Brussels, 03/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published on Thursday 3 January, the European Commission recognised the recent effort by the Belgian telecoms regulator IBPT (Institut Belge des services postaux et des telecommunications) to enhance broadband competition in Belgium. The Commission asks IBPT to strengthen measures allowing new entrants to use the local network of the historical incumbent operator Belgacom to provide broadband services to end-users (local loop unbundling) with a view to promoting sustainable infrastructure-based competition. Unbundling of the local loop and wholesale access to fast broadband internet connections are vital to enable other operators to enter the retail market and provide high speed services to customers.
As notified to the European Commission on 26 November 2007, IBPT will oblige Belgacom (still 50.1% controlled by the Belgian state) to unbundled access to its local loop and grant wholesale broadband access to competitors in a non-discriminatory and transparent manner and at cost-oriented prices. IBPT pledges to closely monitor Belgacom's respect of its non-discrimination obligation with regard to the development of new high speed broadband retail offers, particularly VDSL. VDSL is a broadband technology that allows higher speeds and can replace other offers. According to IBPT's findings, Belgian consumers continue to pay high prices for broadband (10 times more than in the United Kingdom and 7 times more than in France). Effective regulation is therefore of the utmost importance, which is why the Commission is inviting IBPT to ensure swift enforcement of proposed regulatory measures. (I.L.)