BRUSSELS-The European Commission has agreed to step up liberalization by two years and end state monopolies over mobile communications before the 1998 deadline.
The decision to move the deadline up to early 1996 still must be formally approved by commission bodies. The approval is expected in mid- to late-January. Legislation outlining the commission’s position must be written, the commission said.
Originally, the commission set Jan. 1, 1998, as the deadline for the European Union’s 15 member nations to have full competition in the mobile telecom sector. Nearly 40 million people in EU member nations are expected to use wireless communications by 2000. The introduction of personal communications services in Europe may cause that figure to double, the EU has said.
Among the issues of full liberalization that the commission must solve are complex competition problems. New mobile operators not only want to build their own networks but seek to bypass the government phone company by using the communication networks of electric, railroad or other utility companies.
According to the EC schedule, constraints on data and non-voice communications were to be lifted in 1995, with full liberalization of data infrastructure slated for 1998. The deadline for full liberalization of infrastructure for satellite communications is 1998.
