June 2017: Highlights and Activities

International Meetings attended by MCA representatives

CEPT - ECC (Spectrum)
The MCA participated in the 45th ECC plenary meeting held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands between the 26th and 30th June.  The ECC meeting approved for public consultation a set of deliverables on the harmonised conditions for Mobile/Fixed Communications Networks (MFCN) in the 1427-1518 MHz band. The ECC also decided on spectrum issues covering in particular Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications and fixed earth stations operating with NGSO FSS satellite systems. In addition, the ECC agreed to support the development by its permanent office (the Electronic Communications Office) of a directory of E.164 numbers to facilitate contact between Public Safety Answering Points in different European countries.

ECS - General EU Matters
The MCA attended the scheduled Horizon 2020 Future Internet Forum (FIF) meeting on the 27th of June 2017. This time, the meeting formed part of the Net Futures 2017 conference organised in part by the European Commission at “The Egg” in Brussels. The meeting focused exclusively on the on-going Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative whereby member states are in the process of nominating designated points of contact to assist the commission to ease the delivery of the NGI vision in each member state. The MCA has already nominated a local point of contact who will now take on the organisation of a number of workshops with stakeholders such as SMEs, the academia, technologists and others who may be interested in working on NGI projects in Malta.

49th Meeting of the Administrative Board of the European GNSS Agency
An MCA representative attended the 49th Meeting of the Administrative Board of the European GNSS Agency which was held between the 26th and 27th June 2017 in Prague, Czech Republic. The Administrative Board reviewed financial and organisation aspects of GSA. It also exchanged views on Market Development and uptake, Security and Galileo’s Handover to GSA.

ERGP - WG - Market Outcomes (Postal Indicators)
The scope of this meeting, held in Brussels, is go through the feedback received regarding the postal questionnaire and see the progress so far in the analysis. Also a way forward plan is set so that to manage the time-frames and deliver the report.

ERGP Plenary/Contact Network 
The European Regulators Group for Postal Services (ERGP) serves as a body for reflection, discussion and the provision of advice to the European Commission on postal services. Through meeting of the heads of the National Regulatory Authorities responsible for postal services the group aims to facilitate consultation, coordination and cooperation between EU countries and the Commission. The group met on 23rd June to discuss the progress made on the deliverables of this year’s Work Programme. The topics discussed concerned the scope of the Universal Service in light of developments within the sector, accounting and price regulation issues, a report of the quality of services and consumer protection, cross-border parcel delivery, the regulation of the access market, and how the work of the group can be improved. The draft Work Programme for 2018 was also discussed with the aim to adopt it for public consultation in September. The election of ERGP Chair for 2018 took place during the gathering. Jack Hamande, a member of the Council of the Belgian regulator, BIPT, was elected unanimously. 

GNSS Programme Committee Meeting
An MCA representative attended the European GNSS Programme Committee Meeting which was held between the 20th and 21st June 2017 in Brussels, Belgium. The committee reviewed the performance and state of play of both Galileo and EGNOS.  Elements related to procurement, funding, Commercial Services, PRS and security were discussed in depth.

70th Communications Committee Meeting held on the 20th June, 2017
The Communications Committee performs an advisory function to European Commission.  These meetings are of an ongoing nature and the main objective is for the Commission to review, together with Ministries and National Regulatory Authorities of other Member States (MS), topics which are of relevance to Government and the MCA and occasionally to other institutional players such as the DPC or the Malta Police force.  Member States participate by providing feedback following thorough analysis of the subject matter, taking into consideration all stakeholders. The main item on the Agenda of the 70th meeting was a discussion on the draft terms of Reference of a Working Group relative to 5G deployment and National broadband plans. The discussion is ongoing.

BEREC - WG - Benchmarking (Business Indicators)
The scope of this meeting, held in Riga, was to discuss and understand whether there is the need to collect specific business indicators. The scope of this data collection is to capture also the business market and understand the nature of this market. So far NRAs focus a lot on the residential aspect and very little attention is dedicated for the business market. Hence the need to understand more this market which is also a competitive and strong aspect of the operators revenue.

