The most ambitious plan in 26 years of telecoms market reform? No way

• Published in: The computer law and security report Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 199 - 200
• Main Authors: Conradi, Mike, Amin, Ravi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2014
• Subjects: Competition; Computer information security; Control; Electronics; Markets; Net neutrality; Proposals; Regulators; Single EU Authorisation proposal; Single market for electronic communications; Telecommunications; Net neutrality; Single EU Authorisation proposal; Single market for electronic communications
• ISSN: 0267-3649
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clsr.2014.01.006

The European Commission's claim that their proposed new telecoms regulation22COM (2013) 627 – Proposal for a ‘Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council’ laying down measures concerning the European single market for electronic communications and to achieve a Connected Continent, and amending Directives 2002/20/EC, 2002/21/EC and 2002/22/EC and Regulations (EC) No 1211/2009 and (EU) No 531/2012. http://goo.gl/NDnYjV. constitutes “the most ambitious plan in 26 years of telecoms market reform” is preposterous. That honour must belong to the set of new European directives in 2002 which transformed the structure of telecoms regulation and facilitated competition throughout Europe. Instead the plans make great play of a number of actually pretty minor changes and, the Body for European Regulators for Electronic Communications (“BEREC”) has been particularly critical that the proposals will create unnecessary complexity and uncertainty and limit innovation and competition.