ARCEP finalised the new analysis for Markets 3a, 3b, and 4, for the period 2021–2023.
A framework for the next three years: On 17 December 2020, the French regulator ARCEP finalised the review of the wholesale broadband access markets (Markets 3a and 3b) and of the market for wholesale leased lines (Market 4). The review will cover the period 2021–2023, despite the new European Electronic Communications Code allowing regulators to extend the timeframe to five years.
Orange’s SMP finding is confirmed: Orange’s dominance remains in all the three markets. However, price regulation is limited to copper in Market 3a, and to the areas where Orange is the only wholesale operator in Market 3b. For the first time, ARCEP has also created a separate market for civil engineering infrastructure access, where Orange has SMP because this infrastructure dates back to when it was a public monopoly.
New symmetrical regulation: ARCEP also updated the symmetrical rules that apply to any operator reaching a given building. The rules are now extended to less-dense areas, and introduce QoS requirements, particularly for wholesale business products.
