Voice over Broadband - No specific regulation in France - European Commission agrees
The European Commission on September 15th endorsed the plans of French national telecoms regulator Arcep to boost competition in fixed-line telephony markets.
The Commission agrees that Arcep's regulatory approach to internet telephony is an efficient way to encourage competition between internet carriers of telephone traffic and traditional telephone networks, but also calls upon it to monitor this part of the retail market closely for any anti-competitive practices and if necessary intervene to remedy them.
'I stand for an open, pro-competitive approach to internet telephony in all 25 EU member states,' said information society and media commissioner Viviane Reding, adding, 'I note with satisfaction that national telecom regulators increasingly share this view. I'm confident that the approach chosen now by the French telecom regulator, together with the existing regulation on wholesale broadband access and given the level of retail broadband competition in France, will deliver the best results for French consumers and provide legal certainty for market players.'
In a letter sent on September 15th to Arcep, the Commission considers that Arcep's decision not to impose ex ante obligations on voice over broadband (VoB) is justified because VoB is provided by via wholesale access lines that are already regulated and because VoB, as an alternative service to 'PSTN' (traditional telephone lines), can in principle be provided by any broadband access provider.
The Commission agrees that Arcep's regulatory approach to internet telephony is an efficient way to encourage competition between internet carriers of telephone traffic and traditional telephone networks, but also calls upon it to monitor this part of the retail market closely for any anti-competitive practices and if necessary intervene to remedy them.
'I stand for an open, pro-competitive approach to internet telephony in all 25 EU member states,' said information society and media commissioner Viviane Reding, adding, 'I note with satisfaction that national telecom regulators increasingly share this view. I'm confident that the approach chosen now by the French telecom regulator, together with the existing regulation on wholesale broadband access and given the level of retail broadband competition in France, will deliver the best results for French consumers and provide legal certainty for market players.'
In a letter sent on September 15th to Arcep, the Commission considers that Arcep's decision not to impose ex ante obligations on voice over broadband (VoB) is justified because VoB is provided by via wholesale access lines that are already regulated and because VoB, as an alternative service to 'PSTN' (traditional telephone lines), can in principle be provided by any broadband access provider.
