108-590: Orange UK was a mobile network operator and internet service provider in the United Kingdom, launched in 1994. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was purchased by France Télécom (now Orange S.A. ) in 2000, which then adopted the Orange brand for all its other mobile communications activities. Orange UK merged with Deutsche Telekom 's T-Mobile UK to form a joint venture, EE in 2010. EE continued to operate
216-520: A Habsburg Empire "on which the sun never sets" with Brussels serving as one of his main capitals. It was in the Coudenberg Palace that Charles V was declared of age in 1515, and it was there in 1555 that he abdicated all of his possessions and passed the Habsburg Netherlands to King Philip II of Spain . This palace, famous all over Europe, had greatly expanded since it had first become
324-971: A Livebox which integrates VoIP technology as well as WiFi , but in more recent times, this has been replaced by a Netgear router. Orange also created an energy harvesting T-shirt and shoes. In 2000, Orange introduced a limited plan called 'Out Here', designed for users who did not make a lot of calls but needed to keep in touch. For a one-off payment of £15, users received a SIM with five free texts every day for life without ever having to top up again, and an Orange-branded 'Out Here' drawstring bag. In April 2006, Orange changed its contract offering by offering four packages to customers, named Dolphin, Canary, Racoon and Panther. On some plans there were unlimited minutes (to landlines or Orange UK mobiles), texts or data. In addition to this Orange offered dedicated business plans: Solo and Sense (a sharer plan). Orange also offered 'magic numbers': unlimited free calls to other Orange UK mobiles on contract or "talk for an hour, pay for
432-452: A USB modem (or dongle) for free. The customer was required to pay a small price for the dongle on the 1-month plans. A portable WiFi dongle could also be purchased, dubbed "Mobile WiFi". The service operated across the network's EDGE , 3G , HSDPA and HSUPA network and offered speeds of up to 3.6 Mbit/s. Orange announced in June 2008 that this speed would be increased to 7.2 Mbit/s in
540-518: A federal district . The Brussels-Capital Region is governed by a parliament of 89 members (72 French-speaking, 17 Dutch-speaking—parties are organised on a linguistic basis) and an eight-member regional cabinet consisting of a minister-president , four ministers and three state secretaries . By law, the cabinet must comprise two French-speaking and two Dutch-speaking ministers, one Dutch-speaking secretary of state and two French-speaking secretaries of state. The minister-president does not count against
648-645: A 4.34% increase, coming into effect on 8 January. It was identified that the clause that supposedly allowed Orange to increase by inflation mid-contract, clause 4.3.1, was flawed as it referenced a Statistical Office which no longer exists. Specifically, Orange referenced "the All Items Index of Retail Prices published by the Central Statistical Office in the Monthly Digest of Statistics". Orange maintain that their inaccurate wording in previous contracts
756-648: A few neighbouring municipalities have been merged into the City of Brussels , including Laeken , Haren and Neder-Over-Heembeek in 1921. These comprise the northern bulge in the municipality. To the south-east is a strip of land along the Avenue Louise/Louizalaan that, in addition to the Bois de la Cambre/Ter Kamerenbos , was annexed from Ixelles in 1864. Part of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)'s Solbosch campus
864-572: A joint letter to the then Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes in December 2009, asking for the merger to be investigated by authorities in the United Kingdom, rather than Brussels . The British Office of Fair Trading joined this call by asking the EU to allow it to investigate the proposed deal in February 2010, saying that it believed the merger could have a 'significant' effect on competition. On 1 March 2010,
972-495: A minute" on PAYG. In April 2008, Orange extended its animals to pay-as-you-go customers, introducing Dolphin, Raccoon, Canary, Camel, and Monkey. Dolphin, Monkey and Canary offer bonuses, whilst Raccoon is a discounted call rate and Camel is for a call-abroad tariff giving discounted calls to foreign countries. Orange, like other mobile networks, offered an "Internet Everywhere" tariff on pay-as-you-go, pay monthly and business plans. The tariffs names for pay monthly were aligned with
1080-488: A mobile network operator is that it must own or control access to a radio spectrum license from a regulatory or government entity, and also that it must own or control the elements of the cellular network infrastructure necessary to provide services to subscribers over the licensed radio spectrum . In addition the operator would also contain other elements like the back haul infrastructure and provisioning computer systems. A mobile network operator typically also has
1188-522: A mobile network operator may also sell access to network services at wholesale rates to mobile virtual network operators (MVNO). Brussels Brussels ( French : Bruxelles , pronounced [bʁysɛl] or [bʁyksɛl] ; Dutch : Brussel [ˈbrʏsəl] ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (French: Région de Bruxelles-Capitale ; Dutch: Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest ),
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#17328771608931296-418: A music bursary. In 2008, Orange's slogan, "The future's bright – the future's Orange" was dropped after many years by its CEO Tom Alexander in a bid to save its ailing fortunes. From July 2008 to 2013, "I am"' became the main slogan, shortened from "I am who I am because of everyone", however, subsidiary slogans were used to describe the company's products and services, for example "I am more focus, less fuzz"
