Today, Arcep is publishing a draft decision for consultation, which proposes to extend enforcement of its market analysis decision [1] on upstream wholesale digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting services. This decision, which sets out the terms and conditions of Arcep’s regulation of this market for the period running from 2015 to 2018, is set expire on 17 December 2018.
After having considered putting an end to regulation in 2019, Arcep has heard the sector’s message
On 20 June 2018, Arcep published its “scoreboard and outlook” document for public consultation, which revealed:
- the increase in TV over IP viewing, which has been more popular than DTT since the start of 2017;
- and in the number of broadband and superfast broadband connections, supported by the government’s “France Très haut débit” superfast broadband rollout scheme.
In light of these observations, Arcep had planned not to renew its regulation of the wholesale market for digital terrestrial television broadcasting services for a fifth round.
This first public consultation elicited a unanimous response from the sector’s stakeholders, who opposed Arcep’s termination of the market’s regulation at the end of 2018.
Arcep regulation extended to give the sector’s stakeholders a suitable transition period
Arcep wants to the send the right signals to help shepherd technological transitions, but also to set the right pace. In its analysis, Arcep notes residential users’ need for an internet connection that is fast enough to deliver TV and internet services comfortably over telecoms networks. In the draft decision being published today for consultation, it thus proposes to extend its regulation for another two years to give stakeholders an appropriate transition period.
Interested parties are invited to submit their feedback on the draft decision to Arcep by 12 December 2018.
Today, Arcep is also publishing all of the responses to the earlier public consultation on its “scoreboard and outlook” document, which are available on its website.