Press Release: Digital Agenda: Commission insists German operators should not be allowed special treatment on mobile rates

The European Commission has halted plans of the German telecoms regulator (BNetzA) which could result in mobile termination rates (MTR) more than 80% higher than in many other Member States. This could mean that German consumers pay unjustifiably high prices for their mobile calls. Termination rates are the rates telecoms networks charge each other to deliver calls between networks, and each operator has market power over access to customers on its own network. These costs are ultimately included in call prices paid by consumers and businesses.

As part of its proposal, BNetzA has opted not to follow the method for calculating MTRs set out in the Commission's 2009 Recommendation on Termination Rates (see IP/09/710 and MEMO/09/222) as part of EU telecoms legislation. In addition to German consumers paying considerably over the odds, there is the risk that consumers in countries, such as Portugal, Italy, Spain and Greece, could end-up cross-subsidising German mobile operators.

ESO: Background Information: Telecoms: European Commission urges Latvian regulator to set lower fixed and mobile termination rates http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-telecoms-european-commission-urges-latvian-regulator-to-set-lower-fixed-and-mobile-termination-rates/

European Commission: Press Release: IP/11/321: Digital Agenda: how new EU rules foster more competition in telecoms markets http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-11-321_en.htm

---