Market Review: Retail Access to the Public Telephone Network at a Fixed Location for Residential and Non Residential Customers

Consistent with regulatory role to review certain electronic communications markets, this Response to Consultation and Decision (the ‘Decision’) presents ComReg’s final views on its analysis of the retail market for access to the public telephone network at a fixed location for residential and non-residential customers (‘the Fixed Voice Access (FVA) market(s)’). the Commission for Communications Regulation (‘ComReg’), like all other national regulatory authorities (‘NRAs’) across the EU, is required to carry out periodic reviews of relevant electronic communications markets. 2 The European Commission has described this market in general terms as the retail market for provision of a connection or access (at a fixed location or address) to the public telephone network for the purpose of making and/or receiving telephone calls and related services, such as, fax and dial-up3 internet access.4 1 As set out in European Commission, Revised European Framework for Electronic Communications, 18 December 2009, Broadband has superseded dial-up internet access as a means of accessing internet services and therefore a review of connection or access (at a fixed location or address) to the public telephone network for the purpose of making and/or receiving voice calls is the primary focus of this document.

Consistent with regulatory role to review certain electronic communications markets, this Response to Consultation and Decision (the ‘Decision’) presents ComReg’s final views on its analysis of the retail market for access to the public telephone network at a fixed location for residential and non-residential customers (‘the Fixed Voice Access (FVA) market(s)’). the Commission for Communications Regulation (‘ComReg’), like all other national regulatory authorities (‘NRAs’) across the EU, is required to carry out periodic reviews of relevant electronic communications markets. 2 The European Commission has described this market in general terms as the retail market for provision of a connection or access (at a fixed location or address) to the public telephone network for the purpose of making and/or receiving telephone calls and related services, such as, fax and dial-up3 internet access.4 1 As set out in European Commission, Revised European Framework for Electronic Communications, 18 December 2009, Broadband has superseded dial-up internet access as a means of accessing internet services and therefore a review of connection or access (at a fixed location or address) to the public telephone network for the purpose of making and/or receiving voice calls is the primary focus of this document.