Pundits question EC telecom proposals

Michael Carroll
16 Sep 2013
00:00

Analysts predict Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange will cry foul at European Commission (EC) proposals to start abolishing roaming rates from 2014.

The plan is one of several proposals revealed by EC vice president for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes last week that aim to kick start deployment of next generation fixed and mobile networks in the region. Plans for net neutrality, improved consumer rights, and cuts to long-distance call charges were also announced.

While Kroes painted a grim picture for Europe’s economy and security if the plans were not adopted, IHS Electronics and Media analyst Peter Boyland says the region’s operators are likely to rail against the plan. “Larger European players…will still decry the loss of revenue, which they say they can ill afford as profits fall due to the economic downturn, and while they are expected to bear the burden of expensive 4G rollout.”

Smaller carriers are also likely to object, seeing the move as “discriminatory, since they will not be able to offer network coverage in as many markets as cheaply as the major operators,” Boyland adds.

Stefan Zehle, chief executive of Coleago Consulting, says the region needs “regulatory certainty” to encourage the investment needed to achieve the EC’s goals for fiber and 4G deployments, because mobile operators aren’t making the return on investment needed to sustain rollouts. “For the past three years, the return on invested capital made by Europe’s telcos was below the cost of capital of around 8% to 9%,” Zehle states, citing recent PwC research. “[T]he Commission conjures up an image of ultra-profitable telecom operators which fleece consumers,” he adds.

Related content

Follow Telecom Asia Sport!
Comments
No Comments Yet! Be the first to share what you think!
This website uses cookies
This provides customers with a personalized experience and increases the efficiency of visiting the site, allowing us to provide the most efficient service. By using the website and accepting the terms of the policy, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy.