Press Releases 2003
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
Back to Press Releases index
|
