GSM Europe calls on Telecom Council to support Rollout of new mobile services
Rollout of new mobile services being restricted by public policy paradox
Brussels, Belgium, 27th
March 2003: GSM
Europe, the European Interest Group of the GSM Association,
welcomes the Member States’ recognition of the importance
of electronic communications in achieving the Lisbon goals
- to make Europe the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based
society in the world by 2010. GSM Europe’s 130 network
operator members also fully endorse the Commission’s
recognition that the mobile sector, in helping to achieve
these goals, is best served by self-regulation and market
innovation.
Ahead
of the Telecom Council Meeting the Group urges Member States
to actively support the EC’s mission to encourage new
mobile service and network rollout. It warns that national
regulation could hamper the development of new service business
models and that regulatory intervention should be kept to
the minimum necessary level bearing in mind key principles
of sustainability and proportionality.
"The
European Mobile industry is fully committed to building sustainable
economic development in Europe," comments Ms Kaisu Karvala,
Chair of GSM Europe. "However, we are living in a public
policy paradox. We are asked to focus on the speedy development
of new services but at the same time are facing some profound
and unexpected regulatory barriers that hamper the implementation
of these new services and networks".
"The
new regulatory Framework promotes the rolling back of regulation
in liberalised telecommunications sectors, but the mobile
sector is facing the risk of increasing regulation. This is
in spite of the competitive development of the European mobile
market in recent years," explains Karvala. "We
see the implementation of the new Communications market act
as an opportunity to improve the climate for investments through
legal certainty and a consistent approach towards Member States,"
Karvala concludes.
GSM Europe members encourage the Council to take responsibility
for ensuring the full rollout of mobile networks. Moreover,
the Group says the Commission should invite Member States
to define clear authorisation processes for installing base
stations at local level in order to alleviate the current
obstacles to network deployment.
The
Commission, national and local governments as well as Operators
share responsibility in resolving challenges in this area.
While the mobile industry continues its efforts to ensure
good practice in network roll-outs, led by GSM Europe, it
hopes that the Commission will encourage national Governments
to make planning decisions accordance with clear, transparent
and proportionate guidelines.
Notes
for Editors:
About
GSM Europe
GSM Europe is the European interest group of the GSM Association,
the premier global body behind the world's leading wireless
communications standard. GSM Europe represents around 123
operators in 50 countries/areas in Europe and counts around
360 million subscribers. The GSM Association is responsible
for the development, deployment and evolution of the GSM standard
for digital wireless communications and for the promotion
of the GSM platform. For more information, visit the website
at www.gsmeurope.org.
About
the GSM Association:
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the world's leading wireless
industry representative body. It consists of more than 690
second and third generation wireless network operators working
collaboratively to accelerate the implementation of collectively
identified, commercially prioritised operator requirements.
The Association’s members provide digital wireless services
to more than 825 million customers in 193 countries of the
world (end February 2003).
The
GSM family of wireless communications platforms, including
GSM, GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), EDGE (Enhanced
Data for GSM Evolution) and W-CDMA account for approximately
72 percent of the total digital wireless market today. The
GSM Association is a unique organisation, with truly global
reach, offering a full range of business and technical services
to its members. For more information, visit the website at
www.gsmworld.com.
GSM is a registered trademark, registered and owned by the
GSM Association. "GSM - The Wireless Evolution"
Contact Information:
Kiki
Walravens
Communications Manager
GSM Europe
Tel: +32 15 27 59 06
Fax: +32 15 27 03 21
Email: kwalravens@gsm.org
Or
Liz
Macfarlan
Communications Dept
GSM Association
Tel: +44 207 518 0533
Fax: +44 207 518 0531
Email: lmacfarlan@gsm.org
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