The Danish Business Authority (Erhvervsstyrelsen) has concluded a consultation on the potential upgrade of incumbent operator TDC’s copper network with vectoring technology, announcing that domestic telecoms companies tentatively approve of the move, as it will provide higher broadband speeds for consumers. However, the regulator pointed out that it is crucial for TDC’s competitors to gain access to new ways to transport their broadband traffic from the relevant centres to a more central point in the network on competitive terms. If this condition could not be met with Phase II of the vectoring project, under which ‘some small exchanges’ will be upgraded with the technology, the alternative suppliers want the implementation of the legislation to be postponed. Further, the watchdog stated that it will now conduct an analysis to determine whether TDC shall provide such access, and publish its decision shortly after.
As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, in January 2014 the Erhvervsstyrelsen published a new decision outlining preferential wholesale terms for TDC, which it hoped would prompt the incumbent to upgrade its copper network with vectoring technology, which can theoretically increase broadband speeds to 100Mbps/30Mbps (down/uplink). The decision amended TDC’s obligations to offer wholesale access through copper (Market 4) and entered into force on 1 January 2015. Under the terms set out by the legislation, TDC is required to offer alternative telecom companies ‘virtual unbundled local access’ (VULA).