Erkki Liikanen, European Commission (EC) member who heads enterpr...
Erkki Liikanen, European Commission (EC) member who heads enterprise & information society programs, stressed in speech in Brussels Wed. that coordinated European approach was needed on 3G. “Questions such as network infrastructure sharing or the treatment of delays in…
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fulfilling deployment obligations are being raised on a daily basis in several member states,” Liikanen said: “There is a risk of increased fragmentation of the regulatory environment in the EU [European Union] unless coordinated European approaches are sought.” While responsibility for addressing regulatory questions following auctions of 3G licenses remains with member states, Liikanen said EC can act as “facilitator and encourage the member states to seek coordinated solutions.” He said EC began dialog in April with operators, member countries and equipment providers to address remaining questions on 3G in Europe. Possibility of network infrastructure sharing, following huge sums that 3G licenses fetched in auctions in U.K. and elsewhere, has emerged in several European countries. Recently, German regulators drafted guidelines for operators interested in sharing plans, Liikanen said. Discussion of such options “may also help in defining future licensing modalities with the aim of minimizing the negative effects of fragmentation in the future and to tackle the issues related to the organization of further licensing rounds,” he said. Liikanen cited need for future licensing regulations that were flexible: “The adoption of flexible but harmonized procedures is essential to tackle rapidly changing technical and market conditions.”