IRG Training Workshop 2017
In June, the MCA attended a training workshop in Brussels held by the Independent Regulators Group. This meeting was held to discuss the numerous challenges brought about by new technologies in markets 3a (Wholesale Local Access), 3b (Wholesale Central Access) and market 4 (wholesale high-quality access provided at a fixed location). The workshop began by first discussing the economic, legal and historic backgrounds of the relevant markets, after which speakers from a variety of European regulatory authorities presented a number of case studies from their respective countries and the remedies taken to address such problems. The workshop concluded with an expert panel discussing the future impact of NGN (Next Generation Networks) on wholesale markets.

Zillertal Meeting
On the 15th-16th June 2017, the MCA attended for a two-day workshop in Zillertal, Austria. The workshop discussed the MoQoS (Measurement of Quality of Service) project. The latter is an EU-funded project. The aim of the project is to eventually establish a cross-border platform for crowdsourcing data related to the quality of service of high-speed Internet. The MCA is planning to carry out a Quality of Service fixed/mobile broadband benchmarking exercise towards the end of the year. The Authority, therefore, attended for the MoQoS workshop with the intent of gaining greater insight about the product thus being in a better position to evaluate whether MoQoS is fit for the MCA’s purpose or not. 

BEREC - WG - Roaming Mobile
A number of countries face difficulties to meet the increasing demand from users and local authorities for mobile connectivity available in ‘challenge areas’ (such as indoor areas). Furthermore, each National Regulatory Authority (NRA) adopts different means to provide information on national mobile coverage. The aim of this expert working group is to prepare a report which will outline a number of initiatives to facilitate mobile connectivity in challenge areas. In addition, the meeting will be also developing a European common understanding on a number of aspects related to mobile coverage. A workshop on spectrum needs to foster innovation will also be organised by this working group.

BEREC - Market and Economic Analysis (MEA) EWG Meeting
The discussion at BEREC’s MEA EWG meeting focused on BEREC’s draft report concerning the impact of content markets and devices on competition in ECS markets and the position of operators in the digital environment. In this respect several issues were raised during the meeting, mainly related to the type of premium content that is currently on offer and its impact on competition dynamics in ECS markets. The discussion highlighted that the current trends in market consolidation and changing consumer preferences may raise the possibility of service providers using premium content to leverage their market strength and thus hinder new market entry. 

The draft report will be amended to take better account of how, for example, bundling could play (or is playing) a role in the way undertakings compete with each other to add value to their customers by offering content of different forms. It was agreed that this new dimension of competition, based on innovation and product enhancement may not be easily quantified and thus raise some issues from an analytical point of view. Finally, a discussion ensued on the possible connection between the impact of premium content on the ECS markets and the type of devices being used to access the content itself. The main points raised in the report were supplemented by information gathered via a questionnaire to which NRAs provided input on issues related to the subject under discussion. It is planned that the report will be published for consultation in Q4 2017 and final report delivered in Plenary 1 2018. 

5G Spectrum Workshop
The MCA participated in a workshop organised by the 5G PPP held on the 7th June 2017.  The workshop presented recent research results covering spectrum needs and suitability of relevant frequency bands under consideration, ranging from the sub-1GHz to the millimetre-wave range, to provide innovative services and ambitious coverage, especially leveraging the 5G-PPP projects advancements. Special attention was given to certain vertical industries.  The workshop provided an introduction to research project results on expected 5G scenarios. 

Governmental Satellite Communications – Expert Group Meeting
An MCA representative attended the 8th meeting of the GOVSATCOM Member State Expert Group, held on the 6th June 2017 in Brussels, Belgium.  GOVSATCOM is defined as a highly available satellite communications system with a higher level of security and resilience then commercial services that can be deployed using technological solutions readily available on the market.  During this meeting, the progress of the GOVSATCOM Impact Assessment study was reviewed. Three GOVSATCOM use cases were presented highlighting the importance of the deployment of GOVSATCOM. 

