Credit: The ILR
On Wednesday 14 May 2025, the Luxembourg Institute of Regulation (Institut Luxembourgeois de Régulation - ILR) mediation service published its annual activity report for 2024.
This report, summarising the activities of the mediation service, revealed that the ILR received 117 mediation requests in 2024 (compared to 126 requests in 2023). This included a decrease in mediation requests for electronic communications services from 98 in 2023 to 78 in 2024. This contrasts with an increase in requests from the energy sector to 32 in 2024, up from 27 in 2023. Postal services remained the least frequently used sector, with seven requests filed in 2024.
The ILR stated that the mediation service was often contacted for disputes relating to billing, both for electronic communications services and for energy. Regarding electronic communications services, disputes mainly concerned the billing of out-of-bundle usage for mobile phone services, as well as the billing of technical interventions, repairs or installation work for fixed-line internet services. The ILR noted, however, that requests regarding premium services have decreased compared to previous years. Other areas of dispute included contract cancellation fees or fees for early termination of a subscription.
Regarding electricity and natural gas, disputes mainly arose due to billing statements that did not appear to reflect consumers' actual consumption or due to ambiguous pricing, resulting in significant financial adjustments.
The ILR added that its mission is to ensure and supervise, in the interest of consumers, the proper functioning of markets based on effective and sustainable competition, while guaranteeing a basic universal service. The ILR, an independent authority, is responsible for regulating electronic communications networks and services, the transmission and distribution of electricity and natural gas, postal services, rail transport, and airport charges. It also manages and coordinates radio frequencies and is the single point of contact for Luxembourg and the competent authority for network and information system security, covering the following sectors: energy, transport, health, drinking water supply and distribution, digital infrastructure, as well as digital services.
To support consumers in the transition from copper to fibre optic technology, the ILR explained that it provides advice on its website and allows consumers to check the copper network disconnection date at their address. In addition, the ILR maintains a geographical survey of network deployment (RGDR) on its website, which corresponds to the current cartographic documentation of the infrastructure of electronic communications network operators.
The ILR also reported that it continued to expand its range of services dedicated to consumers, with a view to greater transparency and accessibility.
In addition to the existing applications "Checkmynet" and "Calculix, the ILR added a comparison tool for the electronic communications services market in November 2024. For details, see https://ilr.smartcompare.lu/smartcompare/.
