Commission questions Italian telecoms ruling

Telecom Italia had been ordered to reduce fees it charges competitors.

The European Commission has told Italy’s telecoms regulator to suspend a decision that would force Telecom Italia to cut the fees it charges competitors to use its network.

In a statement released yesterday (12 August) the Commission said the move should be frozen for three months while it examines whether the regulator, Agcom, followed the correct procedure for issuing such an order. The Commission is questioning whether the regulator analysed the effect that the decision would have on the telecoms market.

Agcom announced last month that Telecom Italia, which used to have a monopoly on telecoms in Italy, must lower the fees it charges competitors renting space on its fixed-line copper network.

The company said this could lead to a €110 million drop in revenue per year. However Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for the digital agenda, said that the regulator had not properly followed the guidance.

The Commission also announced that it has suspended a proposal from Portuguese telecoms regulator ANACOM concerning regulatory remedies regarding fixed termination rates.

The Commission said it was concerned about the lack of a requirement for global access in the proposal, saying that could leave consumers unable to make calls to other networks. Such an obligation could include interconnection through an IP network – which is standard in most other member states.

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