1404-733: A national legislative act, in the field of the welfare powers of the communities: in the Brussels-Capital Region, both the French Community and the Flemish Community can exercise powers in the field of welfare, but only in regard to institutions that are unilingual (for example, a private French-speaking retirement home or the Dutch-speaking hospital of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel ). The Common Community Commission
1512-666: A small rural settlement on the river Senne to become an important city-region in Europe. Since the end of the Second World War , it has been a major centre for international politics and home to numerous international organisations, politicians, diplomats and civil servants . Brussels is the de facto capital of the European Union , as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions , including its administrative-legislative , executive-political , and legislative branches (though
1620-702: A swipe card, over the internet, by voucher bought printed as a receipt from a till, or via a credit or debit card. Until the EE takeover, Orange operated GPRS , EDGE and 3G HSDPA services. This has since been merged with T-Mobile's network. Orange's 2G network covered 99% of the UK population, and was the largest integrated 3G/ 2.5G network in the UK. Orange claimed in 2008 that it spent up to £1.5 million per day investing in its network. In 2009, Orange UK decided to outsource its mobile network. Therefore, in March 2009, Nokia Siemens Networks
1728-716: Is 57 m (187 ft) above sea level , varying from a low point in the valley of the almost completely covered Senne , which cuts the Brussels-Capital Region from east to west, up to high points in the Sonian Forest , on its southeastern side. In addition to the Senne, tributary streams such as the Maalbeek and the Woluwe , to the east of the region, account for significant elevation differences. Brussels' central boulevards are 15 m (49 ft) above sea level. Contrary to popular belief,
1836-672: Is a region of Belgium comprising 19 municipalities , including the City of Brussels , which is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region is located in the central portion of the country and is a part of both the French Community of Belgium and the Flemish Community , but is separate from the Flemish Region (within which it forms an enclave ) and the Walloon Region , located less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to
1944-444: Is a bilingual enclave in the monolingual Flemish Region. Regions are one component of Belgium's institutions; the three communities being the other component. Brussels' inhabitants deal with either the French Community or the Flemish Community for matters such as culture and education, as well as a Common Community for competencies which do not belong exclusively to either Community, such as healthcare and social welfare . Since
2052-469: Is also part of the City of Brussels, partially accounting for the bulge in the south-eastern end. The largest municipality in area and population is the City of Brussels, covering 32.6 km (12.6 sq mi) and with 145,917 inhabitants; the least populous is Koekelberg with 18,541 inhabitants. The smallest in area is Saint-Josse-ten-Noode , which is only 1.1 km (0.4 sq mi), but still has
2160-462: Is composed of the members of the regional parliament, and its board are the ministers—not the secretaries of state—of the region, with the minister-president not having the right to vote. This commission has two capacities: it is a decentralised administrative public body, responsible for implementing cultural policies of common interest. It can give subsidies and enact by-laws . In another capacity, it can also enact ordinances, which have equal status as
2268-477: Is one of the three federal regions of Belgium , along with Flanders and Wallonia , and has bilingual status. The yellow iris is the emblem of the region (referring to the presence of these flowers on the city's original site) and a stylised version is featured on its official flag. In recent years, Brussels has become an important venue for international events. In 2000, it was named European Capital of Culture alongside eight other European cities. In 2013,
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#17328771608932376-708: Is pronounced / s / , as in English , and the final s is silent) and in Dutch, Brussel is pronounced [ˈbrʏsəl] . Inhabitants of Brussels are known in French as Bruxellois (pronounced [bʁysɛlwa] ) and in Dutch as Brusselaars (pronounced [ˈbrʏsəlaːrs] ). In the Brabantian dialect of Brussels (known as Brusselian , and also sometimes referred to as Marols or Marollien), they are called Brusseleers or Brusseleirs . Originally,
2484-732: Is related to different conceptions in the two communities, one focusing more on the Communities and the other more on the Regions, causing an asymmetrical federalism . Because of this devolution, the French Community Commission can enact decrees , which are legislative acts. A bi-communitarian public authority, the Common Community Commission (French: Commission communautaire commune , COCOM, Dutch: Gemeenschappelijke Gemeenschapscommissie , GGC) also exists. Its assembly
2592-413: Is responsible for policies aiming directly at private persons or at bilingual institutions (for example, the centres for social welfare of the 19 municipalities). Its ordinances have to be enacted with a majority in both linguistic groups. Failing such a majority, a new vote can be held, where a majority of at least one third in each linguistic group is sufficient. Brussels serves as de facto capital of
2700-581: Is the only rapid transit system in Belgium. In addition, both its airport and railway stations are the largest and busiest in the country. Brussels is known for its cuisine and gastronomic offer (including its local waffle , its chocolate , its French fries and its numerous types of beers ), as well as its historical and architectural landmarks; some of them are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Principal attractions include its historic Grand-Place/Grote Markt (main square), Manneken Pis ,
