Community guidelines for the use of state aid in rolling out broadband networks - A conceptual novelty.

Authors

  • JOSÉ LUIS GÓMEZ-BARROSO y CLAUDIO FEIJ

Keywords:

tate aid, broadband, next-generation access networks, telecommunications, market failures, balancing test, public funds.

Abstract

Through the publication of applicable Guidelines, the European Commission have tried to sort them out and clarify the conditions required for the application of State aid rules to broadband deployment. By doing so, the Commission has introduced an important novelty not only for the electronic communications sector itself, but also in the general scope of application of the aids. These Guidelines are applicable to two markets which are connected although somewhat different. In «traditional» broadband networks, public funds are mainly directed to rural or economically underdeveloped areas. However, the Guidelines also applied to accelerate the deployment of next-generation access (NGA) networks, which implies a singular conception of the State aid, since this is a not yet developed, emerging market.

Published

2010-11-05

Issue

Section

NOTES