ANACOM to deregulate the market for the origination of calls to non-geographic numbers related to the provision of specific services. This decision arises in the context of the wholesale market for call origination in the public telephone network at a fixed location which, in addition to that component, also includes a further sub-market: the wholesale market for call origination in the telephone network public service at a fixed location for the provision of retail telephone services, supported by indirect access.
This market, being analysed by ANACOM, is not on the European Commission list of relevant markets, which currently comprises 4 markets: Wholesale call termination on individual public telephone networks provided at a fixed location (market 1); wholesale voice call termination on individual mobile networks (market 2); wholesale local access provided at a fixed location (market 3a) and wholesale central access provided at a fixed location for mass-market products (market 3b); and wholesale high-quality access provided at a fixed location (market 4).
Given that the wholesale market for call origination on the public telephone network at a fixed location is currently regulated, ANACOM has re-analysed it and notified the Commission, which considered that ANACOM could deregulate the origination of calls to non-geographic numbers related to the provision of specific services, as proposed by ANACOM. As regards analysis of the wholesale market for call origination on the public telephone network at a fixed location for the provision of retail telephone services, supported by indirect access, ANACOM's intention to continue to regulate the market was not accepted, and ANACOM withdrew its proposal. It should be noted that this market has been shrinking and the number of indirect access customers has been declining since 2006 - in June 2017, there were only 27 thousand indirect access customers in Portugal. This decline has come as operators have focused on investment in their own infrastructure. Nevertheless, ANACOM considered this market to be relevant for the promotion of competition.
Consult:
- Decisions on the withdrawal of the draft decision (notified to the European Commission) on the wholesale market for call origination on the public telephone network at a fixed location https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1423804
