John Doherty & John Whelan on 'The New EU Telecoms Package'

About the Speech:

The wide number of proposals in the Telecoms Package are designed to coordinate action amongst regulators to create a pro-competitive single market without regulatory borders and to reinforce competition. It is intended that this will facilitate high speed internet networks for all Europeans and stimulate economic growth.

In particular, the package will provide for:
- more powers to the Commission including issuing legally binding decisions to ensure the harmonisation of regulation across Member States;
- the establishment of a new telecoms agency;
- ensuring access to optical fibre by smaller telecoms operators;
- the possibility of introducing a functional separation between services and network activities of telecoms operators;
- the introduction of the notion of universal broadband services to consumers;
- wireless services will be made EU-wide operable by harmonising radio spectrum use; and
- the Telecoms Package will provide for the switching of bandwidth from a part of the frequencies now used for broadcasting, to provide wireless broadband services in the future.

These policy objectives of the Telecoms Package are of particular interest to industry regulators, consumer groups, Irish government departments and electronic communication/telecoms operators.

About the Speakers:

Stephen Banable is a national expert with the European Commission in DG Information Society and Media with responsibility for mobile regulatory issues and implementation of the telecoms regulatory framework. Currently he is responsible for the Commission's proposal for a regulation on international roaming charges.

John Doherty is Chairperson of the Commission for Communications Regulation.

John Whelan is a solicitor specialising in information technology and telecoms regulation at A&L Goodbody.

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