ComReg proposes deregulating urban wholesale broadband
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ComReg proposes deregulating urban wholesale broadband

Irish telecoms regulator ComReg has proposed new plans to deregulate wholesale broadband in areas with sufficient competition as part of its preliminary views on Wholesale Local Access (WLA).

As part of its analysis of the Irish market, the regulator claimed urban areas with strong competition could potentially be derestricted.

The consultation looks at wholesale services used in the supply of downstream retail services including fixed line, broadband and television to residential and business customers.

ComReg’s initial assessment looked at three key areas: WLA, wholesale central access (WCA) and broadband in urban areas.

It found incumbent Eircom has significant power in two of these areas (WLA and WCA). The former covers physical and virtual unbundling, with the latter looking at bit stream services in non-urban areas.

In its proposals, ComReg said it plans to maintain regulations imposed on Eircom in the two markets it has significant power, or even up them where necessary, while proposing removal of the regulations in urban markets, where the incumbent isn’t as dominant.

ComReg said the consultation will run from 11 November until 30 January 2017 and has opened up the proposals for comments from interested parties.

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