The EC issued a draft of the reviewed Recommendation on relevant markets, proposing to retain ex-ante regulation on only two wholesale markets.
Regulated markets have been reduced over the years: On 25 August 2020, the European Commission published the draft of the new Recommendation on relevant markets, which national regulatory authorities have to take into account in reviewing telecoms markets in the respective countries. The Recommendation has seen a gradual reduction of markets susceptible to ex-ante regulation, from 19 in 2003, to four in 2014.
Only two wholesale broadband markets will remain regulated: The proposed draft includes only two markets – the market for fixed wholesale local access, equivalent to current Market 3a, and the market for wholesale dedicated capacity, equivalent to current Market 4. The latter includes leased lines and other business uses requiring a high-quality level of connectivity, such as backhaul for mobile networks.
The end of voice interconnection regulation: Fixed and mobile call termination are no longer seen to warrant ex-ante regulation. This is perhaps unsurprising due to the declining importance of voice in both the fixed and mobile segments, and due to the fact that the EC will set a European termination rate valid across the EU. The EC will now discuss the draft with BEREC with a view to finalising it by 21 December 2020, in line with the entry into force of the European Electronic Communications Code.
