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Spain Regulator To Release Report On MVNO Soon</span>
MADRID -(Dow Jones)- Spanish telecommunications regulator CMT said Thursday it will shortly release a report to include measures that favor the launch of mobile virtual network operators, or MVNO.
An MVNO operator leases all, or most, of its capacity from other operators and then sells it on to customers, saving the cost of building and maintaining a network.
A spokeswoman for CMT said the regulator has sent a report draft to the European Commission, including comments from the country's existing mobile telephony operators.
She added the Commission is expected to return the report within a few weeks with any revisions it may add. The final version will then be released by the regulator.
The move may shakeup Spain's mobile market - currently one of the least competitive among the major European countries - and allow for the launch of MVNO in conditions similar to those enjoyed by alternative operators in countries such as France and Germany.
The CMT has declined to provide information on the comments from operators included in the draft document. The draft, which was posted in its Web site in July, criticizes the operators for their obstruction of MVNO launches and suggests the CMT may force them to open up their networks to competitors if they won't do so voluntarily.
The draft said the CMT is considering recommending specific measures to force the operators - Telefonica Moviles, Vodafone Group and France Telecom's Amena - to break what it called their "collective dominant position" and improve competition in the market.
Currently, operators aren't required to share their networks, which has frustrated attempts by companies such as Sweden's Tele2 to launch MVNO services in the country.
Regulator Web site:
http://www.cmt.es