Following the structural separation of the fixed access network and the qualification of FiberCop as a wholesale-only operator, the Italian telecoms regulator lightens the regulatory burden on the Italian incumbent in markets for wholesale local access (market 1/2020) and terminating segments of leased lines (market 2/2020).

The European Commission raised no comment on ARCEP’s assessment of the symmetric regulatory framework for fibre access networks. ARCEP said the framework enabled rapid fibre roll-out, significant investment and sustainable competition in the retail market.

According to BEREC several structural indicators pointed to a credible risk of market foreclosure in the medium term. Romania was the first country in the European Union to deregulate this wholesale market in 2015.

New and simplified telecoms equipment certification rules in Argentina introduced third party certification agencies, removed renewal requirements, included product-family approvals, and established the regime applying to certification bodies and testing labs.

The Dutch Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal delivered its judgment confirming the legality of the government decision requiring Odido (former T-Mobile) to remove Huawei and ZTE equipment from critical parts of its mobile network.

However, competent authorities should assess whether the concerned equipment genuinely represents a risk to the security of telecoms networks and cannot be based on a general suspicion. Further, if the period for an operator to adapt to the new framework restricting high-risk suppliers was not sufficiently long, reasonable compensation should be considered.