Danish telecom regulator National IT and Telecom Agency has decided to order TDC to open both its copper and cable networks for other broadband providers. The decision follows careful consideration that TDC's control over both the copper network as Yousees cable TV network creates a special competition problem in the broadband market. The reason is that TDC has a economic incentive to upgrade only the unregulated infrastructure – the cable TV network - to the detriment of competitors. The cable TV network can provide a higher capacity than the copper network and without a regulated access; other companies are not able to offer consumers the same services as TDC. Since TDC will meet the not inconsiderable cost of the establishment of a wholesale product on the cable TV network, the National IT and Telecom Agency considered it important to ensure that the obligation will only have effect in practice when there is a specific request for access, and there has been created clarity about what the price will be. Therefore access will not have effect until the wholesale price of broadband via the cable TV network is determined, and TDC has implemented the necessary systems, etc.
