Its recommendations appear to offer a practical rollout plan. We note that the start date is only the date from which competing operators can begin negotiations with the incumbent. The date of service launch is likely to be many months after that unless regulators are vigilant or the Commission imposes a time limit on negotiations. The following extracts from the document are considered by TMA to be of particular importance. As the market grows and economies of scale are realised, lower prices will make these broadband services accessible to a large part of the population.
Experience shows how quickly demand can grow once the price is right.
TMA believes that the argument in favour of testing price-demand elasticity has yet to be fully exploited. In all cases, competition rules apply, and specific instances of discriminatory behaviour, distorted prices or refusals to deal by dominant operators could constitute an abuse of dominant position under Article 82 of the Treaty. We need to be assured, by evidence coming from practice and precedent, that NRAs will be proactive, vigilant and forceful in applying the rules. The Commission has a clear role to play in this regard. While commercial negotiation is the preferred method for reaching agreement on the price of local loop access, experience shows that in most cases regulatory intervention is necessary.