Press Releases

GSM Europe calls on Telecom Council to support Rollout of new mobile services

Rollout of new mobile services being restricted by public policy paradox

Brussels, Belgium, 27^th March 2003: GSM Europe, the European Interest Group of the GSM Association, welcomes the Member States’ recognition of the importance of electronic communications in achieving the Lisbon goals - to make Europe the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based society in the world by 2010. GSM Europe’s 130 network operator members also fully endorse the Commission’s recognition that the mobile sector, in helping to achieve these goals, is best served by self-regulation and market innovation.

Ahead of the Telecom Council Meeting the Group urges Member States to actively support the EC’s mission to encourage new mobile service and network rollout. It warns that national regulation could hamper the development of new service business models and that regulatory intervention should be kept to the minimum necessary level bearing in mind key principles of sustainability and proportionality.

"The European Mobile industry is fully committed to building sustainable economic development in Europe," comments Ms Kaisu Karvala, Chair of GSM Europe. "However, we are living in a public policy paradox. We are asked to focus on the speedy development of new services but at the same time are facing some profound and unexpected regulatory barriers that hamper the implementation of these new services and networks".

"The new regulatory Framework promotes the rolling back of regulation in liberalised telecommunications sectors, but the mobile sector is facing the risk of increasing regulation. This is in spite of the competitive development of the European mobile market in recent years," explains Karvala. "We see the implementation of the new Communications market act as an opportunity to improve the climate for investments through legal certainty and a consistent approach towards Member States," Karvala concludes.

GSM Europe members encourage the Council to take responsibility for ensuring the full rollout of mobile networks. Moreover, the Group says the Commission should invite Member States to define clear authorisation processes for installing base stations at local level in order to alleviate the current obstacles to network deployment.

The Commission, national and local governments as well as Operators share responsibility in resolving challenges in this area. While the mobile industry continues its efforts to ensure good practice in network roll-outs, led by GSM Europe, it hopes that the Commission will encourage national Governments to make planning decisions accordance with clear, transparent and proportionate guidelines.

Notes for Editors:

About GSM Europe
GSM Europe is the European interest group of the GSM Association, the premier global body behind the world's leading wireless communications standard. GSM Europe represents around 123 operators in 50 countries/areas in Europe and counts around 360 million subscribers. The GSM Association is responsible for the development, deployment and evolution of the GSM standard for digital wireless communications and for the promotion of the GSM platform. For more information, visit the website at www.gsmeurope.org.

About the GSM Association:
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the world's leading wireless industry representative body. It consists of more than 690 second and third generation wireless network operators working collaboratively to accelerate the implementation of collectively identified, commercially prioritised operator requirements. The Association’s members provide digital wireless services to more than 825 million customers in 193 countries of the world (end February 2003).

The GSM family of wireless communications platforms, including GSM, GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), EDGE (Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution) and W-CDMA account for approximately 72 percent of the total digital wireless market today. The GSM Association is a unique organisation, with truly global reach, offering a full range of business and technical services to its members. For more information, visit the website at www.gsmworld.com. GSM is a registered trademark, registered and owned by the GSM Association. "GSM - The Wireless Evolution"

Contact Information:

Kiki Walravens
Communications Manager
GSM Europe
Tel: +32 15 27 59 06
Fax: +32 15 27 03 21
Email: kwalravens@gsm.org

Or

Liz Macfarlan
Communications Dept
GSM Association
Tel: +44 207 518 0533
Fax: +44 207 518 0531
Email: lmacfarlan@gsm.org