www.WirelessFederation.com/news: German network regulator Bundesnetzagentur, has asked Deutsche Telekom AG to grant rivals like Vodafone PLC, access to broadband network. Through the decision, the regulator wants to ensure that
Deutsche Telekom’s competitors can offer its customers the same bandwidth.

Though Vodafone or Telefonica SA, have their own broadband infrastructure, the last mile which is a copper line and not a fibre one, extending from street cabinets to the home is critical.

According to the order, in case there is a lack of free space in the street cabinets, Deutsche Telekom will have to provide access to empty pipes or dark fiber to its competitors.

While the Deutsche Telekom raised concerns about the decision, it has been welcomed by VATM, the association of Deutsche Telekom’s competitors in Germany.

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www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Federal Network Agency (FNA), network regulator of Germany, has reduced charges for mobile calls in other European Countries (EU) countries. As per the new regulations, from 1 July 2009 anyone making mobile calls in another EU country will pay a maximum of EUR0.43 (USD0.60) per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing calls and no more than EUR0.19 per minute for incoming calls. The reduction is of EUR0.03 per minute on the maximum rates for incoming and outgoing calls in effect since the end of August 2008.

In summer 2010, subscribers will be charged EUR0.39 cents per minute for outgoing calls and EUR0.15 cents per minute for incoming calls. Charges will be reduced yet again in summer 2011 to EUR0.35 (outgoing) and to EUR0.11 (incoming). Moreover, the subscribers will be paying EUR0.11 for sending an SMS in another EU country and the wholesale charges for data roaming have been limited to EUR1 per megabyte. Compliance by Germany’s mobile operators with the ‘Roaming Regulation’ will be monitored by the FNA.

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