Communications Regulatory Authority

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one) access networks owned by the dominant operators. The European Authorities, believing that the duplication of the access networks is not possible in the short and medium term, have thus identified unbundled access to the local network of the incumbent operators as the most suitable instrument for leading the sector toward a more mature type of competition. The last topic that is generating a lively discussion, in the context of the broadband network services, concerns the neutrality of the network, i.e. the principle according to which the telecommunications operators must treat all the Internet packet data carried on their networks in the same way, without any kind of discrimination. This is a principle, not codified in any legislative texts, that has characterized the Internet since its birth. Among the factors that have fuelled the debate over net neutrality are, on the one hand, the change in the offering of the Internet services by independent companies and, on the other, the evolution of the networks of the integrated operators toward new generation infrastructure that makes it possible to control voice and data traffic more efficiently than in the past. As for the first aspect, several Internet service companies offer, on the telecommunication carrier networks, Internet Protocol video and voice services that are in competition with those offered by the fixed operators themselves. Worthy of mention, by way of example, is the launching of Google Video, a service that makes it possible both to view streaming content and to download for-pay content onto one’s computer: the offering includes several very well-known television serials (CBS itself has stated its intention to make available on Google Video both its entire catalogue of television shows, and the NBA games, just twenty-four hours after they are played). Among the main supporters of the principle of net neutrality are the infrastructureless Internet operators (such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Yahoo, and eBay). Another stance, taken by the integrated telecommunications operators, states instead that it is necessary to create a system in which the providers of services/content that require significant bandwidth consumption (such as that needed to access Internet Protocol TV) pay supplementary fees to obtain guaranteed quality levels for the service. This way, according to the supporters of this viewpoint, it would be possible to avoid an indiscriminate use of broadband, in favour of a more efficient service guaranteed to users (in terms of higher content download speeds); the proceeds deriving from these fees would be used by the telecommunications operators to invest in the upgrading of their networks. The network would thus been segmented into two levels: a first part, characterized by a high quality of the service, to be used for services that require considerable bandwidth, and a second part, characterized by a “best effort” approach, for the remaining traffic. Faced with the increase in the applications and services made available by these companies, the telecommunications carriers have proposed a pay-for service that, according to this set-up, would allegedly guarantee a better quality of the services offered to the end consumers. The proposal has, however, triggered a negative reaction, 8
not only from the companies mentioned previously, but also from lesser companies, which fear that the supply of differentiated Internet services will penalize precisely the smaller situations, which will not be able to afford a better service. Even various consumer associations have defended the principle of net neutrality: they maintain that the existence of a network with differentiated service quality levels undermines the Internet’s freedom of expression itself. This stance also extends to other operators, such as, for example, the companies that offer online financial/banking services, which fear that the elimination of the net neutrality principle will entail a considerable economic outlay if they want to ensure customer services characterized by good service quality. The world telecommunications services sector The world telecommunications services sector reached, in 2005, a total value of 907 billion euro. As for the breakdown of the sector into geographic areas (Figure 1.1.), North America, with 31%, is confirmed as the main region, followed by the Asia/Pacific area (28.5%) and Europe (27.3%). The “Asia/Pacific” share, thanks to the contribution of countries such as China and India, is inevitably bound to increase. Nevertheless, it will take longer than expected to approach the North American level, because of a downward revision of the forecasts concerning fixed telephony and mobile network services. The decrease seen on the European continent is, on the other hand, a consolidated phenomenon, determined by the saturation of the market of Western Europe. Figure 1.1. Value of the world telecommunications services market, distribution by geographic area (%) other countries Asia/Pacific North America Europe Source: IDC, 2006 | * Forecasts The analysis of the dynamics of the voice and data segments (Figure 1.2.) shows an increase of 2.4% of the voice services; this growth is attributable to the increase of the mobile voice segment, which has more than made up for the drop in revenues deriving from the fixed network voice segment (-1.5%). The negative trend of fixed 9
Page 1 and 2: Communications Regulatory Authority
Page 3 and 4: 1. THE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM IN THE
Page 5 and 6: But the fixed-mobile convergence is
Page 7: generation networks also make possi
Page 11 and 12: Figure 1.2. World telecommunication
Page 13 and 14: Figure 1.4. Hot spots in the world
Page 15 and 16: nine regions where it has concentra
Page 17 and 18: video channels, over 600 video-on-d
Page 19 and 20: Also with reference to the offering
Page 21 and 22: 1.9.), the total number of broadban
Page 23 and 24: The supply of these services has al
Page 25 and 26: offered. In particular, an increasi
Page 27 and 28: Nelonen, Nokia, TeliaSonera, and YL
Page 29 and 30: • the purchase of Meteor, an Iris
Page 31 and 32: confirmed as the leading country in
Page 33 and 34: 1.1.2. Audiovisuals The world telev
Page 35 and 36: On the other hand, satellite operat
Page 37 and 38: The structure of the national telev
Page 39 and 40: having the availability, on an excl
Page 41 and 42: Figure 1.16. Western Europe: breakd
Page 43 and 44: It is interesting to note that the
Page 45 and 46: undergo further acceleration in 200
Page 47 and 48: 1.2. ITALY 1.2.1. Telecommunication
Page 49 and 50: Figure 2.4. Trend of consumer price
Page 51 and 52: The shift of traffic to mobile serv
Page 53 and 54: is a significant part of the consum
Page 55 and 56: Secondly, there has been an increas
Page 57 and 58: - “Smart” services characterise
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The growth did not live up to expec
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AGCOM’s regulatory intervention c
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Table 1.5. Market shares in mobile
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TV services might become the next k
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connections in the Italian market a
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mobility), as an alternative to oth
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DFREE Rete 4 Italia 1 Sport Italia
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Table 1.9. Resources breakdown of t
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In 2005, RTI holds a market share o
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Table 1.13. Audience of main nation
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Until now, such investments have be
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From the viewpoint of the economic
