Norway’s National Communications Authority (Nasjonal kommunikasjonsmyndighet, Nkom) has announced the start of work on analysing the country’s fixed broadband markets, as the basis for a possible designation of one or more providers as having significant market power (SMP).
In a press release regarding the matter, the Nkom said it will seek input from operators and interested parties by a deadline of 4 January 2022, with its primary aim being to gather input on the ‘precise demarcations’ of the product markets for broadband services as they relate to end users. According to Hans Jorgen Enger, head of Nkom’s competition department, the purpose of determining these markets is so as to enable it to investigate whether there should be one or more markets at the wholesale level.
The Nkom’s previous wholesale broadband market rulings were published in 2018 and saw Telenor Norge designated as holding SMP at the wholesale level, with a number of obligations imposed upon it as a result. Now, in terms of its planned schedule for the next analysis, the watchdog says it will carry this out during the first of 2022, before sending notifications of any decision related to those companies holding SMP for consultation. With draft decisions to then be sent to the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) for notification ahead of a final ruling, the Nkom has said it does not envisage that latter stage happening until ‘the end of the first half of 2023’.