Highlights and activities for Weeks 15 & 16
International News
Telecoms
a) Financial Times. Jean-Claude Juncker seeks to open door for EU telecoms deals. [read more]
b) Wall Street Journal. BRUSSELS—The European Union's highest court on Tuesday struck down the bloc's data-retention law, dealing a blow to law-enforcement authorities that claim they need easy access to telecommunications data to fight organized crime and terrorism. [read more]
c) European Parliament. The European Parliament has voted in favour of a Directive on measures to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed electronic communications networks. [read more]
Spectrum
a) Policy Tracker. There is a growing sense that governments see commercial mobile networks as a key part of the critical communications industry. [read more - subscription needed]
Internet
a) Cullen International. As of July 1, 2016, telecoms operators would be able to request access to the physical infrastructures of network operators, for example in the electricity or waste water sectors, and to any existing in-building physical infrastructures in order to deploy high-speed broadband networks. [read more – subscription needed].
b) telecoms.com. American telco Verizon announced the launch of a Secure Cloud Interconnect service (SCI) this week, using private IP addresses to connect its cloud and multiple cloud platforms together, beginning initially with Microsoft Azure. [read more]
c) Telecompaper. The FTTH Council Europe plans to step up its efforts to build political support for fibre roll-out in Europe. The industry group adopted its agenda for 2014-2016, … [read more]
d) EurActiv. Consumer choice to access the best services at the most convenient prices depends on the availability of competing offers, a pillar of antitrust policy that is increasingly put into question by the growing power of online “free” services. [read more]
Audiovisual
a) telecoms.com. Cloud TV and connected home specialist Entone has announced a deal with Vodafone Netherlands that will see the Dutch operator deploying the Californian supplier’s IPTV services. [read more]
b) Broadband TV News. Vodafone is understood to be in talks with Netflix to offer subscribers access to streaming movies and TV shows, according to Bloomberg. [read more]
c) Advanced Television. A new report from research consultancy IDATE looking at OTT distribution strategies suggests that OTT-specific services present opportunities for premium content rights holders to add value to … [read more]
d) Advanced Television. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler opened NAB this week by warning attendees that the legacy TV industry has reached an “inflection point” where online providers “can move from being the disrupted to the disruptor”. [read more]
Post
a) Post & Parcel. Average domestic letter prices in Europe have increased by three euro-cents in the last year, according to the latest European letter price survey from Deutsche Post. [read more]
b) Cullen International. The Third Postal Users Forum took place in Brussels on March 31, 2014, bringing together e-retailers, delivery operators and consumers’ representatives. The discussions covered [read more – subscription needed]
c) Post & Parcel. The world’s postal administrations have been advised that they should no longer dispatch international mail addressed to the Crimea region via Ukrainian Post. [read more]
International Meetings
1. BEREC MEETING: Our senior Market Analyst attended a meeting with the Commission on the draft recommendation of relevant markets in Brussels on the 8th April 2014.
2. CEPT WG: A working group on numbering and networking was held in Portugal on the 10th April 2014. Our Regulatory Analyst attended on behalf of MCA.
3. FSR TRAINING: Our External Relations Analyst attended the annual training on communications and media regulation held at the Florence School of Regulation from the 10th-12th April 2014.
4. COUNCIL WG MEETING: Our Chief of External Relations represented the MCA at the Council working group meeting held in Brussels on the 14th April 2014.
5. IRG CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP: Our Regulatory Analyst and our Technical Specialist attended this workshop held in Swizerland on the 13th-17th April 2014 on behalf of MCA.
Publications
Legal Update
1. VODAFONE PLC vs. MCA: New appeal before the Administrative Review Tribunal by Vodafone. Vodafone are contesting a regulatory decision dated 14th March 2014 on mobile termination rates. Together with the appeal, Vodafone also filed an application requesting the suspension of the regulatory decision in question.
2. VICTOR GATT ET VS AVUKAT GENERALI: This case presented before the Constitutional Court was related to the use of a premises used as a post office by Maltapost plc. The plaintiffs w/d the case.
3. LIJA LOCAL COUNCIL et vs MELITA et: The parties submitted their final submissions. Case adjourned for further oral submissions.
4. PUBLICATION OF ACT VIII OF 2014: Amendments of the Postal Services Act, the Malta Communications Authority Act and the Electronic Communications (Regulation) Act. Amendments are not yet in force.