IPTV WORLD FORUM – LONDON. The European Commission is to forge ahead with plans to force all broadband network operators to open themselves up to third parties.
Christophe Forax, a member of EU Media Commisioner Viviane Reding’s Cabinet Ofice, said the Commission was operating a policy of “platform neutrality” across all broadband networks, referring to recent decisions regarding the opening up of the Dutch cable networks and the regulation of the Danish cabler YouSee. “We cannot expect some players to support all the development costs while others are taking advantage.” The news would have been music to the ears of the telco audience, but as was demonstrated at last week’s Cable Europe congress in Berlin, the cable sector is less than enamoured with this new regulatory twist.
Forax also said Must Carry rules must not be imposed on mobile TV services and called for national governments to adopt a regulatory “one-stop shop”.
