The EC approved the notified by the Communications Regulation Commission analyses of the market of wholesale (physical) network infrastructure access (including shared or fully unbundled access) at a fixed location and the market of wholesale broadband access in Bulgaria in conformity with the EU regulatory framework.

 

In the process of preparing the market analyses, the CRC took into account the best European practices and worked closely with the EC, using the experience of the other European regulators.The analyses provide mechanism through which the necessary specific obligations to be imposed on the SMP undertakings on the relevant wholesale markets, and as a result, better conditions for encouraging of the competition and on the retail market of broadband Internet access to be created.With regard to the envisaged obligations on the market of wholesale network infrastructure access, the EC recommended to the CRC to include in the scope of the remedy “cost orientation” and the access to “dark fiber”, which is necessary for provision of unbundled access to the local loop. In addition, the EC recommends to the CRC to monitor carefully both the retail market for broadband access and the development of the relevant wholesale markets.

 

It’s foreseen the CRC to discuss and reflect the comments that have been made, after which to adopt final decisions on the market analyses and to impose the relevant remedies.

 

For a period of two years, the CRC has analyzed 6 retail markets and 6 wholesale markets, as the analyses of the markets related to the service “leased lines” are in a process of elaboration. At the same time, the preparation of second round market analyses concerning the prices for origination and termination of voice calls from/to fixed networks as well as termination rates in mobile networks has started.