This project is funded by the European Union EU regulatory framework for electronic communications - Access Directive Richard Harris Independent EU telecommunications consultant ICTtrain workshop London 3-14 November 2008

Agenda – Vocabulary – What’s the difference? – The main recitals – The main articles 3rd November 20082

Vocabulary 1 Access means the making available of facilities and/or services, to another undertaking, under defined conditions, on either an exclusive or non-exclusive basis, for the purpose of providing electronic communications services. It covers inter alia : access to network elements and associated facilities, which may involve the connection of equipment, by fixed or non-fixed means (in particular this includes access to the local loop and to facilities and services necessary to provide services over the local loop), access to physical infrastructure including buildings, ducts and masts; access to relevant software systems including operational support systems, access to number translation or systems offering equivalent functionality, access to fixed and mobile networks, in particular for roaming, access to conditional access systems for digital television services; access to virtual network services; 3rd November 20083

Vocabulary 2 Interconnection means the physical and logical linking of public communications networks used by the same or a different undertaking in order to allow the users of one undertaking to communicate with users of the same or another undertaking, or to access services provided by another undertaking. Services may be provided by the parties involved or other parties who have access to the network. Interconnection is a specific type of access implemented between public network operators; 3rd November 20084

Vocabulary 3 Local loop means the physical circuit connecting the network termination point at the subscriber's premises to the main distribution frame or equivalent facility in the fixed public telephone network. Reference offer is not defined but this vital phrase is used in article 9.2 and 9.4 to describe the standard terms and conditions that SMP operators can be obliged to publish for its wholesale customers. 3rd November 20085

What’s the difference Between the 2002 rules and the previous rules? In essence the previous rules divided the world into incumbents and new entrants. A fixed set of rather heavy ex ante rules were imposed on incumbents and no, or much lighter, rules on new entrants. 3rd November 20086

What’s the difference 2 – The 2002 rules divide the world into markets and assess each market to discover whether any operators has significant power. This directive applies these new principles to the wholesale markets. The received wisdom is that if wholesale markets are competitive, very little regulation will be needed at the retail level. 3rd November 20087

The main recitals 1-3Scope – relations between service suppliers 5-9Mainly commercial negotiation 10-15Regulation may be needed and must be possible 16-18Some key principles 19The problem Prices and audit 3rd November 20088

The key articles 3&4General framework, obligations to negotiate. 5Powers of the NRA 6-9Review of markets and obligations, reference offers Transparency, non-discrimination, accounting separation, vertical integration 12Access to buildings, ducts and masts 13Prices and cost accounting Annex IIReference offer for local loop unbundling 3rd November 20089

Summary This Directive strongly encourages operators to conclude all of their access agreements by negotiation and, as far as possible to standardise their terms in published “reference offers”. The aim is to minimise the aspects where agreement cannot be reached and where regulatory intervention might be needed. The NRAs are however given strong powers and operators are reminded about the competition rules. 3rd November

Thank you for your attention For more information: See - Europa web-site 3rd November