During a special hearing session of the Dutch telecom regulator OPTA, cable companies were very critical of plans to open up analogue cable networks to third parties. They called the scheme “obsolete” and “contradictory”.
In early August, OPTA published its plans to open up the cable networks of UPC and Ziggo to competition, because they still hold over 80% of the market for analogue television. Rob van Esch, MD of the cable association NLkabel, said competition has grown during the past few years. He also pointed to the fact that analogue is now losing ground to digital TV.
All interested parties can still submit their objections to the plans up until September 29. After that, the European Commission will have to give its blessings to the new OPTA rules before they can take effect early next year.