INTERNET: EU PROBES INTO CONTENT HURDLES FOR NEW MEDIA.

• Position: Brief Article

As countries like Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Austria and Italy begin launching 3G (third generation) mobile networks and building broadband DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and cable connections to the Internet, it is the responsibility of competition regulators to insure the promotion of the "rapid and undisturbed development" of new media services that utilize those networks, Monti said.

In the initial findings of its inquiry, launched in January, into the sale of sports rights to 3G mobile operators, the Commission has already found "a generally negative attitude by the relevant players toward making premium content available for delivery over platforms different from the traditional ones," Monti said in his speech, which was also made available on the Commission's Web site.

In particular, Monti pointed to broadcasters and pay-TV operators that "acquire rights for delivery of content" for technologies that they don't make use of.

"Recent developments such as in...