The Guidelines will help regulators define Very High Capacity Networks, and set out quality of service requirements for fixed and mobile networks.
Background: In the European Electronic Communications Code (which was approved in 2018 and will come into force at the end of 2020), EU legislators have entrusted BEREC to draft guidelines on Very High Capacity Networks (VHCN). In the Code, these are fibre networks at least up to the distribution point, or any network able to deliver similar performance at peak time. The document will provide guidance to national regulators on the criteria that a network has to fulfil in order to be considered a very high capacity network, and shall contribute to the harmonisation of the definition of the term ‘very high capacity networks’ in the EU.
The draft guidelines are out: At its public debriefing on 10 March 2020, BEREC published a draft of the Guidelines – these specify in more detail the criteria set out in the Code. Deployment of fibre in fixed networks has to be at least up to the multi-dwelling point. Wireless VHCNs must have fibre up to the base station. Equivalent networks, either fixed or mobile, shall deliver minimum QoS for downlink and uplink data rate, IP packet error and packet loss ratio, round-trip IP packet delay, IP packet delay variation, and service availability. In particular, BEREC set out minimum downlink/uplink speeds of 1Gbps/200Mbps for fixed networks, and 150Mbps/50Mbps for wireless networks. For the latter, BEREC intends to update QoS levels as soon as 5G has reached mature deployment and significant penetration, and at the latest by 2023.
Next steps: A public consultation on the guidelines is open for 45 days, until 24 April 2020. A stakeholders meeting will be held in Brussels on 17 March 2020, to better explain the guidelines and allow interested parties to ask questions, in preparation for the submission of responses.
