Legal framework
The law relating to radio communications for emergency and security services
The law relating to radio communications for emergency and security services determines, among other things, the following points:
- The creation of ASTRID by the Federale Investeringsmaatschappij/Société Fédérale d'Investissement (Federal Investment Company).
- The definition of ASTRID’s social objective, the composition of its Board of Directors and issues relating to capital and financing.
- The allocation of the 380-385/390-395MHz frequency band.
- The monitoring of ASTRID by the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of the Budget.
- The monitoring of the financial situation, annual accounts and the legality of the company is entrusted to a group of commissioners.
Management service agreement
The management service agreement covers ASTRID's relationships between both the Belgian government and end users. This code of practice offers a clear and transparent framework for ASTRID's remit and financing arrangements, while also providing an operational framework for ASTRID, the state regulatory authorities and end users.
ASTRID's third management service agreement was established by Royal Decree, issued in 2017. This sets out the service obligations and investment schedule over the period 2016-2020 agreed between the federal government and ASTRID.
The new management service agreement comprises three principal strands:
- Ensuring reliability and continuity
- Maintaining and expanding coverage and capacity
- Developing new services for end users, in particular mobile data services
Financing
The management service agreement details the mechanisms for financing, which are twofold:
- Annual financing of operating charges (system maintenance and operating costs) is by way of a subsidy taken from the budget allocation for Home Affairs FPS (SPF Intérieur/FOD Binnenlandse Zaken) in the general expenditure budget. The Belgian government has earmarked an annual allocation of €46.5 million for 2016 and each of the following four years.
- Investment projects are secured through pre-financing arrangements using ASTRID's own resources, with the total amount recouped from annual user subscriptions. The value of ASTRID's investment activity covered by revenue from subscriptions amounts to €117 million.
Statutes
The statutes are based on the relevant bills