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EU Wants German Telekom Fiber Open to All

Posted by Zonk on from the don't-bogart-the-photons dept.

High Fibre writes "The European Commission has informed Germany that a new law protecting Deutsche Telekom's fiber optic network is illegal. Deutsche Telekom is in the process of rolling out a new fiber network that will serve the 50 largest German cities by the end of 2007 and convinced the German parliament to pass a law that would keep the competition from being able to lease its lines. The EC says that's a no-go: 'The EC believes that the German law would make it more difficult for competitors to enter the German market. More importantly, it runs contrary to an EC-endorsed recommendation that Deutsche Telekom be forced to open up its network — including the new fiber deployment — to competitors.'"

3 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. In the UK BT is similarly obligated by TomAnthony · · Score: 2, Informative

    In the UK, BT (the formely state owned Telecom provider, now privatised) is obliged to provide competing operators with wholesale broadband access:

    http://www.out-law.com/page-3519

    I'm not sure how similarly this situation mimics that in the article, asides from with BT the EU wasn't involved in the decision.

    --
    Tom Anthony
  2. Thank you Captain Obvious by spun · · Score: 2, Informative

    You have just restated my point as if I did not understand the point I was making, or as if no one else could understand it. Are you implying that I am an idiot, or that the rest of /. is?

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
  3. Missing the larger issue by gr8_phk · · Score: 4, Informative

    Much of slashdot is missing the larger issue here. The EC is telling Germany what to do. A couple years ago I warned a German co-worker friend of mine that they must keep an eye on that whole EU/EC/E-whatever or it will try to become a single government over all of Europe. "Oh no, that won't happen" it was all just about having a common currency and other such nice things - the power will remain with the member sta.. err countries. This sure looks like federalism vs states rights all over again. Let's hope the EU doesn't have to have a civil war over it. This isn't just a German issue, all of Europe should be upset about it.