2808-710: The Arrows Formula One team from 2000 until 2002. In spirit with Orange's commitment to cinema Orange sponsored the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards until 2012 which includes an award in its own name – the Orange Rising Star Award . Sponsorship switched to EE from 2013 onwards. Orange UK has also shown a commitment to music which has included partnering with the Glastonbury Festival to provide mobile charging facilities and offers
2916-456: The Atlantic Ocean . Nearby wetlands also ensure a maritime temperate climate. On average (based on measurements in the period 1981–2010), there are approximately 135 days of rain per year in the Brussels-Capital Region. Snowfall is infrequent, averaging 24 days per year. The city also often experiences violent thunderstorms in summer months. Despite its name, the Brussels-Capital Region is not
3024-661: The Atomium , and cultural institutions such as La Monnaie/De Munt and the Museums of Art and History . Due to its long tradition of Belgian comics , Brussels is also hailed as a capital of the comic strip . The most common theory of the origin of the name Brussels is that it derives from the Old Dutch Bruocsella , Broekzele or Broeksel , meaning ' marsh ' ( bruoc / broek ) and ' home, settlement ' ( sella / zele / sel ) or ' settlement in
3132-619: The Belgian Revolution began in Brussels, after a performance of Auber's opera La Muette de Portici at the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie . The city became the capital and seat of government of the new nation. South Brabant was renamed simply Brabant , with Brussels as its administrative centre. On 21 July 1831, Leopold I , the first King of the Belgians , ascended the throne, undertaking
3240-583: The Brussels International Exposition of 1935 and the 1958 Brussels World's Fair ( Expo 58 ). During World War I , Brussels was an occupied city, but German troops did not cause much damage. During World War II , it was again occupied by German forces , and spared major damage, before it was liberated by the British Guards Armoured Division on 3 September 1944. Brussels Airport , in the suburb of Zaventem , dates from
3348-738: The Council of Ministers holds its meetings. The Court of Cassation , Belgium's main court, has its seat in the Palace of Justice . Other important institutions in the City of Brussels are the Constitutional Court , the Council of State , the Court of Audit , the Royal Belgian Mint and the National Bank of Belgium . The City of Brussels is also the capital of both the French Community of Belgium and
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3456-434: The European Union (EU), and many modern offices were built. Development was allowed to proceed with little regard to the aesthetics of newer buildings, and numerous architectural landmarks were demolished to make way for newer buildings that often clashed with their surroundings, giving name to the process of Brusselisation . The Brussels-Capital Region was formed on 18 June 1989, after a constitutional reform in 1988. It
3564-738: The European Union (EU), hosting the major political institutions of the Union . The EU has not declared a capital formally, though the Treaty of Amsterdam formally gives Brussels the seat of the European Commission (the executive branch of government) and the Council of the European Union (a legislative institution made up from executives of member states). It locates the formal seat of European Parliament in Strasbourg , where votes take place, with
3672-605: The Flemish Community . The Flemish Parliament and Flemish Government have their seats in Brussels, and so do the Parliament of the French Community and the Government of the French Community . The 19 municipalities (French: communes , Dutch: gemeenten ) of the Brussels-Capital Region are political subdivisions with individual responsibilities for the handling of local level duties, such as law enforcement and
3780-592: The Flemish Diamond , as well as the province of Walloon Brabant , in total home to over 5 million people. As Belgium's economic capital and a top financial centre in Western Europe with Euronext Brussels , Brussels is classified as an Alpha global city . It is also a national and international hub for rail, road and air traffic, and is sometimes considered, together with Belgium, as Europe's geographic, economic and cultural crossroads. The Brussels Metro
3888-562: The French Community Commission (French: Commission communautaire française or COCOF) and the Flemish Community Commission (Dutch: Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie or VGC). These two bodies each have an assembly composed of the members of each linguistic group of the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region . They also have a board composed of the ministers and secretaries of state of each linguistic group in
3996-727: The Grand-Place/Grote Markt and Tomberg in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert , for example). During late antiquity , the region was home to Roman occupation, as attested by archaeological evidence discovered on the current site of Tour & Taxis , north-west of the Pentagon (Brussels' city centre). Following the decline of the Western Roman Empire , it was incorporated into the Frankish Empire . According to local legend,
4104-546: The Kingdom of Germany , Brussels became a commercial centre specialised in the textile trade. The town grew quite rapidly and extended towards the upper town (Treurenberg, Coudenberg and Sablon/Zavel areas), where there was a reduced risk of floods. As the town grew to a population of around 30,000, the surrounding marshes were drained to allow for further expansion. In 1183, the Counts of Leuven became Dukes of Brabant . Brabant, unlike
4212-679: The Royal Palace of Laeken , the official home of the Belgian royal family ). The Palace of the Nation is located on the opposite side of this park, and is the seat of the Belgian Federal Parliament . The office of the Prime Minister of Belgium , colloquially called Law Street 16 (French: 16, rue de la Loi , Dutch: Wetstraat 16 ), is located adjacent to this building. It is also where
