Regulatory issues have long been the main topic of discussion at conferences organised by the Czech Association of Electronic Communications (CAEK) and the latest proved to be no exception.
However, CAEK Congress 2012, which took place in Prague earlier this week, also touched on several other subjects, including internet piracy and the introduction of DVB-T2 services, that would not have been addressed only a year or two ago but are now extremely important.
Providing a European perspective on the Czech market in what was the first panel discussion, Hervé Dupuy, deputy head of unit B2, EC, DG Information Society and Media, made the interesting observation that bundled services in the country are not as well developed as in other European markets.
He was also critical of the Czech Republic for not setting itself long-term and ambitious goals, especially in the broadband sector, looking ahead by only three years while the focus in the EU is on 2020. Even so, Dupuy still expressed satisfaction with the way the country is generally performing in the adoption of European rules and regulations.
Pavel Dvorak, the president of the Czech Telecom Office (CTU), meanwhile spoke about an upcoming auction for frequencies brought about by the digital dividend, the country having completed the transition to digital broadcasting in November last year. He, too, made an interesting observation, about the many so-called “experts” now trying to give the regulator advice and trying to cash in on the dividend who were nowhere to be seen when the public consultation on the digital dividend first got under way back in 2008.
Dvorak was also involved in an interesting exchange with Marcel Procházka, who was speaking on behalf of the national transmission company Ceske Radiokomunikace (CRa), following the latter’s presentation on the rollout of DVB-T2 services in the Czech Republic.
The CRa has already undertaken DVB-T2 tests that finished last December and would like to be given permission to carry out a new round, trialling such services as pay-TV and 3D, for up to 12 months, starting this May. Dvorak nevertheless said that under no circumstances would the CTU allow the company to undertake trials of a commercial nature, citing the example of DTT tests back in 2004 that had left members of the public out of pocket.
The CTU and CRa have to work together in the introduction of DVB-T2 in the Czech Republic and there clearly differences between the two parties that need to be ironed out.
There was also a lively debate in the conference about the issue of “pirate” activities on the internet, with Gary Waller, a former member of the UK parliament and currently a councillor and London Olympic Ambassador, putting forward arguments, backed up by statistics, both for and against them. He also made the point that all rights holders now accept that the best solution is compromise.
On the other hand, Markéta Prchalová, the director of the Czech Anti-Piracy Union, argued that the state must guarantee a certain level of protection of rights to intellectual property.
