[euopendata] Dutch gov ends postcode monopoly TNT

[Ton Zijlstra]

Hi all,

a bit of encouraging open data news out of the Netherlands this week. The
Dutch government has nixed agreements with private mail company TNT on the
exploitation of postcodes.
TNT, originally the state run mail, was allowed to 'keep' the postcodes upon
privatization and the only one to commercially exploit them. Local govs
would indicate new and changed addresses to TNT. They would add the postcode
and then start selling that back to gov. For private individuals a full
postcode file can cost over 13.000 Euro (yes, that is thirteen thousand).
Dutch postcodes indicate not only neighbourhood but also a specific row of
houses, and are of high interest to re-users for location aware apps.

Municipalities will soon be able to provide postcode files against
incremental costs.

best,

Ton
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Interdependent Thoughts
Ton Zijlstra

ton at tonzijlstra.eu
+31-6-34489360

http://zylstra.org/blog
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