4320-569: The Seventeen Provinces . After the death of Mary in 1482, her son Philip the Handsome succeeded as Duke of Burgundy and Brabant. Philip died in 1506, and he was succeeded by his son Charles V who then also became King of Spain (crowned in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula ) and even Holy Roman Emperor at the death of his grandfather Maximilian I in 1519. Charles was now the ruler of
4428-783: The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, Spanish sovereignty over the Southern Netherlands was transferred to the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg. This event started the era of the Austrian Netherlands . Brussels was captured by France in 1746, during the War of the Austrian Succession , but was handed back to Austria three years later. It remained with Austria until 1795, when the Southern Netherlands were captured and annexed by France, and
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4536-684: The World Customs Organization and Eurocontrol , as well as international corporations, have their main institutions in the city. In addition, the main international trade union confederations have their headquarters there: the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL). Brussels is third in
4644-454: The boroughs in London or arrondissements in Paris , to keep politics close enough to the citizen. In the 2010s, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean gained international attention as the base for Islamist terrorists who carried out attacks in both Paris and Brussels . The Brussels-Capital Region is one of the three federated regions of Belgium, alongside the Walloon Region and the Flemish Region . Geographically and linguistically, it
4752-407: The Burgundian duke Charles the Bold perished in the Battle of Nancy . Through the marriage of his daughter Mary of Burgundy (who was born in Brussels) to Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I , the Low Countries fell under Habsburg sovereignty. Brabant was integrated into this composite state, and Brussels flourished as the Princely Capital of the prosperous Burgundian Netherlands , also known as
4860-490: The European Commission approved the merger, on condition that the combined company sell 25% of the spectrum it owned on the 1,800 MHz radio band, and amend a network sharing agreement with smaller rival 3 . On 1 April 2010, Deutsche Telekom and France Télécom completed the merger of their UK operations, causing Orange UK and T-Mobile UK to cease to exist, although the brands were to be maintained until 2015 for new customers, and 2019 for existing customers. On 11 May 2010, it
4968-426: The Government of the Brussels-Capital Region. The French Community Commission also has another capacity: some legislative powers of the French Community have been devolved to the Walloon Region (for the French language area of Belgium) and to the French Community Commission (for the bilingual language area). The Flemish Community, however, did the opposite; it merged the Flemish Region into the Flemish Community. This
5076-436: The Hong Kong-based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa , through a stock swap deal with BAe, acquired a controlling stake of 65% in Microtel, who by then had won a license to develop a personal communications network in the United Kingdom. As part of the deal, BAe gained a 30% stake in Hutchison Telecommunications (UK). Hutchison renamed Microtel to Orange Personal Communications Services on 28 March 1994; and on 28 April 1994,
5184-419: The Orange 1,800 MHz GSM network was launched. The Orange brand, at the time an unusual name for a telecommunications firm, was created by a team at Microtel led by Chris Moss (marketing director) and supported by Martin Keogh, Rob Furness and Ian Pond. The brand consultancy Wolff Olins was charged with designing the brand values and logo, and advertising agency WCRS created the slogan "The future's bright,
5292-468: The Orange brand until February 2015, when new connections and upgrades on Orange tariffs were withdrawn. Existing Orange customers could continue on their plans until March 2019. The inception of the Orange brand occurred in 1990 in the United Kingdom with the formation of Microtel Communications , a consortium initially formed by Pactel Corporation (American), British Aerospace , Millicom and Matra (French); and later wholly owned by BAe. In July 1991,
5400-437: The Parliament. Nowadays, the presence has increased considerably, with the Commission alone occupying 865,000 m (9,310,000 sq ft) within the European Quarter (a quarter of the total office space in Brussels). The concentration and density has caused concern that the presence of the institutions has created a ghetto effect in that part of the city. However, the European presence has contributed significantly to
5508-642: The UK, it was bought-out by France Télécom , rebranded as Wanadoo and on 1 June 2006 Wanadoo was rebranded Orange. When Orange launched its DSL broadband service it offered it for 'free', joining TalkTalk in the foray for market share. The company attempted to converge its mobile and DSL broadband products and offered broadband services alongside its mobile services, at a subsidized rate (up to £15 off full price per month for Orange mobile customers in an Orange Broadband network area). Orange offered 'triple-play' services converging mobile, landline and DSL broadband. Orange on its most expensive broadband service used to offer
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#17328771608935616-509: The ability to dial premium rate and directory enquiries numbers withdrawn. Those who needed to call such services were advised to transfer to an EE plan. Remaining Orange customers were informed in early 2019 that they had to switch to an EE plan by March, or their services would be terminated. This marked the end of Orange service in the United Kingdom. Orange offered pay-as-you-go and pay monthly service plans. As with other prepaid plans, pay-as-you-go customers could top-up their phone via
5724-412: The acquisition of the global operations of Orange from Vodafone for US$ 37bn, and the transaction was completed in August 2000. France Télécom subsequently rebranded all its mobile telecommunications as Orange . The company was initially 100% owned by France Télécom (although there were and remain minority investors in some of the national operating companies). In 2001 15% was sold in an IPO , but in 2003
