If they don't get into the market, we won't have the local competition that European consumers and businesses deserve. A number of operators in the United Kingdom say the costs are too high, and often cite costs in Germany as a barometer. Justin Fielder, a business development manager at pan-European telecom carrier and ISP EasyNet, says the costs in each country are pretty similar. He argues that, while in Germany, the room itself may be cheaper, you get less infrastructure with that room as compared to what carriers get in the United Kingdom. ECTA is trying to persuade the national regulator to speed up the process and offer new entrants every opportunity to compete in the marketplace.
Dickie says regulators in Belgium, France and Italy have been particularly slow.
Even in the United Kingdom, the issue has been a sensitive one. I had an element of sympathy with Oftel because it is true to say that the U.K. historically has been very much committed to infrastructure competition. Oftel then speeded up its own timetable when it was clear that the EU regulation was going to become law. But what Oftel didn't do is put in an effective series of measures so that when the regulation did become law, new entrants could swiftly get into the UK market. If the regulator isn't determined, it is all too easy for the incumbent to find all kinds of perfectly plausible reasons for delay.