. The following countries
intend to take part in a European Telecommunications Boycott on Sunday 6
June: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece,
Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
and the United Kingdom.

On that day all telephone users in those countries are encouraged to
pull out the plug for 24 hours; Internet users are asked to lay down
their modems.

The boycott is coordinated by telecom.eu.org which brings together, via
a mailing list, representatives of all the national campaigns.

The united European campaign aims for:

1. Costs of all telephone calls to more closely mirror the independently
audited cost to telecommunications operators of providing these calls,
as already mandated by EU law.

2. Introduction of flat-rate charges for - in the first instance - local
calls, so that anyone can talk to friends and relatives, and Internet
users can dial up to Internet Service Providers using a telephone modem,
without worrying about the clock ticking and charges ratcheting up.

3. For any remaining metered calls, abolition of the minimum call charge
so that calls are paid for solely by the time spent connected.

4. For Internet users, quicker introduction of modern access methods
such as xDSL, cable modems and satellite access, which do not use the
telephone modem and are a great improvement on it for users.

The united European campaigns' Web site:

http://www.telecom.eu.org/

UK contact:

Erol Ziya
Press Officer, Campaign for Unmetered Telecommunications
press@unmetered.org.uk

http://www.unmetered.org.uk/

+44 171 681 2831