TELECOMMUNICATIONS : TELECOMS CHALLENGERS DENOUNCE RETURN OF MONOPOLIES.

Newcomers on the telecoms market attribute the recent slowdown in growth of broadband in the EU to a return of monopolies in certain key countries, like Denmark, France and Finland. Also contributing to the trend, they say, is the lack of competition in Spain, Italy, Greece, Belgium and Luxembourg, where the historic operators control more than 50% of broadband networks.

In a study released on 1 February (1), ECTA, the European Competitive Telecommunications Association, identifies solid growth rates in the United Kingdom and Germany (15%), Ireland (30%) and Greece (63%), but singles out...