43rd Radio Spectrum Policy Group Meeting
The MCA participated in the 43rd RSPG Plenary held on the 6th June 2017.   The Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG) noted progress reports from the Working Groups dealing the following policy areas: Spectrum related aspects of next generation wireless systems (5G), EU Cross-border coordination ("Good offices"), Spectrum requirements facing the future needs and use of wireless audio and video PMSE applications in the EU; and Spectrum aspects of the EU Digital Single Market.  Key Messages on 5G were agreed in advance of the RSPG's second Opinion on 5G.  The RSPG also agreed to initiate work on a new work programme beginning in 2018 and discussed collaboration with BEREC. The Chair's report which includes the Key Messages on 5G agreed by the Plenary can be found on the RSPG website 

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Media participation by MCA

TELEVISION

28.06.17              ‘Twelveto3' – TVM
                             (Roaming – Yanika Cassar)

19.06.17               'Life & Style' - NET
                             (Roaming – Yanika Cassar)

14.06.17               ‘Twelveto3' – TVM
                             (WiFi Hotspots – Stephen Muscat)

05.06.17               'Life & Style' - NET
                             (Elderly – Mark schembri)

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Legal Updates
  • 27th June 2017: case filed by Vodafone Malta & GO Plc - Legal Interception court sitting before First Hall - continuation - adjourned for final oral submissions

Publication of Laws:

No laws were published during June.

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International News

REGULATION

Cullen International       Google receives record €2.4bn fine for having favoured its own price comparison shopping service

The European Commission has fined Google €2.42bn for having abused its dominance in the general internet search services by favouring its own comparison shopping service Google Shopping on its general web research pages [read more – subscription required].


Cullen International       European Commission publishes an inconclusive study on competition effects of zero-rating
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition has published an inconclusive independent study on competition aspects of zero-rating, i.e. internet service providers (ISPs) not counting the data volume consumed for accessing particular content, applications or services against the user’s limited monthly data volume [read more – subscription required].

Ofcom  Consultation: Mobile call termination market review 2018-21
The consultation document seeks stakeholders’ views on Ofcom’s proposals for regulation of the wholesale MCT market for the period 1 April 2018 – 31 March 2021. The purpose of this review is to assess competition in the provision of MCT and to consider the appropriate form of ex ante regulation, if any, that should be imposed in this market to protect consumers of both fixed and mobile services from any harm arising from market power [read more].

Cullen International       Commission reiterates its serious doubt on using benchmarking to set German FTRs
The European Commission closed on June 23, 2017 its phase II investigation into the notification of fixed termination rates (FTRs) by the German regulator, BNetzA [read more – subscription required].

Cullen International       ANACOM consults on fixed wholesale call origination market analysis
ANACOM, the Portuguese regulator, is consulting until July 5, 2017 on its draft review of the fixed wholesale call origination market (M2/2007). In this third-round review, ANACOM proposes to de-regulate fixed call origination from non-geographic numbers [read more – subscription required].

Cullen International       EU Telecoms Review: European Parliament lead committee makes progress on spectrum and BEREC, more work needed on access issues
European Parliament is close to finalising its positions on spectrum, BEREC and the definition of very high capacity networks while several issues on access regulation remain outstanding [read more – subscription required].

Cullen International       European Parliament lead committee confirms deal with Council on EU-funded WiFi
The European Parliament lead Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) committee has approved the informal agreement with the Council on the proposed WiFi4EU scheme [read more – subscription required].

Cullen International       Digital Economy Commissioner-designate Gabriel has a smooth hearing by her peers
MEP Mariya Gabriel (EPP, Bulgaria), the Commissioner-designate for the Digital Economy and Society portfolio, received more compliments and applause than critical questions during her hearing in the European Parliament on June 20, 2017 [read more – subscription required].

European Council            Consumer protection in the digital age: EU presidency agrees with Parliament to strengthen EU-wide co-operation
The Maltese presidency reached a preliminary agreement with European Parliament representatives to strengthen cooperation between EU national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws [read more].

European Commission  Summary report on the public consultation on the evaluation and review of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA)
The public consultation took place between 18 January and 12 April 2017. It was conducted in the context of the evaluation and review of ENISA in accordance with Article 32 of Regulation (EU) No 526/2013 [read more].

