CNMC publishes draft rules on fibre access in Spain

Spanish regulator the CNMC has published draft rules on the regulation of wholesale broadband markets that will see Telefónica forced to give access to its fibre network in towns and cities where there are fewer than three operators deploying next-generation networks.

Telefónica will have to make its copper and fibre networks available to rivals on a wholesale bitstream basis, and offer indirect wholesale access without the current limit of 30Mbps in areas where there is little competition.

The draft rules are now open to comments from the EC, the Spanish ministry of industry, energy and tourism and the ministry of economy and competitiveness, who have a month to made submissions.

The rules outlined by the regulator follow an extensive consultation launched a year ago, which limited the number of cities in which Telefónica would be exempt from sharing its fibre network to nine. The latest rules will leave 34 cities outside regulation, which the CNMC reflected the significant growth in fast broadband networks over the last 12 months. Access to the copper network will however be regulated in these cities.

The CNMC faced opposition from the governing Popular Party last year over what the latter described as “disproportionate” regulatory proposals on fibre access.