Pan-European network plan for connecting people

Europe’s top telecoms executives are in talks to create a pan-European infrastructure network to unite the continent’s fragmented national markets, reveals the Financial Times on its front page. The idea of pooling telecoms infrastructure emerged last year at a private meeting between European Commissioner for Competition Joaquín Almunia and bosses of Europe’s biggest groups, including Deutsche Telekom, France Télécom, Telecom Italia and Telefónica. The move aims to combat a feeling among the industry that “Europe’s disjointed market has impeded their ability to compete.” The economic daily adds that -

establishing an EU-wide network-sharing agreement would be fraught with financial and technological obstacles, given the myriad differences in infrastructure and national rules. But […] it could also yield consumer benefits, such as single pricing for telecoms and internet services across Europe.

Around four-fifths of EU mobile customers have subscriptions with the four largest groups, but these operate independently through some of the 1,200 fixed telecoms operators and almost 100 mobile networks, that exist in the EU. The newspaper concludes –

Grand schemes face near-insurmountable political hurdles. Much more likely is some degree of network sharing without full regulatory overhaul. This could be more acceptable to domestic regulators already subject to EU rules.