Cullen International       Top EU Court rules that The Pirate Bay is infringing copyright law
The EU's top court has ruled that The Pirate Bay is communicating copyright-infringing works to the public, in particular through indexing torrent files and by providing a search function. This will probably mean that these types of platform will need to be blocked by ISPs in the EU. This ruling may also have an impact on more mainstream platforms such as YouTube [read more – subscription required].

Cullen International       15 June 2017: retail roaming surcharges abolished, but exceptions could apply
Retail roaming surcharges for international voice, SMS and data have been abolished as of June 15, 2017. This concludes a legislative process of more than ten years [read more – subscription required].

Advanced Television     CJEU: ISPs may have to block Pirate Bay
Sweden based Pirate Bay may have to amend its file-sharing after Europe’s supreme court said it may be breaking copyright rules by helping users download films, TV shows and music for free [read more].

Ofcom  Three fined £1.9m for emergency call service failure
Ofcom has fined mobile phone provider Three £1,890,000, after uncovering a weakness in the mobile operator’s emergency call network [read more].

Cullen International       Digital Content Directive - Council wants bundles to be subject to telecoms rules on contract termination
The Council set on June 8, 2017 its negotiating position (in the form of a ‘general approach’) on the proposed directive on contracts for the supply of digital content (DCD). For long term contracts covering bundles of both traditional telecoms services and digital services (e.g. IPTV, cloud, antivirus software), the Council wants the telecoms specific rules on contract termination to apply to the whole bundle [read more – subscription required].


European Council            More transparent cross-border parcel delivery services – Council agrees its stance
Cross-border parcel delivery services in the EU are set to become more transparent and better monitored. Increased price transparency and more effective oversight should make the market more efficient and help bring down those tariffs which are not fully justified by objective factors such as wages or geographical distance. The Council has agreed its position (a 'general approach') on the draft Regulation, which is part of EU efforts to boost e-commerce under the digital single market [read more].

Total Telecom   Industry bodies gang up on EU over 5G
The European Union has incurred the collective wrath of a group of industry associations concerned about its supposed lack of ambition when it comes to 5G [read more].

Cullen International       Italian competition, telecoms, media and data protection authorities investigate big data
The Italian national competition authority (NCA) has opened, together with AGCOM (telecoms and media authority) and the data protection authority, a joint sector inquiry into the acquisition and automated analysis of large amounts of heterogeneous user data (big data) [read more – subscription required].

European Council            EU to launch free 'WiFi4EU' hotspots - deal with EP
The Maltese presidency has reached an informal agreement with the European Parliament on an EU-sponsored scheme, 'WiFi4EU', to promote free internet in town halls, hospitals, parks and other public places [read more].

Cullen International       ARCEP considers the impact of terminal equipment on net neutrality
The French regulator ARCEP presented a report on the impact of terminal equipment and associated software (operating systems, browsers, app stores…) on access to the internet. It considers that some software limitations, especially for mobile handsets, could prevent end users benefitting from an open internet access [read more – subscription required].


Cullen International       European Commission 2017 review of horizontal consumer rules will focus on enforcement
The European Commission has presented its assessment of the existing EU consumer rules that apply to all sectors. Although the Commission considers that generally such rules are “still fit for purpose”, it has identified some issues that will be addressed by a new legislative proposal [read more – subscription required].

SPECTRUM

Policy Tracker    Polish digital ministry eyes 700MHz, 3.4-3.8GHz and 26GHz bands for 5G
Polish Minister of Digital Affairs Anna Streżyńska says the country is currently developing its 5G spectrum policy and modifying its spectrum allocation plans and related legal documents to ensure there will be adequate spectrum for 5G rollout [read more – subscription required].


Policy Tracker    Operators and vendors target 3.4-3.8GHz as first band for 5G in Europe
Lately operators have downplayed more grandiose claims on vertical use case and seem more focused on the evolution of 4G services [read more – subscription required].

