Brussels, 27/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 27 June, the European Commission called on the German telecoms regulator, BNetzA, to amend or withdraw its plans regarding German mobile termination rates (MTRs). Those plans would result in MTRs being more than 80% higher in Germany than in most other member states. MTRs are the rates telecoms networks charge each other to deliver calls between networks, and each operator has market power over access to customers on its own network. These costs are ultimately included in call prices paid by consumers and businesses. Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, has commented: “The vast majority of member states are now setting mobile rates in a coordinated way that brings maximum benefit to consumers and to competition, so there should be no exception elsewhere”.
Following a three-month investigation, the Commission considers that BNetZA failed to provide convincing reasons why it should be allowed not to follow the method for calculating MTRs set out in the Commission's 2009 recommendation on termination rates. The rates proposed by Germany do not comply with the principles and objectives of EU telecom rules which require member states to promote competition and the interests of consumers in the EU, as well as the development of the single market. In addition to German consumers paying over the odds, the approach proposed by BNetZA would favour German mobile operators at the expense of foreign operators thus creating unacceptable barriers to the single market, the Commission declares. (IL/transl.jl)