Brussels, 05/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 4 June, the European Commission put on hold the plans of the German telecoms regulator (BNetzA) to set price levels for dedicated secure lines of ultra-fast broadband lines that are rented out to competitors - so-called “very high bandwidth leased lines”, which the incumbent German telecoms operator, Deutsche Telecom (DT), can charge alternative operators. The Commission has serious doubts about whether BNetzA's proposal to impose cost-oriented prices for access to leased lines with a bandwidth of above 155 Mbps is compatible with EU telecoms rules, and has opened an investigation, in an effort to clarify the situation. Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, explained that “EU telecoms rules are there to ensure adequate competition in the market so it can provide continually-improving services to consumers. Where competition is already delivering, we should avoid imposing additional rules that deter investment and hinder the introduction of competitive services”. EU telecoms rules require national regulatory authorities that impose proportionate remedies based on the nature of the specific problem identified and must not regulate markets that are already competitive, explains the Commission. In the case in point, the Commission has doubts about the measure planned by the German regulator, insofar as the latter had itself informed the Commission at the end of 2011 that the market in leased broadband lines had become competitive in Germany. (IL/transl.fl)