98/511/EC: Commission Recommendation of 29 July 1998 amending Recommendation 98/195/EC on interconnection in a liberalised telecommunications market (Part 1 - Interconnection pricing) (notified under document number C(1998) 2234) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1998-07-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: communications systems, liberalisation of the market, systems interconnection, telecommunications, telephone charges, transmission network

L 228/30

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COMMISSION

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION

of 29 July 1998

amending Recommendation 98/195/EC on interconnection in a liberalised tele-
communications market (Part 1 — Interconnection pricing)

(notified under document number C(1998) 2234)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(98/511/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Directive 97/33/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June
1997 on interconnection in telecommunications with regard to ensuring universal service and
interoperability through application of the principles of open network provision (ONP) (1), and
in particular Article 7(5) thereof,

Whereas point 9 of Recommendation 98/195/EC (2) states that the Recommendation, and in
particular the ‘best current practice charges’ in point 4 and the data in Annex II, will be reviewed
by the Commission by 31 July 1998 at the latest, and updated where necessary;

Whereas the ‘best current practice’ interconnection in point 4 of the Recommendation and the
interconnection cost data for Member States in Annex II thereto should be updated;

Whereas the advisory committee set up by Article 9(1) of Council Directive 90/387/EEC of 28
June 1990 on the establishment of the internal market for telecommunications services through
the implementation of open network provision (3), as amended by Directive 97/51/EC of the
European Parliament and of the Council (4), has been consulted,

MAKES THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATION:

Recommendation 98/195/EC is amended as follows:

Article 1

(1) OJ L 199, 26. 7. 1997, p. 32.
(2) OJ L 73, 12. 3. 1998, p. 42.
(3) OJ L 192, 24. 7. 1990, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 295, 29. 10. 1997, p. 23.

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1. The following point 4a is inserted:

‘4a. Based on the data given in Annex II, the following “best current practice” charges are
recommended maximum interconnection charges for the period starting 1 January 1999:
“Best current practice” interconnection charges

“Best current practice” interconnection charge for call termination at the LOCAL level
(i.e. at a local exchange or as near a local exchange as possible)

between 0,5 and 1,0 ECU/100 per minute (at peak rate)

“Best current practice” interconnection charge for SINGLE TRANSIT interconnection
(metropolitan level)

between 0,8 and 1,6 ECU/100 per minute (at peak rate)

current

“Best
interconnection (national level — more than 200 km)

interconnection

practice”

charge

for DOUBLE

TRANSIT

between 1,5 and 2,3 ECU/100 per minute (at peak rate)’

2. In point 9, the date of 31 July 1998 is replaced by the date of 31 July 1999.

3. Figure 1a below is inserted in section 1 of Annex II:

‘Figure 1a:

Interconnection rates for call termination (May 1998)

(1) Last tariffs proposed by the operator but not yet approved by the national regulatory

authority.’

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4. The table in the Annex is added to section 3 of Annex II.

This Recommendation is addressed to the Member States.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 29 July 1998.

For the Commission

Martin BANGEMANN

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

‘Table 1a:

Detailed interconnection cost data for Member States (May 1998)

Interconnect charges per minute,
based on a 3 minute call duration
Basic starting in ECU-cents (i.e. ECU/100)
Prices are exclusive of VAT

Member State

Local

Single
transit

Double
transit (4)

Exchange
rates to
ECU
(May 1998)

Interconnection charges in local currencies,
date at which prices are effective,
other supplementary information

Austria

1,80 (1)

1,80

2,37

13,9

Belgium

1,11

2,10

2,94

41

Prices since 1.1.1998 (ATS):
— local = not provided
— region = 0,25 per min.
— national = 0,33 per min.

Prices since 1.1.1998 (BEF):
— local = 0,14 per call + 0,41 per min.
— region = 0,27 per call + 0,77 per min.
— national = 0,38 per call + 1,08 per min.

Denmark

0,98

1,82

2,22

7,50

Prices since September 1997 (DKK/100):

Finland

1,42-1,58 (1)

1,42-1,58 (2)

2,81-3,91 (2)

6,01

France

0,70

1,71

2,52

6,63

— local exchange = 4 per call + 6 per min.
— single tandem = 8 per call + 11 per min.
— double tandem = 8 per call + 14 per min.

