Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2001/05/03/ebone_warns_of_euro_broadband/

Ebone warns of Euro ‘broadband bottleneck’

Issues charter for change

By Tim Richardson

Posted in Networks, 3rd May 2001 14:26 GMT

The head of broadband network outfit, Ebone, launched a scathing attack on European telecoms regulators and Governments today over their failure to deal with what he described as the "broadband bottleneck".

Speaking at an industry conference in London earlier today Ebone President and COO, Duncan Lewis, warned that the failure to implement existing laws (as set out in the 1992 Leased Line Directive and the 1997 Interconnection Directive) was preventing European businesses from getting ahead in the e-world.

Citing new research from the Yankee Group he said that "leased lines" were the preferred method for broadband connectivity for business ahead of alternatives such as such as DSL, satellite, wireless, or dial-up services.

Yet the research shows that European businesses are paying 150 times more for local broadband access via leased lines than for equivalent broadband services internationally.

Said Lewis: "This situation persists despite decade-old legal commitments by European governments, and a strong political endorsement by European heads of government on the urgency of making local broadband connectivity cheaper and easier to access.

"In the dotcom crash, some observers have lost sight of the essential fact that broadband and Internet technologies will still bring huge business and social benefits to Europe.

"But unless governments and regulators take urgent action to unblock the broadband bottleneck by implementing legislation that bans overpricing and discrimination, many of those benefits will be realised too late or not at all," he said.

As part of Ebone's attack on the European regulators and Governments the outfit launched its "Broadband Charter" detailing a list set of demands to improve the situation.

It's understood the charter has already won the support of other companies and organisations including WorldCom and the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA). ®