5832-430: The animals' theme in May 2010 when Orange offered both Dolphin and Raccoon plans for internet use available on both 1 month and 12-month contracts. In August 2011, the price plans were revised, and names changed to Small, Medium, and Large. Similar to home broadband, Orange mobile customers received a £5 discount on their mobile broadband plan. The business plans remained as "Business Everywhere". The 12-month plans came with
5940-435: The capital of Belgium . Article 194 of the Belgian Constitution establishes that the capital of Belgium is the City of Brussels , the municipality in the region that is the city's core. The City of Brussels is the location of many national institutions. The Royal Palace of Brussels , where the King of the Belgians exercises his prerogatives as head of state, is situated alongside Brussels Park (not to be confused with
6048-405: The centre of activities, as the Commission and Council based their activities in what has become the European Quarter , in the east of the city. Early building in Brussels was sporadic and uncontrolled, with little planning. The current major buildings are the Berlaymont building of the commission, symbolic of the quarter as a whole, the Europa building of the Council and the Espace Léopold of
6156-502: The change of clause to cancel their mobile phone contracts with Orange. Mobile network operator A mobile network operator (MNO), also known as a mobile network provider , mobile network carrier , mobile telco , wireless service provider , wireless carrier , wireless operator , wireless telco , or cellular company , is a telecommunications provider of services that sells, delivers and maintains mobile telephony services to an end user. A key defining characteristic of
6264-413: The charges (as a percentage) by an amount equal to or less than the percentage increase in the All Items Index of Retail Prices or any other statistical measure of inflation published by any government body authorised to publish measures of inflation from time to time, and published on a date as close as reasonably possible before the date on which we send you written notice". This led to many customers using
6372-458: The city became the chef-lieu of the department of the Dyle . The French rule ended in 1815, with the defeat of Napoleon on the battlefield of Waterloo , located south of today's Brussels-Capital Region. With the Congress of Vienna , the Southern Netherlands joined the United Kingdom of the Netherlands , under King William I of Orange . The former Dyle department became the province of South Brabant , with Brussels as its capital. In 1830,
6480-450: The city was the site of the Brussels Agreement . In 2014, it hosted the 40th G7 summit , and in 2017, 2018 and 2021 respectively the 28th , 29th and 31st NATO Summits . On 22 March 2016 , three coordinated nail bombings were detonated by ISIL in Brussels—two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem and one at Maalbeek/Maelbeek metro station —resulting in 32 victims and three suicide bombers killed, and 330 people were injured. It
6588-609: The company. There are now around 700 EE stores open in the UK. After February 2015, only EE products were available in stores. Until 2012, at most cinemas across the UK, advertisements for Orange were shown directly before the film, after the other adverts and film trailers, to remind people to turn off their mobile phones if they hadn't done so already. These were officially known as 'Orange Gold Spots'. The adverts featured various celebrities including; Rob Lowe , Dennis Hopper , Macaulay Culkin , Patrick Swayze , Carrie Fisher , John Cleese , Ewan McGregor , and The A-Team . Throughout
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#17328771608936696-411: The council was subject to many difficulties caused by the linguistic and socio-economic tensions between the two communities. After the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region, the Brussels Agglomeration was never formally abolished, although it no longer has a purpose. The French Community and the Flemish Community exercise their powers in Brussels through two community-specific public authorities:
6804-517: The council, on the proposals made by the commission. However, meetings of political groups and committee groups are formally given to Brussels, along with a set number of plenary sessions. Three quarters of Parliament sessions now take place at its Brussels hemicycle . Between 2002 and 2004, the European Council also fixed its seat in the city. In 2014, the Union hosted a G7 summit in the city. Brussels, along with Luxembourg and Strasbourg, began to host European institutions in 1957, soon becoming
6912-411: The county of Flanders, was not fief of the king of France but was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire . In the early 13th century, the first walls of Brussels were built and after this, the city grew significantly. Around this time, work began on what is now the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (1225), replacing an older Romanesque church. To let the city expand, a second set of walls
7020-438: The destruction of the city walls and the construction of many buildings. Following independence, Brussels underwent many more changes. It became a financial centre, thanks to the dozens of companies launched by the Société Générale de Belgique . The Industrial Revolution and the opening of the Brussels–Charleroi Canal in 1832 brought prosperity to the city through commerce and manufacturing. The Free University of Brussels
7128-432: The development of the Art Nouveau style in the 1890s and early 1900s. The architects Victor Horta , Paul Hankar , and Henry van de Velde , among others, were known for their designs, many of which survive today. During the 20th century, the city hosted various fairs and conferences, including the Solvay Conference on Physics and on Chemistry, and three world's fairs : the Brussels International Exposition of 1910 ,
