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EC study recommends fewer markets for ex ante regulation
2013-10-11 11:31:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) A study commissioned by the European Commission has recommended that fewer telecom markets be subject to ex ante regulation. The study is part of the EC's review of the Recommendation on Relevant Markets, which defines in which markets national regulators may impose regulations such as reference offers, non-discrimination and cost-based pricing, in order to address structural problems in competition. The EC aims to propose an updated Recommendation in 2014. According to operator lobby group ETNO, the competitive landscape has changed since the recommendation was last updated in 2007, with new providers entering the market and more attractive offers for end-users, meaning fewer markets are in need of such regulation. The study by Ecorys, Idate and ICRI for the EC concurred, and went further to say no new markets should be added either. In particular, the retail market for access to fixed telephony (market 1) and the wholesale market for call origination on the fixed public network (market 2) no longer meet the EC's 'three criteria test' for relevant markets, the study found. The study also recommended that the wholesale market for bitstream access (market 5) should be split into two separate markets, to recognise differences in the consumer and enterprise segments.
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Category:Telecommunications