ITU/ITC Regional Seminar
Moscow 27-30 April 2004
The EU regulations on Electronic
Communications Networks and
Services
Marianne Rögeberg
Information Society, European Commission
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Hans-peter
Gebahard
DG Information
Society
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DG INFSO
• Developing and Implementing overall IT
policy at European Level:
• eEurope 2005
• Research Activities/the IST Programme
• The Regulatory Framework for
Electronic Communications
Hans-peter Gebahard
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Objectives of the New Regulatory
Framework
• Create a Dynamic, Innovative Single
Market for Telecommunications Services
and Equipment in Europe, Providing Users
with Choice and Quality
• Liberalisation to Remove Barriers to
Competition
• Harmonisation to Prevent Unnecessary
Differences Between Member States
• Promote the Interests of the Citizen
(Universal Services, Consumer Protection,
Privacy, Dispute Resolution)
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Predictable Withdrawal of
Regulation
Amount of
regulation
Pro-competitive
sectorial telecoms Laws
Competition Law
1990
Monopoly
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1998
2003
Towards full competition
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DG Information
Society
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Convergence is a reality
Service
Network
Terminal
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Voice
telephony
Fixed
Wireless
Mobile
Telephone/
Handset
Data
Broadcasting
Cable
Fixed Cable Telecoms
Satellite
Satellite
Terrestrial
PC
Television
Hans-peter
Gebahard
DG Information
Society
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Electronic communications
networks and services - Scope
Content Services
- outside scope of new framework
(e.g. broadcast content, e-commerce services)
Communications services
(e.g. telephone, fax, e-mail)
Communications networks
(fixed, mobile, satellite, cable TV, powerline systems,
networks used for radio and television broadcasting)
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and associated facilities (e.g. CAS)Hans-peter Gebahard
DG Information Society
I
The new package
Authorisation Directive
Access & Interconnection
Directive
Framework
Directive
(Art. 95)
Users’ Rights Directive
Data Protection Directive
Unbundled local loop
Regulation
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Liberalisation
Directive
(Art. 86)
Spectrum
Decision
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DG Information
Society
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Framework Directive
!Definitions and scope
!National regulatory authorities:
!Transparency and consultation procedures
!Numbering naming addressing; rights of
way; collocation & facility sharing
!SMP and market analysis
!Standardisation
!Dispute resolution procedures
!Communications committee
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DG Information
Society
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Authorisation Directive
! Establishes right of market entry
! Limits the conditions that Member
States can impose in authorisations
! Rights of use of radio frequencies and
numbers
! Compliance and information provision
! Charges and fees
! Transition from existing licences
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DG Information
Society
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Access Directive
!Covers relationships between suppliers of
networks and services (ie wholesale)
!Ensures “any to any” interconnection
!Provides NRAs with menu of obligations to
use to address interconnection and access
issues
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DG Information
Society
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Universal service Directive
!Scope, costing and financing of Univ service
!Leased lines, carrier (pre) selection
!Number portability, caller location
(fixed and mobile)
!Contracts and user rights
!Transparency of information,
quality of service
!Network integrity, ‘must-carry’,
interoperability of digital TV equipment
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DG Information
Society
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Data Protection Directive
! Processing of traffic data
! Processing of location data
! Calling line identification
! Directories
! Unsolicited communications (‘spam’)
! Exceptions for national security and
law enforcement purposes
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DG Information
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New approach to
Radio Spectrum in EU
!Policy framework will:
"address the strategic planning and
harmonisation of the use of ALL radio spectrum
in the Community
(broadcasting, transport, communications etc)
"take into account economic, health, public
policy, cultural, scientific, social and technical
aspects
"seek to balance the various interests of different
spectrum users
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DG Information
Society
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Additional Measures
• Commission Guidelines on the
Assessment of Significant Market
Power (SMP)
• Commission Recommendation on
Relevant Markets
• ERG and the EC – Common Position on
the Application of Regulatory Remedies
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Players to be regulated
! Undertakings with a dominant position in an
identified market where competition is not
effective
! NRA designates such players as having SMP
and imposes appropriate obligations
! Commission can block NRA decisions
regarding designation, or not, of undertakings
with SMP
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Hans-peter
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DG Information
Society
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New Groups and Committees
! Spectrum policy group
" High level policy group established by
Commission decision, chaired by M State
! Radio Spectrum Committee
" standard comitology committee
with regulatory and advisory roles
! Communications Committee
" standard comitology committee
with regulatory and advisory roles
! European Regulators group
" Chaired by a Regulator; aim is to to seek
consistent application of rules in all M States
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DG Information
Society
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9th Implementation Report
• Electronic communications market “Renewed confidence”, driven by
– Market growth
– Broadband rollout
– Mobile subscriptions
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Growth in the market
EU electronic communications market value (€ billion)
260
251
250
242
240
231
230
220
211
210
200
2000
2001
2002
2003
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High Speed Internet (Broadband) Access
• 19.5 million lines at 1 October
2003
• More than doubled July 2002 to
October 2003
Local loop unbundling - numbers
starting to go up
Hans-peter Gebahard
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Significant increase in the number
of broadband lines...
EU broadband lines, July 2002 - October 2003
22 000 000
19 456 924
20 000 000
17 497 140
18 000 000
5,338,635
16 000 000
5,036,276
12 898 260
14 000 000
10 906 357
12 000 000
3,810,967
9 052 497
10 000 000
3,383,821
8 000 000
2 934 172
14 118 289
12 460 864
6 000 000
9 087 293
4 000 000
7 522 536
6 118 325
2 000 000
July 02
DSL lines
October 02
January 03
July 03
October 03
Other technologies (cable, satellite, wireless local loop)
Hans-peter Gebahard
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…and in broadband penetration
Broadband penetration rate in the EU, Oct. 2003 (% of population)
12%
11.08% 11.22%
10.10%
10%
9.04%
8%
7.40%
6.64%
6%
4.90%
5.00%
5.06%
5.18%
4.72%
E
F
EU
D
UK
4.16%
4%
3.19%
2.82%
2%
0.56%
0.05%
0%
EL
IRL
L
I
P
FIN
A
S
NL
B
DK
Data for the US: EC estimates
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Mobile Telephony
305 million users at August 2003, up from
69 million in 1998 and 194 mill in 2000.
• 81% EU penetration, up from 18% in 1998,
51% in 2000.
3G services already launched in 4+
Member States
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Price Reductions Continue
Consumers continue to benefit on prices
(fixed voice)
• Average EU consumer spends 13.5% less
on national calls every month
• 23% cheaper for national business calls
• International call in EU 45.5% cheaper now
than in 1998
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More consumer choice
% of subscribers using an alternative provider
50%
40%
32,66%
29,23%
30%
24,50%
20%
10%
17,53%
5,64%
4,87%
0%
2002
Local calls
2003
Long-dist./ Internat. Calls
Direct access
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…but transposition important
• Predictable environment in which
investment can thrive
• Only 8 Member States have
transposed
Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Italy,
Austria, Finland, Sweden and the
United Kingdom
Hans-peter Gebahard
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For more information ...
On DG Information Society:
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/topics/
telecoms/index_en.htm
On the new legislation:
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/topics/
telecoms/regulatory/new_rf/index_en.htm
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Hans-peter
Gebahard
DG Information
Society
I