7236-414: The entire history of Brussels. The Grand-Place was destroyed, along with 4,000 buildings—a third of all the buildings in the city. The reconstruction of the city centre , effected during subsequent years, profoundly changed its appearance and left numerous traces still visible today. During the War of the Spanish Succession in 1708, Brussels again sustained a French attack , which it repelled. Following
7344-413: The fictional Orange Film Funding Board with adverts in which the characters now run a film studio, remaking classic films with mobile phone references inserted. In April 2010, Gold Spots featuring specific forthcoming films replaced the Orange Film Funding Board parodies. The new adverts, promoting specific movies released by 20th Century Fox , Walt Disney Pictures , Vertigo Films and Nu Image feature
7452-409: The future's Orange". The team that launched Orange in the UK was led by Malcolm Way, and later Hans Snook who became the chief executive. A holding company structure was adopted in 1995 with the establishment of Orange plc. In April 1996, Orange went public and floated on the London Stock Exchange and NASDAQ , majority owned by Hutchison (48.22%), followed by BAe (21.1%). In June 1996, it became
7560-432: The highest GDP per capita , it has the lowest available income per household. The Brussels Region covers 162 km (63 sq mi) and has a population of over 1.2 million. Its five times larger metropolitan area comprises over 2.5 million people, which makes it the largest in Belgium . It is also part of a large conurbation extending towards the cities of Ghent , Antwerp , and Leuven , known as
7668-399: The highest point (at 127.5 m (418 ft)) is not near the Place de l'Altitude Cent / Hoogte Honderdplein in Forest , but at the Drève des Deux Montages / Tweebergendreef in the Sonian Forest. Brussels experiences an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) with warm summers and cool winters. Proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from
7776-400: The highest population density in the region, with 20,822/km (53,930/sq mi). Watermael-Boitsfort has the lowest population density in the region, with 1,928/km (4,990/sq mi). There is much controversy on the division of 19 municipalities for a highly urbanised region, which is considered as (half of) one city by most people. Some politicians mock the "19 baronies" and want to merge
7884-548: The importance of Brussels as an international centre. Brussels has, since World War II , become the administrative centre of many international organisations. The city is the political and administrative centre of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO's Brussels headquarters houses 29 embassies and brings together over 4,500 staff from allied nations, their militaries, and civil service personnel. Many other international organisations such as
7992-573: The judicial branch is located in Luxembourg , and the European Parliament meets for a minority of the year in Strasbourg ). Because of this, its name is sometimes used metonymically to describe the EU and its institutions. The secretariat of the Benelux and the headquarters of NATO are also located in Brussels. Brussels is the most densely populated region in Belgium, and although it has
8100-477: The language quota, but in practice every minister-president has been a bilingual francophone. The regional parliament can enact ordinances (French: ordonnances , Dutch: ordonnanties ), which have equal status as a national legislative act. Nineteen of the 72 French-speaking members of the Brussels Parliament are also members of the Parliament of the French Community of Belgium , and, until 2004, this
8208-455: The marsh ' . Saint Vindicianus , the Bishop of Cambrai , made the first recorded reference to the place Brosella in 695, when it was still a hamlet . The names of all the municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region are also of Dutch origin, except for Evere , which is possibly Celtic or Old Frankish . In French , Bruxelles is pronounced [bʁysɛl] (the x
8316-412: The municipalities under one city council and one mayor. That would lower the number of politicians needed to govern Brussels, and centralise the power over the city to make decisions easier, thus reduce the overall running costs. The current municipalities could be transformed into districts with limited responsibilities, similar to the current structure of Antwerp or to structures of other capitals like
8424-404: The necessary provisioning, billing, and customer care computer systems, and the marketing, customer care, and engineering organizations needed to sell, deliver, and bill for services. However, a mobile network operator can outsource any of these systems or functions and still be considered a mobile network operator. In addition to obtaining revenue by offering retail services under its own brand,
8532-462: The number of international conferences it hosts, also becoming one of the largest convention centres in the world. The presence of the EU and the other international bodies has, for example, led to there being more ambassadors and journalists in Brussels than in Washington, D.C. The city hosts 120 international institutions, 181 embassies ( intra muros ) and more than 2,500 diplomats , making it
8640-472: The occupation. After World War II, Brussels underwent extensive modernisation. The construction of the North–South connection , linking the main railway stations in the city, was completed in 1952, while the first premetro (underground tram) service was launched in 1969, and the first Metro line was opened in 1976. Starting from the early 1960s, Brussels became the de facto capital of what would become
8748-518: The origin of the settlement which was to become Brussels lies in Saint Gaugericus ' construction of a chapel on an island in the river Senne around 580. The official founding of Brussels is usually said to be around 979, when Duke Charles of Lower Lorraine transferred the relics of the martyr Saint Gudula from Moorsel (located in today's province of East Flanders ) to Saint Gaugericus' chapel. When Holy Roman Emperor Otto II appointed
