Sweden to put network separation into law

A law giving Sweden’s telecoms regulator, the PTA, powers to impose a separation of network operations and retail services on TeliaSonera – and any infrastructure-based telco deemed to have significant market power (SMP) – is under review by the state’s legislation council. Under recommendation from the regulator, TeliaSonera has pre-empted the law by launching its new domestic infrastructure provider TeliaSonera Skanova Access on 1 January, to offer equal wholesale terms to rivals and its own operations. If approved, the new law, based on the recent model of UK incumbent BT’s functional separation, would apply to SMP network operators active in both wholesale and retail markets, offering LLU and bitstream broadband and voice line services. Although the measures are scheduled to take effect by 1 July, the Swedish government said it will not enact the legislation until the European Commission has finalised its own guidelines on functional separation.