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The readers of this product are mos
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Table 1.20. Monti Group (Poligrafic
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TABLE 1 DAILY NEWSPAPERS: NATIONWID
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Il Centro Campanile Nuovo a r.l. Fi
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La Gazzetta di Taranto Società P.a
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Piccola s.c.r.l. Ore 12 Centro Stam
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L'avvisatore Marittimo L'avvisatore
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Messaggero del Lunedì Editoriale F
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Leggo Sigma Editoriale s.p.a. 154,1
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La Gazzetta di Lecce Società P.a.
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Table 1.23. Advertising investments
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eached 3%. Television stands out as
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Table 1.30. Percentage breakdown of
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Table 1.33. Percentage breakdown of
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Surcharged services By decree of th
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2. ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY AGCOM 113
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electronic communications networks
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an 1PC-4.75% reduction restriction
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Markets for fixed calls over the pu
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AGCOM confirmed the position set fo
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eference offers relating to the 200
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With this measure AGCOM has then re
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data for the purpose of assembling
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termination on single mobile networ
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when foreign mobile operators’ us
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analyzing any possible regulatory o
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calculation, with regard to 2003 an
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The same supervisory action was car
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price-cap system on these services,
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Fixed-to-mobile (retention) -19.2 -
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up in cutting rates at that time, a
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according to the termination operat
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Rate ceiling supplement for the pro
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handset use restrictions when the S
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Mobile television services In 2005,
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undertakings with a significant mar
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Resolution no. 11/06/CIR allows VoI
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message advertising of the rate cha
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TELECOM ITALIA/VODAFONE Pending INF
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order areas and entering into the r
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After describing digital terrestria
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The first activity implemented by t
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and rights, and of a person’s dig
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Provisions relating to dominant pos
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In order to make the above-mentione
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In this context, AGCOM issued 7 ord
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subscribers without necessarily imp
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In this connection it should be hig
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LA7 TELEVISIONI s.p.a. La7 terr. 55
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March 2000, which regulates the iss
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technical restrictions for the need
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Misleading advertising Under articl
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AGCOM also explained that the absol
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The third area relating to children
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- 5 were due to the breach of artic
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Publishing Sound and/or television
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2.11. RELATIONS WITH CONSUMERS AND
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AGCOM enacted regulations for the s
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Activation of unwanted services 1,0
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WIND CPS 173 WIND Unwanted tariff p
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As a matter of fact, the high numbe
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stage hearings resulted in 43 petit
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virtue of the provisions under arti
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With Resolution no. 417/04/CONS set
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In the timeframe between 1 May 2005
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In 2 of the latter cases the insert
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3. AGCOM’S INSTITUTIONAL RELATION
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First of all, the year 2005 registe
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ears witness to the appreciation of
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Audiovisuals As for the audiovisual
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audiovisual and telecommunications
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Administrations, diplomatic represe
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Around 60 inspection union document
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systems C/7069 Acquisition of a cor
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adio broadcasting system s.c.r.l. C
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is even more appropriate in the cur
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The delegation concerning the prote
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Table 3.3. Implementation of the de
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with the associations of reference
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During 2005, the Special Unit also
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4. Governance structure 243
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Figure 4.1 4.1. AGCOM’s governing
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President’s Cabinet Guido Stazi D
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with the institutional actions to s
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achievement of the objectives set b
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for conflict of interests), € 22,
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in the economic, legal, sociologica
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Measures to guarantee rights of end
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DECT .............Digital Enhanced
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MVAS .............Mobile Value Adde
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