8856-492: The outstanding shares were bought back by France Télécom. On 8 September 2009, France Télécom and T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom announced they were in advanced talks to merge their UK operations to create the largest mobile operator, which would have 37% of the market. The Orange brand was to be retained for the first eighteen months at least. Consumer Focus and the Communications Consumer Panel sent
8964-512: The practice of slamming . Orange denied any involvement. In August 2009, Orange attempted to increase the cost of its services to customers already under contract. Users were informed that legally, they were allowed to cancel their contract, as this was a breach of contract. Orange reverted their decision, and the price hikes did not go ahead. In December 2011, Orange sent a text to its customer base to notify them that they were increasing monthly contract fees by just below RPI rates. They imposed
9072-452: The pronunciations [bʁyksɛl] and [bʁyksɛlwa] (for bruxellois ) are often heard, but are rather rare in Belgium. The history of Brussels is closely linked to that of Western Europe . Traces of human settlement go back to the Stone Age , with vestiges and place-names related to the civilisation of megaliths , dolmens and standing stones (Plattesteen near
9180-455: The reign of King Leopold II . The International Exposition of 1897 contributed to the promotion of the infrastructure. Among other things, the Palace of the Colonies , present-day Royal Museum for Central Africa , in the suburb of Tervuren , was connected to the capital by the construction of an 11 km-long (6.8 mi) grand alley . Brussels became one of the major European cities for
9288-538: The same Charles to become Duke of Lower Lotharingia in 977, Charles ordered the construction of the city's first permanent fortification, doing so on that same island. Lambert I of Leuven , Count of Leuven , gained the County of Brussels around 1000 by marrying Charles' daughter. Because of its location on the banks of the Senne, on an important trade route between the Flemish cities of Bruges and Ghent , and Cologne in
9396-524: The seat of the Dukes of Brabant, but it was destroyed by fire in 1731. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Brussels was a centre for the lace industry. In addition, Brussels tapestry hung on the walls of castles throughout Europe. In 1695, during the Nine Years' War , King Louis XIV of France sent troops to bombard Brussels with artillery . Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in
9504-402: The second centre of diplomatic relations in the world (after New York City ). International schools have also been established to serve this presence. The "international community" in Brussels numbers at least 70,000 people. In 2009, there were an estimated 286 lobbying consultancies known to work in Brussels. Finally, Brussels has more than 1,400 NGOs . The Treaty of Brussels , which
9612-431: The sketch, a pair of fictional Orange executives, played by Brennan Brown and Steve Furst , manipulate an idea into film which promotes Orange through product placement , despite the product being completely 'out-of-place' (a mobile phone in a Western Film is one example); the catch line is "Don't let a mobile phone ruin your movie. Please switch it off." After five years, Orange changed advertising agencies and replaced
9720-430: The south. Historically Dutch-speaking, Brussels saw a language shift to French from the late 19th century. Nowadays, the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual in French and Dutch, although French is the majority language and lingua franca . Brussels is also increasingly becoming multilingual. English is spoken widely and many migrants and expatriates speak other languages as well. Brussels grew from
9828-529: The split of Brabant in 1995, the Brussels Region does not belong to any of the provinces of Belgium , nor is it subdivided into provinces itself. Within the Region, 99% of the areas of provincial jurisdiction are assumed by the Brussels regional institutions and community commissions. Remaining is only the governor of Brussels-Capital and some aides, analogously to provinces. Its status is roughly akin to that of
9936-803: The stars of the movie filming scenes in-character with Orange product placement, before breaking character to complain. The first advert featured the cast of The A-Team , followed by a spot starring Jack Black in Gulliver's Travels , Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway in Rio , Potiche , The Muppets , The Expendables 2 and The Sweeney . In 2012, the Orange adverts were replaced with adverts for parent company EE, featuring Kevin Bacon. In addition to this Orange offered 'Orange Wednesdays' from 2003 until 2014. This enabled any Orange customer to apply for 2 for 1 cinema tickets at participating cinemas, by text message. This
10044-557: The tenure of the city's then-mayor , Jules Anspach , its entire course through the urban area was completely covered over . This allowed urban renewal and the construction of modern buildings of Haussmann -esque style along grand central boulevards , characteristic of downtown Brussels today. Buildings such as the Brussels Stock Exchange (1873), the Palace of Justice (1883) and Saint Mary's Royal Church (1885) date from this period. This development continued throughout
10152-461: The top 30 UK cities and 14.4 Mbit/s in the top five cities. Orange, like its competitors, operated a retail estate, with over 300 stores. These were branded as "The Orange Shop" and operated as an indirect sales channel. In September 2012, Orange's parent company EE announced that all Orange and T-Mobile stores were to be re-branded as EE stores by 30 October 2012, the launch date of their 4G network, offering products from all three brands of
10260-450: The upkeep of schools and roads within its borders. Municipal administration is also conducted by a mayor, a council, and an executive. In 1831, Belgium was divided into 2,739 municipalities, including the 19 currently located in the Brussels-Capital Region. Unlike most of the municipalities in Belgium, the ones now located in the Brussels-Capital Region were not merged with others during mergers occurring in 1964, 1970, and 1975. However,
