BoR (11) 06b BEREC report NGA Country Cases - IRG

BoR (11) 06b
Swisscom is rolling out 4 Fibres in certain cities. Generally, roll-outs are made in
cooperation with a local utility. They build each a network in certain areas and divide the
costs in the end. They provide two fibres to the other constructing operator. Swisscom
announced the goal to connect more than 1 million households with FTTH until end of 2015
(approximately 1/3 of households in CH).
The cooperation contracts contain different network architectures. In general, they put four
fibres from the building entry point (BEP) to the apartment. A minimum of two of them are
spliced in any case. If not spliced, the other can be spliced later by an alternative operator.
How they handle the fibres after the BEP is different between the cities and depends on the
exact cooperation conditions. At least, each partner connects one fibre from the BEP to its
point of presence. Sometimes, the utility uses also the incumbents ODF, sometimes they
build its own ODF (utility substation). There‟s also the possibility in the future for another
Telco operator, e.g. cable operators to have access on another access point, e.g. manhole
or concentration point or BEP.. Usually, the local utilities provide only wholesale offers.
Issues of multifibre co-investment in Switzerland
In Switzerland multifibre co-investments are currently not foreseen on the basis of jointventures,
but on the basis of co-investment contracts, which regulate rights and duties of
the partners regarding NGAN construction and access.
� Indefeasible rights of use (IRU): The constructing multifibre operator provides access
to one or more fibres to the other partner. In Switzerland this happens usually in form
of an IRU, which transfers certain rights of property and access but others not. The
IRU is in certain cases granted for a period of 30 years 1.
� Layer 1-exclusivity: certain contracts (e.g. Basel 2 ) between the incumbent and the
utilities contain an agreement on layer 1-exclusivity, i.e. a specific partner is not
allowed to sell layer 1 product to other operators.
� Regional exclusivities: certain contracts contain regional exclusivities, i.e. the contract
foresees that the construction in certain areas is carried out exclusively by the partner
designated in the contract (e.g. Geneva 3 ). Access by the other partner is regulated by
the contract.
1 http://www.swisscom.ch/GHQ/content/Media/Medienmitteilungen/2010/20100219_02_MM_IWB_Vor
vertrag.htm?lang=de?&print=true&format=Portrait&FRAMELESS=true&NRNODEGUID={31649908-EADD-
4B9D-A043-FFC74FB2E061}&NRORIGINALURL=/NR/exeres/31649908-EADD-4B9D-A043-
FFC74FB2E061,frameless.htm%3Flang%3Dde&NRCACHEHINT=Guest&lang=de.
2 http://www.grosserrat.bs.ch/dokumente/100365/000000365810.pdf (p. 17).
3 http://www.swisscom.ch/GHQ/content/Media/Medienmitteilungen/2010/20100204_MM_Glasfasernetz
_Genf.htm.
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