Other social initiatives

Besides the activities of KPN´s Mooiste Contact Fonds, there are several other social initiatives undertaken by KPN in the Netherlands, E-Plus in Germany and KPN Group Belgium.

KPN Nederland
KPN Nederland supports certain groups of customers for whom communication cannot be taken for granted. An example of this is KPN's Teksttelefoon Bemiddelingsdienst for those with a hearing impairment. Because the visually impaired cannot look up a number in a telephone directory, for many years KPN Nederland has been offering a directory enquiries service. A customer need only ring the special number and KPN looks up the number requested and puts the call through straightaway.

Through its support of De Kindertelefoon, KPN enables children and young people to continue using their mobile phones to call De Kindertelefoon without charge. The vast majority of calls, 96 per cent, are made from a mobile phone.

Working with a company called SimPC, KPN offers senior citizens computers with internet subscriptions. This collaboration will make it easier for senior citizens to use e-mail and internet. SimPC has been specially developed for older people and consists of a user-friendly computer, the SimTouch, and of maintenance and support.

Germany
E-Plus is a partner of the ‘Digitale Chancen’ foundation. The foundation is an initiative of the German Ministry of Economic Affairs that develops a program to help people who have difficulty in finding their way in today's increasingly computerized society. The foundation targets young people, the elderly and immigrants.

E-Plus has a collaborative arrangement with the Bundesverband Alphabetisierung und Grundbildung, an organization committed to combating illiteracy.

E-Plus works together with NABU, a German nature conservancy organization. Together, they have introduced a subscription that links raising awareness of nature conservation to a climate-neutral mobile telephone subscription. A proportion of the revenues are channeled to NABU.

Belgium
KPN Group Belgium puts mobile phones, call credits and lease cars at the disposal of a hospital school in Leuven at no charge. Financial support is extended to the Kinderkankerfonds and KPN Group Belgium runs text message campaigns in support of good causes, such as Haiti, Het Glazen Huis and SOS Kinderdorpen (Profliga).