Total Telecom   France to allocate 5G spectrum in September
France plans to award 5G spectrum in the 3.5GHz band in September, and will launch a consultation on the allocation process next month [read more].

Policy Tracker    EE spectrum boss says there is more room for European cooperation on PPDR standard
The UK operator's head of regulatory strategy, Inge Hansen, told a conference in Brussels last week that it would be "good to have more European cooperation" on technical standards [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker    European Parliament supports strengthened RSPG
A Radio Spectrum Policy Group with powers over spectrum policy coordination could overcome difficulties in reaching agreement between member states and the EU, an influential MEP has said. The RSPG itself and EU regulators' group BEREC continue to support a more flexible approach [read more – subscription required].


Policy Tracker    Belgian regulator “very surprised” by Broadband Belgium's decision to hand back its spectrum licence
A senior spectrum manager at the Belgian post and telecoms regulator BIPT told PolicyTracker it is still planning to auction 3.4-3.8GHz spectrum in 2018 [read more – subscription required].

Telecoms.com  France reckons it could start launching 5G services next year
The French telecoms regulator Arcep has concluded a 5G consultation with a timetable that suggests 5G services could start launching in 2018 [read more].

Telecoms.com  French regulator says SFR and Bouygues can use 2.1GHz band for 4G
The two French operators want to repurpose spectrum currently being used for 3G and the regulator Arcep has got no problem with that [read more].

Cullen International       EU Telecoms Review: European Commission prepared to adjust BEREC proposal while sticking to its views on spectrum
The European Commission is prepared to revise its proposal on institutional reforms, while at the same time adhering to its views on increasing spectrum management co-ordination at EU-level [read more – subscription required].


Policy Tracker    RSPG: 5G licence conditions cannot be harmonised at EU level
Europe’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group has joined EU governments in expressing doubts over more centralised spectrum policy. The group has also heard from EU member states about their 700MHz migration plans [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker    The European Commission is taking a tough line on the European Council’s spectrum powers concerns
Telecoms minsters will meet in Luxembourg to discuss their position on the Commission’s proposed Electronic Communications Code (ECC) and are expected to continue to push back against further harmonisation of spectrum rules [read more – subscription required].


Policy Tracker    European Parliament puts spectrum at the heart of its approval of 5G Action Plan
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) said the measures outlined in the European Commission's 5G Action Plan were a minimum requirement for 5G [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker    Massive machine-type communications left out of 5G new radio ITU specifications
Narrow band-IoT (NB-IoT) will feature in a separate radio interface technology (RIT) proposal from 3GPP for the eventual ITU 5G standard [read more – subscription required].

Policy Tracker    Malta becomes latest country to release 1.5GHz auction plan
1.5GHz spectrum is set to be released for supplemental downlink (SDL) by some European countries in the coming years but interest is still patchy and shared use makes it a tricky proposition [read more – subscription required].


Policy Tracker    Belgium leaves 1400MHz out of spectrum auction plans
The Belgian regulator BIPT has revealed that it will leave the 1400MHz band out of its upcoming multiband auction. It has also published the plan for its auction of spectrum in the 700MHz band [read more – subscription required].

INTERNET

Total Telecom   BT begins offering free 1-Gbps public WiFi in London
BT on Tuesday began offering a free, 1-Gbps public WiFi service in London, having replaced some of its ageing phone boxes with new high-speed Internet kiosks [read more].


Ofcom  The consumer mobile experience
Ofcom has published a report which summarises the initial results from its new mobile research, which is designed to measure the consumer experience of using mobile services. It provides information on data service availability, and the performance of mobile voice and data services [read more].


Telecoms.com  London Underground set to introduce mobile network
Transport for London – the organisation that runs the London Underground – is set to invite bids for an underground mobile network according to a report [read more].

INFORMATION SOCIETY

European Commission  Commission launches Pilot Project to design dedicated digital skills training programmes for small businesses
The European Commission has launched a call for tender for a Pilot Project to design training solutions to up-skill people working in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and re-train unemployed people for jobs in small businesses. The Pilot Project was initiated by the European Parliament (on initiative of MEP Victor Negrescu) [read more].


