Telenet NV : Ruling on summary proceedings cable regulation
- Court of Appeal does not consider suspension to be necessary;
- Ruling on the merits only expected in the course of 2013;
- Telenet: "Regulation is not to the advantage of consumers: cable TV subscription fee is currently very low; innovation from cable industry risks to be put under pressure".
- The Court of Appeal in Brussels today ruled in summary proceedings that the cable regulation should not be suspended. Telenet learnt that the Court of Appeal ruled that no suspension was needed in anticipation of the ruling on the merits.
Today's intense competition in Belgium has ensured that consumers now enjoy one of the lowest cable TV rates in Europe and have access to state-of-the-art digital TV services. Moreover, cable TV rates are already regulated by the Federal Department of Economic Affairs.
The broadcasting market is a highly dynamic market with currently more than six operators offering TV services, besides the growing offering of free TV over the Internet. Telenet will make every effort to safeguard this favorable competitive situation for the consumer.
Before a definitive cable regulation can be implemented, there are certain steps that still need to be taken:
- The reference offer must be approved by the regulators and the European Commission in the coming months;
- We expect a ruling in the procedure on the merits of the cable regulation in the course of 2013.
In the coming days, Telenet will further analyze the extensive ruling.
Cfr Press Release
