Universal Service . It is vital that the desire to guarantee universal service does not unduly hinder investment or distort competition. We recommend the definition not of minimum standards of service which must be provided in all areas, but of maximum levels of service on which member states can insist. To promote access and services in uneconomic areas, we propose the establishment of national universal service funds, managed by national regulators and supported by a strict approach to the separation of costs in the accounts of operators and to the application of EC Treaty rules. The common definition of maximum permissible levels of universal service would need to be accompanied by a meaningful system of dispute resolution underpinned by national regulators.
Widespread access is the key.
The immediate priority is to ensure that services are widely available at an early stage, and that attention is paid to the needs of both the major corporate users and the individual citizen. The imposition of formal 'universal service obligations' should be progressive, taking account of the cost and availability of new services. EC law already sets out a series of basic requirements on access to the network. This applies not only in such matters as access charges but also in the software access protocols. The ramifications of ONP for commercial operations is evident.