Brussels, 09/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Incumbent telecommunications operators within the ETNO association are calling on European telecoms ministers to create the conditions necessary for stimulating private sector investment in new generation networks. This would allow operators to contribute more to the objectives set out in the Digital Agenda, they say. Further to the conclusions adopted during the last meeting of the Telecoms Council on 3 December on broadband, ETNO welcomes the resolve shown by member states to set a precise agenda for the development of broadband, along the lines of the objectives set out in the Digital Agenda. It points out that the incumbent operators contribute to these targets through their own investment and deployment programmes, aiming at “broadband to all”, while underlining that where commercial broadband deployment is not viable, public funds will play a key role. Furthermore, national regulators should use more targeted instruments made available in the new generation access (NGA) recommendations, such as geographical segmentation, symmetric remedies and risk sharing mechanisms. Such an approach would create incentives for both access seekers and investing operators. On the subject of European spectrum policy, ETNO calls for prompt adoption of the programme proposed by the Commission in a joint press release with the new operators (ECTA) and mobile communications operators (GSMA) (see related article). (I.L./transl.jl)