26/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - France Télécom's arguments should have been more carefully examined by the Court of First Instance in the case between the European Commission and that company, ruled Advocate General Ján Mazák in his findings, presented on 25 September (case C-202/07). The Commission alleged that the operator's internet access service, known under the name of Wanadoo at the time, proposed excessively low rates to its customers in a merciless challenge to its competitors at the start of the 1990s. The aim of this strategy, the Commission claimed, was to be able to increase rates once the competition had been removed (see EUROPE 9355). The Court of First Instance found for the Commission in January 2007 (case T-430/03). The present case is the company's appeal against that ruling. If the Court were to uphold the findings of the Advocate General - something it is not required to do - it would have to annul the verdict of the Court of First Instance. A France Télécom spokesman said he did not want to make any comment while awaiting the Court's final judgment. The ruling is expected within the coming weeks. (C.D./transl.rt)