News

Open Platforms Communication  COM(2003)410 (09/07/2003)

On 9th July, the Commission adopted a communication on open platforms.  This Communication responds to the requests from the Barcelona and Seville European Councils for the Commission to produce a report on "the remaining barriers to the achievement of widespread access to new services and applications of the information society through open platforms in digital television and 3G mobile communications".  The document analyses the provision of Information Society services over different networks using different end user terminals and concludes that a multi-platform environment is most likely to develop to provide services on demand wherever users want to access them.  Interface technology is explored for its impact on consumer choice.  The Communication identifies the voluntary moves on the part of industry to achieve interoperability in 3G.  It also presents the measures adopted in Community legislation to foster interoperability in interactive digital TV services.  The Communication identifies several challenges to the successful deployment of digital terrestrial television, including the management of switchover from analogue to digital transmission, as well as the creation of attractive interactive services and viable business models.  

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Public workshop on "The electronic communications consultation mechanism " provided for by Article 7 of the Framework Directive 2002/21/EC (01/07/03)

A public workshop will take place in Brussels on 15 July 2003 from 10:00 to 13:00 in the Charlemagne building. The workshop aims to explain how the Commission will handle its new duties under Article 7 and to provide an overview of the Commission's preparations regarding the procedures envisaged for notifications under Article 7. The workshop , introduced by Commissioners Liikanen and Monti, will be open to anyone who may have an interest in how this consultation mechanism will work in practice. In the afternoon, a meeting restricted to public authorities (national regulatory authorities, national competition authorities and ministries) will take place .
The workshop is open to anyone who may have an interest in this. Attendance is free of charge but registration is required.

Agenda
Registration form
Presentation
Press release (issued 14/7/2003)

This public workshop will take place in Brussels on 24 June 2003.

The ETNS will provide a platform for access to and the delivery of services from anywhere in Europe.  It will promote greater competition in the provision of services at the pan-European level, generate more choice and opportunities for service providers and provide users with access to new services within a wider economic area than their country of residence.

The purpose of the workshop is to identify demand from market players for ETNS. A range of potential service providers and service producers has been invited to give their view on the commercial opportunities of the ETNS.

The workshop is open to anyone who may have an interest in the ETNS. Attendance is free of charge but registration is required.

Click here to read more about the purpose of the workshop.
Agenda, registration form, background paper, hotels

Among the different issues analysed by the consultants are : (1) the economic implications of must-carry obligations, and the definition of a process to define a remuneration for cable operators to compensate the costs linked to the must-carry obligation ; (2) the appropriateness of spectrum valuation and the difficulties associated with moving from spectrum valuation to spectrum pricing in a sector like broadcasting which takes place in a multi-platform environment, and in the presence of general interest obligations on the broadcasters ; (3) how far there is a need for regulatory intervention in order to define how conditional access services should be priced and if so, who should pay the costs associated with the provision of these services.