European Commission starts work on review of telecom rules

The European Commission has started work on a review of the telecom regulatory framework, as part of its Digital Single Market strategy started in May. The first step is a Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) evaluation. This will see the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (Berec) and national telecom regulators give their views on the need for reform and provide factual data to the Commission on the application of the current framework. The next step comes in September when the Commission will launch a broad public consultation on the telecoms rules. The consultation will be open for 12 weeks. This will be followed by a series of meetings and workshops with ministries, European Parliament committees, the regulatory community, users and the industry at large. 

According to Roberto Viola, deputy director general at the DG Connect, the review will look at whether the telecom regulation has met its objectives of enhancing the internal market and promoting competition and end-user interests. It will then look at designing rules for 2020 and beyond, focusing on "sustainable, market-based, high-performance broadband (fixed and wireless) infrastructure" for the Digital Single Market. Digital economy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger will provide more details on the proposals at the Ifa trade show in Berlin, in early September. 

One of the main goals of the reform will be to ensure competition that drives investment in expanding fixed and wireless connectivity to everyone, Viola said. This will include looking at access regulations and connectivity targets, as well as the growing convergence of fixed and wireless services and how these can address rural connectivity. As called for by telecom operators, the review will also address the issue of a 'level playing field' in terms of regulation of comparable services. Some rules may be limited to specific services, while other rules such as consumer protection could be expanded to apply to a broader range of services. Finally, the Commission wants to ensure any new rules are applied consistently across all EU states. This will look at the structural institutions, such as national regulators, Berec and the Radio Spectrum Policy Grou,p and whether they can meet their aims more efficiently.