Commission to abolish restrictions on the use of cable television networks for the provision of liberalized telecommunications services
The Commission has adopted a Directive amending Directive 90/388/EEC on the implementation of full competition in telecommunications. The main purpose of this Directive is to abolish certain restrictions on the use of cable television networks for the provision of already liberalized telecommunications services. Directive 90/388/EEC introduced measures to ensure the introduction of competition in certain telecommunications sectors. However, during the public consultation organized by the Commission in 1992 on the situation in the telecommunications sector, the effectiveness of the measures introduced was widely brought into question. The regulatory restrictions preventing the use of alternative infrastructure for the provision of liberalized services, and in particular the restrictions on the use of cable TV networks, were identified as the main cause of the continuing bottleneck situation. The present Directive, therefore, calls on Member States to abolish all restrictions on the supply of transmission capacity by cable television networks and allow the use of cable networks for the provision of telecommunications services other than voice telephony. It further requires them to ensure that the interconnection of cable TV networks with the public telecommunications networks is authorized for such purposes, in particular interconnection with leased lines, and that the restrictions on the direct interconnection of cable TV networks by cable TV operators are abolished. The Directive will come into force on 1 January 1996. Member States will have nine months thereafter in which to furnish the Commission with information showing that specific requirements of the Directive have been complied with.