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Spain approves new wholesale fibre market regulation
2016-02-25 11:33:00| Telecompaper Headlines
(Telecompaper) Spain's communications regulator CNMC has finally approved new regulations governing the country's wholesale fixed broadband market well over a year after the initial project was first proposed. The most controversial aspect of the wide-ranging plan is that requiring Telefonica to provide wholesale access to its fibre-optic network in all of Spain apart from 66 cities. In these so-called 'competitive areas', Telefonica won't need to open up its network because there are already three or more companies offering superfast internet via fibre or cable connections. In all other areas, corresponding to 65 percent of the country, Telefonica will be given 18 months to prepare its fibre-optic network so that any operator can use it via a process known as 'virtual unbundled local access' (VULA). According to Spanish press reports, Telefonica will now proceed to carry out its threat to halt the accelerated rollout of fibre optic infrastructure, cutting its investment by 20 percent this year and revising its commitment to cover all localities with over 1,000 inhabitants by 2020.
Tags: market
spain
regulation
wholesale
Category:Telecommunications