“The European Commission’s initiative to support the development of broadband is to be greeted with open arms. The measures released yesterday set ambitious targets we share, and they define a number of rules for the industry that will boost investments in both fixed-line and mobile networks,” says Franco Bernabè, CEO of Telecom Italia, in a comment on the guidelines for next generation networks presented by European Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes.
“The Communication on broadband has the merit of acknowledging broadband infrastructure’s role as an essential asset for member state economies and the EU as a whole. Indeed, the Commission’s request to member states to produce tangible national technology development plans with precise targets, and to reduce network development-related administrative costs, is something we are fully behind. As we have already had occasion to say to Commissioner Kroes, the Telecom Italia development plan is wholly in line with the Digital Agenda’s challenging targets. The long-awaited Recommendation on next-generation networks aims at strengthening a number of regulatory principles in order to foster the development of sustainable and economically efficient competition. National regulatory authorities will have a key role to play in assessing the geographical factors that affect market development, and in tailoring access rules in such a way that harmonizes the Recommendation’s principles with the local market conditions. The Recommendation’s provision to lighten cost orientation obligations in markets such as where ‘equivalence of access’ is ensured is also of particular importance.”
“Lastly, the adoption of the ‘Radio Spectrum Policy Programme’ will guarantee more efficient, flexible use of the radio spectrum and is key to developing mobile broadband. The plan indicates that by 2013, the frequencies freed up as part of the digital dividend (800 MHz) should be allocated to mobile telephony carriers for broadband development.”
Brussells, 22 September 2010
