Regulator proposes TeliaSonera spin off wholesale ops

Sweden’s telecoms regulator the PTS has proposed that incumbent fixed line operator TeliaSonera spin off its fixed line wholesale services into a separate unit, reports domestic paper The Local. Under the proposal, TeliaSonera would be forced to split up the production and sale of certain wholesale services from its other activities in Sweden, similar to the situation at BT in the UK. The two parts of the company would have to be separated by ‘watertight barriers’, the PTS said. Marianne Treschow, head of the watchdog, said the current system of negotiating network access with other operators had led to numerous conflicts and court cases. The proposal will now be considered by the government and go through a public consultation, and could be passed into law by the end of the year.