The three largest Dutch cable operators Ziggo, UPC and Deltakabel have started legal proceedings against the ‘open cable’ law.
The cablers argue in their case against the Dutch state that the forced opening up of their networks is illegal. The case will be heard on November 28, according to the Dutch website Webwereld.
The revised Dutch telecom law, which came into effect earlier this year, stipulates that the cable operators have to open up their networks to third-party resellers of their analogue cable product.
Last April, the European Commission also started proceedings against the Dutch state because the law undermines the independence of the telecom authority.
At the moment, the Dutch cable operators are the only ones still offering an analogue TV product. However, they claim that the market sees increased competition from other platforms, including FTTH, IPTV, DTT and DTH, making the mandatory open cable law illegal.
A number of parties, including Tele2, T-Mobile and independent YouCa, plan to sell the analogue product as part of multiplay offerings with their own copper products.