ITU         ICT stakeholders to advance Sustainable Development Goals at World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2017
More than 2,500 information and communication technology (ICT) experts from around the globe will convene in Geneva, 12-16 June, for the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2017 (WSIS Forum 2017) [read more].

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Total Telecom   Orange eyeing exit from BT
Orange has sold a 1.33% stake in BT for £383 million, and announced plans to issue convertible bonds equating to another 1.33% [read more].


Total Telecom   Deutsche Telekom eyes T-Mobile US/Sprint merger to challenge AT&T, Verizon
Instead of looking for a way out of the US, Deutsche Telekom is now keen to strengthen its hand by merging its T-Mobile US unit with Sprint, and taking managerial control of the combined company [read more].

Total Telecom   Yahoo shareholders OK Verizon deal
Yahoo shareholders voted in favour of selling the company's core Internet assets to Verizon, finally paving the way for the transaction to close [read more].


Total Telecom   EC gives Vivendi conditional approval to take control of Telecom Italia
Vivendi has won the European Commission's conditional approval to assume de facto control of Telecom Italia [read more].


Total Telecom   Charter rejected Verizon takeover bid
Charter recently rejected a takeover bid from Verizon, it has emerged [read more].

POST

CEP Research     EC-backed ‘Deliver In Europe’ platform goes live
The ‘Deliver In Europe’ platform designed to support cross-border e-logistics went live at a top-level conference in Berlin attended by hundreds of retailers, suppliers and industry stakeholders [read more – subscription required].


Post & Parcel     CEN members publish cross border parcels technical specification
Members of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) have published the Technical Specification (TS 17073) for Postal Services – Interfaces for cross-border parcels [read more – subscription required].

CEP Research     Harmonised parcel label ready to launch in Europe
A harmonised label that could be used for parcels delivered by different carriers is ready to go into operation, according to the Ecommerce Europe association [read more – subscription required].


Post & Parcel     “Two thirds of online shoppers suffer problems with parcel delivery,” claims Citizens Advice
More than two thirds (69%) of UK online shoppers have had parcels lost, damaged or turn up late in the last year, according to new research from Citizens Advice [read more].


CEP Research     Malta Post extends “Easipik” parcel locker delivery service to all customers 24/7
MaltaPost has extended its delivery service via its parcel locker network “Easipik” enabling all customers to pick up their cross-border parcels round the clock [read more – subscription required].

CEP Research     Hermes launches new SMS service for better communication between businesses and customers
Hermes UK has launched a new online SMS platform “Hermes Messenger” targeting companies to help them easily communicate with their customers [read more – subscription required].

CEP Research     B2C online orders drive volume growth in German CEP market, study says
Online orders by consumers remain the strongest driver of the German courier, express and parcels (CEP) market, with nearly 1.3 billion parcels being shipped to private recipients in 2015, and the growth trend is continuing, according to a survey commissioned by the country’s postal regulator [read more – subscription required].


Post & Parcel     Spirit of coopetition
Speakers at the World Mail & Express conference have been looking at ways that posts and carriers can work together to solve the challenges of final mile and cross border delivery [read more].

Post & Parcel     Posti rolling out delivery day reform this summer
Posti’s new “delivery day reform” programme is being rolled across parts of Finland this summer, and will take effect for the whole of the country from 18 July [read more].

INNOVATION

CEP Research     Estonian Cleveron launches new innovative parcel delivery solutions
Estonian postal technology company Cleveron has launched new innovative products including an ultra-fast parcel terminal “Flex”, a cloud-based smart mailbox and a plug-and-play software that makes a parcel terminal functional immediately after installation [read more – subscription required].

ECOMMERCE

Ecommerce News           Ecommerce in Europe: €602 billion in 2017
Ecommerce in Europe is growing exponentially, especially in the southern countries. The online retail industry in Europe is expected to be worth around 602 billion euros at the end of this year, which would mean ecommerce in Europe will grow 14% compared to the situation in 2016 [read more].

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Disclaimer

The information contained in this newsletter is for general information purposes only and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information contained therein. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.