The debate is over:  now we expect action
ECTA looks to new Commission to reinvigorate the single market and strengthen its commitment to competition during the next five years

Brussels, 24 November 2009 – As the Telecoms package is approved today in Strasbourg the European Competitive Telecoms Association (ECTA) looks to the newly appointed Commission to reinvigorate the single market for competition and promote a level playing field across the EU27.
The Telecoms Package contains important proposals that confirm Europe’s commitment to open and competitive telecoms markets including the power for regulators to separate dominant firms if they fail to abide by competition rules and a clear signal that fibre networks should be opened for competition.

ECTA Welcomes Commissions’ Digital Dividend proposals and calls for pro-competitive measures
Congratulates Mrs Reding on taking one, European approach instead of 27 national ones

Brussels, 29 October 2009 – The European Competitive Telecoms Association, ECTA, welcomes the Commission’s Digital Dividend proposals due at the end of this month, which make recommendations to allocate the airwaves (spectrum) that will be freed up and made available for mobile broadband in a number of Member States in the coming years as analogue TV is switched off.   It particularly congratulates the Commissioner for fostering one, European approach rather than 27 national ones
However ECTA highlights that the competitive consequences of Digital Dividend spectrum allocation need to be specifically addressed.   If competition is allowed to flourish, ECTA believes that the harmonizing and coordination measures the Commission has put forward for allocating the 800 MHz band have the potential to usher in a whole new era of high speed digital services for European consumers. 

ECTA welcomes Commission state aid rules on high speed broadband
Sees enhanced role for Governments to promote open and future

Brussels, 17 September 2009 – ECTA welcomes the Commission’s new rules on state aid for fibre networks. As old copper lines are being replaced with fibre networks allowing unlimited speeds and a plethora of new, yet unimaginable services clarification of state aid rules is vital.

ECTA CONDEMNS COMMISSION U-TURN ON TELECOMS COMPETITION

Brussels, 12 June 2009 – New proposals from the European Commission on ‘fibre access networks’ could allow dominant firms to escape regulation, limiting choice in TV and broadband services, ECTA warns. The Commission’s proposed “Recommendation on Next Generation Access” suggests that if incumbents make a deal with just one operator, they could avoid requirements to offer cost-based access allowing their rivals to offer alternative services.

DÁNIEL PATAKI, HEAD OF EUROPEAN SPECTRUM REGULATORS AND ECTA DISCUSS "BROADBAND FOR ALL”

4 May 2009: At a meeting today in Budapest, Dániel Pataki, chairman of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG), bringing together Member States’ national spectrum regulators, and head of the Hungarian telecoms regulator NHH, and members of ECTA (European Competitive Telecommunications Association), representing European telecoms companies discussed how the so-called "digital dividend” and next generation networks such as wireless broadband can help achieve "broadband for all”. EU-wide broadband access will be key to ensuring growth and innovation in the EU telecoms sector and can benefit the economy as a whole.

Click here to view full press release (PDF 85KB)

SPAIN STAGNATES AS TELEFONICA PROFITS: BROADBAND STUDY SHOWS

Pro-competition body ECTA warns policy-makers against yielding to dominant telcos’ demands for special treatment of fibre networks. Growth and investment in high speed networks depends on competition

Brussels, 2 March 2009 – Broadband connections across the EU rose by 20% over the year, to a total of 110.5m connections, representing 22.5% of Europe’s population, according to ECTA’s latest twice-yearly EU Broadband Scorecard, published today.  But the pro-competition body warns that in countries such as Spain, where the incumbent operator, Telefonica, continues to increase its control of the market with more than 57% of all retail broadband connections, the market has stagnated with the result that Spain is languishing below the OECD and EU average with a broadband penetration rate of only 20% and low growth rates.

Click here to view full press release (PDF 169KB)

TELECOM BENCHMARK HIGHLIGHTS GAPS IN EU COMPETITIVENESS

Consumers benefit from better telecoms services and higher investment levels in countries where the national telecoms regulatory authority has strong powers and is active in using them, according to a report that will be published tomorrow by ECTA.

Brussels, 27 January 2009 – The pro competition body’s annual Regulatory Scorecard, which benchmarks the telecoms regulatory framework in 20 European countries, found that the effectiveness of regulation varies significantly across Europe and that the actions of the regulator have a strong influence on the development of high-speed broadband. The report also highlights how the competitiveness of multi-national European firms is being undermined by the variations in regulation, which push up the cost of building networks across Europe.

Click here to view full press release (PDF 34KB)

TELECOMS COMPETITION KEY TO BEATING RECESSION

ECTA warns Ministers against protecting monopolies on eve of crucial Telecoms Council vote on functional separation

Brussels, 26 November 2008 – ECTA today urged the Telecoms Council of Ministers at its meeting tomorrow (27th November) to grant national regulators the power to impose the remedy of functional separation. The pro-competition body believes that empowering Europe’s telecoms regulators is critical if the European ICT sector, which connects multi-national businesses representing 35% of Europe’s GDP, is to play its part in bringing the EU economies out of recession. An integral element of the recovery is for Europe’s businesses and consumers to benefit from next generation super high-speed services.

Click here to view full press release (PDF 130KB)

LEADING EUROPEAN TELECOMS POLICYMAKERS CONVENE AT ECTA REGULATORY CONFERENCE

Annual meeting of telecommunications stakeholders to debate next decade of regulatory decisions

Brussels, 3 October 2008 - ECTA’s annual Telecommunications Regulatory Conference, which attracts Europe’s leading policymakers, national authorities, regulators and operators, will take place in Brussels on 26-28th November, 2008. The conference comes at a critical time for the European telecommunications market, as the regulatory environment for next generation broadband access is determined.

The Conference, sponsored by KPMG and supported by pro-competition providers including BT, Cable & Wireless, Fastweb, TDC, Wind and Verizon Group, will provide one of the most important forums this year for open debate on the recently announced Framework Review proposals made by the European Parliament and the Commission.

Click here to view the full press release

STUDY REVEALS HIGH COSTS WILL LIMIT SUPERFAST BROADBAND

ECTA calls for focus on availability and openness of fibre networks, warns against unprofitable duplication

Brussels, 16 September 2008 – Groundbreaking research published today by WIK, reveals that high fixed costs will limit the availability of super fast broadband to many European homes and rural businesses. France has the best prospect of fibre rollout, with viability to 25% of households. The study also shows that the economics simply do not stack up for competitive operators to duplicate costly infrastructure on a wide scale and that access to fibre is a win-win scenario as it improves the business case for all providers, to the ultimate benefit of consumers.  Click here for ECTA's full press release (PDF 94KB)

Click here for WIK press release (PDF 86KB)
Click here for executive summary of WIK NGA study  (PDF 161KB)
Click here for copy of WIK NGA study (ZIP PDF 1.91MB)