WIK-Consult / ICF online workshop on 16 and 18 June 2021
Review of the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive
Preliminary results of the evaluatin and impact assessment
WIK-Consult, together with ICF and eco-act have been tasked with providing support to the European Commission on the review of the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive, through a study (VIGIE 2020-0647) which will provide input to the evaluation of the current Directive and to the impact assessment of a potential new legislative instrument.
In this context, we are organising a public online workshop, at which we will present the preliminary findings from the study and seek views from stakeholders on a number of options for the revision of the Directive.
The workshop will be organised over two days – the 16 and 18 June. While the 16 June will focus on access to physical infrastructure, in-building infrastructure and the provision of relevant information via the Single Information Point, the 18 June will focus on permit granting, co-ordination of civil works and potential options to promote the deployment of sustainable electronic communications networks. Issues to be discussed include:
- Whether to expand the scope of the physical infrastructure access obligations beyond assets that are part of a network, for instance covering street furniture and other public and potentially private buildings and structures.
- Whether to provide further guidance on the application of pricing principles for access to physical infrastructure or on the apportioning of costs for civil works co-ordination.
- Whether to make compulsory or to expand the requirements to provide information to Single Information Points to other types of entities or assets – and whether to expand the scope of information to be provided.
- How to make co-ordination of civil-works more effective.
- Whether to expand and/or clarify the scope of provisions concerning permit granting, and whether to make further provisions to limit the administrative burdens associated with permit granting procedures and potentially rights of way.
- Whether to request FTTH-ready in-building infrastructure for new and renovated buildings, and streamline, revise or provide guidance on the conditions under which access to in-building infrastructure should be provided.
- How to incentivise the deployment of environmentally sustainable networks.
- What might be the best mechanisms from an institutional perspective to ensure the efficient application of the provisions of the Directive and support co-ordination in cases where there are multiple bodies involved.
A significant proportion of the time will be given to hearing the thoughts of workshop participants on these issues.
A full programme for the event including the questions we plan to cover for each topic can be found here ...