Member states have been told by the Commission the rules they must follow

Date: 28/11/1996

in selecting essential services to be provided by phone firms and how they should be paid for. Funding of so-called universal services by governments or selected phone companies should only cover the extra costs involved and should be fairly shared out between participants in the markets. Member states will be given the option of extending universal service requirements to mobile phone services, but will have to convince the Commission of their case.