Talks broke down between Deutsche Telekom and competitors over ho...
Talks broke down between Deutsche Telekom and competitors over how to define and finance access to DT’s fiber network, German telecommunications lawyer Axel Spies said on Monday. The infrastructure is too expensive for DT alone to roll out nationwide,…
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he said. So the carrier has been negotiating with competitors over access to its cable distribution boxes and dark fiber to allow them to build their own networks while using parts of its network and over joint deployment in some places, Spies said. But DT pulled out of talks several weeks ago and asked national regulator BNetzA to set the prices, he said. Vodafone followed suit with a similar request, he said. BREKO, which represents local access competitors, and German Competitive Telecommunications Association VATM asked the regulator to rule as quickly as possible, said Spies, representing the VATM. Market players need certainty as soon as possible, but DT “should not be allowed to dictate the prices and conditions for VDSL access,” he said. The regulatory framework for network access must be fair and give all parties incentives to invest in broadband, Spies said. Joint projects make sense only if competitors know what prices the regulator will impose, he said. German weekly publication Die Zeit reported that DT CEO Rene Obermann is stepping up pressure on BNetzA, claiming it’s a “sin against infrastructure development” to expect the incumbent to invest in broadband rollout while competitors angle to use the new networks at very low cost, Spies said.