That's according
to a European Commission review of the Universal Service Directive,
published today. It is the same law that requires BT to continue
maintaining over 64,000, largely unprofitable public phone boxes in
the UK, notwithstanding the ubiquity of mobile phones.
The Commission says stakeholders have endorsed its own view that
there is at present no need to extend the universal service safety
net to mobile and broadband internet services.
Consumers already have widespread affordable access to mobile
communications within their home countries, and so far only a
minority has high-speed internet connections. So the cost of
extending universal service obligations to these services would
exceed benefits to users, according to the Commission.
The report, which will be submitted to the European Parliament
and the Council, reviews the scope of EU universal service rules,
and summarises replies to a public consultation based on a
Commission Communication of 24th May 2005 on the same subject.
Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding said
bringing mobile and broadband internet services to users is best
left to the market – except where structural problems such as
geographical remoteness justify specific public investment "to help
bridge the broadband gap."
But an update is required, she said, and this year’s review of
the EU’s electronic communications rules "will give the opportunity
to look at provision of universal service in an IP world."
The public consultation on universal service received 76
contributions, the largest number coming from the UK. Governments,
regulatory authorities, consumer groups, disability groups, private
citizens, operators, service providers, manufacturers and other
businesses and organisations took part.
Many contributors observed that mandating any specific
technology in a fast-changing technological landscape would be
problematic, and that any extension of the scope of universal
service and its financing would risk deterring competition,
hindering investment and stifling innovation.
While consumer organisations specialising in electronic
communications supported the Commission’s conclusions, a number of
consumer and other organisations felt that the review criteria of
the Universal Service Directive or the Commission’s assessment were
too restrictive. They advocated extending the scope of universal
service to mobile and/or broadband services. The Commission decided
in March to take account of some of the remaining concerns by its
"Broadband for all Policy".
Some contributors raised additional questions, such as concerns
about quality of service and unjustifiably high international
roaming charges. Some comments also related to other user rights
and interests in communications such as access to emergency
services (which is covered by a specific provision in the Universal
Service Directive). All these issues are outside the focus of this
review of the Universal Service Directive. However, the Commission
says the contributions will provide input for the policy debate in
the context of the general regulatory review in 2006.