10368-490: The written x noted the group / k s / . In the Belgian French pronunciation as well as in Dutch, the k eventually disappeared and z became s , as reflected in the current Dutch spelling , whereas in the more conservative French form , the spelling remained. The pronunciation / k s / in French only dates from the 18th century, but this modification did not affect the traditional Brussels usage. In France ,
10476-698: The youngest company to enter the FTSE 100 , valued at £2.4 billion. By July 1997 Orange had gained one million customers. The stint as a public company came to an end in October 1999, when it was acquired for US$ 33 billion by the German conglomerate Mannesmann AG . Mannesmann's acquisition of Orange triggered Vodafone to make a hostile takeover bid for the German company. Shortly thereafter, in February 2000, Vodafone acquired Mannesmann for US$ 183bn and divested Orange, as EU regulations would not allow it to hold two mobile licences. In May 2000, France Télécom announced
10584-534: Was a result of Orange attempting to increase cinema visits during the quiet weekly periods. The Orange Wednesdays promotion also allowed Orange customers a 2 for 1 main courses with complimentary appetizers at PizzaExpress restaurants. Both the cinema ticket and meal offers only required a text ticket from Orange, which is entered at point of purchase. EE announced on 11 December 2014 that the Orange Wednesday promotion will end on 25 February 2015. Orange sponsored
10692-592: Was also the case for six Dutch-speaking members, who were at the same time members of the Flemish Parliament . Now, people voting for a Flemish party have to vote separately for 6 directly elected members of the Flemish Parliament. Before the creation of the Brussels-Capital Region, regional competences in the 19 municipalities were performed by the Brussels Agglomeration. The Brussels Agglomeration
10800-432: Was an administrative division established in 1971. This decentralised administrative public body also assumed jurisdiction over areas which, elsewhere in Belgium, were exercised by municipalities or provinces. The Brussels Agglomeration had a separate legislative council, but the by-laws enacted by it did not have the status of a legislative act. The only election of the council took place on 21 November 1971. The working of
10908-562: Was announced that both the Orange and T-Mobile brands would remain on British high streets, although their new merged parent company would be called EE . The Orange Home UK broadband service was rebranded as EE Broadband on 30 October 2010. In February 2015, Orange UK's parent company EE announced that Orange (along with T-Mobile) tariffs were withdrawn for new customers. Existing customers wishing to upgrade had to choose an EE price plan. Starting in July 2015, Orange pay-as-you-go customers also had
11016-443: Was chosen to manage, plan, expand, optimise and provide maintenance services for the Orange 2G/3G mobile network for the next five years. Currently, Orange customers are only able to access the UK's biggest 3G network along with EE's standard 2G network. Customers that wish to use EE's 4G network, have to upgrade to EE from their Orange plan. Orange also provided DSL services under the same brand. Originally operated as Freeserve in
11124-546: Was erected between 1356 and 1383. Traces of these walls can still be seen; the Small Ring , a series of boulevards bounding the historical city centre, follows their former course. In the 14th century, the marriage between heiress Margaret III of Flanders and Philip the Bold , Duke of Burgundy , produced a new Duke of Brabant of the House of Valois , namely Antoine , their son. In 1477,
11232-421: Was established in 1834 and Saint-Louis University in 1858. In 1835, the first passenger railway built outside England linked the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean with Mechelen . During the 19th century, the population of Brussels grew considerably; from about 80,000 to more than 625,000 people for the city and its surroundings. The Senne had become a serious health hazard , and from 1867 to 1871, under
11340-401: Was legally binding but chose to settle all known court cases brought against them on this issue. Two years later, following its merger with T-Mobile, the combined companies again signalled their intention to increase the agreed tariffs of existing pay monthly customers. Clause 4.3.1 has now changed to disallow the customer from cancelling their contract if "we give you written notice to increase
11448-649: Was signed on 17 March 1948 between Belgium, France , Luxembourg , the Netherlands and the United Kingdom , was a prelude to the establishment of the intergovernmental military alliance which later became the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Nowadays, the alliance consists of 32 independent member countries across North America and Europe. Several countries also have diplomatic missions to NATO through embassies in Belgium . Since 1949,
11556-543: Was the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium. Brussels lies in the north-central part of Belgium, about 110 km (68 mi) from the Belgian coast and about 180 km (110 mi) from Belgium's southern tip. It is located in the heartland of the Brabantian Plateau, about 45 km (28 mi) south of Antwerp ( Flanders ), and 50 km (31 mi) north of Charleroi ( Wallonia ). Its average elevation
11664-722: Was used to describe the Samsung Soul handset. In 2007, Orange was found to be in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after complaints from customers about the use of their personal information. Orange has since agreed to reinforce the requirements of the Act. The company was also criticised in the press for its handling of personal data, following complaints of Orange customer data being used by independent mobile sales companies in
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