The Swiss parliament has rejected a proposal to subject Swisscom to additional wholesale regulation opening up its network to competitors. Despite support from the government minister and regulator, the MPs voted against the measure to expand regulation beyond the copper network to include virtual unbundling and fibre, ATS reported.
The fear is that increased regulation could hold back investment in network expansion, particularly in rural areas, the report said. The Parliament ordered the government to conduct a research report every three years to chart the progress in investment, universal service, service quality and prices, and network competition. Communications minister Doris Leuthard said there was no progress with the repeated reports.
Leuthard pointed to the benefits of increased competition since the initial liberalisation of the market and regulation of Swisscom's copper network, which was realised in spite of the incumbent's lobbying. Further protecting the former monopoly is not in the country's interest, she said. The opposition parties supported the minister, saying that alternative operators could not compete fully in rural areas without a further legal basis.
