Swiss expand universal telecom service with broadband

bealtine

Swiss expand universal telecom service with broadband
Published: Wednesday 13 September 2006 | 03:54 PM CET


The Swiss federal council is adapting universal service provisions to include broadband services from 1 January 2008. The universal broadband access is expected to have a minimal download speed of 600 Kbps and a minimal upload speed of 100 Kbps. The council also set a upper price limit of CHF 69 per month, including not only the broadband connection but also a voice channel, a telephone number and an entry in the public telephone directory. The price limit will be re-examined in 2010 in order to take account of developments in the broadband connection market, a market which is still growing rapidly and where further price reductions are possible.

Other changes have been made regarding content and upper price limits. Two new measures to promote the social integration of disabled people are also to be incorporated into the list of universal services. The first consists of the provision of an SMS relay service - in addition to the existing transcription service - for the hearing impaired. The second is the expansion of the directory and switching service to people with limited mobility, who cannot dial telephone numbers because of their disability. The directory enquiries service, call diversion and advice of charge have been removed from the obligations of the universal service. The federal council's approval of the plan means the Swiss communications commission ComCom can launch a tender in the autumn for the award of a universal service licence, which would enter into force on 1 January 2008.

Sponge Bob

bealtine wrote:

The Swiss federal council is adapting universal service provisions to include broadband services from 1 January 2008. The universal broadband access is expected to have a minimal download speed of 600 Kbps and a minimal upload speed of 100 Kbps .

Funny how places that are covered in snow for half the year have near universal DSL access in Switzerland already , and 600k implies fibre to within 5km or max 6km of every home

Once Comreg sees a proposal like this and duly wrings its hands and gnashes its teeth and scratches itself languidly it will turn into a mush like

'Maybe 128k by 2020 if you don't mind awfully'

Proposals like these are meant for advanced economies and societies with a strong collective vision and sense of social inclusivity .... like Switzerland....but not for us. Mind you they also banned Band 13 porn diallers years ago.

bealtine

Sponge Bob wrote:

Funny how places that are covered in snow for half the year have near universal DSL access in Switzerland already , and 600k implies fibre to within 5km or max 6km of every home

Imagine all the cost of running "cables" up hills to the sheep/cow farmers out in the wilds. Those demographics obviously don't make sense when the people are spread out so much, like along lakeshores, up mountains and in small rural villages.
Oh wait mea culpa thats Comreg's excuse machine...

Sponge Bob

bealtine wrote:

Those demographics obviously don't make sense when the people are spread out so much, like along lakeshores, up mountains and in small rural villages.

What does make sense is that Swisscom (to whom this Universal regulation will apply in 15 months) was not allowed to bankrupt itself by buying the clapped out ****heap that Comreg calls a universal network in this country when the Swiss government stepped in last year.

Comreg has a self appointed mandate to ensure that there is no worthwhile enforceable Universal Service in Ireland which is what allowed various venture capital parasites and the communications workers to bleed eircom dry over the years.

Don't worry lads, we don't expect ye to provide proper phone lines , suck hard

machalla

I'm curious where do most of the staff in Comreg actually come from? When it came into existence originally I thought it was mostly ex-Eircon people. Since they might need to go back someday I assume they don't want to step on Eircons toes?

I would assume anyone working there would have had to have some decent knowledge of the telecoms sector and how it works.

Of course I could also assume pigs will fly but it doesn't make it so...