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. 

Europe’s electronic communications operators call for a swift adoption of the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme to ensure the availability of Digital Dividend for mobile broadband by 2013

Brussels, 9 December 2010: Europe’s leading fixed and mobile telecommunications operators welcome the European Union’s efforts to maximise the potential of radio spectrum for the economy and society as a whole. The trade associations ECTA, ETNO and GSMA Europe urge the European Parliament and the Council to swiftly adopt the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (RSPP) Decision.

ECTA welcomes Vice-President Kroes’ plans to set guidance on regulated telco prices

Excessive wholesale charges are hampering affordable broadband and fibre investment, jeopardizing take-up of high-speed services

Brussels, 30 November 2010: Delivering the key note address at the 2010 ECTA regulatory conference this afternoon, Vice-President Kroes, Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, announced Commission action to issue guidance on setting wholesale telecoms charges and addressing discrimination by dominant firms.

ECTA calls for action on excessive wholesale charges for telecoms

Prices need to come down, not increase, if Europe is to achieve its ambitious broadband targets
Latest Eurobarometer survey cites high access prices as a major deterrent to EU citizens getting online

Brussels, 20 October 2010: As the Commission prepares to comment on a proposal by the Italian Regulator, ECTA, the European Competitive Telecommunications Association, fears the wider implications for Europe.

Commissions’ Broadband Package paves the way to a competitive, high-speed digital Europe 
New measures signal an end to "regulatory holidays” for fibre, but the regulated charges for access will be key in determining whether consumers see the benefits 

Brussels, 20 September 2010:  The European Competitive Telecoms Association, ECTA, welcomes the package of measures to boost the coverage and take up of high-speed broadband announced by the European Commission on 20 September.  In particular, the recommendation on Next Generation Access is applauded for confirming the importance of competition in high-speed broadband services by regulating access to "next-generation” fibre networks. ECTA also backs the Commission’s proposals on spectrum which aim to ensure that consumers will have a choice of provider for mobile broadband services

European ICT Industry identifies seven key action areas to fully exploit the potential of the ICT sector for European citizens and businesses
Joint industry contribution to the Spanish Presidency Digital Europe Strategy

Madrid, 18 January 2010: At a meeting held today by the Spanish State Secretariat for Telecommunications and Information Society, leading associations representing the European ICT industry – accounting collectively for more than €700 billion of revenue and 6 million employees – jointly called on EU leaders to take further action in order to enable business and society to fully benefit from ICT in terms of productivity, social welfare and sustainability.

ECTA welcomes Norman Broadbent as new member

London, June, 2010: Norman Broadbent, the leading Executive Search, HR Consultancy and Leadership Consultancy firm has become a member of ECTA, the European Competitive Telecommunications Association. Joining as an ‘Associate’ member, Norman Broadbent wishes to demonstrate its commitment to and expertise in the communications sector and aims to help ECTA members better understand and address the challenges of executive talent acquisition, management and development. Norman Broadbent will pursue three main activities, working closely with ECTA, namely: 

New Report finds competitive telecoms market drives EU economic recoveryEffective regulation and open telecoms market earn the Netherlands top place in telecoms scorecard. Dutch consumers benefit from better services, lower prices and high broadband usage

Brussels, 27 May 2010: Countries with the most effective telecoms regulation have open and competitive markets that foster higher broadband penetration, which generates more jobs and boosts economic growth. National Regulators need to be better equipped to take consistent action, finds the 2010 Regulatory Scorecard published by pro-competition body ECTA.

ECTA welcomes the Commission´s commitment to reinforce the single market and to encourage investment in open and competitive fibre access networks

The pro-competitive body calls for the vigorous application of competition rules to fibre access networks - consumers and businesses will pay a high price if competition rules are relaxed and wholesale pricing flexibility is permitted to dominant telcos

Brussels, 19 May 2010; ECTA strongly supports the Commission’s renewed commitment to reinforce the single market for telecommunications services as outlined in the new European Digital Agenda presented by Commissioner Kroes today. 
“A fully functioning single market would benefit consumers and businesses by bringing wider choice, lower prices and higher broadband speeds” said ECTA Chairman Hubertus von Roenne. 

Europe’s €25bln digital deficit 
Internet speeds four times higher in better regulated markets, study finds Governments must tackle telecoms monopolies for Europe’s recovery, says ECTA

Brussels, 3 March 2010: Consumers and businesses are losing €25bn per year and broadband speeds are being restricted due to uncompetitive telecoms markets, reveals a study on Europe’s Digital Deficit released today.