The European Union yesterday passed a regulation that requires
the opening of local telephone networks to competition by 1st
January 2001 with the aim of accelerating the introduction of low
cost broadband internet access to businesses throughout Europe. The
new law requires the opening to competition of the last mile of
copper wires connecting buildings to local exchanges.
Erkii Liikanen, European Commissioner for enterprise and the
information society, said of yesterday’s progress, “It will
complete the liberalisation of telecommunications markets in
Europe.”
Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Austria
already grant access to the local loop networks. In the UK, BT said
it expects to meet the requirements of the new law. However, the
telecoms watchdog Oftel has only required BT to make its local loop
available to competitors from July 2001 and only requires BT to
make available 360 of its 6,000 local exchanges by January 2001. BT
said that it believes it is far ahead of Germany and other
countries which have opened only a small number of lines to
competition.
