Brussels, 11/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 11 June, the European Commission announced its acceptance of the proposal by the French telecommunications regulatory authority, ARCEPS, to maintain regulatory obligations on the incumbent TV transmission services operator, TDF. The regulation will mean that TDF must give access to its masts and sites for alternative transmission service providers under adequate conditions in order to provide competing transmission services to digital television broadcasters and multiplex operators. The Commission, however, invites ARCEP to monitor the extent to which TDF's sites can be replicated and the competitive developments on the market so as to ensure that the regulatory obligations to be imposed on TDF remain justified and proportionate. Neelie Kroes, Competition Commissioner, said she supported ARCEP's view that the current level of competition in the French TV transmission services market needs to be preserved and that “this can be accomplished by maintaining and refining the conditions under which TDF gives access to masts and sites that are difficult to replicate to operators who provide transmission services”. Commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for telecommunications, asserted: “Alternative broadcasting operators in the French market need more time to secure their position as competitors to TDF”.
Currently, French households mainly rely on analogue or digital terrestrial television services to watch TV. As analogue terrestrial television will be phased out in France by 30 November 2011 at the latest, the terrestrial network is being digitalised at high speed. The terrestrial broadcasting transmission services market, where TDF offers services over its masts and sites to competing providers, remains largely in the hands of TDF, which has a market share of around 93%, despite regulatory measures imposed at the time of ARCEP's 2006 market review. There is little sign of increased actual or potential competition on the market. Therefore, ARCEP intends to maintain the current obligations under which TDF must provide network access on non-discriminatory, transparent terms. TDF is also required to charge cost-orientated tariffs for access to its non-replicable sites. (I.L./transl.jl)