Brussels, 01/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission's public consultation exercise launched on 26 June 2008 (see EUROPE 9691) on the new calculation methods it is considering for mobile phone MTR (mobile termination rates - the fees charged by mobile phone companies to connect calls made from other fixed or mobile phone operators) has stimulated the following reactions:
ERG: Daniel Pataki, president of the European Regulators' Group, said he would be examining the European Commission's proposals with great care and the ERG would be publishing its views in May 2009. He said the ERG 'has always looked to promote cost-reflective pricing for mobile termination rates which benefit consumers while maintaining a predictable regulatory environment for the sector'. Like the Commission, the ERG believes there has been a genuine cut in MTR over the past four years thanks to the intervention of national regulatory authorities, explained Pataki. The Commission argues that the charges are still too high.
ETNO: The incumbent telephone operators' association ETNO 'does not see a justification for such a radical proposal,' noting that consumers were already benefiting from substantial cuts in MTR. Rates are continuing to fall because operators are becoming more efficient and ETNO argues that there is therefore no need to make any radical changes in the way MTR are calculated. New operators have already explained that they are backing the European Commission's proposals (see EUROPE 9689).
BEUC: The European consumer organisations' bureau BEUC backs the Commission's new calculation methods, stressing the 'unacceptable' differences in price between landlines and mobile phones even within a single country. BEUC says that EU legislation is 'the only way to promote a competitive telecoms market which benefits EU consumers'. (I.L.)