According to the documentation, the base reserve (0.5 XLM) and base fees (0.00001 XLM) are fixed, but over time they will likely be changed:
The base reserve and base fee can change, but should not do so more than once every several years. For the most part, you can think of them as fixed values. When they are changed, the change works by the same consensus process as any transaction
My question is, why would they want to change the fixed value / or what would be the advantage of it?
One reason would be a change in dollar value of a lumen. At the time when the base reserve was set to 10XLM, the 20XLM necessary to open an account amounted to well under one dollar. At the current price, it is $10, which some people find is too high. The same goes for the base fees.
Mostly due to the price increase, plus a little to do with ease of use and closing of unused wallets.
If you stop using a wallet, most will not allow you to withdraw the full funds. Leaving 1 lumen vs 20 lumens is a lot more acceptable.
