3G: OPERATORS ASK COMMISSION TO RELAX THE RULES.

• Position: Brief Article

The heads of the main telephone operators in Europe, meeting in Brussels on October 15, asked the European Commission to relax the regulations governing third generation (UMTS or 3G) mobile telephony licences. Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, BT Group, Ericsson and Philips especially, are asking the European Union to review the licence conditions, because delays have made the initial conditions unrealistic in some markets. According to telecom professionals, the cost of 3G licences totalled Euro 110 billion, to which must be added Euro...