Tom Ruhan elected Chairman of ECTA
Urges the EU to set the right conditions for regulated access

Brussels, 20 January 2011: The European Competitive Telecoms Association (ECTA) has announced Tom Ruhan as Chairman of its board of directors for 2011. 

"I have a long history of working with ECTA and I am delighted to have been elected as ECTA’s Chairman”, said Mr. Ruhan who has represented Netia’s interests within ECTA since 2003 and has sat on the ECTA board since 2009, most recently as vice-Chairman. 

ECTA’s focus for the coming year will be on the implementation of the revised Telecoms Framework and the NGA Recommendation. "In order to ensure that EU consumers and businesses can benefit from competitive telecoms markets, it is imperative that the right conditions for regulated access and for the competitive provision of pan-European business services are in place across Member States”, said ECTA’s newly elected chairman. Vice-President Kroes announced Commission action to issue guidance on setting wholesale telecoms charges and addressing discrimination by dominant firms in her keynote address at the ECTA Regulatory conference at the end of 2010."We have seen clear evidence that excessive wholesale charges and discriminatory practices are hampering affordable broadband and fibre investment. To reach the ambitious broadband targets the Commission has set, these issues need to be addressed and I look forward to engaging with Vice-President Kroes in the coming year on these and other issues which are undermining the  digital single market”, the ECTA Chairman continued.

Mr. Ruhan sits on the management board of Netia SA, Poland’s largest alternative provider of fixed-line telecommunications services, where he is responsible for the Group’s legal, regulatory and M&A activities. He is also a Deputy Chairman of the Telecommunications Operators Section of the Polish Chamber of Commerce for Electronics and Telecommunications (SOT KIGEiT). Mr. Ruhan’s chairmanship is effective from the 18 January 2011; he succeeds Dr. Hubertus von Roenne from BT.

"2011 is an important year for central and Eastern Europe with the consecutive Hungarian and Polish Presidencies and we look forward to supporting the ambitious programmes set by the respective presidencies”, concluded Mr. Ruhan.

Tiziana Talevi was elected as Vice Chairman, Xavier Dedullen and Luis Filipe Reis were reelected as Company Secretary and Treasurer respectively.

Tom Ruhan
Tom has sat on the management board of Netia SA, Poland’s largest alternative provider of fixed-line telecommunications services, since 2006 and has been the Chief Legal Officer since March 2003. Prior to Netia he spent 12 years in private practice with one of Poland’s largest law firms Wardynski & Partners where his work included the privatisation of the Polish incumbent TPSA.  He also worked for SBC, Telenor and several other multinational telecoms.

He sits or has sat on the Boards Polish subsidiaries of many non-Polish multinationals such as British Oxygen (BOC plc), British Plasterboard (BPB plc), Siebe plc and Invensys plc. In addition, Mr. Ruhan serves on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation 10th April (Fundacja 10 Kwietnia), which aims to grant financial help to children of the victims of the plane crash in Smolensk and the children of policemen and soldiers who died on duty. 

For further information please contact: 
Ilsa Godlovitch, Director Brussels Office, ECTA.  Tel: +32 2 227 2718      

About ECTA
The European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA) looks after the regulatory and commercial interests of new entrant telecoms operators, ISPs and suppliers of products and services to the communications industry. ECTA works for a fair regulatory environment that allows all electronic communications providers to compete on level terms in order to multiply investment and innovation throughout an effective European internal market.  The association represents the telecommunications industry to key government and regulatory bodies and maintains a forum for networking and business development. ECTA member companies include operators, service providers and suppliers as well as National Associations of such which all contribute towards regulatory policy development and participate in our comprehensive range of networking events, conferences, seminars, briefings and executive meetings.www.ectaportal.com