EC Calls for Equal Treatment of Cable Broadband Services in France

The European Commission is calling on the French government to ensure the equal treatment for cable networks in the provision of telecommunications services in France. Noting that cable network operators in France account for less than 0.2 % of access to fixed telephony services, less than 15% of high-speed Internet access and less than 4% of Internet access markets as a whole, the EC is asking for the removal of restrictions on the provision of telecommunications services on cable networks. The Commission maintains that France has not complied with two previous directives on the issue. In particular, the EC believes French cable operators are unfairly burdened by requirements of prior consultation of all the municipalities concerned. These requirements, which do not apply to the other telecommunications operators, seriously handicap cable operators’ business and discourage them from attempting to move into these fields. In addition, cable network operators do not enjoy the same rights to use public facilities as the operators of other telecommunications networks. In particular, the charges for use of public facilities are not subject to the same ceilings.http://europa.eu.int