Broadband as a Universal Service: Ensuring the availability of an adequate broadband internet access service, including the underlying connection, at a fixed location

In August 2020, as part of the review of a fixed connection capable of supporting functional internet access at a line speed of 4 Mbps, and taking into consideration the EU Directive 2018/1972, establishing the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC), the MCA published the consultation entitled “Broadband as a Universal Service - Ensuring the availability of an adequate broadband internet access service, including the underlying connection, at a fixed location (MCA/C/20-3948)’’. The consultation set out the MCA’s views on ensuring the availability of an adequate broadband internet access service, including the underling connection at a fixed location, as a universal service. In order to inform stakeholders on the outcome of the consultation, the MCA is publishing the response to consultation, the proposed decision and next steps. The proposed decision will be updated once the required national legistation transposing the EECC is made under national legislation. Once updated the MCA will publish the final decision. The final decision will supersede the MCA’s 2011 Decision Notice entitled ‘’Provision of access at a fixed location - Requirements to be compiled with by the Universal Service Provider (USP) in relation to Functional Internet Access (MCA/D/11-0314)’’.