URL: Latest posts
Consultation on Cloud computing
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The EU Commission has published an online survey on 'cloud computing'.The online public consultation will run until the August 31st. Responses will feed into the preparation of a European cloud computing strategy that the Commission will present in 2...
Microsoft buys Skype
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Largely commented in press is today's announcement that Microsoft is intending (subject to antitrust approval - which seems unlikely to be a big issue at first glance) to buy Skype. Skype is an EU based company; actually one of the rare significant i...
OPTA's decisions on M4 and 5 annulled
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The Dutch appeal court (College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven) has annulled OPTA's M4 and 5 decisions based on incorrect market definition (fiber LLU for corporate users should be a separate market) and lack of rationale for bitstream when LLU re...
ECJ: incumbent operators can become a one-stop shop for rival directory-service providers...but not on a cost-oriented basis
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This is the practical result of the decision rendered today ... combined with a previous decision from February. In its DT decision (case C‑543/09) rendered today, the Court of Justice ruled that the EU telecom framework is not precluding national...
NCA cannot adopt negative antitrust decisions
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Again, the telecom sector gave rise to an interesting preliminary ruling on EU competition law. In the Tele2 Polska decision rendered today, the Court of Justice held that national competition authorities are not allowed to declare that there is no b...
EP Report on spectrum policy program
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The European Parliament has published the report on a coordinated European approach to radio spectrum policy management (in french).
M4 and 5 in France notified to the Commission
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ARCEP notified yesterday its M4 and M5 regulation to the EC. Draft decisions are available here.
Art 7.: M7 in Poland
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At the beginning of this month, the Commission published its comments on the draft M7 polish decision. Those are as follows:Need for regulating termination rates reflecting efficient costsThe Commission notes that UKE’s proposal will lead to mobile...
NEREC papers
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Since last year, NEREC, a Spanish institute, publishes an annual contribution monitoring EU telecom policy. It includes papers from M. Cave and others. It focuses pretty much on NGA regulation. The 2009 edition is available here and the 2010 is avail...
Independence of regulators in AVMS Directive
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Last January, the preliminary study on the criteria for independence of regulators in the AVMS directive has been published. Although, this relates to media and not purely telecoms, the criteria could arguably also be applicable for telecoms regulato...
ART 7. COCOM Summary
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COCOM published it summary of the art.7 notifications for the last 3 months. Commission actions since July 2003:
Consultation on broadband state aid guidelines
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The European Commission published a consultation on the revision of EU rules on the public financing of broadband infrastructure, with a view to presenting new guidelines for state aid to broadband schemes in September 2012. The Commission has publis...
"Wait and see" communication on net neutrality
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The Commission published today a communication on The open internet and net neutrality in Europe. The Commission has asked the BEREC to analyse issues re. ensuring an open and neutral internet, including barriers to changing operators, blocking or th...
LTE/WImax in 900 /1800
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Today, the Commission adopted a Decision amending Decision2009/776 on the harmonisation of the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands for terrestrial systems capable of providing pan-European electronic communications services in the Community.The Comm...
Digital agenda assembly.
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In addition to the IBA conference, I would like to mention the first digital agenda assembly organised by the Commission on 16-17 June 2011. Further information is available here.
IBA annual telecom conference
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The 22nd Annual Communications and Competition Law Conference will take place on 16 - 17 May 2011 in Vienna, Austria. Topics include:• Future Challenges of Regulation of Electronic Communications• Scope and limits of judicial review in the regula...
Moving away from Bill and Keep?
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The Commission published a report prepared by TERA on the future interconnection charging method. After much discussion about Bill and Keep (BAK) (see BEREC consultation on this point), the report might suggest that we will finally come back to Calli...
"Compulsory filtering is against fundamental rights" says AG
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The AG rendered its opinion on the Scarlet case (Case C-70/10) which involved compulsory filtering to prevent illegal downloads. According to Advocate General Cruz Villalón, a measure ordering an internet service provider to install a system for fil...
Implementing the E-Privacy Directive.
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The art. 29 data protection working party recently published a report on the implementation of the E-privacy Directive. After a summary of the main elements of the personal data breach provisions in the ePrivacy Directive (Section II), the working do...
WIK report on cooper access pricing
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A study prepared by WIK and commissionned by ECTA has been published today. This study examines the business case for fibre investment and assesses the effect of regulated wholesale charges on investment decisions, retail prices, competition and cons...
