Brussels, 12/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has endorsed, the Danish telecoms regulator's (NITA) proposal to oblige the largest cable operator in Denmark, TDC, to open wholesale access to its cable broadband network to competitors. In the absence of cable regulation, NITA explained that competitors are finding it difficult to provide high speed internet services to their customers. The Commission took note of these concerns and decided that extending obligations already existing for the telecoms network to TDC's cable network should help to maintain the ability of alternative operators to compete effectively with TDC in the broadband market by enabling them to access high bandwidth wholesale products, even if such products are not available over the telecoms network.
In Europe, national regulators ensure that incumbent operators provide wholesale access to their broadband internet networks in order to promote competition in the provision of broadband internet access services. Regulation is generally limited to their telecoms networks. However, in Denmark, the largest cable TV network is also controlled by the incumbent telecoms operator, TDC. In a substantial part of Denmark, the two infrastructures capable of providing broadband internet access services, which would otherwise compete with each other for consumers, are under the control of TDC. Due to these specific national circumstances, in the absence of cable regulation TDC would have the ability and incentives to circumvent existing rules on providing wholesale access to broadband which are currently limited to broadband over the fixed phone network (DSL). NITA's proposal to require TDC to allow other operators to access its cable network to provide services should enable alternative operators to continue competing with TDC, to the ultimate benefit of consumers. (I.L./trans/rh)