[This is an updated version of my earlier blog piece from July to take account of revisions agreed through the legislative process since then. On 4th December the European Council concluded the legislative process for the new Code and the final text will be published in the EU Official Journal on 17 December, though no changes are … Continue Reading
[This is an updated version of my earlier blog piece from July to take account of revisions agreed through the legislative process since then.] *** The new European Communications Code (the “Code” – which I have blogged about here) will introduce a mechanism allowing investments in fibre networks made by operators with significant market power … Continue Reading
This blog piece sets out an overview of the regulation of broadband networks in the UK, both now and in the future. As can be seen from the (very recent) dates on the various document referred-to, this is an area which is changing rapidly at the moment, and is a strong focus of both regulatory … Continue Reading
Just a quick note to draw attention to a decision by BIPT, the regulator in Belgium here Lycamobile has been fined €30,000 for violation of the “roam like at home” requirements of the roaming regulation (contained in the 2012 regulation as amended in 2015). It appears that they were offering add-on bundles (at attractive prices) … Continue Reading
I have already blogged a few times (eg here about perverse effects of net neutrality rules being applied always and everywhere as if there were some sort of human right to equal treatment of internet traffic. Specifically i expressed particular concern about the idea that there must be something wrong, in essence, with “zero rating” … Continue Reading
I attended a seminar on the future of spectrum this morning. I thought there were a few interesting points, with international elements, that would be worth sharing: 1. As consumers use more and more data on their mobile devices lack of capacity is increasingly becoming an issue, even with the benefits of 4G. 2. Spectrum … Continue Reading
By Florence Guthfreund-Roland and Mathilde Hallé On October 27th, 2015, the European Parliament adopted Regulation No. (EU) 2015/2120 “laying down measures concerning open internet access and amending Directive 2002/22/EC on universal service and users’ rights relating to electronic communications networks and services and Regulation (EU) No 531/2012 on roaming on public mobile communications networks within … Continue Reading
The European Commission’s claim that this weeks proposed new telecoms regulation constitutes “the most ambitious plan in 26 years of telecoms market reform” is preposterous. That honour must belong to the set of new directives in 2002 which transformed the structure of telecoms regulation and facilitated competition throughout Europe. Instead the plans make great play … Continue Reading
What has happened? The telecoms regulator in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has set a deadline of 4 May 2013 for companies to submit applications for three mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) licenses in the KSA, as the market opens up for further competition. The winners of the licenses will be announced twelve weeks … Continue Reading
A little-noticed public letter published on 7th December by OFCOM, the UK telecoms regulator, states that in their view resellers of telecoms services do NOT have the right to “port” all the numbers which have been allocated to them by another communications provider when, for example, they wish to switch to another wholesale provider. Only … Continue Reading
OFCOM, the UK telecoms regulatory, recently published the results of its determination on a set of disputes relating to BT’s charges for wholesale Ethernet services to Sky, TalkTak, Virgin Media, Cable & Wireless and Verizon. The disputes concerned BT’s charges for “Wholesale Extension Services” and “Backhaul Extension Services”, used by communications providers to provide broadband … Continue Reading