Prices for 1.9.1998 (FIM/100):
— local = not provided
— teledistrict = 16,5 per call + 3 or 4 per min.
— national = teledistrict + 8,8 to 14 per min.

Prices since 1 January 1998 (FF/100):
— local exchange = 4,69 per min.
— single tandem = 11,40 per min.
— double tandem (;200 km) = 16,77 per min.

Germany (5)

0,99

1,69-2,14

2,58

1,98

Prices since 1 January 1998 (DM/100):

Greece (*)

1,81 (1)

1,81

2,59

351

Italy (*)

1,51 (3)

2,47

1 958

— City = 1,97 per min.
— Regio50 = 3,36 per min.
— Regio200 = 4,25 per min.
— National = 5,14 per min.

Prices proposed for mobile operators in 1998 (GRD):
— metropolitan = 1,7 per call + 5,8 per min.
— national = 2,4 per call + 8,3 per min.

Proposed tariffs for 1.1.1998 (ITL):
— local (only from 1.9.1998) = 29,6 per min.
— region = 48,4 per min.
— national = not provided

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Interconnect charges per minute,
based on a 3 minute call duration
Basic starting in ECU-cents (i.e. ECU/100)
Prices are exclusive of VAT

Member State

Local

Single
transit

Double
transit (4)

Exchange
rates to
ECU
(May 1998)

Interconnection charges in local currencies,
date at which prices are effective,
other supplementary information

Ireland

2,20

4,15

5,18

0,79

Luxembourg (*)

2,01 (1)

2,01

2,01

41

Netherlands (6)

1,17

1,60

2,06

2,23

Portugal (*) (7)

1,20

2,37

18

203

Spain

1,49 (1)

1,49

4,17

168

Sweden

1,14

1,77

2,41

8,45

United Kingdom

0,61

0,87

1,69

0,68

Prices for mobile operators in 1998 (IRLP/100):
— local = 1,74 per min.
— single tandem = 3,28 per min.
— national = 4,09 per min.

Proposed prices for 1.7.1998 (LUF):
— any level: 0,825 per minute

Priced as determined by OPTA (NLG/100):
— local exchange = 1,5 per call + 2,1 per min.
— metropolitan = 2,3 per call + 2,8 per min.
— national = 3 per call + 3,6 per min.

Prices since 1997 for mobile operators (PTE):
— local = 2,43 per min.
— metropolitan = 4,86 per min.
— national = 36,4 per min.

Prices since April 1997 (ESP):
— local = not provided
— metropolitan = 2,5 per min.
— National = 7 per min.

Prices since 1.1.1998 (SEK/100):
— local exchange = 7 per call + 7,3 per min.
— single segment = 7 per call + 12,6 per min.
— double segment = 7 per call + 18 per min.

Prices in May 1998 (GBP/100):
— local exchange = 0,4117 per min.
— single tandem = 0,5928 per min.
— double tandem (;200 km) = 1,1518 per min.

Source: NRAs and Commission.

Notes

(1) In Spain, Finland, Austria, Greece and Luxembourg the lowest interconnection charge covers interconnection at a local or a tandem exchange. Thus the

“local” rate is the same as the “single transit” rate.

(2) In Finland there are two prices at single transit according to the teledistrict area number, and at double transit there is a price range depending on the

volume of traffic carried.

(3) In Italy local tariffs are only available from 1 September 1998.
(4) The “double transit” rate includes a distance component for links of ;200 km.
(5) The four price zones in Germany, which are defined by distance, do not correspond on a 1:1 basis to the three bands in the table which are defined in

technical terms.

(6) In the Netherlands the interconnect prices for single transit and double transit are those set by NRA in a dispute settlement procedure. Since an appeal
has been lodged against this decision, other prices than those shown in the table currently apply for single and double transit (as of 1 March these are ECU
1,82 per minute at single transit and ECU 2,33 per minute at double transit).

(7) In Portugal, the interconnection tariffs shown are those applied by Portugal Telecom to mobile operators and they may be linked to the level of retail

tariffs applied by mobile operators. The situation is under review by the National Regulatory Authority (ICP).

(*) Last tariffs proposed by the operator but not yet approved by the national regulatory authority.’