Universal Service: everything changed, nothing will be changed

Posted on September 25, 2008 | Filed Under communication technologies 

Universal service definitely has not been a priority interest of Commissioner Reding - and it still isn’t. This became evident once more with the presentation of the Communication on the second periodic review of the scope of universal service in electronic communications networks and services in accordance with Article 15 of Directive 2002/22/EC. The new report merely scratches at the surface and does not even cover all the issues the Commission should have addressed according to Art 15 and Annex V of the Universal Service Directive. Summing it up, the short report states that mobile telephony is widely available and used and also that broadband is available for 90% of the EU’s population. The report focuses on overall statistical data and does not touch upon the key question of Annex V: “does the lack of availability or non-use by a minority of consumers result in social exclusion”.

The commission obviously does not want to dig any deeper and prefers to put the issue of universal service still further off. In 2006 the Commission had promised a green book on universal serivce for 2007; Reding - in a speech in May 2007 - then postponed that until 2008: “I will publish a Green Paper next year to launch a wide ranging policy debate among all stakeholders on this issue. This could in turn lead to legislative proposals in 2009.”

And now - we have arrived in 2008 - the new report just hopes to provide “the basis for a discussion on the range of relevant issues”, and announces that “on the basis of this debate, the Commission will issue a Communication in the second half of 2009, summarising the debate. It could follow this up in 2010 with concrete proposals if they are needed to update the Universal Service Directive.”

So we know that mobile and broadband services have drastically altered the situation of end users of electronic communications services. Still, the Commission does all it can to avoid addressing the real issues in universal service, and rather promises another debate, then another communication summarisung the debate, and then - possibly, maybe - concrete proposals. Even if the Commission follows up on this plan - which is not very likely, judging from the track record - then it would probably 2012 before legislative proposals are finally adopted, which would mean that somewhere around five years from now such rules might then be implemented by the member states.

As I have already concluded more than a year ago: “It’s a polite way of saying: Universal Service reform has been called off”.

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One Response to “Universal Service: everything changed, nothing will be changed”

  1. Broadband for all? Universal service and “Europe 2020″ : contentandcarrier on March 3rd, 2010 11:40 pm

    […] been very keen on addressing universal serive at all, much less on reforming it, see for instance this post) first recounts that it had wanted to keep the issue of universal service outside the scope of the […]

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